Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G Specs, Equivalents & Depth of Field

16–55 mm

Focal length

f/2.8

Maximum aperture

83°–29°

Diagonal angle of view (APS-C)

APS-C

Designed for

3.4×

Zoom ratio

Specifications#

Brand: Sony
Model: E 16-55mm f/2.8 G
Lens type: Standard zoom
Focal length: 16–55 mm
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Image circle: APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm)
Mount(s): Sony E-mount
Projection: Rectilinear
Lensfun correction profile: Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera format	At 16 mm	At 30 mm	At 55 mm	Equiv. aperture (DoF)
APS-C	24 mm · 83°	45 mm · 50°	82 mm · 29°	f/4.2
APS-C (Canon)	26 mm · 80°	48 mm · 48°	88 mm · 27°	f/4.5
Micro Four Thirds	32 mm · 68°	60 mm · 40°	110 mm · 22°	f/5.6

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native APS-C format (CoC 20 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 16 mm f/2.8 on aps-c.

Focal	Aperture	at 1 m	at 2 m	at 5 m	at 10 m	Hyperfocal	Blur @2 m
16 mm	f/2.8	44.0 cm	2.07 m	∞	∞	4.69 m	0.2%
16 mm	f/4	66.1 cm	3.83 m	∞	∞	3.29 m	0.1%
16 mm	f/8	1.88 m	∞	∞	∞	1.65 m	0.1%
30 mm	f/2.8	11.8 cm	48.6 cm	3.33 m	19.2 m	16.5 m	0.7%
30 mm	f/4	17.0 cm	70.6 cm	5.31 m	69.6 m	11.5 m	0.5%
30 mm	f/8	34.7 cm	1.55 m	34.1 m	∞	5.78 m	0.2%
55 mm	f/2.8	3.4 cm	14.1 cm	90.2 cm	3.72 m	55.3 m	2.4%
55 mm	f/4	4.9 cm	20.2 cm	1.30 m	5.51 m	38.7 m	1.7%
55 mm	f/8	9.8 cm	40.7 cm	2.74 m	14.0 m	19.4 m	0.8%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

Body	Min. handheld shutter (longest focal)	500 rule at 16 mm	NPF at 16 mm, f/2.8
APS-C	1/80 s	21 s	13 s
APS-C (Canon)	1/80 s	20 s	13 s
Micro Four Thirds	1/100 s	16 s	12 s

Compatible cameras#

Bodies in our database with a native Sony E-mount mount. Full-frame bodies switch to an APS-C crop with this lens.

Sony α7R VI crop mode
Sony α7 V crop mode
Sony ZV-E10 II 2024
Sony α1 II crop mode
Sony α9 III crop mode
Sony α6700 2023
Sony ZV-E1 crop mode
Sony α7C II crop mode
Sony α7CR crop mode
Sony α7R V crop mode
Sony FX30 2022
Sony FX3 crop mode
Sony ZV-E10 2021
Sony α1 crop mode
Sony α7 IV crop mode
Sony α7S III crop mode
Sony FX6 crop mode
Sony α7R IV crop mode
Sony α6400 2019
Sony α6600 2019
Sony α6100 2019
Sony α7 III crop mode
Sony α6300 2016
Sony α6500 2016
Sony α7R II crop mode
Sony α7S II crop mode
Sony α5000 2014
Sony α5100 2014
Sony α6000 2014
Sony NEX-3N 2013
Sony NEX-5T 2013
Sony α3000 2013
Sony α7 crop mode
Sony NEX-F3 2012
Sony NEX-7 2011
Sony NEX-C3 2011
Sony Alpha NEX-5N 2011
Sony NEX-5 2010
Sony Alpha NEX-3 2010
Sony α7R III crop mode

Adapt it to other systems#

Nikon Z Nikon 1 (CX)Pentax Q

Similar lenses#

Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS PZ (Vers. I/II) f/3.5–5.6
Sony E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS f/4
Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD f/2.8
Tamron E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8 f/2.8
Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary 021 f/2.8
Sony E 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS f/3.5–5.6
Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS f/4
Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G f/4
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS f/4
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art 024 f/2.8
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Art 019 f/2.8
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM f/2.8

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G full frame?

No — it is designed for APS-C sensors. On a full-frame body it vignettes or triggers crop mode.

What is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G equivalent to on APS-C?

Its focal length is already the real value for APS-C: 16–55 mm frames like 25–84 mm on full frame.

What is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G good for?

As a standard zoom it suits everyday shooting, travel, events and walkaround use.

Sources & licences#

Lensfun lens database — CC BY-SA 3.0

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources