Sony system owners have a new telephoto lens option in the form of the E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS ($999.99). It's the first premium telezoom with dedicated APS-C coverage—previously, Sony owners would have to reach for larger, pricier full-frame glass to net a big reach. It does make some sacrifices, as the f/4.5-6.3 aperture isn't ideal for working in dim light, but it should be to be a popular option for wildlife hikes, travel, and capturing outdoor sports.

A Compact Telezoom

Until now, Sony APS-C owners had to look at full-frame lenses for any sort of serious telephoto capture. The FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS is the closest alternative, a $1,200 zoom that measures 5.7 by 3.3 inches (HD) and weighs 1.9 pounds.

The E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS has a similar f-stop and a slightly longer zoom range, but doesn't capture a big enough image to cover a full-frame sensor. It's meant to be paired with one of Sony's APS-C a6000-series cameras.

As such, it's a bit smaller at 5.6 by 3.0 inches (HW), and lighter at 1.4 pounds. It does extend a bit when zoomed in, typical for a lens of this type. The front element supports 67mm filters, and Sony includes the standard front and rear caps, as well as a reversible lens hood.

Build quality isn't sacrificed. The 70-350mm is built from sturdy polycarbonate, sealed to protect against dust and splashes, and its exposed glass is protected by a fluorine coat. I had no problems using the lens and the similarly sealed a6600 on a rainy hike.

The zoom ring sits toward the front. It's wide, finished in ridged rubber, and has marks at the 70, 100, 135, 200, and 350mm positions. The manual focus ring sits a bit closer to the lens mount and is a little narrower, but has the same textured cover. Both are easy to find by touch, and turn comfortably.

There's a function button on the barrel, positioned between the focus and zoom rings. It locks focus by default, but you can configure it to perform another function if desired. There are also toggle switches to change focus modes (AF/MF) and turn the optical stabilization system (OSS) on or off.

Close focus is a strong point. The lens can lock on at 3.6 feet (1.1 meter), which is good enough for a big 1:1.3 life-size magnification at 350mm. It's a bit of extra versatility that adds to appeal for wildlife walks—you can snap shots of tiny details and distant wildlife without having to change lenses.

One thing you lose versus premium models is the option to extend reach via a teleconverter. Sony offers 1.4x and 2.0x converters for its mirrorless system, but they're not compatible with this zoom. They work with zooms like the FE 200-600mm, the FE 100-400mm, and the FE 70-200mm F2.8.

Very Sharp

I tested the 70-350mm along with the 24MP a6600 and Imatest software. At 70mm f/4.5, it delivers outstanding resolution for a 24MP sensor, 3,200 lines, with strong performance from edge to edge. It maintains that level of quaility as you narrow the aperture, but does fall off a bit at f/16 (2,603 lines) and f/22 (1,738). The loss of quality is due to diffraction, the effect of light scattering as it passes through a closed-down aperture, and is something you see with any lens.

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Resolution takes a slight step back at 200mm f/5.6, but is still outstanding, just about 3,000 lines, with relatively even performance from center to edge. It holds steady at f/8, but we see the first signs of diffraction setting in at f/11 (2,883 lines) and f/16 (2,537 lines); still, both figures are in our excellent range. The real drop in resolution is at f/22 (1,639 lines) and f/29 (1,168 lines).

At 350mm, the resolving power falls a bit further, but is still very good wide open (2,300 lines) and excellent at f/8 (2,592 lines) and f/11 (2,671 lines). We start to see a dip at f/16 (2,369 lines), but it's only f/22 (1,583 lines) and the minimum f/32 (1,000 lines) option where image quality is truly subpar.

For a real-world example, take a look of the cropped section of the photo above. You can see plenty of detail in the sparrow's feathers. It was captured at 310mm f/6.3 with a 1/500-second shutter speed.

The lens does show some distortion, although you may never see it in images. If you use JPG format, you'll enjoy automatic corrections, and if you process your Raw images in Adobe Lightroom, the software does the same. Without corrections there is very strong pincushion distortion at 70mm (4.1 percent), which is lessened by zooming, but is still apparent at 350mm (2.4 percent). The corrections also compensate for a very modest vignette effect.

Autofocus is fast as well. The lens had no problems keeping up with birds in flight when paired with the a6600, tracking them through the frame. Focus acquisition is quick, and the a6600's tenacious tracking does a fine job keeping track of moving subjects. You're not going to miss a lot of shots waiting for the 70-350mm to catch up.

The big caveat here is the relatively narrow maximum aperture. The f/4.5-6.3 design isn't ideal for working in dim light. If you typically photograph under the sun, you should be fine, especially given improvements in high-ISO image capture. But if your subject is in a shady spot, like the snow leopard at the Central Park Zoo shown below, you can expect a bit of image noise—the light called for an ISO 2500 exposure at f/6.3.

A Superb Compact Telezoom

If you like the idea of the E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS, Sony's model will serve you well. It doesn't capture as much light as some other zooms, but it is well built and boasts both a good zoom range and macro capability. If you like to have a long lens for nature walks, or are looking for something to get better shots of outdoor sports, it's certainly appealing. More serious birders, who don't mind spending money and hefting a big lens through the woods, should set their sights on another recent release, the FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS.

But the 200-600mm is a big lens, and priced at $2,000. The E 70-350mm is still a serious purchase at $1,000, but its quality is in line with the pricing. The only advice of caution I can give to Sony system owners considering it is to think about future upgrades. If you see yourself buying a full-frame camera down the line, it may be worth it to get the FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G instead. It costs a couple hundred dollars more, but can be used with both APS-C and full-frame systems.

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