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Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SonyFE 12-24mm F4 GSonyVario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS
Overview
ReleasedJuly 2017November 2014
Optics
Lens typeZoomZoom
Focal length12–24 mm16–35 mm
Maximum aperturef/4f/4
Minimum aperturef/22f/22
Optical constructionSeventeen elements in thirteen groupsTwelve elements in ten groups
Special elementsFour aspherical elements, three ED elements and one Super ED elementFive aspherical elements in total including one AA advanced aspherical element; three ED elements
CoatingsSony Nano AR coatingZeiss T* coating
DiaphragmSeven rounded bladesSeven rounded blades
Angle of view122°–84° full frame; 99°–61° APS-C107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C
Mount and compatibility
MountsSony ESony E
Image circleFull frameFull frame
Image circle detailFull-frame coverage; 18–36 mm equivalent field of view on APS-CFull-frame coverage; 24–52.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter supportNot compatible with Sony E-mount teleconverters–
Focus and stabilisation
AutofocusYesYes
Minimum focus distance0.28 m0.28 m
Maximum magnification0.14×0.19×
Optical stabilisationNoYes
Autofocus detailDirect-drive SSM with internal focusingLinear-motor autofocus (Sony Japan press release)
Focus distance detail0.28 m minimum focus distance0.28 m minimum focus distance
Magnification detail0.14× maximum magnification0.19× maximum magnification
Stabilisation detailNo optical stabilisation; compatible camera body stabilisation can be usedBuilt-in Optical SteadyShot; maker does not publish a stop rating
Video featuresConstant F4 maximum aperture and internal focusingConstant F4 maximum aperture; linear-motor focusing
Design
Dust and moisture resistantYesYes
Filter diameter–72 mm
Maximum diameter87 mm78 mm
Length117.4 mm98.5 mm
Weight565 g518 g
ControlsManual-focus and zoom rings, AF/MF switch and customisable focus-hold buttonManual-focus and zoom rings; stabilisation and focus mode controlled through camera
Filter detailMaker specifies no attachable front filters; no front filter thread72 mm front filter thread
Weather resistanceDust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingressDust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress
Dimensions detail87 mm maximum diameter × 117.4 mm length78 mm maximum diameter × 98.5 mm maker length
Weight detailApproximately 565 g lens; separate caps excluded; hood is fixedApproximately 518 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded
Lens hoodFixed petal hoodALC-SH134 petal bayonet hood, supplied
In the boxFront cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft caseALC-SH134 hood, front and rear caps and soft case
Release detailSony Canada announcement dated 17 May 2017 specifies July shipping; Sony Japan revised notice specifies 7 July 2017. Main release retains month precision because exact first global sale day is unconfirmed. Two independently authored full reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein on Alpha 7R II and OpticalLimits Klaus Schroiff with a well-centred sample. Their differing assessment of omitted stabilisation retained. Raw versus corrected distortion/vignetting qualified. Blog weight560g, full-frame angle99–61degrees and hood release button conflict with maker565g,122–84degrees and fixed hood. Conflicting review barrel-material claims omitted; no inferred predecessor linkSony US press reproduced in DPReview dated 15 September 2014 specifies November availability; Sony Japan confirms 7 November 2014. Main uses earliest maker-confirmed month, global exact first day unconfirmed. October review samples and an unverified customer timestamp are not established retail dates. Two independently authored full reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein on Alpha 7R and Amateur Photographer Richard Sibley, refreshed 2023 with original system-era findings. Differing fringing, edge detail and distortion assessments retained. AP reverses element/group counts, corrected to maker twelve/ten; Blog hoodSH132 and full-frame83–44degrees corrected to makerSH134 and107–63. No inferred predecessor link

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