I’m at all times on a quest to search out and use the very best gear to swimsuit my firm’s and consumer’s wants. My firm shoots a ton of actual property pictures and I’m at all times coaching and hiring new photographers. In search of out and selecting the right gear for my price range and for coaching functions is at all times paramount to me.
I attempt to check each wide-angle lens that hits {the marketplace}. Sony just lately lent me the brand new PZ 16-35 f/4 lens to evaluate. General, I’m impressed!
Professionals
- Light-weight for a wide-angle lens
- Energy zoom/focus performance with be a success with cinematographers/videographers
- Picture high quality excellent within the body middle to good on the excessive corners
- AF pace is basically instantaneous
Cons
- Looks like Sony is concentrating on videographers first with this lens — although it’s a reliable performer for pictures
- f/4 will not be quick sufficient for a lot of genres of pictures
- It is a new lens and Adobe has not made a profile correction as of this evaluate and the lens optical shortcomings are pronounced
- Distortion is very noticeable — it’s correctable, but it surely’s robust
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Technical specs
- Focal Size: 16 to 35mm
- Most Aperture: f/4
- Minimal Aperture: f/22
- Format Protection: Full-Body
- Angle of View: 107° to 63°
- Minimal Focus Distance: 9.4″ / 24 cm
- Optical Design: 13 Parts in 12 Teams
- Diaphragm Blades: 7, Rounded
- Focus Kind: Autofocus
- Picture Stabilization: No
- Filter Dimension: 72 mm (Entrance)
- Dimensions (ø x L): 3.2 x 3.5″ / 80.5 x 88.1 mm
- Weight: 12.5 oz / 353 g
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Ergonomics and construct high quality
As an avid wide-angle shooter, I’ve come to count on massive heavy lenses for my actual property pictures and videography. Instantly, I used to be struck by how comparatively gentle the 16-35 f/4 is in my hand. My go-to lens for actual property pictures for practically two years has been the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 S. An impressive lens in it’s personal proper, however after working with the 16-35 over the course of this evaluate, once I picked up the 14-24mm once more, the distinction in weight is immediately obvious!
Coming in at simply north of 12 ounces — in comparison with the 1.4 lbs. of the Nikon — the 16-35mm is by any goal measure a light-weight. The main focus and zoom rings — that are each fly by wire — transfer very freely with hardly any resistance in any respect. There’s additionally no onerous stops on both ring. Sony has included a de-clickable aperture ring.
The place the 16-35mm stands out is in video. The addition of the ability zoom mechanism brings again recollections of early camcorders. Nevertheless, the place the 16-35mm excels is in it’s skill to each zoom and preserve focus concurrently and easily. For my part, this function alone will make this a success with videographers and cinematographers.
Sony has additionally sealed the lens towards mud and moisture. At this worth level, climate sealing is a pleasant bonus function!
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Within the discipline
As talked about, in my enterprise, I’m actually photographing 3-5 properties per day. Lugging gear round is a part of my every day routine. The decrease weight of the 16-35mm does make a distinction over the course of an extended day. Comparatively small and unobtrusive, the 16-35mm works effectively mounted to a tripod or slung over your shoulder.
The excessive ISO functionality of immediately’s Sony our bodies — notably the a7 IV I used to be primarily utilizing it with — the f/4 max aperture proved to not be a significant handicap. I may up the shutter speeds regardless of the comparatively “gradual” max aperture with increased ISO with out a lot penalty within the picture high quality division. The quick and correct AF allowed me to seize motion pictures rapidly and effectively. All in, the 16-35mm was simple and pleasurable to make use of.
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Autofocus efficiency
If there’s one space the place Sony has persistently and successfully pushed the envelope it’s with AF efficiency. Nevertheless, the place the PZ 16-35 f/4 excels is each with autofocus and zoom concurrently. Video shooters will love this skill to concurrently easily zoom whereas protecting focus locked onto their topic. Furthermore, the pace wherein the zooming occurs may be managed remotely.
Moreover, on choose Sony digicam our bodies, there’s a menu operate that enables us to customise the pace and responsiveness of the PZ performance. The result’s reaching brilliantly cinematic pictures far more successfully, simply and effectively!
Other than the zoom, autofocus alone is instantaneous, silent and lethal correct! Each in images and video. Steady AF can be terribly correct and sticky! My experiences with the a7 IV and this lens in AF had been merely stellar!
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Picture high quality and traits
Distortion management, sharpness, vignetting and chromatic aberration
Construct is excellent, AF and PZ efficiency are exemplary, however how are the optics?
Suffice to say, extremely wide-angle lenses have some inherent compromises which are tough to engineer out. Notably, distortion and edge efficiency. Particularly within the excessive corners of photographs. Additional, I’ve grow to be so accustomed to Adobe’s lens profile correction performance in nearly all of the lenses I exploit, that I forgot how a lot of an affect they will have on a picture. Notably with extremely wide-angle lenses!
As a result of the 16-35mm is so new, Adobe — as of this writing — hasn’t made a lens profile correction for this lens. As a gear reviewer, seeing a lens’ optical efficiency and not using a lens profile correction was eye opening.
The 16-35mm, although optically robust within the middle of the body, does endure a bit within the corners. Weak edge efficiency is a standard incidence with wide-angle lenses.
Nevertheless, the one space the place the 16-35mm actually struggles is with distortion. It’s correctable, and I’m certain shall be far much less noticeable with the lens profile correction. However within the RAW photographs, the bends on vertical traces alongside the sides are akin to a fisheye. Sure, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, however distortion is a noticeable draw back of this lens.
Vignetting wide-open, wasn’t a lot of a difficulty. Moreover, chromatic aberrations and flare are each very, very effectively managed.
General picture high quality is excellent to glorious, particularly within the body middle.
Unsurprisingly, edge efficiency — like most wide-angle lenses — suffers within the corners and important sharpness is misplaced
I’ve used the lens on some excessive finish houses, and my shoppers have been more than happy with the outcomes. For me, that’s all that basically issues. If gear will help me make my consumer completely satisfied, and extra importantly, my consumer’s consumer completely satisfied, then a lens is a winner! The PZ 16-35mm f/4 succeeds on this style.
Bokeh
Bokeh at 16mm and f/4 — if you will get all of it — requires the topic to be near the minimal focus distance — however some bokeh may be achieved.
At 35mm and f/4, although nonetheless tough to realize, it’s potential to get some good separation and bokeh with the PZ 16-35 f/4.
We don’t purchase extremely wide-angle lenses to be dazzled by their bokeh skills. Getting any form of separation from the background normally entails inserting a topic at close to the minimal focusing distance whereas having the lens set to wide-open.
At 16mm, there’s barely any separation in any respect. However the bokeh balls within the background are round and pleasing to the attention.
Nevertheless, zoomed in to 35mm at f/4, we are able to the truth is get some good separation and a few stunning background blur.
Focus respiratory
One space that have to be counseled is focus respiratory. Or fairly, the shortage of. it. A further nicety of the 16-35mm for video shooters is the nearly non-existent focus respiratory. It’s a giant benefit, and a welcome contact.
Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 — Video centric, however nice for photographers, too
On the floor, it might be simple for me to conclude that Sony has it’s sights set on videographers and cinematographers with this lens. The ability zoom performance clearly targets cinematographers who need to create revolutionary pictures whereas sustaining tack sharp focus.
Nevertheless, I believe it might be a mistake for photographers to miss this lens given it’s video centric traits. The optical efficiency the lens can present with stills can’t be overstated — particularly the shortage of chromatic aberrations and flare management are exemplary.
General, at this worth level, I believe the PZ 16-35mm f/4 gives up a number of good, revolutionary options for each videographers and photographers, even when the majority of the brand new options clearly goal video shooters. It’s tough to not extremely suggest the PZ 16-35 f/4 from Sony.
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Lens
A compact design with very good optics and an influence zoom operate makes the Sony PZ 16-35mm f/4 G a great alternative for every type of creators, whether or not meaning you shoot video, stills, or each. This ultra-wide lens is among the many lightest in its class and the fixed f/4 aperture strikes a great stability that’s vibrant sufficient for available-light taking pictures whereas remaining moveable for all-day shoots.
