Two weeks back Sony released a teaser image for the Zeiss 16-35mm f/4.0 FE zoom lens for their α7 line of cameras. This lens rounds out the "Holy Trinity" of zooms, the 16-35mm wide-angle, the 24-70mm standard, and the 70-200mm telephoto. The lens is immediately available for preorder for $1,349.99.
Below are the official specs for the lens:
| Focal Length | 16 - 35mm Comparable 35mm Equivalent on APS-C Format Focal Length: 24.5 - 52.5 mm |
| Aperture | Maximum: f/4 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Sony E (Full-Frame) |
| Format Compatibility | 35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor |
| Angle of View | 107° - 63° APS-C Picture Angle: 83° - 44° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | .92' (.28 m) |
| Magnification | 0.19x |
| Elements/Groups | 12/10 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7, Rounded |
Of course the rumor mill is still abuzz about a fast-aperture Zeiss prime just on the horizon for α7 owners, fingers crossed that it's an 85mm.
There has been a lot of debate on whether or not Sony is making the right choice by producing these semi-slow pro zooms for their α7 series, on one hand they're small, razor sharp, and pretty affordable but on the other, they're not as good in low light as something at f/2.8 and won't be able to produce OOF elements as well as a wider aperture lens. What's your take on the Sony f/4.0 pro zooms?
"Immediately available for pre-order" love that!
Fair enough, Steve! Just making the distinction between lenses you can reserve / preorder now (like this one) and ones that you just have to wait for (like the Zeiss 35 f/1.4). :)
Taking into account that you can shoot comfortably at ISO 25600 with an α7s, f/4 won't be a problem in low light situations. Producing OOF elements is of course another issue but still there are offerings from Sony and Minolta in A-mount category which you can use with an adapter.