Product Reviews

The focus ring is not smooth. Chatters. Auto focus is very good but sometimes you want to tweak the focus. I think it is heavy, but maybe that’s just me.

I've had this lens for a couple months & couldn't be happier--it's the perfect companion for my a99/a77. Zoom/focus is swift/seamless. Lightweight enough to carry anywhere. Would have been nice to have an xtra stop or so of light, but, for my purposes, fits the bill fine!

Good lens but would be better if the F stop is lower

Super sharp optics throughout the zoom range, exceptional when used just one stop down from fully open. Very sharp at 300mm F5.6. Silent and fast focusing. A class piece of glass!

Picture quality is far superior to the pictures obtained by the original kit lens supplied with A65 camera. It is heavier than original 70-300 but balances well in the palm of the hand. I am very pleased with the results so far. I wish it would be F2.8 Cost is rather high but shop around, special offers are available.

This is my third SAL70300G and two are still in use as we have three Sony cameras. Very useful lens for travelling as not too heavy and has good control of distortion and great presentation of detail.

Best ever lens EVER. Love love LOVE this new lens. Detail is extraordinary - even with birds in flight (see photo). This is now my go-to lens for my hobby photography. Thanks Sony for such an outstanding product! Makes ANYBODY look good as a photographer!

Great lens in good light Very sharp and highly recommended. Optically excellent and focus limiter is very good. Performance is excellent, but the 300mm can be limiting for birding. It is priced much too high compared to other lenses of similar optical quality. So this reduces overall rating as its price/performance ratio is poor. Ie value for money is not that good If money is not an issue then buy one.

Excellent quality optics, very pleased with results so far

Great all around lens, work beautifully with my SLT-A99, worth every penny

Wanted a telephoto lens that would work with my NEX-5. SonyStyle website was too cryptic to make the correct choice. Chatted with Sony Customer Service and was recommended this lens as compatible. After purchasing and receiving discovered that it was compatible only with an alpha to e-mount adapter. More $$ and wait time. Should have double-checked myself but should have been able to rely on Customer Service. Great lens but feel that I was somewhat misled.

I've been using the lens for 6 months on both A77 and A99. On the A99 it works great but on the A77 it needed some focus adjustment as it was back focusing. I also have a 3rd party 70-300 lens which has a sharper centre area but at the edges the Sony are better. However the other lens is less than half the price. Overall good but not perfect.

I absolutely LOVE this lens. Great for action shots, nature photography and still subjects that are far off.

I bought this lens to replace the cheaper 75-300 sony lens I bought with a previous sony SLR. I was looking for a better quality lens and I believe the 70-300 is it, very quiet, very quick focus, great image quality. It's a hefty lump, but looks impressive on the camera. The lens seems to struggle initially with focus, but gets better when it's "warmed up", with the benefit of simultaneous auto and manual focus, even when cold it's easy to help the auto focus find the sweet spot. It's worth shopping around, the price of this lens can vary by several £100s.

I love the image quality, excellent product from Sony. the 'G' coating proves the GOLD standard output. SSM is awesome... very fast... focus hold button is proper position to hold the focus... must have lens for outdoor and wildlife photographs... amazing..

just broke the seal on this baby and it's just as advertised...couldn't be happier...first shot out of the box is here..

Test shots attached shows the 70mm shot.at 1/320 of a sec, F9, ISO 100 and 300mm shot F9, ISO 200, at 1/500 of a sec. Hand held and Steady shoot turned on. Both test shots were minimally Photoshoped using CS-5.5. I was happily surprised by the sharpness, clarity, and contrast. I also ran test on the lens wide open and was also happy with the results I previously used the 18-200 lens from Sony, but no more. G lenses from Sony are far Superior.

While this lens is on the heavy side (as all G-Series lenses), it provides great photos with nice sharpness across the image. I use mine on the A850 with excellent results from a sharpness and bokeh perspective. Low light situations are difficult to manage without a tripod. I use mine mostly during day for landscape photos.

This lens represents a rather ideal focal length for manageable mid to long telephoto shooting styles. It is built like a fine European sport sedan and acts accordingly rewarding you with well focused, color rich images that delight. I can even use this as a imitation macro lens to provide closeup views of insects on flowers from a good distance due to it's high magnification. It balances well even on a A55. The SSM drive motor is just yummy. Instant and quiet to focus. If you are serious about your photography you need look no further for this focal length range. This lens flat out delivers in spades

I really really love this lens. I have had it for quite some time now and I am still a bit stunned at how sharp it is. And with BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL colors !! Thanks to the SSM motor, Auto focusing is really quick and scarily silent and very accurate. The only time I feel bad when dealing with this lens is when I have to take it off of my camera. I love its size and weight too. It feels right and your fingers just fall perfectly where they're supposed to. Using it is very comfortable and lots of fun. I'm really impressed by this thing. Bravo Sony !! I could really just blab on forever but I'm sure you guys get the point lol !! I actually really like the way it looks too. it looks like it can travel through time !! it has character and charisma !! I like that !! I highly recommend this lens to all Sony Alpha users !! I have also used the normal cheaper 75-300 and the difference is HUGE !! I know that the G is more expensive but honestly it is so much more than worth it.

I have only owed Minolta products. I've never owned a digital camera before. I purchased a Sony a-700 to replace my Dynaxx 7000 since Kodachrome 200 is off the market. I bought this Sony lens based on previous reviews to replace my old, inexpensive, half plastic, Minolta A/F 75-300 lens. What a difference! Soft, photo studio pictures (any light, any situation), have been replaced by sharp, exquisite frames. Worth every penny!

I added this lens to my kit mainly for sports events, and what a surprise I was in for! At first glance, the size of this lens is somewhat daunting. But, once mounted on the A700 (with V-grip), poof! Excellent balance and handling! This has remained true since moving over to the A900 (also with V-grip). The results at water polo tournies has become quite the subject among other parents and fans. I am very well pleased!

I just bought this lens and as soon as i connected it to my a350 I was instantly turned into a photographer, well... it at least felt like it anyway. It is easily the best lens that i have ever used. The quality of the glass is incredible. Have not found any optical or any other problems.

Coupled to my SONY A700, this telephoto lens yields near professional quality images on the full-size soccer field where I maintain a photo website for a youth team. The entry-level G lens has truly awesome tracking capabilities for players in motion. I often compare my posted images with those from other local teams whose photographers use Nikon "all in one" telephoto kit lenses (and other lesser brands), all limited by their inherent optical compromises. (I also own a SAL-1680Z lens for the shorter focal length range.) Their sports pictures rarely achieve the razor sharp clarity of my dedicated higher focal length range SONY G lens. The difference is quite stunning. My satisfaction with this trusty "tool" is through the roof. At the end of the day, carrying more than one lens tends to be a prerequisite for image excellence.