Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS vs Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyVario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS | SonyFE PZ 16-35mm F4 G | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2014 | April 2022 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 16–35 mm | 16–35 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/4 | f/4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | Twelve elements in ten groups | 13 elements in 12 groups |
| Special elements | Five aspherical elements in total including one AA advanced aspherical element; three ED elements | Two AA advanced-aspherical elements, one aspherical element, one Super ED, one ED and one ED aspherical element |
| Coatings | Zeiss T* coating | Fluorine coating on the front element; optimised antireflection coatings without a maker Nano AR designation |
| Diaphragm | Seven rounded blades | Seven rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C | 107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame 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 |
| Teleconverter support | – | Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.28 m | 0.24 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.19× | 0.23× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | No |
| Autofocus detail | Linear-motor autofocus (Sony Japan press release) | Two XD linear motors drive focus; four separate XD linear motors drive power zoom. Alpha 1 30 fps compatibility requires maker-specified shutter-speed and AF conditions |
| Focus distance detail | 0.28 m minimum focus distance | Minimum focus 0.28 m at 16 mm or 0.24 m at 35 mm; Linear Response MF |
| Magnification detail | 0.19× maximum magnification | Maximum magnification 0.23× |
| Stabilisation detail | Built-in Optical SteadyShot; maker does not publish a stop rating | No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation |
| Video features | Constant F4 maximum aperture; linear-motor focusing | Reduced breathing and focus/axis shifts; compatible-body breathing compensation works in video and may alter field of view and quality. Zoom can be controlled remotely with compatible bodies, accessories or app |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 72 mm | 72 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 78 mm | 80.5 mm |
| Length | 98.5 mm | 88.1 mm |
| Weight | 518 g | 353 g (better) |
| Controls | Manual-focus and zoom rings; stabilisation and focus mode controlled through camera | Electronic zoom ring and variable-speed zoom lever; aperture ring with click on/off and Iris Lock, AF/MF switch and one customisable focus-hold button |
| Zoom design | – | Internal power zoom and internal focusing; overall length stays constant. Camera compatibility applies to remote zoom and reversing zoom-ring direction |
| Filter detail | 72 mm front filter thread | 72 mm front filter thread does not rotate during focusing |
| Weather resistance | Dust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof |
| Dimensions detail | 78 mm maximum diameter × 98.5 mm maker length | – |
| Weight detail | Approximately 518 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded | Approximately 353 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH134 petal bayonet hood, supplied | ALC-SH172 petal bayonet hood |
| In the box | ALC-SH134 hood, front and rear caps and soft case | ALC-SH172 hood, ALC-F72S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case |
| Release detail | Sony 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 | Sony Hong Kong specified availability from end April 2022, separately from March–April pre-orders; UK stated May (TBC). Japan delayed its original 28 April date and subsequently fixed 27 May in its 18 May notice. Main date retains earliest regional April month precision. Photography Blog’s March launch describes announcement, not first sale. Reviews disagree on electronic zoom feel and distortion. Sony specifies four zoom-drive plus two focus motors, correcting review descriptions that conflate them |
More comparisons
- Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G vs Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
- Sony FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM II vs Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
- Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G vs Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS
- Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM vs Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
- Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS
- Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS
- Sony Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS

