Sony Vario Sonnar T 16 35mm F2 8 ZA SSM Review | 54 Data compared

The LensTip review of the Sony Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 16-35 mm f/2.8 T* SSM describes it as an elegant, professional wide-angle zoom lens built in collaboration with Sony for full-frame reflex cameras. According to LensTip's testing, the lens boasts outstanding pros, including a very solid, premium metal barrel design and brilliant image resolution at the centre of the frame. It also performs exceptionally well against bright light by minimizing severe flares and ghosting. Additionally, its ultrasonic Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) provides quick, silent, and highly accurate autofocus performance. However, LensTip emphasizes that this high-end lens is not without its noticeable cons, particularly when paired with a demanding full-frame sensor. The review highlights weaker picture quality at the edges of the frame when shooting at the maximum f/2.8 aperture. It also reveals optical flaws at the ultra-wide 16 mm end, such as high lateral chromatic aberration (colour fringing) and severe coma distortion in the extreme corners of a full-frame image. Lastly, full-frame users will have to deal with massive vignetting (dark corners) when shooting wide open.

The March 2010 Opticallimits review highlights the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM* (Sony SAL-1635Z) as a highly anticipated, professional-grade ultra-wide zoom native to the full-format Sony Alpha system. Structurally, the lens offers exceptional build quality, featuring a combination of a metal hood, front, and back sections with a smooth, high-quality plastic center. It provides a highly functional design where the outer physical length remains constant during zooming, alongside a very smooth manual focus and zoom ring operation. Performance-wise, the inclusion of a Super-Sonic Motor (SSM) ensures extremely fast and accurate autofocusing, which is further paired with Direct Manual Focus (DMF) capabilities for quick adjustments. However, the lens has notable trade-offs in terms of portability and uniform image clarity. On the downside, it is a heavy and bulky piece of equipment weighing a substantial 900 grams, and some users may dislike the presence of plastic on a premium, expensive lens. Optically, while it ranks among the absolute best wide-angle lenses at 16mm with exceptionally high center resolution and sharp borders when stopped down to f/5.6, its resolution becomes a...

The PCMag review of the Sony Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM for A-mount cameras finds that despite a robust, pro-grade build and bright f/2.8 aperture, the lens suffers from poor optical performance that does not justify its premium cost. While the lens provides sharp, high-contrast imagery in the center, Imatest results show that resolution drops significantly at the edges, failing to meet professional sharpness standards. Key pros include solid construction, excellent center sharpness, and a constant f/2.8 aperture, while significant cons involve heavy vignetting, weak edge-to-edge performance, and the need to stop down heavily to achieve uniform sharpness. Due to these inconsistencies and high light fall-off, PCMag recommends alternative options for full-frame Sony shooters.

In terms of optical performance, testing on an APS-C body revealed outstanding image quality. The lens exhibits virtually no chromatic aberration at any focal length or aperture setting, alongside strong MTF sharpness figures from f/2.8 down to f/16. However, the lens does have a few notable cons. It is fairly big and heavy, which makes it less than ideal for long hikes. Additionally, testers noted a slight optical weakness in the middle of its focal-length range. Finally, its steep price tag of over £1,400 places this professional-spec zoom out of reach for budget-conscious buyers.

in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside You sent: 1 tab and said: 2 paragraphs summary of this review in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM ( Sony SAL-1635Z ) - Full Format Review / Test Report 2 paragraphs summary of this review in english language, be very specific, mention pros and cons inside

The PCMag Australia review of the Sony Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM lens concludes that its optical performance fails to justify its premium $2,249.99 price tag, especially when paired with modern high-resolution cameras like the 42MP Alpha 99 II. A major flaw highlighted in the review is the lens's lackluster sharpness when shot wide open at f/2.8, requiring photographers to stop down significantly to f/11 or f/16 to achieve edge-to-edge clarity at the 16mm setting. Lab tests using Imatest confirmed severe resolution drops outside the center of the frame at both 16mm and 35mm wide-open settings, alongside 2.8% barrel distortion at the wide end and a two-stop vignette in the corners. On the positive side, the lens earns praise for its pro-grade, robust physical design, featuring a sturdy metal barrel, an internal zoom mechanism that maintains its physical length, and built-in dust and moisture resistance. It also features helpful physical controls like an AF/MF toggle switch, a Focus Hold button, a flat front element accommodating standard 77mm filters, and a close 11-inch minimum focus distance. Optical distortion and...

The Sony Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM is a premium, ultra-wide-angle zoom lens designed for Sony’s A-mount system, but its high price tag does not match its overall optical performance. On the positive side, the lens features a bright, constant f/2.8 aperture, an expansive focal range perfect for wide-angle photography fans, and an excellent, pro-grade build quality that is both dust and moisture resistant. It also utilizes an internal zoom mechanism so the barrel does not extend, maintains an 11-inch minimum focusing distance, and includes a standard 77mm filter thread for easy attachment use. However, the lens suffers from notable drawbacks, particularly regarding image quality when paired with high-resolution cameras like the 42MP Alpha 99 II. Its sharpness is lackluster at f/2.8, requiring photographers to stop down significantly to f/8 or narrower to achieve crisp, edge-to-edge clarity at 16mm and 35mm. Additional cons include noticeable wide-angle barrel distortion at 16mm, dim corners (vignetting) at wide apertures, and a hefty 1.9-pound weight that makes it a squat, heavy piece of gear. Because of these performance limitations, the reviewer gives...