Sony Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM vs Sony FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM II

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Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM compared with FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM II

	SonyVario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM	SonyFE 16–35mm F2.8 GM II
Overview
Released
Released	January 2009	September 2023
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	16–35 mm	16–35 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	Seventeen elements in thirteen groups	15 elements in 12 groups; Amateur Photographer gives 11 groups in its specification table, so the maker count is used
Special elements
Special elements	Three aspherical elements, one Super ED element and one ED element	Five aspherical elements including three XA; one Super ED and two ED elements
Coatings
Coatings	Zeiss T* coating	Nano AR Coating II; fluorine coating on front element
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine rounded blades	11 rounded blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	107°–63° full-frame; 83°–44° APS-C	107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Sony A	Sony E
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Image circle detail
Image circle detail	Full-frame A-mount coverage; 24–52.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C	Full-frame coverage; 24–52.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C. Photography Blog labels the APS-C angle range as full-frame; maker ranges are used.
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Sony 1.4× and 2× teleconverters unsupported	Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.28 m	0.22 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.24×	0.32×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	–	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	In-lens SSM ultrasonic autofocus motor	Four XD linear motors; floating focus; Linear Response MF
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Internal focusing; 0.28 m minimum focus. Direct Manual Focus available in single-shot AF (OpticalLimits)	Minimum focus 0.22 m at both ends of the zoom
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	–	No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation
Video features
Video features	–	Optical design suppresses focus breathing, focus shift and axis shift during zoom
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	77 mm	82 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	83 mm	87.8 mm
Length
Length	114 mm	111.5 mm
Weight
Weight	860 g	547 g (better)
Controls
Controls	AF/MF focus-mode switch and focus-hold button	Aperture ring, click on/off switch, iris lock, AF/MF switch and two focus-hold buttons
Zoom design
Zoom design	Outer length remains constant, with internal lens-tube movement during zooming (OpticalLimits)	Barrel extends towards the 16 mm setting
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	–	Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof
Filter detail
Filter detail	77 mm filter thread	–
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	83 mm maximum diameter × 114 mm length	–
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 860 g, maker lens weight	Approximately 547 g lens; separately supplied hood, caps and case excluded
Lens hood
Lens hood	Petal-shaped bayonet hood supplied	ALC-SH177 petal-shaped bayonet hood
In the box
In the box	Lens hood and case	ALC-SH177 hood, ALC-F82S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft case and case strap
Release detail
Release detail	Sony’s 10 September 2008 announcement states January 2009 sale in Japan; no exact day is specified.	Sony UK announced on 29 August 2023 with September 2023 availability and an approximate £2,400 list price; first-sale precision remains the month