I’ve been a fan Sony’s A6000-series of cameras since the original model was launched many years ago. The Sony A6700 is the best yet, currently the latest in a long line of A6000-series cameras from Sony. I’d say that it’s Sony's top APS-C mirrorless model, taking over from the previous Sony A6600 and inheriting the 26MP sensor and plenty of advanced video features from the Sony FX30.
Naturally, the Sony A6700 isn’t just a camera for video. I’ve found that it delivers excellent image quality for stills and boasts all the benefits of Sony’s advanced autofocus technology, complete with AI subject recognition and tracking. Another top feature of the A6700 is that it has in-body image stabilization, which can make all the difference between getting the shot or not, in handheld shooting.
Taking all of these credentials into account, the Sony A6700 qualifies as one of the best hybrid cameras , and one of the best vlogging cameras as well. However, most of the best Sony lenses are for full-frame cameras, so the choice of dedicated APS-C format E-mount optics is a little more limited. Even so, Sony has gone to great lengths to build its E-mount range over the years, offering professional-quality lenses along with more affordable options. And let’s not forget that Sony isn’t the only company making E-mount lenses. In this guide, I’ve included some best buys from the likes of Sigma and Tamron, as well as a lens from Viltrox that’s amazing value for money. Let’s crack on...
Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews Editor. He has used practically every interchangeable-lens camera launched in the past 20 years.
The Quick List
I feel that on the A6700, this lens has a really useful zoom range with a really desirable fast and constant f/2.8 aperturere, earning its 'G' credentials. Read more below…
Wide-angle lenses aren’t just for capturing big scenes, and I really like that this one features power zoom which makes it very video-friendly. Read more below…
This prime gives you an equivalent focal length of 16mm on the A6700, which I find ideal for everything from landscapes to interiors and astrophotography. Read more below…
With the A6700's crop factor, this prime’s focal length is perfect for portraits, while the wide aperture and super sharpness deliver quality images. Read more below…
When a lens gives you a 7.5x zoom range without costing a great deal, you’d expect the quality to suffer – but this lens defies expectations. Read more below…
This zoom gets you closer to distant subjects, with a light build and strong optical performance we wouldn’t normally see at this price. Read more below…
View the full list...
This prime brings you full-frame quality at an affordable price, with lifesize magnification to help you capture small-scale subjects. Read more below…
Best lenses for the Sony A6700
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Best everyday lens for the A6700
If you’re looking for the best standard zoom lens to go with the A6700, this is it. The E 16-55mm f/2.8 G offers an equivalent focal range of 24-83mm in full-frame camera terms, and the constant f/2.8 maximum aperture is just what professionals have come to expect from premium zooms.
On the downside, this lens is both heavy and expensive. The Sony A6700 is in itself relatively compact, so this combination will seem somewhat front-heavy. There’s also no in-built image stabilization – although this doesn’t matter particularly on the A6700, which has its own in-body stabilization. The center sharpness is excellent throughout, although the corner sharpness is only average at the longest zoom setting.
Read more: Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G review
Features ★★★★★ | It has a relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, a function button and an AF/MF switch. |
Design ★★★★★ | The solid-feeling and classy construction includes weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Performance is excellent in all respects, although wide-angle distortion relies on auto correction. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pricey to buy but the quality and performance make it good value. |
Best wide-angle zoom for the A6700
The Sony E 10-20mm f/4 PZ G has effectively replaced the older Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS ultra-wide zoom, ditching optical stabilization in favor of a slight increase in the maximum focal length and adding a power zoom facility. This lens is clearly designed for the video/vlogging market, and its small size, light weight and wide angle of view (15-30mm equivalent) will make it perfect for use on a gimbal or grip for self-filming.
The optical performance is pretty outstanding too, so while the power zoom feature isn’t ideal for stills photography, this is still a highly desirable lens for photographers as well as filmmakers.
Read more: Sony E 10-20mm f/4 PZ G review
Features ★★★★★ | The videocentric feature set includes a power zoom and very useful zoom range, with a constant aperture. |
Design ★★★★☆ | There’s no aperture control ring but you do get a function button and the weather-resistant design is nicely compact. |
Performance ★★★★★ | It’s impressively sharp and the motorized zoom works really well for video capture. |
Value ★★★★☆ | Considering the up-market build quality, performance and handling, it’s good value at the price. |
Best wide-angle prime for the A6700
A small lens with a big heart and a big viewing angle, I love how this Sony 11mm shoehorns so much into the image frame. I find it ideal for everything from cramped architectural interiors to sweeping landscape vistas and cityscapes, while its fast f/1.8 aperture makes it equally adept for astrophotography. Buy one and it won’t be long before you wondered how you ever managed without it.
I really like that the lens is designed to be equally useful for shooting stills and movies, boasting two linear stepping motors that deliver super-fast autofocus for stills and smooth, virtually silent focus transitions for movies. The minimum focus distance of 0.15m shrinks to just 0.12m in manual focus mode, delivering a tight depth of field at f/1.8 for close-ups or using the lens for vlogging. Handling benefits from an AF/MF switch is featured and a customizable autofocus-hold button.
I also like that the lens is neatly compact and lightweight, ideally suited to the slimline Sony A6700 camera body. Even so, it packs quality glass including three aspherical elements and three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to optimize image quality, while build quality is convincingly robust, featuring multiple weather-seals.
Read more: Sony E 11mm f/1.8 review
Features ★★★★☆ | There’s a customizable function button and AF/MF switch but no aperture control ring. |
Design ★★★★★ | It’s a tough little cookie with a weather-resistant design and removable hood. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very good but relies on automatic in-camera corrections for distortion and vignetting. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s quite pricey for an APS-C format prime lens but well worth the money. |
Best portrait lens for the A6700
The FE 50mm f/1.8 is designed primarily as a ‘nifty fifty’ for Sony full-frame cameras, on which it gives an entirely standard perspective. Pop it on your A6700 and the APS-C crop factor gives you an equivalent focal length of 75mm, stretching into short telephoto territory.
The effective focal length combined with its fast f/1.8 maximum aperture makes this a great ‘portrait’ lens for the A6700. The combination gives you a comfortable working distance and the ability to isolate your subject by blurring fussy backgrounds. The optical performance is impressive given this lens’s low cost, with good sharpness and smooth bokeh. And if you upgrade to full-frame Sony camera in the future, you'll already have a standard prime in the bag.
Read more: Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 review
Features ★★★★☆ | The feature set is pretty basic and the electronically coupled focus ring is the only control. |
Design ★★★★☆ | The lens lacks any weather-seals and has a relatively basic DC autofocus motor. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | The lens punches above its diminutive weight for image quality, with nicely smooth bokeh. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s relatively inexpensive for a Sony lens but still pricier than 50mm f/1.8 offering from some others. |
Best superzoom lens for the A6700
Normally, consumer-level ‘long’ standard zooms are pretty average in both performance and handling, but the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS punches well above its weight. On the A6700, its equivalent focal length is 27-202mm, taking you from wide-angle to telephoto without needing to swap lenses. The definition does fall off a little at longer focal lengths, but by nowhere near as much as I've often seen with similar lenses. I feel it's an ideal lens for travel and walkabout photography, when I just want to take a single lens for the journey.
The lens also quite light, very neat in its profile and handling, and just a really nice lens to use. It doesn’t have the performance or the pro credentials of the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G but it’s a lot less expensive and it’s own way, rather more likeable.
Read more: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS review
Features ★★★★☆ | The versatile zoom range is top of the features list and the lens also has optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Build quality feels pretty good but the lens lacks any weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | It’s good overall but long-zoom sharpness could be better away from the center of the frame. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s good value for a walkabout and travel lens with a generous 27-202mm ‘effective’ zoom range. |
Best telephoto lens for the A6700
I think this is a lens with real wow-factor. Take the 1.5x crop factor of A6700 into account and it gives an 'effective' zoom range of 105-525mm, taking you well and truly into super-telephoto territorty. The lens is ideally suited to fast-paced photographic genres like action, sports and wildlife as well as bird photography, making it a perfect partner for speedy A6700.
The optical design includes an aspherical element and three extra-low dispersion elements, all of which contribute to superb image quality throughout the entire zoom range. Controls are customizable too, and Optical SteadyShot expands usability in low light. Typically, optical stabilization works better than any camera's in-body stabilization with telephoto lenses. This is a fantastic lens for a very fair price.
Read more: Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS review
Features ★★★★★ | High-end features include a function button, AF/MF switch and optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★★ | G-series quality comes to this APS-C format lens with up-market design and weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | It’s impressively sharp and the XD linear motor-driven autofocus system is fast and snappy. |
Value ★★★★☆ | This is a pricey telephoto zoom for an APS-C format lens but worth the outlay. |
Best macro lens for the A6700
The FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro is designed as an affordable macro lens for Sony’s full-frame cameras, but it’s also a very interesting choice for the Sony A6700, where its effective 75mm focal length is no disadvantage at all – in fact, the smaller sensor size will make tiny subjects appear even bigger (although, in strict macro terms, the reproduction ratio is still 1:1).
I feel like the 50mm Macro is actually a genuine dual-purpose lens on the A6700, as the effective 75mm short telephoto focal length is also good for portraiture. The only thing against it for general use is that the autofocus system is not very fast, which is often the case with macro lenses.
Read more: Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro review
Features ★★★★☆ | Dual-purpose features make it useful as a standard/portrait lens and for macro shooting with full 1.0x magnification. |
Design ★★★★☆ | It’s a nice design but the inner barrel extends at shorter focus distances, eating into your working distance. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very pleasing and the lens is able to resolve extremely fine detail. |
Value ★★★★☆ | The autofocus range limiter is unusual for a 50mm macro but the lens doesn’t come cheap. |
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. The full-frame compatible Sony FE 50mm lenses in the group both have standout performance for sharpness, and the APS-C format E 18mm also does very well. By contrast, the Sony E 18mm shows pretty extreme barrel distortion but as with many lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, automatic in-camera correction takes care of this aberration.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion. Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel distortion at its shortest focal length, which is less obvious when everything is averaged out. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, take a look at the graphs published in our full standalone reviews.
How to choose the best lens for the Sony A6700
The A6700, like all A6000-series cameras, uses the Sony E lens mount. Sony’s own E-mount lenses have either FE (full-frame) or E (APS-C format) in their model names: all work on the A6700. Very broadly speaking, an FE lens will be heavier and more expensive than an equivalent E lens, but deliver better image quality. E lenses (again very broadly) will tend to be smaller and lighter.
For shooting at shorter focal lengths and wider angles of view – specifically kit lenses or ultra-wide zooms – you are probably better off with an E lens. The APS-C crop factor of the A6700 means that FE lenses offer a reduced angle of view, curtailing their wide-angle capability with the smaller sensor.
If you are buying a third-party E-mount lens, check whether the lens is designed for use with APS-C Sony cameras like the A6700, or with full-frame Sony bodies.
Check out our guide to the best Sony lenses if you want to know more
How we test lenses
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
