Sony was a latecomer to the world of digital SLR photography when it purchased Minolta's imaging division after Minolta withdrew from the market in 2006. Since then, Sony has unleashed a formidable range of digital SLR cameras and lenses. Sony digital SLR cameras using full frame sensors are now beginning to compete for the professional market against the dominance of Nikon and Canon.
As Sony has continued to use the Minolta Maxxum A mount, all Minolta lenses made from 1985 onwards are compatible with Sony Alpha digital SLR cameras. Also Sony has collaborated with Carl Zeiss in producing some high quality lenses which has further boosted its range of lenses but the overall system is still small compared to some of its rivals. However, Sony is catching up rapidly with each passing year.
To aid the process of choosing a Sony lens for beginners to advanced photographers, the list below shows the best selling Sony digital SLR lenses for 2012. Many photographers will have read reviews of the various lenses to discover the strengths and weaknesses of each lens before purchasing the lens and this list gives a good idea of some of the best Sony lenses available today in terms of price and performance. Also provided below is a full list of the current range of Sony digital SLR lenses with a key showing some of the main features of Sony lenses.