Sony Introduces New 16-35/2.8 and 12-24/4 Lenses

Hands-on with Sony's new 16-35mm and 12-24mm wide-angle lenses

 

For a company accused of lack of lenses worthy of their high-end A7 cameras, Sony seems to be on a roll. The 16-35/2.8 GM completes the traditional triad of professional, f/2.8 zoom (along with the 24-70/2.8 GM and 70-200/2.8 GM). This comes at a steep price, US$2200. These lenses will work on the new A9 "Sports" camera, which should be appreciated for news, landscape and travel photography. GM lenses are not just faster then the second tier Sony/Zeiss lenses, they are optically superior, sharp wide open with low distortion.

 

I have the 24-70/2.8, which has proven to be my go-to choice for general photography, semi-closeups and landscapes. I have the f/4 versions of the 16-35 and 70-200, which are excellent in their own right, but about par for use with a 42 MP camera. All are a bit heavy and bulky for casual street photography, for which a good 35mm or 25mm prime is better suited.

 

The 12-24/4 G lens adds extreme wide angle capability to the Sony line. It's probably not to the caliber of the GM lenses, but worth consideration if wide is your passion.

12-24/4 G

Will have to keep an eye on that one. I have the Voigtlander Heliar III 15/4.5 and was thinking about adding the 10 or 12mm version; the 12-24, even though not exactly cheap would replace both (and add some more flexibility) for pretty much the cost of two of the Voigtlanders. A lot lighter than the Sigma 12-24/4 I had been looking at for use on my Nikons.

Nice to see Sony filling in their lens catalog. I don't see these in my kit since I already have the FE 16-35 f/4 and love the results with it as well as the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 if I need more speed at that focal length. I rarely even use the 16mm end of the zoom so the FE 12-24mm would be wasted on me. What would ring my chimes is an affordable FE 135mm f/2.8.

What's affordable? Zeiss now has a Batis 135/2.8 APO. For now my only 135 is a Leica Tele-Elmar 135/4, which is a very competent, if slow, performer for 1/4th the cost of the Batis. I would not be surprised if Zeiss came out with a manual Loxia 135, either f/2.8 or f/4. Sony may have one in the pipeline too, possibly cheaper than the Batis but large, heavy, with exceptional performance.

 

That said, I can't see any difference in image quality between the Sony 24-70/2.8 GM and any of the prime Zeiss lenses I have in this range (25/2, 35/2, 50/2, 85/1.8). The GM lenses are expensive, but 1/3 the cost and total weight of primes covering the same range.

The 12-24mm looks to be a great weight (not quite 600 g) - I wonder if this is true? If the Canon 11-24mm had been that weight I might have got it, but its 1100g is too heavy for me for that focal length range.

The weight comes from metal construction and the extra elements to secure high resolution (50+ MP) when wide open. The Canon lens is for 20 MP cameras, seldom used at maximum aperture. The 24-70 is heavy, but I cradle the lens in my left hand, leaving the right hand free to execute a controlled release. The lens mount and chassis are all metal, so there's no problem carrying the camera by the grip.

The Canon lens is for 20 MP cameras, seldom used at maximum aperture.

 

50 MP cameras not 20MP. Where do you get your info about not being used at full aperture. What are you talking about?

 

Looking at the size of the 12-24mm I think the (light) weight quoted is suspect.

Looking at the size of the 12-24mm I think the (light) weight quoted is suspect.

From the video I just saw from a guy actually having access to the lens, the weight indeed seems to be small. Probably an all-plastic construction. I am also afraid that its distortion characteristics will be relatively poor, relying on lens correction algorithms to keep in check. MTF curve doesn't look too good for the corners but the Sigma 12-24/4 doesn't look all that much different.

so there's no problem carrying the camera by the grip.

That's what this guy probably thought too: qGvlX9BtiTQ

 

Q: if we aren't allowed to post any image/video that we haven't taken ourselves, why is then a link to a youtube video automatically converted to display in a thread?

Edited May 18, 2017 by Dieter Schaefer

That's what this guy probably thought too: qGvlX9BtiTQ

 

The flange is bent where the oversized hole is present. The probable cause is the other three flange mounts were broken, and the screw was pulled through the last hole due to leverage by the lens as it was forced sideways. There are no scars on the camera or lens, other than the broken lens bayonet.

 

The root cause was probably damage due to dropping or impacting the case in which the camera was carried. Sony responded to his claim, saying it was due to [impacet] damage. I concur with this analysis. That's why we have comprehensive insurance against loss or damage.

 

You can post links to merchandise, as long as you aren't the seller. You can't cut and paste long quotes or images, but you can post links and/or paraphrase or summarize the contents of the link.Posting a link should give proper attribution to the copyright holder.

"What's affordable? Zeiss now has a Batis 135/2.8 APO."

 

Affordable FOR ME (sorry, I forgot my internet protocol when discussing money) is <$1000 for a relatively standard length, par speed prime akin to the FE 50mm and FE 28mm lenses. I'm still using my old, but wonderfully compact, Canon FD 135mm f/2.8 MF prime and would like to get a native AF version. No APO, OIS or Zeiss label needed.

 

Sorry for the OT response.