Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM vs Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G

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FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM compared with FE 16-25mm F2.8 G

	SonyFE 12-24mm F2.8 GM	SonyFE 16-25mm F2.8 G
Overview
Released
Released	July 2020	May 2024
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	12–24 mm	16–25 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	17 elements in 14 groups	16 elements in 13 groups
Special elements
Special elements	Three XA extreme-aspherical elements, one aspherical element, three ED and two Super ED glass elements	Three ED glass elements and four aspherical elements, including one ED aspherical element
Coatings
Coatings	Nano AR Coating II; fluorine coating on front element	Fluorine coating on the front element
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine rounded blades	11 rounded blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	122°–84° full frame; 99°–61° APS-C	107–82° full frame; 83–59° APS-C
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Sony E	Sony E
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Image circle detail
Image circle detail	Full-frame coverage; 18–36 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C	Full-frame coverage; 24–37.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC	Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.28 m	0.17 m (manual focus)
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.14×	0.23× (manual focus)
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	No	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Four XD linear motors, two per floating focus group; internal focusing	Two linear motors; supports Alpha 9 III AF/AE tracking up to 120 fps under Sony test conditions; actual speed depends on shooting conditions and focus mode
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Minimum focus 0.28 m throughout the zoom range; Linear Response MF	Autofocus minimum 0.18 m at 16 mm and 0.24 m at 25 mm; manual focus minimum 0.17 m at 16 mm and 0.22 m at 25 mm; Linear Response MF
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	Maximum magnification 0.14×	Maximum magnification 0.20× with autofocus or 0.23× with manual focus
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation	No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation
Video features
Video features	–	Reduced focus breathing and breathing compensation on compatible bodies; compensation may alter angle of view and image quality. Supports compatible-body Active Mode stabilisation, with a narrower angle of view; 4K120p/FHD240p tracking depends on the camera
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	–	67 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	97.6 mm	74.8 mm
Length
Length	137 mm	91.4 mm
Weight
Weight	847 g	409 g (better)
Controls
Controls	AF/MF switch, one customisable focus-hold button, zoom and focus rings; no aperture ring	Aperture ring with click on/off, AF/MF switch and one customisable focus-hold button
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Short extending zoom barrel; Sony qualifies its small extension and centre-of-gravity shift for gimbal use
Filter detail
Filter detail	No front filter thread; rear holder accepts cut sheet filters, with cutting template supplied	–
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof	Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 847 g lens with integral hood; separate caps excluded	Approximately 409 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded
Lens hood
Lens hood	Fixed petal hood integrated into the lens	ALC-SH178 petal bayonet hood
In the box
In the box	Locking front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft carrying case and filter template	ALC-SH178 hood, ALC-F67S front cap and ALC-R1EM rear cap; no case
Release detail
Release detail	Sony Australia specified late July 2020 availability; Sony UK specified August for Europe and Japan specified 7 August, separate from 14 July pre-orders. Main date uses the earliest maker-confirmed July precision. TechRadar’s 24–48 mm APS-C equivalent is inconsistent with maker18–36 mm; Photography Blog’s focal-range section uses the APS-C angles, with maker full-frame angles retained here. Review distortion and corner-darkening differences are preserved	Sony North America specified purchase availability on 10 May 2024, distinct from 17 April pre-sale; Sony Japan specified 17 May. UK press confirms approximate £1250 but supplies no sale date. Photography Blog gives April and misidentifies the product code in two paragraphs; exact maker sale evidence and SEL1625G specifications take priority