Sony has announced two wide angle zoom lenses for its full-frame E-mount Alpha 7 and Alpha 9 cameras: the Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G (model SEL1224G) and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM (model SEL1635GM). Both lenses can of course also be used on APS-C E-mount models such as the Alpha 6000 series, giving 18-36mm and 24-50mm equivalent angles of view respectively.
The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM completes a trilogy of top-end ‘G Master’ f/2.8 zooms, alongside the existing FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM and FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM lenses. It includes no fewer than 5 aspherical elements, including two with Sony’s high-precision extreme aspherical (XA) designation: indeed the firm says that the front element is the largest of this type that is has produced to date. In addition, two Extra-low Dispersion glass elements are used to minimise chromatic aberration. Other features include twin Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motors (DDSSM) for fast and silent autofocus, and a weather-resistant design that includes an easy-clean fluorine coating on the front element, which should be a boon for landscape photographers.
Alongside this comes the ultra-wide angle FE 12-24mm F4 G lens, which covers a significantly larger view but at the cost of a slower maximum aperture. The optics include four aspherical elements, three ED glass elements and one Super ED glass element, which together are claimed to maximise corner sharpness while minimising chromatic aberration. Like its sibling the 12-24mm f/4 includes a weather-resistant barrel construction and fluorine coating on the front element, but it uses a single DDSSM for autofocus.
Both lenses include customisable focus hold buttons on the sides of their barrels, along with physical switches for selecting between autofocus and manual focus. The premium G Master 16-35mm f/2.8 is the pricier of the two, and will start shipping from August 2017 for approximately £2,300. The 12-24mm f/4 is due to appear in the shops about a month earlier, and is expected to be priced at approximately £1,700.
Press release:
Sony Introduces Two New Wide-Angle Full-Frame E-Mount Lenses
Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
New 16-35mm F2.8 GM completes the E-mount F2.8 G Master “trinity”; 12-24mm F4 G covers widest angle among all full-frame E-mount lenses
Sony today announced two new additions to its growing line-up of full-frame E-mount lenses.
The new lenses include the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM large aperture wide-angle zoom lens (model SEL1635GM) and the FE 12-24mm F4 G ultra-wide angle zoom lens (model SEL1224G). The SEL1635GM lens brings the incredible high-resolution and beautiful bokeh of Sony’s flagship G Master series to a wide 16-35mm focal length for exceptional landscapes, cityscapes, portraits and more, while the new SEL1224G, Sony’s widest E-mount full-frame lens to date, offers a dynamic new perspective for all Sony E-mount shooters. In total, Sony’s full-frame E-mount lens line-up now covers from the ultra-wide 12mm to super-telephoto 800mm (with teleconverter) focal length range.
New Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
The new FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM wide-angle zoom joins the acclaimed FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM and FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS to round out Sony’s line-up of F2.8 large aperture zoom lenses.Equipped with a variety of Sony’s most advanced lens technologies, it is the first wide-angle G Master model, making it ideal for an extensive variety of shooting situations – landscapes, architecture, close up portraits, sports, action and much more.It is also exceptionally lightweight and compact, maximising portability and usability.
The new lens features exceptional corner-to-corner sharpness, with an optical design that includes five aspherical elements, two of which are Sony’s original XA (extreme aspherical) elements that reduce aberration and deliver ultimate resolution throughout the entire zoom range and aperture range.
The front XA element on the SEL1635GM is the largest XA element ever produced, ensuring optimum quality. There are also two ED (Extra low-Dispersion) glass elements that keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximising resolution, and Sony’s original Nano AR coating that suppresses internal reflections to ensure excellent image contrast and clarity.
The lens features a near circular aperture shape at all settings, and the combination of the aforementioned XA element with its 11 bladed aperture design produces images with sharply focused subjects and beautifully defocused backgrounds or “bokeh”.It also has two DDSSMs (Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motors) that compose a floating focusing system and ensure that AF acquisition is speedy and quiet, making it an ideal choice for shooting still images as well as movies.
The SEL1635GM is dust and moisture resistant[i], has a fluorine coating on the front lens that helps to both prevent dust or grease marks and remove them easily if they do become a trouble. There is also a customisable focus hold button and a hood release button.
New Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G Ultra-Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G
A uniquely designed ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, the new FE 12-24mm F4 G lens produces outstanding image quality in a compact, lightweight design, weighing approximately 566g.Sony’s widest full-frame E-mount lens, it offers a dynamic perspective for landscape, architecture and interior photography, and is well-suited for both stills and video shooting.
The lens features an innovative optical design with four aspherical elements that ensure excellent corner to corner sharpness and resolution.Additionally, the lens has three ED glass elements and one Super ED glass element that minimises chromatic aberration throughout the entire image and benefits from Sony’s original Nano AR coating.
The new SEL1224G lens includes a DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor) for fast, quiet and precise AF performance, plus a customisable focus hold button and focus mode switch.It is also dust and moisture resistant.
Pricing and Availability
The SEL1635GM will start shipping in Europe from August 2017 priced at approximately £2,300. The SEL1224G will start shipping in Europe from July 2017 priced at approximately £1,700.
