As one of the most popular travel camera series on the market, many photographers find themselves searching for the best zoom lens for Sony A6000 and other similar models such as the A6100, A6300, A6400 and A6500.
After all, if you’re travelling you don’t want to necessarily be carrying a lot of camera equipment and the argument can certainly be made to take a zoom lens instead of several prime lenses even if it means a sacrifice in quality.
As this series of Sony cameras use an E-Mount and APS-C sensor (unlike the full-frame zoom lenses for Sony A7III cameras), our hunt for the best zoom lens will focus on lenses that are directly compatible with the camera and don’t require any convertor.
As the Sony A6000 uses similar lenses to other models in the series such as the Sony A6100, A6300, A6400 & A6500 — you can assume that when we’re talking about the best zoom lenses for Sony A6000, it also applies to any of these other models.
Want a quick answer? My overall choice for the best zoom lens for Sony A6000 cameras is the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
Sony A6000 Zoom Lens Comparison
| Sony A6000 Zoom Lens | Description | Prices |
|---|---|---|
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS | BEST ALL IN ONE ZOOM LENS Range: 18-135mm AF/MF Switch: Yes Weight: 325g/11.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 16–55mm F2.8 G | BEST PREMIUM ZOOM LENS Range: 16-55mm AF/MF Switch: Yes Weight: 494g/17.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 70–350mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS | BEST PREMIUM TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS Range: 70-350mm AF/MF Switch: Yes Weight: 625g/22.1oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 55–210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS | BEST BUDGET TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS Range: 55-210mm AF/MF Switch: No Weight: 345g/12.2oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E PZ 18–200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS | BEST PREMIUM VIDEO ZOOM LENS Range: 18-200mm AF/MF Switch: No Weight: 649g/22.9oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS | BEST BUDGET VIDEO ZOOM LENS Range: 18-105mm AF/MF Switch: No Weight: 427g/15.1oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
What To Look For in Zoom Lenses for Sony A6000
When making the decision to purchase a zoom lens there are a few things you should consider. Firstly, you’ll want to consider whether you’re looking for a lens to complement your existing kit or a lens to replace your existing one.
If this is the first additional lens you’re buying from the standard 16-50mm kit lens that comes with the Sony A6000, then you have the option of buying a zoom lens that will significantly increase your shooting range.
Or, you could simply buy a lens that will increase your range and/or improve the quality of photos for the wide-angle shots that the standard kit lens provides.
You’ll also want to consider how important the weight of the lens is to you and whether your shooting style involves more travel where you want to minimise weight or whether you are happy shooting with several lenses in your bag.
Lastly, make sure to consider where you are in your photography journey and what limitations you feel you have in your current lenses and what type of shots you want to be able to take but feel that you can’t at the present moment.
All the lenses listed in this article will be suitable for some photographers but not for others, so it’s important to be able to assess accurately for yourself what you are looking for.
Best Zoom Lenses for Sony A6000
The following lenses all have their own unique advantages and disadvantages when choosing a zoom lens for the Sony A6000 and similar camera models.
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
If you’re looking to minimise the number of lenses that you carry with you then you can’t go wrong with choosing the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) lens.
The lens provides a fantastic zoom range, allowing you to take a range of photos from landscapes to portraits. This makes it perfect if you are exploring a city and just want to have one lens sitting on your camera all day.
Its resolution and image quality are undoubtedly a step up if you’ve previously been shooting with the 16-50mm kit lens that comes standard with the Sony A6000.
The E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens is lightweight, coming in at 325g/11.5oz while also offering photographers great control with an easy ability to switch between auto and manual focus, optical image stabilisation and fast auto-focus.
Overall, if you’re looking for a mid-range option to upgrade from a standard kit lens and aren’t necessarily looking to have to constantly change lenses, then the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens is a fantastic choice for the best zoom lens for Sony A6000 and similar models.
It provides photographers with a significant quality improvement while also increasing the range of photos that you can take.
E 16–55mm F2.8 G
If you’re not necessarily looking to take telephoto shots and simply want a premium upgrade from the standard kit lens, then the E 16–55mm F2.8 G (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) lens is a great option to consider.
It offers a similar range to the standard 16-50mm kit lenses, however, offers significantly better photo quality with fantastic high resolution and a constant aperture of F2.8.
Similarly to the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens, the E 16–55mm F2.8 G lens allows users to easily switch between auto and manual focus, is compact and lightweight at 494g/17.5oz and has a focus hold button on the lens that can be fully customised to give photographers easy control of the focus of their shots. Its blades are also designed in a way that results in beautiful smooth bokeh.
Overall, I suggest that the E 16–55mm F2.8 G lens is a great choice if you’re looking for a premium zoom lens for your Sony A6000 and are happy with the range of shots that you are currently taking with your standard kit lens but want to see a significant improvement of image quality.
E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS
The 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is a fantastic premium zoom lens to choose if you’re looking to complement an existing premium wide-angle lens such as the E 16–55mm F2.8 G or even the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS if you’re just looking for an extra telephoto range.
The 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS lens is ideal if you’re planning any wildlife shoots and offers sharp quality even at the highest zooms. It’s also reasonably lightweight for a lens with such a large coming in at 625g/22.1oz.
Similarly to the E 16–55mm F2.8 G lens, it allows users to seamlessly switch between auto and manual focus as well as having a focus hold button on the lens that is fully customisable. This lens also has a zoom lock switch and a shake compensation switch to assist in your photography.
The 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS lens is arguably the best zoom lens for Sony A6000 cameras if your ultimate goal is to extend your range significantly without sacrificing quality.
No other travel lens for Sony A6000 cameras offers the zoom that this lens does and it’s definitely worth considering making the investment in this lens if you have an upcoming trip to a wildlife park or football stadium!
E 55–210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
If you are looking for an affordable zoom lens for your Sony A6000 to complement the standard 16-50mm kit lens then the E 55–210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is an ideal choice.
The E 55–210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS actually comes included sometimes in purchases of the Sony A6000, however, if this wasn’t the case for your camera, purchasing this lens allows you to easily extend your zoom range.
While the image quality won’t be as good as some of the other premium zoom lenses on this list, the lens still allows is lightweight enough at 345g/12.2oz that it’s not a burden to pack even for the minimalist traveller.
This zoom lens doesn’t have many of the additional features on the lens such as the auto and manual focus switch that you see on other lenses in this article, which isn’t really a surprise given it’s on the budget end of zoom lenses for the Sony A6000 cameras.
If you’re not looking to spend a lot and simply want an affordable way to increase your range from the standard 16-50mm kit lens then the E 55–210 mm F4.5-6.3 OSS is certainly a good option to consider.
E PZ 18–200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
Another premium zoom lens option to consider is the E PZ 18–200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here), particularly if you are planning to use the lens for both photography and shooting videos.
This lens is a great option for photographers looking for a premium all-in-one zoom lens that can handle a variety of situations and switch seamlessly between taking still shots and shooting videos.
It’s a good choice if you’re looking for improved quality and range compared to the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens though it is about double the weight coming in at 649g/22.9oz.
The E PZ 18–200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens has a lot of perks for video shooting including a powered zoom switch that allows you to seamlessly zoom in and out while filming. This lens is certainly worth considering if you’re looking to minimise the amount of lens you carry while travelling and is undoubtedly a great premium option.
E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS
The final lens on this list of best zoom lenses for Sony A6000 cameras is the E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
This lens is a good alternative to the E PZ 18–200 mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens, if you’re looking for a lens that can shoot both great stills and videos but prefer the constant aperture and doesn’t necessarily need the full zoom range that the 18-200mm provides.
It’s significantly lighter than the 18-200mm, coming in at 427g/15.1oz and also the power zoom feature which is fantastic for taking videos.
The E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS lens is certainly one to consider if you plan to take a lot of videos during your travels and are looking for a mid-range option.
With an ever-increasing number of lenses on the market, choosing the best zoom lens for Sony A6000 cameras can be a difficult task! Hopefully, this list helps you choose the best lens for your photography requirements and allows you to experiment with a new range of shots!
Are you looking for the best zoom lenses for Sony A6000, A6100, A6300, A6400 or A6500 cameras? Which one do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!
