Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM is a Variable aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Super Telephoto Zoom lens with APS-C / DX max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
A Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM is a crucial decision factor. Below, we have assessed its suitability for various photography scenarios:
Reasons to Buy the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
Autofocus |
Hood supplied |
Full-time Manual Focusing |
Versatile Lens with a Zoom Ratio of 5x |
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Lens Extends while zooming |
Slow Aperture at Wide end |
Slow Aperture at Tele end |
Variable Aperture |
Lens Mount
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM is compatible with cameras that have a Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
The size and weight are crucial factors to consider when searching for your next lens. Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM has a maximum diameter of 77mm and total length of 117mm when not extended. It weighs 460g / 16.2 oz.
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM has a filter thread of 62mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM:
Focal Range
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM has a focal range of 55-300mm and 5.5X zoom ratio which has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
Optical Image Stabilization
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM doesn't have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).
Alternatively, you can check the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS in Sony Alpha mount that have similar focal range but features Optical Image Stabilization.
Lenses Similar to Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM With Optical Image Stabilization
Zoom Method
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM features Rotary (extending) zoom method where the length of the lens changes as you zoom in or out. This makes it possible to design the lens with a smaller minimum length ( generally when it is zoomed out) compared to internal zoom lenses. The disadvantages of this design are being harder to seal against dust and moisture, weight balance shifting while zooming and zoom creep in certain lenses.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.27x and has a minimum focusing distance of 1.4m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.27x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Super Telephoto Zoom type Sony Alpha mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM is a variable aperture lens with a max aperture of f4.5 and a minimum aperture of f22 at 55mm, and a max aperture of f5.6 and minimum aperture of f29 at 300mm .
Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
55mm
|
F4.5 |
F22 |
300mm
|
F5.6 |
F29 |
Optical Formula
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM's optical formula consists of 12 elements in 9 groups . Special elements used in this design is ED glass element.
Lens Hood
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM comes with a removable circular shaped lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is ALC-SH112.
Body Colour
Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM is available in Black color.
Popular Comparisons of Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM Lens
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