Broad to plain zooms for APS-C cameras are at all times welcome additions to lens lineups. Whereas a number of available on the market sport Sony’s E mount, none of them can declare to be the world’s smallest APS-C ultra-wide zoom like this Sony providing can. Will this lens’ small footprint quantity to a lot within the grander scheme of issues? Does the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G rise up properly towards its competitors? Discover out in our full assessment.
Execs
- Mild and compact
- Energy zoom is easy/silent
- Snappy autofocus
- Good colour copy
- Sharp optics
- Decently priced
Cons
- Small handbook zoom/focus rings
- No aperture dial
- Distortion on the extensive finish
- Vignetting
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — Technical specs
Sony offered technical specs for this lens:
- Superior optics
- Inner zoom
- Energy zoom
- Small and light-weight
- 2x Linear AF motors
- Vital suppression of focus respiratory
- Quick, quiet, low vibration AF
- Mud /moisture resistant
- Focus maintain button
- 6.2 ounces
- 7.87 min focus distance with AF
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — Ergonomics and construct high quality
This zoom lens has a tiny footprint for a lens with an equal focal vary of 15-30mm. Actually, Sony claims that the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is the world’s smallest APS-C ultra-wide zoom. I can inform you that when paired with an a6600, the lens feels good. It’s actually not front-heavy. With a weight of simply 0.38lbs, you’ll truly discover that the digital camera leans again just a little as a result of how heavy the digital camera is in comparison with the lens.
The Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is an all-plastic affair apart from the mount. Nonetheless, it feels properly made. The plastic feels inflexible, and it survived being tossed into my digital camera bag and the odd bump right here and there. The handbook focus and zoom rings really feel OK and function easily. The AF/MF swap clicks positively into place, the Energy Zoom toggle operates easily, and the customizable button presents good suggestions. The lens even carried out properly throughout a short spring bathe.
Sony G collection lenses aren’t Sony’s most premium choices. Nonetheless, these lenses are properly designed. The Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is not any exception to this rule. Total, it’s a lens that most individuals will take to properly.
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — Within the discipline
The Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is a superb lens to make use of whereas out and about. Its compact measurement and low weight imply it by no means turns into a burden. For essentially the most half, the lens is simple to make use of. Nevertheless, these with chunky fingers — like me — will discover that the small handbook focus and zoom dials are too small and too shut to one another.
I get it, it’s a tiny lens, and I additionally perceive that almost all will use the Energy Zoom. Nevertheless, the handbook controls pose an issue. To make issues worse, there’s no method to know which dial is which. Some producers use totally different textures on management rings once they’re so shut to one another. They do that so you’ll be able to really feel the distinction when the digital camera is as much as your eye. Nevertheless, that’s not the case right here. There’s additionally no de-clickable aperture ring, which is odd, seeing as Sony is advertising this towards videographers.
The focal vary of 10-20mm (15-30mm equal) makes this lens fairly versatile. You’ll simply be capable to shoot beautiful landscapes, environmental portraits, road pictures and extra. The lens additionally lends itself properly to selfies and vlogging. Nevertheless, with a most aperture of simply f/4, don’t count on nice issues when capturing in low gentle.
Energy Zoom
10mm discipline of view
20mm discipline of view
One of many greatest promoting factors of this lens is the Energy Zoom. It’s actually a function aimed toward videographers greater than nonetheless photographers, however I discovered it helpful. The swap operates simply, and the lens zooms out and in quietly and easily. As well as, you’ll be able to alter the zoom pace by miserable the toggle kind of.
When in steady autofocus mode, the lens tracked objects simply via the zoom vary. Along with this, the motors that energy the zoom are silent. Once more, videographers will respect this. Total, the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is simple to make use of out within the discipline. Nonetheless, I want Sony had made the handbook focus and zooms rings extra simply identifiable.
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — Focus efficiency
As you’ll count on from a Sony lens, autofocus efficiency is top-notch. I paired this lens up with the Sony A6600 and had no points. Focusing from close to to far, each on the extensive finish of issues and the lengthy, was near-instantaneous in good gentle. When the sunshine received low, the lens did sometimes stutter. Nevertheless, it at all times discovered its goal. As well as, the motors that drive the weather are whisper quiet.
Sony is advertising this lens as a best choice for videographers. They declare that the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G presents nearly no focus respiratory. I’m completely happy to report that that is what I discovered. When manually focusing, there’s hardly any change in focal size. That is spectacular efficiency for a zoom lens on this worth vary. So, should you want a lens that may mean you can create easy focus pulls with out jarring visible adjustments, this may very well be the lens for you.
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — Picture high quality
Total, the photographs you’ll create with the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G will please. We’ll break issues down additional beneath. Simply to notice. The picture samples you see right here have solely acquired minor corrections to publicity. No different parameters have been touched through the modifying course of. The loaner Sony a6600 we acquired was utilized in normal profile mode, and auto white steadiness was chosen.
Lens character
Being such a large lens, we have been anticipating there to be some points when capturing at 10mm. Nevertheless, distortion isn’t as unhealthy as we thought it could be. You possibly can see barrel distortion (the body bowing out from the middle, which causes curved edges) at 10mm. Distortion is properly managed by the point you hit 15mm. Sadly, no profiles for this lens have been out there in our picture modifying suites when penning this assessment. I did, nevertheless, have in-camera corrections turned on.
By way of vignetting, when capturing at 10mm and f/4, there’s fairly a little bit of vignetting. Stopping the lens down helps management this. Once more, by the point you hit roughly 15mm, the vignetting is significantly better. We anticipated this stage of efficiency with this lens being a large zoom. Total, the lens just isn’t the best we’ve seen, however not the worst in the case of vignetting.
The Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is an efficient performer in the case of ghosting, flaring, and chromatic aberrations. Flaring and ghosting are at their worst on the extensive facet of issues, and, like different traits of this lens, it calms down just a little as you zoom in. Likewise, chromatic aberrations are properly managed, with there being just one or two photographs out of a whole bunch I took displaying any indicators of inexperienced or purple fringing.
Sharpness
One factor you don’t have to fret about with the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is sharpness. Broad-open at f/4, you’ll discover that the picture may be very sharp for many of the body when capturing at 10mm. Nevertheless, the corners are just a little softer as a result of barrel distortion. Nonetheless, as you zoom in, sharpness ranges throughout the body develop into uniform. You possibly can shoot all the way down to roughly f/11 earlier than you begin to see the consequences of diffraction. I’ve been pleasantly stunned by this lens in the case of sharpness.
Bokeh
The bokeh that may be produced with the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is nothing to write down house about. This could come as no shock. We’re speaking a couple of extensive angle zoom with a most aperture of f/4. Nonetheless, you may get some background separation when utilizing the lens at its minimal focal distances of 5.11-inches (at 10mm) and 6.69-inches (at 20mm) and whereas capturing at f/4.
The bokeh just isn’t the smoothest, and specular highlights are catseye in form. However, in fact, you’re not shopping for a lens like this for bokeh within the first place, so so long as your expectations are in examine, you’ll be superb.
Shade rendition
Sony lenses of late have impressed in the case of colour rendition. I’m happy to say that the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G follows that swimsuit. The colours are good and pure, and so they characterize what my eyes have been seeing on the times I used the lens. Reds, blues, oranges and greens all look fabulous to me. I like how the colours render. Nevertheless, colour copy is very subjective, so I’ll depart you to make your thoughts up.
Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G — A flexible zoom for stills and video
The Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is a lens I’ve develop into fairly keen on. Broad to plain focal size zooms aren’t simple to seek out for Sony’s APS-C cameras. So, this is a superb addition. It’s decently priced, too at $748. This lens goes up firmly towards the marginally costlier Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III RXD. The Sony lens is 46% lighter than its competitors, however you additionally should keep in mind that it’s additionally one full cease slower.
Total, the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is a strong zoom that produces pleasing photographs. The Energy Zoom function is likely to be just a little misplaced on photographers; nevertheless, this function will delight videographers. The lens is made properly, it’s not afraid to get down and soiled when the climate will get just a little robust, and its small footprint makes it simple to hold round and steadiness on gimbals.
So, who is that this lens for? In case you’re a fan of Sony’s APS-C cameras and wish a reasonably quick extensive to plain zoom that produces sharp photographs with pleasing colours and respectable bokeh, the Sony 10-20mm f/4 PZ G is price taking a more in-depth take a look at. Nevertheless, should you’re a photographer or videographer who usually shoots in low-light situations and don’t thoughts zooming with a standard zoom ring, you may wish to take a look at the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III RXD. Each are strong lenses, and they’ll serve those that use them properly.
