Sony camera lens

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II

Creators cited with it: 14; From 24 reports.
Released: 2023; Last reported 2 months ago.
Reviewers: Praised for autofocus and size & weight; Pushback on value. From 3 reviews. What they said

$2,599.99

Checked Oct 16, 2026. Verify at the retailer.

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“In this case, it has the 16 to35 lens on it, which is super wide.”
Tom BuckSeptember 2026Watch the video at 4:12
“I will also have the 16-35 and the 2x extender in the backpack for when I really need it as well.”
Pat KayAugust 2026Watch the video at 4:21

12 more creators cited with it, listed below.

What reviewers say

Based on 3 reviews (1 press, 2 video), newest January 2024

What press and YouTube reviews of the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II judged, by what buyers compare. Open any line for the quotes behind it.

Where it shines

Autofocus
Size & weight
Build & handling
Sharpness

Where reviewers push back

Value
Rendering & bokeh

SharpnessMostly positive: Leans positive.Excellent center-to-corner sharpness at wide apertures, softening from diffraction past f/11-f16.3 reviews›
Praise (6)
- “in the middle of the image we see incredible sharpness and contrast and the corners look excellent too”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 4:03
- “stop down to F4 or f5.6 for more brightness and perfect resolution from corner to corner”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 4:12
- “its owners will certainly not be disappointed as it's clearly one of the sharpest and best performing Ultra wideangle zoom lenses in the world”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 7:14
- “Sharpness is, on the whole, superb, especially at the lens’s best apertures of around f/5.6-f/11.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “resolution at 16 mm is pretty much Perfect all across the frame very very high levels everywhere that you look”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 10:09
- “I don't know that I've hardly seen a sharper Center and mid-frame performance from a wide angle lens of any kind before so that is really really impressive”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 8:57
Complaints (5)
- “at F16 a bit of softness does creep in due to defraction”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 4:19
- “it's only at f11 that a touch of softness Creeps in due to defraction and F16 becomes noticeably soft”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 4:51
- “Likewise, there’s visible softening due to diffraction at f/16, and even more so at f/22.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “the image has been significantly softened by the effects of defraction”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 17:50
- “down in the corners we can see that the lens is isn't quite as sharp as what we've seen”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 18:55
Rendering & bokehSplit: Reviewers are split.Reviewers split: pleasant bokeh and flare control but noticeable distortion and vignetting.3 reviews›
Praise (6)
- “out to focus backgrounds consistently look nice and smooth whatever focal length you're shooting at”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 6:49
- “at f2.8 we see virtually no smearing on bright points of light at all”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 6:30
- “I saw little problem with flare, even when shooting directly into the light.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “But the flipside of this is surprisingly attractive background blur, especially at the 35mm position, which provided me with some unexpectedly attractive close-up shots.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “flare resistance was essentially flawless I didn't see any kind of loss of contrast no ghosting artifacts”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 11:00
- “I also found that longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration are essentially perfectly controlled”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 9:45
Complaints (6)
- “we're treated to some obvious pincushion Distortion and again dark Corners”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 5:37
- “we see a bulge of barrel Distortion being projected in the Middle with very dark Corners”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 5:17
- “There can be some loss of contrast and visible ghosting patterns when the sun is placed towards the edges of the frame”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “Vignetting is visible when shooting at f/2.8 and all focal lengths, with a fall-off pattern that’s somewhat abrupt into the corners.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “there is some complex Barrel Distortion at 16 mm”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 9:21
- “only negative I can point to is a little bit of busyness a little bit of what you might call an onion bokeh in the uh center of the specular highlights”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 14:20
AutofocusRated highly: Reviewers rate it highly.Autofocus is fast, silent, accurate, with instant focus transitions and strong tracking.3 reviews›
Praise (6)
- “the lens shows almost no Focus breathing whether you're zoomed in or zoomed out”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 2:19
- “the autofocus Works quickly silently smoothly totally accurately absolutely no problems here at all”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 2:42
- “The lens autofocuses silently and practically instantaneously, even when shifting between very different distances.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “the lens tracks focus impressively well, too.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “autofocus is everything that you could ask for it is completely silent even when I put my ear up next to it it is extremely fast”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 6:35
- “Focus transitions are instant essentially they're instantaneous you just go from one subject to another with no spooling or lead up no settling”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 7:02
Size & weightRated highly: Reviewers rate it highly.Notably smaller and lighter than predecessor, well balanced on bodies.3 reviews›
Praise (6)
- “it is indeed a reasonable size Now by no means small but still a big improvement over the large previous version”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 1:05
- “it weighs less too at 547 G or a bit over a pound that's a 20% weight reduction of the older version”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 1:12
- “It’s impressively small and light for a full-frame f/2.8 wideangle zoom and delivers consistently excellent images.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “it feels nicely balanced on the Sony Alpha 7R IV body that I used for the majority of my testing.”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “this lens is smaller and lighter than its predecessor”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 2:48
- “they managed to make it very featur while also reducing the size and the weight and that's a pretty impressive achievement”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 6:10
Build & handlingRated highly: Reviewers rate it highly.Excellent build quality with smooth zoom ring and improved weather sealing.3 reviews›
Praise (5)
- “the lens's very smooth turning rubberized Zoom ring it turns without any stickiness to it”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 2:04
- “overall it's well and truly 10 out of 10 for build quality here”
  VideoChristopher Frost · August 2023Watch at 3:28
- “Excellent operability”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “this is a thoroughly weather sealed lens weather sealing has improved”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 3:39
- “you will find that when you zoom the zoom action is very very nicely damped and it's very smooth”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 4:46
ValueCriticised: Reviewers are critical.Expensive, pricier than third-party alternatives according to reviewers.2 reviews›
Complaints (2)
- “Pricey compared to third-party alternatives”
  PressAmateur Photographer, Andy Westlake · September 2023Read the review
- “it is very expensive at $2,300 so there are cheaper alternatives”
  VideoDustin Abbott · January 2024Watch at 11:47