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Author Topic: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?  (Read 2901 times)

John Hollenberg

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Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« on: January 19, 2017, 10:43:20 am »

I just purchased a Sony a6300 and 16-70 mm lens to replace my old Canon t2i for backpacking.  The first thing I noticed is that the direction you turn the barrel to zoom out is the opposite of every other lens I have owned.  I felt like I was driving on the wrong side of the road. ;)  I am curious if this is true of all Sony zooms, or just the lenses made for APS-C cameras... and why Sony did this.  Comments?
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John Hollenberg

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2017, 10:44:01 am »

I guess all the Sony lenses rotate in the opposite direction to zoom out.  Very strange.
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TonyVentourisPhotography

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2017, 03:59:52 pm »

Actually this is a brand thing.  Fuji and Panasonic rotate clockwise to zoom out.  Canon and Olympus are both CCW.  Not sure about everyone else.  It's weird at first.  Or if you use multiple systems. 
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Tony
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E.J. Peiker

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2017, 04:29:46 pm »

Actually this is a brand thing.  Fuji and Panasonic rotate clockwise to zoom out.  Canon and Olympus are both CCW.  Not sure about everyone else.  It's weird at first.  Or if you use multiple systems.
And then there are systems where it depends on the lens as to which way it zooms - Nikon for one.
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scyth

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2017, 04:52:43 pm »

And then there are systems where it depends on the lens as to which way it zooms - Nikon for one.

and then there are lenses where you just move the tube in & out
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andyptak

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2017, 06:38:33 pm »

Congratulations on purchasing this lens Tony. I have a lot of A and E mount lenses, most of them costing a lot more than this, but this is my all time fave. It's a bargain at the price.
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John Hollenberg

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2017, 11:10:21 am »

Congratulations on purchasing this lens Tony.

I didn't realize my post had convinced Tony to buy the lens too.  ;)
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TonyVentourisPhotography

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2017, 04:36:52 pm »

LOL!  I didn't know I bought a lens either! 
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Tony
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uaiomex

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2017, 06:39:10 pm »

Once I ordered a Tamron 24-70 2.8 for my Canon 6D just to find out it zoomed counterwise to Canon zooms. Despite great built, superb optics and good looks, I finally sold it. Didn't work for me.
Next time I buy (if ever) a third party lens, I will only buy it over the counter.

Eduardo
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b_rubenstein

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Re: Sony 16-70 mm Lens - Zoom Direction Reversed?
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2017, 08:53:10 am »

Nikon, Sony, Panasonic & Pentax all zoom in the same direction and opposite to Canon and Olympus. Sigma & Tamron lenses in Nikon mount zoom in the same direction as Nikon; don't know about other mounts. Focus, aperture and lens mounts also vary in direction. Since I used Pentax and Nikon cameras for 40 years before using Olympus ยต4/3 cameras, their zoom direction still feels backwards after 4 years. When given the choice I buy Panasonic zooms. I'm even thinking of replacing my 12-40/2.8 Olympus with the new Panasonic 12-60/2.8-4 even though the Olympus have excellent optics.
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