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Pictured below from left to right are the standard Sony 18-70mm kit lens at 18 then 70mm, followed by the Sony 75-300mm at 75, then 300mm. It’s clear from the photo that both lenses share very similar styling and the build quality is also essentially to the same budget, but solid standard.

The 75-300mm measures 71x122mm (diameter by length) and extends a further 56mm using a single barrel section when zoomed-into 300mm. The filter thread measures 55mm and the lens weighs 460g. A lens hood is supplied.

The 75-300mm employs an optical design of 13 elements in ten groups with seven aperture blades and has a closest focusing distance of 1.5m. The lens does not employ internal focusing and actually extends by a further 13mm throughout its focusing range. The front section also rotates while focusing, which is annoying for users of polarising filters. There’s no focus distance scale on the lens, so it’s really designed mostly for AF operation.

Focusing on the 75-300mm wasn’t particularly quick with the lens taking a good second to shift through its entire range. The motors and gearing were quite audible too, and this could prove distracting if you’re shooting in a quiet room or environment. To be fair, it’s only a little louder than the standard 18-70mm kit lens when focusing, but then that isn't exactly a quiet operator. If the noise of the kit lens doesn't bother you though, the 75-300mm shouldn't cause any nasty surprises.