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

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS compared with FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
SonyVario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSSSonyFE PZ 16-35mm F4 G
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2014April 2022
Optics
Lens typeZoomZoom
Focal length16–35 mm16–35 mm
Maximum aperturef/4f/4
Minimum aperturef/22f/22
Optical constructionTwelve elements in ten groups13 elements in 12 groups
Special elementsFive aspherical elements in total including one AA advanced aspherical element; three ED elementsTwo AA advanced-aspherical elements, one aspherical element, one Super ED, one ED and one ED aspherical element
CoatingsZeiss T* coatingFluorine coating on the front element; optimised antireflection coatings without a maker Nano AR designation
DiaphragmSeven rounded bladesSeven rounded blades
Angle of view107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C107°–63° full frame; 83°–44° APS-C
Mount and compatibility
MountsSony ESony E
Image circleFull frameFull frame
Image circle detailFull-frame coverage; 24–52.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-CFull-frame coverage; 24–52.5 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter support–Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC
Focus and stabilisation
AutofocusYesYes
Minimum focus distance0.28 m0.24 m
Maximum magnification0.19×0.23×
Optical stabilisationYesNo
Autofocus detailLinear-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 detail0.28 m minimum focus distanceMinimum focus 0.28 m at 16 mm or 0.24 m at 35 mm; Linear Response MF
Magnification detail0.19× maximum magnificationMaximum magnification 0.23×
Stabilisation detailBuilt-in Optical SteadyShot; maker does not publish a stop ratingNo lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation
Video featuresConstant F4 maximum aperture; linear-motor focusingReduced 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 resistantYesYes
Filter diameter72 mm72 mm
Maximum diameter78 mm80.5 mm
Length98.5 mm88.1 mm
Weight518 g353 g (better)
ControlsManual-focus and zoom rings; stabilisation and focus mode controlled through cameraElectronic 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 detail72 mm front filter thread72 mm front filter thread does not rotate during focusing
Weather resistanceDust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingressDust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof
Dimensions detail78 mm maximum diameter × 98.5 mm maker length–
Weight detailApproximately 518 g lens; separate hood and caps excludedApproximately 353 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded
Lens hoodALC-SH134 petal bayonet hood, suppliedALC-SH172 petal bayonet hood
In the boxALC-SH134 hood, front and rear caps and soft caseALC-SH172 hood, ALC-F72S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case
Release detailSony 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 linkSony 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

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