The Sony A700 is a fantastic Single Lens Translucent camera. If you do not own a lens for your camera or are wanting for a new lens, this will talk about the best 6 lenses to use with your Sony DSLR-A700.
Here is the list of the best Sony A700 lenses:
- Standard Lens - Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT
- Portrait Lens - Sony 85mm F1.4 ZA CZ
- Zoom Lens - Sony 28-75mm f/2.8
- Wide Angle Lens - Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
- Fisheye Lens - Sony 16mm f/2.8
- Macro Lens - Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Beneath, the top Sony lenses are split up by focal length. Also mentioned are alternative alternatives varying in cost.
Table of Contents
Standard Primes
Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT
- Lens not zoomable
- Filter diameter (mm): 49 mm
- Small size, light weight portrait lens
- 35mm focal length equivelant on APS-C; 75mm
- Smooth and silent AF operation with built-in motor (SAM)
A terrific blend of minimal weight and compact size. The built-in autofocus motor is more accurate and quieter than earlier lenses that use the coupled autofocus drive system.
A circular aperture allows you to stop down by 2-stops and still have close to a completely circular aperture. This results in attractive bokeh and more versatility in controlling depth of field.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm f/1.7
- - Minolta Prime lens
- - Works with Sony Alpha
- - Front and rear caps are included
- - Lens case is included
- - See photos for condition
This is an older model from when Minolta originally released the A-mount for autofocus. Due to the age of the lens, the autofocus is done by a motor built into the A700 camera body.
Physically coupled autofocus can be sluggish and noisy. However, if that is not a problem for you the output is outstanding. The bokeh is attractive and you will end up with a classic look.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Portrait & Telephoto Lens
Sony 85mm f/1.4 ZA
- 85mm f1.4 telephoto lens boasts professional performance for portraits and close-ups
- Astonishing sharpness at fully open aperture
- T* coating to reduce flare and increase contrast
- Smooth, visually pleasing background effects
- Focus hold button for full creative control, auto clutch to stop manual focus ring rotation
Sony showed off with this lens. Zeiss produced the lens. The ZA (Zeiss Alpha) signifies that Zeiss created the lens only for the Sony A-mount.
This lens is extraordinary. Corner-to-corner sharpness with vibrant color that creates impressive portraits.
A potential downside is that it's a tad on the heavy side because it is built like a tank and it can seem slow to autofocus at times. Be aware, that you'll come across those same issues with any 85mm f/1.4.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Rokinon 85mm f/1.4
- Aperture Range: F/1.4 - F/20
- 9 Elements in 7 Groups
- Angle of View: 28.3 Degrees
- Minimum Focusing Distance: 3.3 ft
- Filter Size: 72mm
The Rokinon is an affordable alternative that is very easy to purchase. A lower price is due to the fact that it is a manual focus lens.
At f/1.4 manually focusing will need some practice. Stopping down to f/2 or f/2.8 can make focusing less difficult and you'll still get pleasing bokeh.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Minolta Maxxum AF 85mm f/1.4
- max. aperture: 1.4 ; min. aperture: 22
- focal range: 85 mm
- elements/group: 7/6
- aperture blades: 9
This lens sits between the price range of the other 2 lenses. Finding a used copy in usable condition will be challenging because of a small available supply.
The lens does have autofocus, but it uses a mechanical coupler and is driven by an in-camera body motor. This makes the lens sluggish and somewhat loud.
The lens is an older 6 lens element Double-Gauss design. That is not a bad thing as the lens provides a distinct look that can't be made with a modern lens.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Sony A700 Zoom Lenses
Sony 28-75mm f/2.8
- Front Lens Cap
- Rear Lens Cap
- ALC-SH109 Petal Hood
A fast zoom lens that is perfect for night events, travel, indoor shooting, and family photos. The autofocus is quiet and the lens is well designed.
The lens often gets compared to the excellent Zeiss 24-70mm lens, but it is close to half the weight and has a lower price. Both create professional images.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM DT
- Compatible with 35 mm Full Frame, or APS-C format A-mount cameras.
- Small size, light weight telephoto zoom lens. Circular Aperture
- 35mm focal length equivelant; 82.5-300mm
- Smooth and silent AF operation with built-in motor (SAM)
- Closest focus distance: 0.95m; Maximum magnification: 0.29x
A lower-cost choice that still produces amazing results. Even though it's not a professional lens, so as long as you do not need all the bells and whistles, it is an excellent lens.
For a mid-range telephoto zoom, it offers a great zoom range for shooting pictures of wildlife, sports, and children outdoors.
The autofocus is fast and it creates sharp images. It's built out of mostly plastic, which helps minimize weight.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6
- 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Alpha digital SLR cameras
- Ideal for taking close-up portraits and sports action without making subject nervous
- Gives light sources a pleasing circular defocused effect in the background for better results
- Minimum focusing distance of 4 feet, 11 inches; 7 aperture blades; 55mm filter diameter
- Measures 2.81 inches in diameter and 4.81 inches long; weighs 1 pound, 2 ounces
This is a super-telephoto lens. It's a terrific cheap option for any time you desire a lens with lots of reach.
It is 2.8 inches (7.1 cm) in diameter, 4.8 inches (12.2 cm) long, and weighs 1 pound 2 ounces (510g). While that's not lightweight, many professional telephoto zooms are many times heavier.
For a bit improved overall performance try to find the Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SSM ED G-Series, but unfortunately plan on paying nearly twice as much.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Wide Angle Lens
Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
- DT lens design for optimum performance
- Maximum Magnification ratio (x): 0.125x.Delivers excellent wide-angle and long telephoto shots
- Mount : Sony A-mount
- Aspherical lens elements for wide-angle accuracy
- ED glass elements for sharp, accurate colors, 35mm Equivalent: 165 to 27mm
Impressive quality for the money if you want to capture wonderful wide pictures that a standard kit zoom can't get. Distortion, especially of straight vertical lines is minor or non-apparent unless you are actively trying to get a distorted perspective.
As well as being good at taking beautiful landscapes, it's also a fantastic lens to travel with. The angle of view is wide enough so when you see something you will be able to get everything in the frame.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Sony 20mm f/2.8
- 20mm f2.8 wide-angle lens
- Visual accuracy from 10 inches to infinity
- Coated optics for clarity and definition
- Rear focusing system for fast autofocus response
- Circular aperture for defocused effects
It is well-corrected and does an amazing job of reducing distortion. Furthermore, a large amount of effort has been put into reducing flare and internal reflections.
The result is a fantastic lens that is perfect for landscape, astrophotography, and architecture photography. The lens uses rear focusing which means the front is not going to rotate so you will not have any issues using a circular polarizer or any other filter.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 DX II
- All metallic moving parts are coated with a special lubricant to improve durability.
- PRO models have a hardened Alumite (Armalite) finish to increase durability and give a top-quality feel and finish.
- Use of our special alloy Duralumin for metal parts provides excellent durability, stabilizes torque and provides better handling. It also maintains smoother operation under all conditions.
- Resistance to flare and ghosting, plus faithful color reproduction are all achieved by a unique coating technique – yet another reason for Tokina’s reputation for incredibly sharp and clean images.
It does not have blazingly fast autofocus, but the MF/AF focus clutch means it's a good selection for manual focusing. A pull or push of the focus ring will switch the lens from MF to AF.
The Tokina has a larger aperture than the Sony 11-18mm, which is not a large deal for landscape or architecture photography. Where you will notice a big difference is during astrophotography. That is a situation where you'd want to take advantage of the 1-to-2 stop advantage the Tokina offers.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Fisheye
Sony 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye
- 16mm (35mm equivalent) f2.8 fisheye lens provides unique photographic perspective
- Corner-to-corner sharpness
- Crisp focus from about 8 inches to infinity
- 4 built-in filters: Normal, 056, B12, A12
- Quick filter selection with a simple rotating dial
Having built-in filters is an amazing addition because the lens has a fixed petal-style hood which means a lens filter can not be put on the front of the lens.
- 056 - Accented contrast for black and white photos.
- B12 - Correct color by eliminating red tones.
- A12 - Correct color by eliminating blue tones.
This lens has almost everything you could desire from a fisheye. You can achieve exaggerated distortion, but the image will remain sharp from corner-to-corner without vignetting.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye
- 180 degrees angle of view
- Built-in petal type hood
- 10 Elements in 7 groups
- Aperture range of F/3.5 ~ 22
The lens features a round front element which means lens filters can not be attached. It comes with a detachable petal-style hood that you'll want to ensure that it is included if you purchase a pre-owned lens.
Quality can be hit or miss as a consequence of the very low price of the lens. Most owners are very happy with the pictures they get. It's still important to completely test the lens when you obtain it to be certain that it isn't flawed.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Macro Lens
Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
- 100mm macro lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Sony Alpha digital SLR cameras
- Works with Super SteadyShot image stabilization system to keep image steady in low light
- Focus range limiter speeds up autofocus response; focus hold button gives you full control
- High contrast and resolution gives your shots greater visual accuracy for close analysis
- Measures 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches long; weighs 1 pound, 2 ounces
An ideal balance of price, weight, and working distance for the Sony A700. The autofocus will be rather loud, but for b taking macro photos, manual focus is your best option.
For the highest quality images at 1:1 magnification, the lens should be stopped down. By doing that you will have a greater depth of field, which is always important for macro.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro
- Bright f2.8 aperture for low-light shots
- High-contrast, high-resolution image quality
- Focus Range Limiter for faster auto focusing
- Focus Hold button for full creative control
- 35mm Focal-length equivalant: 75mm
A 50mm lens is not ideal for 1x magnification on account of how small the working distance will be. At that level of magnification, the front of the lens will have to be approximately 2 inches (5 cm) away from the subject.
This lens is good for tabletop, close-up, and copy work. It enables you to get closer to a subject than a standard 50mm, and that's excellent for nature photography whenever you need to fill the camera frame with a small subject, for instance, a flower.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro
- Country of Origin:Japan
- Package length:3.8"
- Package width:2.8"
- Package height:2.8"
In addition to having autofocus, the focus ring feels great when manually focusing. Stopped down two or more stops and you will get razor-sharp pictures.
Furthermore, be cautious when purchasing it as it's manufactured for a few lens mounts.
Also available at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
Used A-Mount Camera Lens Prices
Prices are frequently changing. Over the previous several years, participation in film photography has been expanding. Since there are 35mm Minolta cameras that use A-mount lenses, some upward pressure is added to the price of lenses.
The A-mount also does not hold a big market share. As a result, a smaller number of third party choices exist and the lenses made by Sony are frequently on backorder.
To find the cheapest price on what you want, check several sites. For pre-owned lenses, be prepared to make a purchase when you find a bargain as they do not be available for long.
What Lens Mount Does the A700 Use?
The Sony A700 uses the Sony A-mount. It's also identical to the Minolta A-mount. This is due to Sony purchasing Konica Minolta's imaging division in 2006.
The A-mount was designed by Minolta for the release of interchangeable lens autofocus cameras in 1985. It is still Supported by Sony.
Standard Lens Cap Size
55mm filter threads are the most common, but honestly, the filter sizes are sporadic. Earlier Minolta lenses mostly feature 49mm filter threads.
There are also a number of lenses that have filter threads bigger than 55mm. It is not rare to see 72mm or 77mm filter threads. It would have been nice if Sony used only 2 or 3 different filter sizes.