Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens

The Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens is a compact, weather-sealed wide-angle zoom designed for full-frame E-mount users. Featuring a constant f/4 aperture, it delivers consistent performance across the zoom range. This versatile lens excels in capturing landscapes, cityscapes, street scenes, and other expansive subjects, offering both flexibility and reliability in challenging shooting conditions.

ZEISS Optical Design

Drawing on the ZEISS Tessar optical design, this lens incorporates 12 elements in 10 groups to maintain a compact form while minimizing flare, distortion, and chromatic aberrations. Its constant f/4 maximum aperture ensures uniform performance across the zoom range and enhances control over focus for shallow depth of field effects. The rounded seven-blade diaphragm produces smooth, attractive bokeh when using selective focus methods.

Each lens surface is treated with ZEISS T* anti-reflective coatings to minimize reflections, enhancing image clarity, contrast, and color accuracy. The optical construction includes three extra-low dispersion glass elements to effectively reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing, resulting in sharper images with natural color reproduction. Additionally, five aspherical elements—among them a large-diameter Advanced Aspherical (AA) element—work to correct astigmatism, field curvature, coma, and other monochromatic aberrations for superior image quality.

Image Stabilization, AF, and Handling

The Optical SteadyShot stabilization system reduces the effects of camera shake, delivering sharper images during handheld shooting at slower shutter speeds. It can be paired with compatible cameras’ sensor-shift stabilization for enhanced blur reduction. Featuring a linear autofocus motor and internal focusing mechanism, the lens offers fast, precise, and quiet autofocus, ideal for video recording. Its dust- and moisture-resistant construction allows reliable performance in challenging environments, while rubberized control rings improve handling in cold conditions.