Sony A Lenses

17 interactive lens diagrams

Minolta A / Sony A autofocus SLR mount, introduced in 1985 | 35 mm film, APS-C digital, and full-frame digital

Sony A mount descends from Minolta's autofocus A mount, introduced in 1985 with the Maxxum/Dynax/Alpha SLR system. It began as a body-driven AF SLR platform and later gained in-lens motors, digital communication, and compatibility with Sony Alpha DSLR and translucent-mirror SLT cameras.

The system matters because it bridges Minolta's autofocus innovations and Sony's later mirrorless rise. Sony inherited not only the mount but also a body of full-frame and APS-C lens design assumptions built around SLR flange geometry and mechanical aperture operation.

A-mount lenses include classic Minolta G optics, Sony G lenses, and Zeiss ZA collaborations. In this catalog, A mount is useful for studying the last mature phase of Minolta-derived autofocus SLR design before E mount became Sony's main platform.

Mount interface

Flange focal distance 44.5 mm, bayonet mount. 0° at 12 o'clock from the camera front; the lens-side view is the horizontal mirror. Dotted strokes mark photo-scaled or schematic (not-to-scale) dimensions.

Sony A mount — camera-side front view (base)Sony A bayonet mount, camera-side front view. Flange focal distance 44.5 mm, nominal throat 49.7 mm. Profile sony-a/base.
Camera-side front
Sony A mount — lens-side rear view (base)Sony A bayonet mount, lens-side rear view. Flange focal distance 44.5 mm, nominal throat 49.7 mm. Profile sony-a/base.
Lens-side rear
Throat / openingMount ringBayonet lug / slotLock pin / notchIndex markElectrical contactMechanical couplingScrews / sealsDatum & axis
LAOWA 15mm f/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro— 12 ELEMENTS / 9 GROUPS, f = 16.00 mm, F/4.1MINOLTA AF 100mm f/2.8 Macro— 8 elements / 8 groups, f = 100.0 mm design, F/2.83 design; marketed f/2.8MINOLTA AF 28-75mm f/2.8 (D)— 28-75mm f/2.8, 16 elements / 14 groups, 4 hybrid aspherical surfacesMINOLTA AF 28mm f/2— 9 elements / 9 groups, f = 28.0 mm, F2.0MINOLTA AF 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5 New (v2)— 35-105 mm full-frame A-mount zoom, Patent f = 36.0-60.0-102.0 mm, 13 optical media / 10 groups (12 production elements)MINOLTA AF 70-200mm f/2.8 APO G (D) SSM— Patent Example 1: 19 elements / 15 air-spaced optical clusters, Production class: 70-200mm f/2.8 A-mount, Patent f = 71.8 / 105.0 / 195.0 mm; Fno = 2.88MINOLTA AF APO Tele 200mm f/2.8— 200mm f/2.8, 8 elements / 7 groups, 2ω = 12° in patent; 12°30′ manufacturer angle of viewMINOLTA AF APO TELE 300mm f/2.8— Patent Example 8: f = 295.0 mm, FN = 2.9, Marketed as 300mm f/2.8, 10 prescription elements / 8 groupsMINOLTA AF Reflex 500mm f/8— 500 mm f/8 fixed, f = 495.97 mm patent EFL, f/7.07 area-equivalent annular design apertureMINOLTA AF Zoom 35-70mm f/4— 6 components / 6 air-spaced groups, 7 modeled optical media including hybrid resin layer, 36.0-68.2 mm patent design rangeSIGMA 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM | Art— 9 elements / 8 groups, f = 30.785 mm design, F1.4 marketed / F1.46 designSIGMA 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art— 13 elements / 11 groups, f = 35.16 mm design, F1.45 design / F1.4 marketedSIGMA 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art— 13 elements / 8 groups, f = 49.58 mm design, F1.4 nominal / F1.46 designSIGMA APO Macro 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM— 16 elements / 11 groups, 105 mm marketed; 101.71 mm design, F2.8 marketed; F2.91 designSIGMA APO MACRO 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM— 19 elements / 13 groups, f = 149.99 mm design / 150 mm nominal, F2.92 design / F2.8 nominalSIGMA APO Macro 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM— 19 elements / 14 groups, 180 mm f/2.8 marketed; 174.60 mm f/2.92 design, 0.47 m MFD / 1:1 macroSONY PLANAR T* 50mm f/1.4 ZA SSM— 8 ELEMENTS / 5 GROUPS, f = 51.5 mm, F/1.45