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.
More info is below, but if you are in a hurry, below is the list:
- 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.
Standard Primes
Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT
- Outstanding optics.
- Small and light weight.
- Can be difficult to find new.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM)
- Circular aperture.
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.
Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm f/1.7
- Built-in lens hood.
- Amazing value.
- Light and compact.
- Widely available used.
- Coupled autofocus.
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.
Portrait & Telephoto Lens
Sony 85mm f/1.4 ZA
- Incredible bokeh.
- Excellent value used.
- T* coating to reduce flare and increase contrast.
- Astonishingly sharp wide open.
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.
Rokinon 85mm f/1.4
- Manual focus.
- Great value.
- Perfect for low light.
- Excellent bokeh.
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.
Minolta Maxxum AF 85mm f/1.4
- Possible to find a good used deal.
- Superb image quality.
- Uses an autofocus coupler.
- Double-Gauss design.
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.
Sony A700 Zoom Lenses
Sony 28-75mm f/2.8
- Very usable zoom range.
- Great value used.
- Constant aperture.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM).
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM DT
Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM DT Zoom Lens
- Telephoto zoom range.
- Great for portrait or wildlife photography.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM).
- Inexpensive.
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Super telephoto zoom lens.
- Great for portrait or wildlife photography.
- 2.81 inches in diameter and 4.81 inches long.
- 55mm filter threads.
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.
Wide Angle Lens
Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Lens
- Has aspherical lens elements.
- Optical multi-coatings.
- Great value when purchased used.
- Circular aperture.
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.
Sony 20mm f/2.8
- Great for landscapes and architecture.
- Coated optics for clarity and definition.
- Rear focusing system for fast autofocus response.
- 72mm filter threads.
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.
Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 DX II
Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f2.8 DX II Lens
- Wide angle zoom lens.
- Hardened Alumite finish.
- Advanced optical coatings.
- All metallic moving parts.
- Designed for APS-C Sensors.
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.
Fisheye
Sony 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye
- Sharp corner-to-corner.
- 4 built-in filters: Normal, 056, B12, A12.
- 8 inch minimum focus distance.
- Aspherical and Extra-low Dispersion elements.
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
- Internal focus.
- 180 degree angle of view.
- Manual focus.
- Minimum focusing distance of 12 inches (0.3m).
- Designed for APS-C sensors.
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Macro Lens
Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
- 9 aperture blades.
- Focus range limiter.
- High contrast and resolution.
- 55mm filter threads.
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro
- 10.4 ounces (295g).
- Focus range limiter.
- Focus Hold button for full creative control.
- 55mm filter threads.
Also found at: eBay, KEH, Adorama
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.
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens
- Available in a variety of camera mounts.
- Improved resolution, chromatic correction, and optical coatings.
- Super Performance (SP)
- Focus clutch to switch between AF & MF.
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.
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.
