Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
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Excellent Optics, Quality Build
I'm comparing this to using my Canon 16-35 II with Metabones adapter on the Sony A7. The Canon 16-35 lens has excellent color and sharpness; the Sony is very close if not slight better in sharpness. Contrast is slightly better on the Canon. Only issue I have with the Sony 16-35 is flare from point light sources. Shooting Christmas tree lights at 16mm, with the tree off to the right I get weird green lens flare artifacts in the middle of the frame... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Simply Amazing
This lens is extremely high quality and has a place in the kit of almost every serious shooter using the a7 series cameras. I shoot landscapes and adventure sports (skiing, rock climbing, hiking, mountaineering) and this lens delivers the performance I'm used to with primes but with such speed and convenience that I find myself getting just in time shots much more often. And the quality / sharpness for landscapes is every bit as good as my primes... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Well built and versatile lens
This co-branded Sony/Zeiss lens feels a lot more Zeiss than Sony. (Pre G master series). Incredible build quality - with terrific, controlled action with the zoom and focus rings. I've mated this with my Sony a7S and the auto-focus improvements over a previous Sony lens are significant. This lens really unlocks the power and potential of my a7S in ways I didn't think possible. The image looks sharp center to edges - and I didn't see any image deg... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Ideal lens for street and landscape photography
I recently moved from the A6000 to A7ii full frame. Having owned a number of lenses for APS-C, I was torn in moving to the A7 series whether I should go with primes or zooms. I mainly do landscape photography and I was hesitant to go with this zoom lens over a dedicated prime. I am not a pixel peeper, but I do like to confirm when purchasing a new lens that its sharp in center and reasonably sharp on the corners and edges. I likely watched every ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Super wide, ultra clear
This is the first lens I've bought (a side from the kit lens included with my A7ii) for the E-mount system and it's an excellent ultra wide lens. Perfect for interior & exterior architectural photography, street and large group photos. The f4 continuous maximum aperture makes shooting in low light very easy and the in-lens SteadyShot makes it feel like it's held in place by the hand of god (of course, coupled with the in-body stabilization). Barr... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Bangin' Lens for a7s!
I have recently begun doing a lot of run-and-gun shooting using a 3-axis gimbal, and so a wide lens with autofocus is a must-have. This lens does the job quite nicely! Using it on the Sony a7s, the f/4 is hardly an issue. It's considerably lighter than the Canon L 16-35, and a bit more compact. The biggest issue I've had with this lens is that the outer casing is VERY vulnerable to scratches. This is a superficial complaint, but I try to always b... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Spectacular Glass!
I've been using this lens professionally, the better part of the year now and I've been very happy with the results - and I've been very happy with the results. It's primarily used for videography and some stills work. The build quality is excellent - very much Zeiss feel with with smooth focus and zoom rings. The autofocus capabilities are terrific especially when paired with newer Sony mirrorless cameras. And the image quality is simply superb ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Perfect for Real Estate and Landscapes
I purchased this lens primarily for real estate photography and it is the perfect all-around option. The lens seems super sharp at 16mm and pretty clean at 35mm. The included polarizer is great for reducing sun glare on hard wood floors and other surfaces. I shot several images with and without the polarizer and it doesnt seem to reduce image quality or have any color cast issues. The 16mm focal length is a great wide-angle option without being t... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
YES, I would recommend this to a friend...
I got the 16-35 Vario Tessar after returning a 25mm Batis. I was uncomfortable with the Batis--and the 25mm was limiting. There was threshold acceptable spherical distortion--i.e. barrel/pincushion. The 16-35 is really excellent--with less spherical issue than the Batis and the super-wide really offers interesting possibilities otherwise impossible to realize. So far I have only used it indoors, shooting between ISO 800 and 1600, with excellent t... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
The best of its kind.
I'm excited when sony announced this lens and I got mine last week. The size complements well to any a7 camera. It is a bit bigger compared to the FE 24-70mm ans smaller than 35mm F1.4. Optically the lens produces a very nice color rendition that looks like a 3D effect a typical of a Zeiss lens. Some of the reviews said that wide open at 16, there are softness in the corner which I don't really notice. Together with other sony-Zeiss lenses, this ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great landscape and travel lens
When I made the switch from the Canon 5DIII to the Sony A7RII a year ago, I purchased a Metabones Mark IV adapter to use my Canon 17-40 f/4 L. I love this wide lens for landscapes and as you rarely shoot a landscape with a fast aperture, it was a great lens. I started doing research on image quality and became convinced that switching to native Sony glass and this lens in particular would give me a sharper image corner to corner. The 17-40 was de... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great lens. A little pricey but still a good option.
This lens is great for landscapes and I started to use it a lot for cinematography. The barrel distortion it has for some reason it complements the way I shoot videos and even the vignette that creates on both videos and photos is amazing. I like it. I like it a lot!!! But if you worry to much about this problems they can be easily removed in post-process. For me, paying 1K more for the extra stops you get for the better versions is not worth the... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Better Than Expected
This lens has surpassed my expectations. Beautiful color rendition. A must for landscapes. Using Capture 1 Express for Sony, it is the easiest lens I have dealt with to work challenging skies etc. Solidly built. The weight and balance with my A7II is just fine. There is an informative and positive article of this lens on the Lens Rentals website. I encourage reading it. At 16 mm it does very well. The quality, as well as detail of the images are ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Wow.
I'm simply stunned by how beautifully this works in conjunction with the A7s. I bought it mostly for the property and neighborhood videos that our company produces but the stills are also simply staggering. I am a full blown addict of the image stabilization piece of these lenses and with this, the 24-70, and the 70-200 I feel like I can do anything. Then I'll turn on the APS part of the sensor (there doesn't seem to be any degradation of the image in stills or especially video) and the lenses all add another 30% to their respective focal lengths. Just amazing. A must for Sony A7 owners.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
The must have for travel photographers
If I had to pick just one lens to travel with, this would be the one. 16mm is wide enough for most of landscapes and 35mm is the range for street photography. F/4 shouldn't be a problem in both scenarios, because you'll be using it with a Sony full frame that can deliver good quality with high ISO. And most of the time you'll have enough light. It is also an OSS lens, what means you can count on its own stabilization if you have to shoot in less than 1/60. And it's lighter, smaller and almost half of the price of the 2.8 GM. Got mine second hand and it was the best purchase ever.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great results so far
I recently switched from Cannon camera and gear to Sony when I purchased the Sony A7S. Overall I'm very happy with my camera and for the budget I had I think these lens are giving me great results. Sometimes I wish it had a greater aperture but with the awesome performance of my camera with low light I can just pump up the ISO. Stabilization is also pretty good. I do mostly video so it's cool, but I also take pictures and though I use manual I've checked out the autofocus and its significantly slower than my Cannon. Would totally recommend these lens.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Versatile wide angle option.
The 16-35 is a versatile wide angel option for full frame Sony E-Mount cameras. It is reasonably sharp, especially in the center. There is, however, some barrel distortion, even at 35mm. The long end of the lens still has a wide-angle perspective. It is also slow, at f4. But if you need a wide angle and want to be able to adjust focal length quickly it is the best alternative for the Sony full-frames. Lens options is still a bit of a drawback to camera like the A7RII. It is not a small, similar in size to the 24-70, and solidly built.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not what I expected based on reviews
I used this lens with a7sII for landscapes and real estate interior video. After comparing the same shots done with Zeiss Batis 25mm lens at the same f stop I concluded that I will be better off with a set of primes (25mm Batis, new 18mm Batis and may be later 10mm Voightlander). The sharpness and vignetting are my main disappointments. The lens is well build, although almost twice heavier than Batis 25mm. Manual only zoom is not ideal for zooming while shooting video, so having this zoom does not have much of an advantage for me.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Avoid For Video
This lens may be a decent stills lens. But for video, it's practically unusable. The focus is done electronically and it's almost impossible to gauge where your focus position is. That comment is coming from a person who greatly prefers manual lenses. I can't imagine planning a rack focus with this lens. I do not own this lens, but I've used it as a rental twice, and it caused issues both times. The image is nice, as would be expected from a Zeiss lens. But in use, I can literally say I hate this lens for video purposes.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
35mm keeps it down
It's superb at 16-28, even at f4. At 35mm it is definitely not on par with other professional super-wide zooms, as many other reviews have found. 16mm at f4 approaches prime quality, but at 35mm it's not close. I love this lens for video, very quiet, smooth focus changes, and great transitions from light to dark scenes, though I guess that's the camera (a7III here) in large part. Zoom and focus rings are very smooth - they blow Canon away, and build quality is excellent. Don't like the lack of an af swtich,
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Better Than Expected
This lens surpassed my expectations. A must for landscapes. It is much better optically than the F 4/ 24-70 and in C1 Express for Sony it is far easier to work difficult skies. Beautiful color rendition. There is an informative and positive article on the Lens Rentals website. At 16 mm it does very well. The size is also fine. Remember to correct distortion in post as it does not do so automatically. If you shoot JPEG, the in camera engine corrects it for you. Yes, I recommend this lens. Good light. Sergio
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great for work or play
I purchased this lens primarily for real estate photography but I enjoy it in my off hours too. Great colors! Awesome build quality. Definitely sharp enough for my needs. For what I do with it f/4 isnt an issue but Im sure some would want more. Ive used the lens in some pretty rough environmental circumstances like nearly freezing rain and heavy heat during prolonged shoots involving ongoing construction projects so I can attest to its durability. It can certainly withstand the elements!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent Resolution & Focussing.
Definitely an A grade lens ( my grade for Sony FE lenses, A+ for 55mm, C for 35mm, D+ for 24-70, B+ for 70-200). Excellent resolution & focussing accuracy at all focal lengths, with minor fall off near 35mm. Better than comparable Leica lenses from 16-24 mm. The only negative is the slight pin-cushion distortion at 35mm that is easily corrected in Post or in camera with JPEG's. It has equal resolution compared to my Zeiss 18mm F 3.5 ZE, but much better CA and coma correction.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent Lens Highly Recommended
I just purchased my first mirrorless camera from B&H, the Sony a7RII, which arrived a few weeks ago. I didn't have any legacy lenses that would carry over. After a great deal of research I found that this lens is used by a number of top professional photographers Checkout Sony Alpha Universe.com . After shooting around 600 images with the lens, I found it to be one of the best lenses I've owned. It was sharp from center to the corners at various focal lengths and f/stops.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
