Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Review

If you love the dramatic perspective that an ultra-wide angle lens can produce, the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS ($1,349.99) is a lens that should be on your radar. When paired with a full-frame camera, like those in Sony's Alpha 7 series, it captures a wide swath of scenery. You can shoot it at f/4 and get sharp results from edge to edge, and while there's some distortion evident, modern software processing tools eliminate that with ease. Not every photographer strives for the wide-angle coverage the 16mm focal length captures, but those who do, and who are invested in Sony's full-frame mirrorless system, should put the 16-35mm near the top of the wishlist. It's one of the best lenses of its type that we've used, and worthy of being called Editors' Choice. The 16-35mm ($1,348.00 at Amazon)  measures 3.9 by 3.1 inches (HD), weighs 1.1 pounds, and supports 72mm front filters. That's fairly compact given its angle of view and maximum aperture; Nikon's AF-S Nikkor 16-35m...

The Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS shows some distortion, which is typical for a lens of its type, but it's one of the best full-frame ultra-wide angle zooms that we've tested.

Sharp throughout range; Optically stabilized design; Compact; Ultra-wide field of view; Dust and moisture resistant design

Distortion throughout zoom range; Pricey

Sony SEL1635Z FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Lens - BRAND NEW review

The Sony Zeiss 16-35mm Vario-Tessar f/4 is the ultimate travel lens for photographers looking to shoot landscapes and other compositions that are best suited for a wide angle perspectives. The build quality and performance are top notch, and the image quality is on the same level.

Sony SEL1635Z FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Lens - BRAND NEW review

In the first six months following the release of the Sony A7 and A7r, many users were complaining about the lack of native lenses for the system. One year and three months later, I must praise Sony for the effort it has put into releasing more lenses for the system.

Sony SEL1635Z FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Lens - BRAND NEW review

I've had this lens a while now and bought it primarily for wide angle underwater shots. In this regard, it's excellent. It's also sharp enough (paired with my A7riii) to be able to crop in when I've photographed a subject that would've been more suited to longer focal length.