Specifications#
- Brand
- Sony
- Model
- DT 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SAM
- Lens type
- Telephoto zoom
- Focal length
- 55–300 mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/4.5–5.6
- Image circle
- APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm)
- Mount(s)
- Sony / Minolta A-mount
- Projection
- Rectilinear
- Autofocus motor
- smooth (SAM)
- Lensfun correction profile
- Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA
Equivalent focal length on different cameras#
Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).
| Camera format | At 55 mm | At 128 mm | At 300 mm | Equiv. aperture (DoF) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APS-C | 82 mm · 29° | 192 mm · 13° | 450 mm · 5° | f/6.8 |
| APS-C (Canon) | 88 mm · 27° | 205 mm · 12° | 480 mm · 5° | f/7.2 |
| Micro Four Thirds | 110 mm · 22° | 256 mm · 10° | 600 mm · 4° | f/9.0 |
Depth of field & background blur#
Computed on its native APS-C format (CoC 20 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 50 mm f/5.6 on aps-c.
| Focal | Aperture | at 1 m | at 2 m | at 5 m | at 10 m | Hyperfocal | Blur @2 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 mm | f/4.5 | 5.5 cm | 22.7 cm | 1.47 m | 6.32 m | 34.4 m | 1.5% |
| 55 mm | f/8 | 9.8 cm | 40.7 cm | 2.74 m | 14.0 m | 19.4 m | 0.8% |
| 128 mm | f/4.5 | 0.9 cm | 4.0 cm | 26.2 cm | 1.06 m | 186 m | 8.3% |
| 128 mm | f/8 | 1.7 cm | 7.2 cm | 46.6 cm | 1.90 m | 105 m | 4.7% |
| 300 mm | f/4.5 | 0.1 cm | 0.7 cm | 4.6 cm | 19.0 cm | 1.0 km | 50.1% |
| 300 mm | f/8 | 0.2 cm | 1.2 cm | 8.2 cm | 33.7 cm | 576 m | 28.2% |
Handheld & night-sky limits#
NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).
| Body | Min. handheld shutter (longest focal) | 500 rule at 55 mm | NPF at 55 mm, f/4.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| APS-C | 1/500 s | 6 s | 5 s |
| APS-C (Canon) | 1/500 s | 6 s | 5 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 1/640 s | 5 s | 5 s |
Compatible cameras#
Bodies in our database with a native Sony / Minolta A-mount mount. Full-frame bodies switch to an APS-C crop with this lens.
- Sony Alpha 77 II 2014
- Sony Alpha 58 2013
- Sony Alpha 37 2012
- Sony Alpha 57 2012
- Sony Alpha 65 2011
- Sony Alpha 35 2011
- Sony Alpha 290 2010
- Sony Alpha 33 2010
- Sony Alpha 55 2010
- Sony Alpha 580 2010
- Sony Alpha 390 2010
- Sony Alpha 450 2010
- Sony Alpha 560 2010
- Sony Alpha 230 2009
- Sony Alpha 500 2009
- Sony Alpha 550 2009
- Sony Alpha 850 crop mode
- Sony Alpha 330 2009
- Sony Alpha 380 2009
- Sony Alpha 900 crop mode
- Sony Alpha 200 2008
- Sony Alpha 350 2008
- Sony Alpha 300 2008
- Sony Alpha 700 2007
- Sony Alpha 100 2006
- Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D 2005
- Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D 2004
- Minolta Maxxum 7000 crop mode
- Sony Alpha 77
- Sony Alpha 99 crop mode
- Sony α99 II crop mode
- Sony Alpha 68
- Pentax 645 crop mode
Adapt it to other systems#
Similar lenses#
- Sony AF DT 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM f/4–5.6
- Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 APO EX DC HSM II f/2.8
- Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 APO EX DC OS HSM f/2.8
- Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM f/2.8
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS f/4–5.6
- Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II f/4.5–5.6
- Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD f/2.8
- Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di USD f/4–5.6
- Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD (A005) f/4–5.6
- Tamron AF 80-210mm f/4.5-5.6 280D f/4.5–5.6
- Tokina AF 80-200mm f/2.8 AT-X 828 Pro f/2.8
- Tokina AT-X AF SD 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 f/4.5–5.6
Frequently asked questions#
Is the Sony DT 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SAM full frame?
No — it is designed for APS-C sensors. On a full-frame body it vignettes or triggers crop mode.
What is the Sony DT 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SAM equivalent to on APS-C?
Its focal length is already the real value for APS-C: 55–300 mm frames like 84–460 mm on full frame.
What is the Sony DT 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SAM good for?
As a telephoto zoom it suits sport, wildlife, events and compressed landscapes.
Sources & licences#
- Lensfun lens database — CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources