The Best Zoom Lenses for Sony a6400 (in 2024)
You’ve already made your choice between prime or zoom lens for your Sony a6400.
Great.
Now that you’ve decided you prefer a zoom lens, it’s time to figure out what’s the best zoom lens for Sony a6400!
No Time to Waste? Here’s My #1 Favorite!
- Great value for money
- Max aperture of f/2.8
- Full sharpness even at f/2.8
- Quick & quiet autofocus
The Best Zoom Lens for Sony a6400 – Comparison Table
To make it easy for you, here’s a quick comparison table between my top choice, the travel pick, and the best budget option:
Product Reviews – The Best Zoom Lens for a6400
I know trying to figure out which product would be the best for you can sometimes be a pain in the ass, when you have so many different options, and you can easily get lost in the details.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
I’ve listed below the 5 best zoom lenses for Sony a6400:
🥇 Overall Best: Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8
✈️ Travel Zoom Lens: Zeiss 16-70mm f/4
💰 Budget Pick: Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6
📏 Wide-Angle Zoom: Sony 10-18mm f/4
🔍 Telephoto Zoom Lens: Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3
Let’s see the reviews!
The BEST a6400 Zoom Lens: Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8
- World’s first high-speed standard zoom lens for APS-C cameras with the focal length range of...
- Outstanding optical performance with 16 elements in 12 groups featuring two GM (Glass Molded...
- Upgraded VC effective in combination with Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras, leveraging AI for video...
Focal length: 17-70mm
Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/16
Weight: 525g (1.16 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 74×119 mm (2.9×4.7″)
Filter size: 67mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 is definitely the best zoom lens for Sony a6400, hands down.
Out of all the lenses I’ve reviewed in this category, it’s the one which performed best across the board.
First it has a max aperture of f/2.8 – which is pretty rare for APS-C lenses. You’d need to go to the Sony 16-55mm f/2.8 for that, which is a hefty 60% more expensive.
Speaking about price, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better lens for this price point. The image quality is great, and the lens produces sharp images, from edge to edge. Whether you’re shooting at 17mm on the wide-angle side, or at 70mm, you’ll get sharp photos even at f/2.8
I’m not a fan of the strong distortion on the wide-angle, which you’ll have to correct in post-production. The bokeh is pretty ugly too (onion-ring bokeh), but you’ll probably only notice it if you’re shooting a lot of portraits at night.
All in all, this Tamron lens has proven to be the best zoom lens in this test and will be a great addition to your Sony a6400 camera, that will follow you in most situations.
Great value for money
Max aperture of f/2.8
Full sharpness even at f/2.8
Quick & quiet autofocus
Heavy distortion at 17mm
Onion ring bokeh
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Check out this lens in action with some example shots:
Best Travel Zoom Lens for Sony a6400: Zeiss 16-70mm f/4
- Carl Zeiss mid-range zoom lens; Compatible with E-mount Full Frame cameras and E-mount APS-C cameras
- Minimum Focus Distance : 1.15 feet (0.35 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 0.23x, Focal Length :...
- High lens technology in a compact body. Filter Diameter (mm) - 55 mm
Focal length: 16-70mm
Aperture range: f/4 to f/22
Weight: 308g (0.68 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 67×75 mm (2.62×2.95″)
Filter size: 55mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
Are you a travel photographer looking for the perfect zoom lens for you a6400? Then look no further.
The Zeiss 16-70mm f/4 is the one you need.
If you’ve hiked hours with gear on your back, you know how important lightweight gear really is. At just 308 gram (10.9oz), this Zeiss lens is one of the lightest in this category.
Not only is it light, it’s also compact. The lens is only 67mm wide (2.62″), and 75mm long (2.95″). The long part of the lens slides back inside the lens when you zoom out, and it makes it a perfect fit for a carry-on luggage.
Lightweight
Very compact
Great build quality
Only f/4
A bit soft on the edges
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Best Budget Zoom Lens for a6400: Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6
- 7.5x high magnification zoom/ 27-202.5mm (35mm equiv.) focal length. Lens Groups / Elements : 12-16
- Outstanding sharpness from 1x aspherical and 2x ED glass elements
- 7-blade circular aperture contributes to beautiful bokeh. Hood Type:Petal shape, bayonet type....
Focal length: 18-135mm
Aperture range: f/3.5-5.6 to f/22-36
Weight: 326g (0.72 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 67×88 mm (2.65×3.46″)
Filter size: 55mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
This lens is pretty popular, and it’s easy to understand why.
By releasing this model early 2018, Sony added a nice budget option to upgrade from the basic kit lens. If you’re looking for the best zoom lens for a6400 that won’t break the bank, the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is my recommendation.
It’s cheaper than most lenses in this category, but that’s not its only strength. With a focal length of 18mm to 135mm, it has an impressive range that makes it a great all-in-one lens.
The main drawback of this lens is that it’s not weather-sealed. If you live in a rainy place, it’s probably not the right choice for you. Otherwise it’s an acceptable concession to hit this price point.
Most affordable
Wide focal length range
Small for 135mm
Not weather-sealed
Max f/5.6 early at 57mm
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Best Wide-Angle Zoom Lens for Sony a6400: Sony 10-18mm f/4
- Angle of View (APS-C) - 109 ° – 76 °
- Minimum focal length of 10 mm (15 mm in 35 mm-camera equivalency)
- Minimum Focus Distance : 0.82 ft (0.25 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 0.1x
Focal length: 10-18mm
Aperture range: f/4 to f/22
Weight: 225g (0.50 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 70×64 mm (2.76×2.5″)
Filter size: 62mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
The 3 lenses reviewed above are the best choices for versatile lenses. They can give you a wide angle of view, or zoom in tight.
But if you’re looking specifically for a wide-angle zoom lens, they’re not wide-enough as they only go to 16mm.
This is where the Sony 10-18mm f/4 comes into play! It’s the best wide angle lens for Sony a6400, perfect for landscape photography.
It’s light & compact, and you will love carrying it around. My 2 gripes about this lens are that it has issues focusing in low-light (but if you’re shooting landscapes you’re bringing a tripod right?), and that it’s still quite expensive even though it was released in 2012.
Ultra-wide angle
Light & compact
Optical stabilization
Expensive
Issues focusing in low-light
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Best Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sony a6400: Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3
- Telephoto zoom with outstanding corner-to-corner G lens resolution
- Lightweight (22oz.) remarkably Easy to handle 5x super-telephoto zoom
- 70-350Mm (105-525mm full-frame equiv.) super-telephoto zoom
Focal length: 70-350mm
Aperture range: f/4.5-6.3 to f/22-32
Weight: 625g (1.38 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 77×142 mm (3.03×5.59″)
Filter size: 67mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
And finally, the last lens in this guide, the Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3.
Just like we picked the best wide-angle lens, this one is the best on the opposite side, the telephoto lens.
For this price, I wasn’t expecting this lens to hit the mark on so many levels: huge focal length range (from 70 to 350mm), compact & lightweight for a 350mm zoom, built-in optical stabilization, and weather sealed.
It will probably not be good enough for pro wildlife photographers shooting in low-light conditions; but for everyone else, it’s a no-brainer top choice.
Huge focal length range
Optical stabilization
Small for 350mm zoom
Only f/6.3 zoomed in
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Final Thoughts
All of the zoom lenses included in this guide are great pick for your Sony a6400 camera. Which one you’ll end up picking will depend on your personal preferences, and style of photography. But you can’t go wrong with any of these 5 lenses.
After a full review of the best options available on the market, the overall best choice is the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8.
It’s a great versatile zoom lens, opening up to f/2.8 which is pretty rare for the Sony E-mount APS-C series, and correctly priced.
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