The new FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G from Sony – the world’s lightest1 compact G wide-angle lens with power zoom and constant F4 aperture
The new addition to the E-mount lens range offers optimized image quality and usability when creating full-frame content.
Berlin, March 22, 2022. Sony today introduced the wide-angle power zoom lens FE PZ 16-35 mm F4 G (model SELP1635G), which meets the requirements of the world’s best content creators with excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and excellent usability. With the introduction of this model, Sony’s E-mount range now includes 66 lenses.
The FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G is the world’s lightest1 full-frame wide-angle power zoom lens with a constant F4 aperture. Based on Sony’s extensive know-how in lens development, this compact model offers first-class performance and creative control. It scores with excellent image quality, expressiveness and versatile control functions that will delight today’s demanding creatives. With the superb imaging that G lenses are known for, amazing AF performance and easy-to-use power zoom, it’s an excellent choice for stills too, and its remarkably small form factor makes it a perfect match for compact system cameras. Since the overall lens length remains the same when focusing and zooming, the FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G is suitable for a wide range of applications, from vlogging and film production to remote control shooting and landscape photography.
“There is a growing need for ‘hybrid’ products that can be used for both photos and video, while at the same time the demand for high-quality content continues to grow, especially on the web,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director of Product Marketing, Digital Imaging, Sony Europe. “The FE PZ 16-35 millimeter F4 G is perfectly tailored to the needs of demanding users and, as the world’s lightest wide-angle power zoom lens with a constant F4 aperture, removes all obstacles that can inhibit creativity.”
Advanced picture quality
The FE PZ 16-35 millimeter F4 G impresses with the extraordinary combination of breathtaking resolution and beautiful bokeh in a compact lens. The optical construction consists of two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements, a standard aspherical element, a Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and an ED glass element as well as an ED aspherical element. Chromatic and spherical aberrations are corrected simultaneously, ensuring excellent optical performance throughout the image and the 16-35mm zoom range. The use of AA elements in an advanced optical design also ensures excellent close-up performance throughout the zoom range – the minimum focusing distance is 0.28m at 16mm and 0.24m at 35mm, with a maximum magnification of 0.23x . In addition, the optimized coating effectively suppresses unwanted light reflections and ghosting, enabling clear and sharp images.
The circular aperture and carefully controlled spherical aberration work together to create smooth, rich full-frame bokeh for maximum atmosphere and visual impact.
Powerful AF
The FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G is the first Alpha lens to use six Sony XD (Extreme Dynamic) linear motors for both focus and zoom drives. With its responsive, smooth and quiet operation, this system gives users new creative freedom. Combined with Sony’s flagship Alpha 1 camera, the lens always ensures precise focusing and supports continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second2.
Focusing is particularly critical for slow motion, 4K or 8K recordings. In combination with cameras from the Alpha series3, the FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G ensures reliable focusing and allows you to track even fast subject movements smoothly and silently. Thanks to the powerful XD linear motors, optimized optics and responsive controls, this model offers exceptionally precise AF performance despite its compact dimensions.
Image quality, power zoom and control – optimized for demanding film applications
Sony has taken feedback from leading creatives to tailor the FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G specifically for the design and control that this audience needs. Equipped with state-of-the-art lens technologies, this model minimizes focus breathing, focus shift and axis shift when zooming to ensure the highest quality images. In addition, the focus, zoom and iris work extremely quietly, which largely reduces noise and vibrations that could disturb film recordings.
Thanks to its newly developed electronic power zoom system powered by XD linear motors, the FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G offers optimized control with the responsiveness and sensitive control of a non-motorised, manual zoom. A zoom lever with variable zoom speed makes it possible to achieve extremely slow, constant speeds with ease. Power zoom minimizes camera shake that can occur when operating a zoom ring. When used with compatible cameras, users can adjust the direction of rotation of the zoom ring to suit the shooting conditions.
Another valuable extra is the ability to use buttons and controls on compatible cameras or accessories to remotely control the zoom.
In addition, the linearly responsive manual focus adjustment ensures that the focus ring can be operated delicately during manual focusing and the focus can be set accurately and without lag. Finally, the iris ring enables fast, direct and user-friendly manual iris control.
Outstanding mobility, control and reliability
Cutting-edge design and technology combine to create a compact, lightweight lens that also features a power zoom with unique focus, zoom and aperture rings. This makes the lens perfectly mobile and ideal to handle. As the world’s lightest F4 wide-angle lens with power zoom, it weighs only 353 grams – around 30 percent less than the SEL1635Z – and has a filter diameter of 72 mm.
The overall length of the lens remains constant when focusing and zooming, providing optimal balance and handling. Thanks to the constant balance, this lens is also ideal for filming with gimbal attacks. The focus ring is easy to operate with one finger when shooting movies. The staggered focus and zoom rings are graduated so that they can be easily distinguished and operated by touch while the user is looking at the monitor.
Other impressive features of the FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G include an aperture lock which, when activated, prevents the aperture ring from being accidentally moved between settings [A] and F4 – F22, and a customizable focus hold button for convenient control.
The lens is dust and moisture resistant4. A fluorine coating on the front element protects against dirt, even when shooting outdoors, and makes cleaning easier.
Recommended retail price and availability
FE PZ 16-35 mm F4 G (SELP1635G) from Sony: 1,499 euros
Availability: from May 2022