I never thought I would genuinely love a “power zoom” lens this much, and yet here we are! In this Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens review, I’ll explain why I am impressed by the performance of such a tiny little lens, and why I think its value is excellent for both videographers AND photographers alike!
A “PZ” lens is a Power Zoom lens. Its zoom s controlled electronically, not mechanically, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Specifically, if you’re a videographer, you can zoom in or out very, very smoothly while you’re actively recording. This is essential for creating that smooth, cinematic look in your videos.
So, having PZ might not be very important for everyone, that’s for sure. However, is it a problem for anyone who doesn’t need it? In the past it used to be, because the precision of the electronic zooming was not as crisp and responsive as a mechanical zoom ring. Today, that’s is no longer the case; a current-generation PZ lens is very snappy, and in some cases such as with this lens, you can even customize how responsive the zoom ring is! But, we’ll get into that in greater detail as we dive into this review.
Suffice it to say, this lens is sharp, compact & lightweight, and effectively delivers “GM” performance on a “G” budget!
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G | Specification
- FOCAL LENGHT & ANGLE OF VIEW: 16-35mm, 107° to 63° (full-frame)
- LENS MOUNT(S): Sony E-mount (FE full-frame)
- APERTURE & RANGE: f/4-f/22, 7 rounded blades
- STABILIZATION: No
- AUTOFOCUS: XD linear motor
- ZOOM: Four XD linear motors
- MANUAL FOCUS: Electronically controlled, linear or adjustable increments
- OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION: 13 elements in 12 groups, 2 advanced aspherical, 1 aspherical, Super ED & ED elements
- MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION: Metal, plastic, fully weather sealed
- MAGNIFICATION & FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.23X magnification, 9.4” (24cm)
- FILTER THREADS & HOOD: 72mm, plastic 1-piece hood
- SIZE: 3.2 x 3.5″ (80.5 x 88.1 mm)
- WEIGHT: 12.5 oz (353 g)
- PRICE: $1098-1198 (B&H)
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Review | Who Should Buy It?
First and foremost, as a PZ lens you might assume that it’s only for videographers. That was my first assumption, when the lens was announced in 2022. As I hinted already, though, I could not have been more wrong!
Simply put, the Sony 16-35mm f/4 PZ is perfect for any photographer or videographer that finds themselves in the market for an ultra-wide zoom lens that is compact and lightweight. Despite its tiny size, the optical engineers did not seem to compromise much at all on image quality; the lens is tack-sharp throughout the zoom range, even at f/4!
Also, despite the hesitance anyone might have regarding an electronically controlled zoom, I found it to be almost a non-issue for all types of photography. The quirks of a zoom that “resets” when you turn the camera off are easy enough to get used to, or, if I recall correctly, you can set some (or all?) Sony cameras to remember the zoom position when turning the camera back on.
Landscape & Nature Photography & Video
If you’re a traditional, “regular” landscape photographer, your first question will be about this lens’ sharpness. (It’s very sharp, corner-to-corner!) Alternatively, if you do both stills and video, this lens is immediately at the top of our recommendation list, indeed!
We’ll talk more about the exact details of image quality later, but, suffice it to say, I’m thrilled with the Sony PZ 16-35mm f/4’s image quality, portability, and durability. That is one thing that is often missing from more affordable options: the reliability of weather sealing and other build quality factors; if you’re an adventurous photographer like me who might find themselves stuck in a blizzard once in a while, well, you want a lens this good.
VWedding & Portrait Photography & Video
Again, if you’re making wedding videos/films and not just shooting stills, you’ll love this lens. Its compactness allows you to keep room in your bag for more important portrait lenses such as primes or your favorite f/2.8 zoom. Furthermore, the PZ feature is just lovely for adding a high-end touch to your B-roll footage as well as action sequences.
Architecture & Real Estate Photography & Video
This lens is an immediate win if you do any sort of video content creation in your real estate or architectural photography work, of course. You might miss the ability to get to 14mm or 16mm, But the power zoom capability is likely to make up for it.
Then again, considering how portable and affordable this lens is, a professional real estate photographer might simply add it to their arsenal, and pair it with a highly specialized ultra-wide lens such as the Venus Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6, or one of the two Sony 12-24mm options.
Action Sports & Wildlife Photography & Video
Not to sound like a broken record, but the same applies for this subject genre. Of course, compared to landscapes and real estate, you’re less likely to prioritize an ultra-wide lens for action sports or wildlife! So, all the more reason to get something lightweight, compact, and affordable! And again, if you’re doing any video, this lens is an immediate win.
However, if your primary realm of photography is indeed high-speed action and you’re often scrambling to catch the perfect moment, such as extreme sports or news journalism, I should note that unfortunately it is rather easy to fumble the zoom and focus rings on this lens, and if you’re the type of person who likes a big, obvious zoom/focus ring that you can easily tell apart, this is definitely not the right lens for you!
Nightscape Photography & Time-Lapse Videos
Despite its f/4 aperture, I’d still recommend this lens for adventurous, traveling landscape photographers who might also want to capture a day-to-night time-lapse for their next Youtube film, or even a serious nightscape photo. Of course, an f/4 zoom that stops at 16mm is no substitute for a 14-24mm f/2.8 sich as the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, let alone a beast such as the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM. However, for it’s portability, it can’t be beat.
The only strong contender is the new Sony 16-28mm f/2.8 G, which we are currently reviewing. Obviously, if you do far more astro-landscape work than regular landscape photography, definitely consider that f/2.8 alternative first!
Content Creation & Influencers VS Cinematic Movie-Makers
I wanted to introduce this last category as something new that we especially must talk about for this PZ lens. I’ll keep it short, however, since I’ve already covered most of the actual subjects you might be using this lens for.
Simply put, the compactness and portability make the lens perfect for solo content creators, influencers, and anyone who is just starting out making their very first videos on a full-frame mirrorless Sony camera.
However, despite its compact size and relatively affordable price, the sheer performance, from the image quality to the autofocus reliability, does make it a usable lens for high-end cinematic filmmaking, too!
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Review | Pros & Cons
This is a “G” series Sony lens, which means it is almost “GM” level in every way, except maybe one little compromise. In this case, I honestly cannot really find any reason to omit the “M”; this is a truly flagship, professional-grade optic! I suspect the only reason it’s not a G-Master is simply the fact that Sony saved the prestigious title for their more-than-double-the-price (~$2,300) 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II.
So, if you’re looking for something either more affordable, and/or more portable, and/or with power zooming compared to that GM lens, then don’t hesitate to consider this alternative.
Image Quality
Sharpness
The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G is almost flawlessly sharp, from 16mm to 35mm, even at f/4! Stopping down just once to f/5.6 allows the lens to fully resolve incredible detail.
Even in the extreme corners, you still get quite decent results at f/4, and for those traditional landscape photographers who really love to pixel-peep a 60-megapixel frame, you’ll see fantastic sharpness by f/8-11.
Bokeh
Since this is a PZ lens, it is likely going to be used for a lot of “focus pull” scenarios, and you might wish it had been an f/2.8 or f/1.4 lens to give that buttery bokeh, of course. However, if you’re focusing close-up enough, the background blur is still beautifully smooth.
Colors & Contrast
The optics are crystal clear, and loaded with special elements and coatings to ensure beautiful images.I am especially loving using the “Camera VV” Picture Profile/Style, and I am also especially loving the look of images coming out of Capture One Pro lately.
(Most of the images in this article were edited in Capture One, and the camera was a Sony A7 IV.)
Vignetting & Distortion
The Achilles heel of almost all mirrorless lenses, I must sadly report that if you’re going to fiddle with turning off the in-camera correction profile, then you’ll begin to see the “dirty little secrets” of this lens, indeed.
With the corrections turned off completely, yes, the vignetting does get pretty bad in the extreme corners, even at f/8. But that is because the optics are designed such that you’re never supposed to even see those “true corners”. If you just let the in-camera (and in Lightroom, Capture One, etc. profile “correct itself” then it does its job perfectly. Well, almost…
As I discovered during this trip to the Ancient Bristlecones, you may still see the residual effects of the vignetting correction, if you heavily edit photos with very flat, grey tones. This is very common for virtually all mirrorless lenses that I’ve reviewed; you’ll see a warmer circle in the center and a cold (blue) colored “vignette ghost” around the edges.
(You’ll probably NEVER encounter this drawbacks, unless you’re working in white-out snow conditions a lot, AND you also get pretty heavy with the Dehaze slider in post-production.)
Sunstars & Flare
To my delight, Sony opted for a mere 7-blade aperture diaphragm with this lens, and that means a rare appearance: 14-point sunstars! They’re not as needle-point sharp as an aperture with un-rounded blades, but they’re still beautiful.
This is one thing that really cements this lens in my top spot for all kinds of work from cityscape & real estate or architectural photography, to general landscapes, again whether photo or video…
Color Fringing, Aberration, Coma & Astigmatism
You’re likely not buying this f/4 zoom expecting perfection in the extreme corners, however, you’d be pleasantly surprised if you were expecting something terrible. Simply put, yes, there is a bit of chromatic aberration, but it vanishes with the correction tools applied. And yes, there is a bit of coma/astigmatism in the corners at f/4, but honestly it’s not that much worse than an f/2.8 zoom, so, I’m calling this one a win!
Macro & Close-Up Photography
Although this lens doesn’t offer “dedicated macro” capability, it can focus decently close. More impressively, when you do focus close-up, sharpness stays very impressive when wide-open at f/4, and gets back to “basically flawless” by f/5.6. Note, however, that this is only wherever you choose to set your focus; with the field curvature this lens exhibits up-close, you won’t be getting corner-to-corner sharpness when close-up.
Design & Durability
Despite its tiny form factor, the Sony 16-35mm f/4 PZ is indeed a professional-grade lens. Its combination of metal barrel parts and a few plastic parts, plus the weather sealing, leave me feeling pretty confident that this lens will stand the test of time, even when exposed to brutal conditions on occasion.
Focus Breathing & Zoom Balance
Two things that are extremely important to videographers are these items. Having the PZ zoom feature is neat, (especially if you can control it remotely, which is possible!) …but what about the balance of the lens’ weight on a gimbal? Indeed, this lens is so tiny, there is no way even the most compact, weak-motor gimbal is going to have any trouble balancing this lens at different ends of its zoom range.
With regard to focus breathing; there is a little bit, as with virtually all modern mirrorless zoom lenses. However, since this lens is a dedicated video lens, it does appear that Sony’s optical engineers achieved relatively minimal focus breathing. You’ll never notice it when hand-holding your footage, and you probably won’t even notice it unless your static, tripod’ed scenes are utterly static without any motion in them.
Ergonomics & Portability
I honestly don’t know how they made this lens so small and portable! I would have expected that a lens this tiny would have terrible image quality, but that’s obviously not the case.
It balances well on a full-frame camera body, and allows for one-handed shooting if that’s important to you.
The only other thing to note about the ergonomics is something I mentioned earlier for high-action scenarios: The focus ring and zoom ring are essentially right on top of each other, so, you do have to be intentional about which one you move. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself incessantly bumping focus when you meant to zoom in, (not always a big problem) …or vice versa. (Sometimes a bigger annoyance!)
If you want an excellent zoom that weighs less than 1 lb, this is one of the most portable options on the market.
Autofocus Performance
A single XD linear motor is all this compact lens needs to push its focusing glass elements back and forth; and it sure is snappy! It’s not as lightning fast to snap into focus as the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II, with its FOUR (in two groups) XD linear motors. However, lightning-fast focus is less of a concern for filmmakers compared to smoothness and quietness, both of which are areas where this f/4 zoom is excellent.
Manual Focus Performance
Of course, the focus is controlled electronically, and the focus ring does its job very well. With Sony mirrorless camera bodies these days, you can set the focus to be either linear or incremental, which allows a wide range of users to achieve the tactile feel they’re accustomed to.
Features & Customizations
We have basically already covered all of the features and customizations that this lens offers, since its electronic zooming is pretty important to your purchasing decision. However, I should also note that there is a mechanical aperture ring, which can be locked and/or de-clicked. This, along with the customizable Fn button and the AF/MF switch, complete the full array of features and customizations, once again making this a “GM lens in a G-series package”.
Value
Speaking of a GM lens at a GM price, that’s really what you’re getting here. It’s tiny, but it’s absolutely worth the $1,100 price tag! (NOTE: Sometimes it can be $1,200, but there is currently $100 in instant savings available; always wait for instant savings if you’re buying brand-new gear!)
The simple fact that this is a G-series lens with optics that are almost on par with the $2,300 Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II, should sell you on the sheer value. Especially, of course, if you do video.
We can’t say much more about the value of the Sony 15-36mm f/4 PZ without diving into all the alternatives, so let’s do that now!
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Review | Compared To The Competition
In-house, the closest relative to this Sony lens is its G-Master series bigger sibling with the f/2.8 aperture. It costs more than twice as much, however. If you don’t absolutely need f/2.8, and/or the shockingly snappy autofocus, then this $1,100 lens is an absolute steal.
With that said, there are quite a few other lenses out there from third parties that are even more affordable. There is the Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 and the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8, as well as the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8. If you’re a vlogger looking for an ultralight, compact wide-angle zoom then you might be attracted to that last option which is truly tiny, and comes in at just $699. However, you’ll probably agree that there’s a huge difference between 20mm and 16mm; and in my experience making videos, I’d rather have the zoom range with f/4 than have the f/2.8 aperture.
Tamron has the 17-50mm f/4, by the way, and it’s an impressively affordable $549! The lens is a bit biger and more front-heavy, though, and you’re trading one millimeter on the wide end, so you need to make sure you really want that different zoom range; don’t just buy it for the lower price tag!
Lastly, of course, Sony also has a relatively new 16-25mm f/2.8. It’s also very lightweight and compact, and it also costs $1,200, (without a rebate) …but you’re trading quite a bit of zoom range on the long end in exchange for that f/2.8 aperture. Honestly, it might not be a problem if you’re really concerned about the wide end and f/2.8, and often using crop mode to get sharper 4K footage out of your Sony full-frame mirrorless camera.
However, once again, for general photo+video work, I still have to give my top recommendation to the Sony 16-35mm f/4 PZ. Unless, of course, you do a ton of nightscape or extreme low-light work, in which case, just pick the f/2.8 zoom that fits your budget and zoom range needs.
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Review | Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning of this lens review, I didn’t expect to like this PZ lens, but I was very wrong! My only minor complaint was that the zoom and focus rings are so close and they feel almost identical, so I did get myself in the habit of using the power zoom “lever”. If you’re a photographer you can just set it to rack focus relatively fast, and it’s no problem! Or if you’re doing cinematography, you can set it to move pretty slowly, and create beautiful zoom effects in your video footage.
If you’re okay with the f/4 aperture, and especially if you want something lightweight and compact, This is the best lens of all the 16-35mm f/4’s that I’ve ever reviewed. There are a lot of alternatives that offer different focal ranges, of course, but I think this Sony lens stands above the crowd for video shooters in particular, but also for most photographers in general!
Check Pricing & Availability
The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G can be found for $1198, although that number will likely have a periodic $100-200 savings at various times throughout the year! (B&H)
