Sony unveils FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM wide-angle lens. New addition to the company’s full-frame lineup provides constant F2.8 aperture.
With the release of the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens the G Master series meets a fast wide-angle zoom. The lens features an 11-blade aperture design. Rounded aperture blades are designed to give near-perfectly circular rendering of out-of-focus detail between F2.8 and F5.6.
The new FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens will start shipping this August. It will be selling for about $2,200 US and $3,000 CA.
New FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
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 lineup 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, maximizing 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 delivers the ultimate resolution throughout the entire zoom and aperture range. The front XA element on the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM is the largest XA element ever produced, ensuring optimum quality. Additionally, two ED (Extra-low-Dispersion) glass elements keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximizing resolution, and Sony’s original Nano AR coating 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 blade aperture design produces images with sharply focused subjects and beautifully defocused backgrounds or “bokeh”. It also has two DDSSMs (Direct Drive SSM) 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 FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM is also dust and moisture resistant1, 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 customizable focus hold button and a hood release button.
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Key Features
- E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
- Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
- Two Extra-Low Dispersion Elements
- Three Aspherical and Two XA Elements
- Nano AR and Fluorine Coatings
- Two Direct Drive SSM AF Groups
- Focus Hold Button, AF/MF Switch
- Dust and Moisture-Resistant Construction
- Eleven-Blade Circular Diaphragm
