Image: Sony
Sony has announced the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G, a fast, compact wide-angle zoom designed as a twin to the recent FE 24-50mm F2.8 lens.
The 16-25mm is roughly the same dimensions as the 24-50mm and offers essentially the same features. This makes it a little longer but narrower than the existing 16-35mm F4.
The design is made up of 16 elements in 13 groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements to rein in chromatic aberration and four aspherical elements (one of which is an ED aspheric), helping to keep the lens compact. The optical performance is better than the original 16-35mm GM, and not far behind the newer GM II, the company says.
It uses twin linear motors to drive its internal focus design and doesn’t require the additional power of Sony’s XD linear motors, the company tells us. It is fully compatible with the a9 III’s 120fps modes.
Image: Sony
The 16-25mm can focus as close as 0.17m (6.7″) at the 16mm or 0.22m (8.7″) at the 25mm end in manual focus mode. These figures increase to 0.18 and 0.24m in autofocus mode, decreasing the 0.23x maximum magnification to 0.2x.
Like the 24-50mm, it has an aperture ring with a switch to enable or disable the clicks between positions. Other than this, there’s an MF/AF switch and a customizable focus hold button on the side.
Focus breathing is fairly minimal, according to the demonstration we were shown, and this can essentially be eliminated when used with a camera that supports Sony’s focus breathing compensation function. The lens is also compatible with the company’s ‘Dynamic’ IS feature that relies on extensive communication of gyro data between the lens and camera.
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available from May 10th at a manufacturer’s recommended price of around $1199.
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Press Release:
Sony Electronics Announces a Compact Wide-Angle FE 16-25mm F2.8 G Zoom Lens
A constant F2.8 full-frame E-mount lens that offers high-resolution image quality, a wide-angle zoom range and excellent portability
SAN DIEGO. April 16, 2024 – Sony Electronics is pleased to announce the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G (SEL1625G), a large-aperture wide-angle zoom lens compatible with Sony’s α™ (Alpha™) E-mount cameras. This latest addition delivers sharp imagery from 16 mm through 25 mm while maintaining a maximum aperture of F2.8 over the entire zoom range. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is the smallest and lightest constant F2.8 zoom lens that Sony has produced to date. The compact design is a signature feature of Sony’s G lens series and makes it a highly portable lens option.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G’s wide-angle lens offers photographers and videographers an expanded range of creative expression, allowing them to capture a variety of subjects including landscapes, architecture, portraits, and selfie-shooting. This new addition follows the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G standard zoom lens announced February 2024, both offering many of the same characteristics including filter diameter, aperture, and compact size and weight.
“The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G was designed to offer creators a wide-angle lens option that perfectly balances large-aperture, compact form factor, and high-image quality. This is the 73rd addition to our E-mount lens line-up, and just another step in our commitment to providing photographers and videographers with the perfect lens solutions for their specific needs,” says Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a fantastic lens with high-resolution performance, beautiful bokeh, and high precision autofocus. It is a perfect companion to the Alpha 7C R and Alpha 7C II compact full-frame camera bodies, and together they offer an unbeatable lightweight set-up.”
Key Features of FE 16-25mm F2.8 G
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G features an impressively compact and lightweight design with a width of 74.8mm (about 2.94 in), length of 91.4mm (about 3.58 in), filter diameter of φ67 mm, and weight of approximately 409g.
This lens incorporates advanced optical technology to deliver exceptional image quality across the entire frame. By incorporating three Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) elements and four aspherical lenses (including one ED aspherical lens), the lens design effectively minimizes various optical aberrations, including chromatic aberration.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G combines an 11-blade circular aperture and the optimization of spherical aberration to produce the signature smooth bokeh known to the G lens series. Moreover, it offers functional close-up shooting capabilities with a minimum shooting distance of 0.18m and a maximum magnification of 0.20x when using autofocus (AF)i.
The lens is equipped with two linear motors that enable exceptional autofocus performance, delivering high-speed, high-precision, and quiet focusing capabilities, even when capturing fast-moving subjects. These linear motors ensure swift and accurate focusing, allowing photographers and videographers to maintain sharpness and clarity in their images and videos, even in challenging shooting situations. Furthermore, it supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to 120 frames per second, a feature capable of being used when paired with the Alpha 9 III full-frame mirrorless cameraii.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G excels in video performance, ensuring smooth and precise focusing even when shooting high-frame-rate videos such as 4K120p or FHD240piii. The lens is equipped with linear response manual focus (MF), allowing videographers to make precise focus adjustments with ease. Additionally, it supports in-body Active Mode Image Stabilizationiv and Focus Breathing to optimize video capture.
The lens is equipped with practical and user-friendly functionality including a customizable focus hold button, aperture ring, aperture click ON/OFF switch, and a focus mode switch. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G’s design is dust and moisture resistantv, and includes a fluorine coating to further prevent dirt from sticking to the front surface of the lens.
Pricing and Availability
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available for pre-sale April 17, 2024, and purchase May 10, 2024. It will retail for approximately $1,199.99 USD and $1,599.99 CAN, at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.
i Maximum magnification is 0.2x (AF)/0.23x (MF) with a minimum focus distance of 0.18 m (0.59ft) (AF) / 0.17 m (0.56ft) (MF) at the 16 mm end of the range and 0.24 m (AF) (0.79ft) / 0.22 m (0.73ft) (MF) at the 25 mm end of the range for superb wide-angle close-up performance.ii Sony test conditions. Maximum continuous frame rate may be lower in some shooting conditions. Continuous shooting speed may vary depending on the lens used in AF-C focus modes. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information. iii Depends on the camera used.iv Compatible models only. v Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.
Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G specifications
Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length16–25 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountSony E, Sony FEApertureMaximum apertureF2.8Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades11Aperture notesRounded bladesOpticsElements16Groups13Special elements / coatings3 ED lenses, 1 ED Asph, 3 AsphFocusMinimum focus0.17 m (6.69″)Maximum magnification0.23×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFull time manualUnknownFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight409 g (0.90 lb)Diameter75 mm (2.95″)Length91 mm (3.58″)Zoom methodRotary (extending)Power zoomNoZoom lockNoFilter thread67 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo
