Earlier this week, Sony announced the FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G, a powerful lens aimed at photographers, videographers, and hybrid shooters.
As the Sony Imaging Solutions Vice President explains, the lens caters to creators of all types: “‘As the content creation landscape continues to evolve and the worlds of still imaging and video continue to merge, we are constantly developing new products to meet this growing demand for hybrid content creators…With an advanced feature set and unmatched portability and flexibility, the FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G is perfectly designed to meet these evolving needs and ensure that today’s creators can realize their full vision.’”
The new lens boasts a handful of pro-grade features, including a fixed maximum f/4 aperture, solid build quality, class-leading autofocus, and a power-zoom function designed for smooth focal-length transitions when recording video footage.
So who should purchase the 16-35mm f/4?
The lens is designed with travel photographers in mind, not to mention other on-the-go shooters; Sony has compacted the body into a travel-ready package that you can carry for hours (or days) without discomfort. Street photographers, too, will appreciate the 16-35mm f/4’s small form factor. And while street shooters do tend to stick to prime lenses, the focal-length range is highly convenient, whether the lens is mounted to a full-frame camera or a small APS-C model like the a6600.
Speaking of focal length: The 16-35mm range is a landscape and architecture photography classic. At 16mm, you can shoot sweeping, ultra-wide images, while at 35mm, you can capture tighter, more intimate compositions of natural features. And the press release promises outstanding image quality, perfect for rendering stunning detail in wide and close-up landscape scenery.
But the 16-35mm f/4’s target users are hybrid shooters and videographers, hence the addition of Sony’s power zoom, which “makes it easy to execute super-slow, fast, or constant-speed changes in focal length” and “minimizes camera shake or movement that can occur when operating a traditional zoom ring.”
Unfortunately, the 16-35mm’s maximum aperture – f/4 – is too narrow to appeal to most event photographers, low-light photographers, and astrophotographers. But action photographers and videographers will appreciate the class-leading autofocus, and the lens also packs a couple of handy bonus features, including a manual aperture ring and solid close-up focusing capabilities.
So if you’re looking for a compact, wide-angle zoom with pro-grade video and still-shooting capabilities, check out the Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G. You can currently preorder the lens for $1198 on B&H; expect it to ship in late June.
Now over to you:
What do you think of Sony’s latest zoom lens? Are you impressed? Disappointed? Will you buy it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
