Sony has announced a new FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G ultra-wide zoom for its full frame Alpha cameras, featuring an unusually compact design for a constant-aperture f/2.8 ultra-wide zoom. It makes an ideal pairing with the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G announced just a few weeks earlier.
These two new lenses are designed for no-compromise performance in a smaller package, to meet the needs of photographers, vloggers and content creators who might find Sony’s regular zooms just a little too large.
The main compromise here is in focal range, both lenses swap size for reach. The FE 16-25mm f/2.8G joins a market where the typical range for an ultra-wide zoom is 16-35mm, though if it’s used in conjunction with the new FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G you will get a combined focal range of 16-50mm with no gaps.
Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G specifications and features
The FE 16-25mm f/4 G might skimp on focal range, but not on specifications. Sony is aiming for a ‘no compromise’ lens which offers premium optical performance, AF and handling.
The optical configuration includes 3 aspherical lenses, 1 aspherical ED (extra low dispersion) element and 3 regular ED elements. In addition to stellar sharpness and detail, close up performance is decent, with a minimum focus distance of 7.08in / 0.18m (AF), 6.69in / 0.17m (MF) at 16mm, and a maximum magnification of 0.2x (AF), 0.23x (MF). An 11-blade circular aperture has been used to produce smooth bokeh.
Autofocus is taken care of via two linear motors to provide fast, quiet AF with low vibration. They drive an internal focus group, so the lens does not change length as you focus.
Sony appears to have spared no expense on the exterior, either. As well as regular focus and zoom rings, there’s an aperture ring with switchable click stops and a customizable focus hold button. Internal seals are used to provide dust and moisture resistance, and the front element has a fluorine coating to repel fingerprints, dust, water and oil.
At the front there is a 67mm filter thread, the same size as the filter thread on the ‘twin’ FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens, which will make the FE 16-25mm practical for both landscape photography and video.
The curtailed focal range might raise a few eyebrows, of course. In fact, it corresponds to a zoom range of just 1.56x, where a regular 16-35mm zoom has a 2.1x zoom range. This is clearly the price of getting a constant f/2.8 zoom in a compact design.
Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G alternatives
Measuring 74.8 x 91.4mm and with a weight of 409g, the new FE 16-25mm f/2.8G is certainly smaller and lighter than the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II, as well as being half the price, so if you can do without that extra 10mm focal range or you have it covered by other lenses, it certainly starts to make sense.
For comparison, the Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens is actually a little smaller, so if you’re looking for a power zoom lens for video and don’t mind a maximum aperture of f/4 rather than f/2.8, that’s a strong contender. There’s also an older Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens in the Sony line-up which is scarcely larger than the new 16-25mm and less expensive too, though not really on the same level optically as later lenses.
The Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8G should be on sale shortly at an anticipated retail price of £1,250 (about $1,556 / AU$2,425).
We’re yet to get our hands on the 16-25mm, but if it’s anything like the 24-50mm that we’ve already reviewed, it’ll be a solid addition to Sony’s full-frame Alpha lenses, especially for filmmakers and landscape photographers on more of a budget.