Sony DT 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Vario-Sonnar T* — Zeiss-branded APS-C standard zoom, A-mount
Sony released the DT 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* in 2006 as a standard zoom for its newly launched Alpha A-mount DSLR system, inherited from Konica Minolta's AF lens lineage. Carrying Zeiss T* coating, it sold as a premium option above Sony's kit zooms.
Built for APS-C sensors under Sony's DT designation, it covers 16-80mm with a variable f/3.5-4.5 maximum aperture. The optical design uses 14 elements in 11 groups, a 9-blade diaphragm, 62mm filter thread, minimum focus around 0.35m, and weighs approximately 445g.
The Zeiss T* coating and Vario-Sonnar formula give notably contrasty, saturated rendering for a kit-class zoom, with a useful wide-to-short-telephoto range in one lens. Autofocus relies on the camera body's screw-drive motor rather than an internal motor, so speed varies by host.
Discontinued as Sony moved away from A-mount DSLRs, it now circulates mainly secondhand for Alpha bodies. Buyers should check the screw-drive AF coupling engages cleanly, inspect for zoom-ring grease migration onto aperture blades, and test aperture stop-down.