Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Review

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master Performance

Looking first at sharpness, it soon becomes obvious that this is a superb lens at all focal lengths. In fact, whatever setting is used the results are excellent to outstanding at most aperture/focal length combinations.

At 16mm, centrally results are outstanding from f/2.8 to f/8 and excellent through to f/16. The standard is very good even at f/22. The edges again are outstanding from f/2.8 to f/8, are excellent at f/11, very good at f/16 and only soften at f/22.

20mm sees outstanding central sharpness from f/2.8 to f/8, excellent at f/11 and f/16 and still very good at f/22. The edges are excellent from f/2.8 to f/4, outstanding at f/5.6 and f/8, excellent at f/11, very good at f/16 and soft at f/22 as diffraction takes its toll.

At 24mm, sharpness is outstanding from f/2.8 to f/8, excellent at f/11 and f/16 and very good at f/22. The edges see excellent sharpness from f/2.8 to f/16, with f/4 being outstanding. f/22 is again soft.

35mm has excellent sharpness at f/2.8, is outstanding from f/4 to f/11, excellent at f/16 and very good at f/22. Edges are excellent at f/2.8, outstanding from f/4 to f/11, excellent at f/16 and softening at f/22.

CA (Chromatic Aberration) correction is also very satisfactory, being highly controlled centrally at all settings. The edges do show some fringing, especially at the wider settings, but this may or may not intrude on an image, depending upon the subject matter. Where it is a problem it can be tackled in software.

Distortion is obvious at 16mm, where it measures -3.27% barrel. By 20mm this has reduced to -0.94% barrel, after which by 24mm we have a modest amount of pincushion, measuring +0.42%. 35mm shows +1.93% pincushion distortion. For many applications this level of distortion will not be obvious, and for a zoom lens of this type it is actually very good. If further correction is required, then there are software solutions.

Flare resistance is very good and although it can be induced the levels are quite low. Against the light there may be a slight drop in contrast but overall it is a sound performance.

With 11 diaphragm blades and a circular aperture, we might expect smooth bokeh and the lens does not disappoint. The smoothness of out of focus areas is beautiful and will enhance the main subject with a soft, smooth background blur.

Overall, the conclusion is that Sony have presented us with an outstanding lens that raises the bar on wide to standard zooms. It is possible to extract a wealth of fine detail from images, something that will be well appreciated by photographers looking for the highest optical standards.

Value For Money

The Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master lens costs £2299. There is no doubt this is a high price, which we have to offset against an exemplary performance.

In one sense there is no direct competitor for Sony E mounts with this specification, but we can see how it compares with what other fits and marques have available. Sony A mount users have the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 at £2025. Canon users have the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM at £1949.

Against this the price of the new lens is slightly higher, but at least in the same ball park. The choice becomes how we assess the price of the highest standards of performance.

For more options have a look at the Top 15 Best Sony E / FE Mount Lenses, and the Top 28 Best Wide-angle Landscape Lenses.

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