Introduction
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G (SEL2450G) is a compact, light-weight and quick wide-angle zoom lens for Sony Alpha full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras. It’ll additionally work with APS-C sensor cameras with an efficient enhance in focal size to 24-37.5mm as a result of 1.5x crop issue. The optical development options 16 parts in 13 teams together with three ED (extra-low dispersion) parts and 4 normal aspherical component that embrace one ED Aspherical glass component.It has a near-circular 11-blade diaphragm which creates a lovely blur to the out-of-focus areas of the picture, This mud and moisture resistant lens additionally has a fluorine coating on the entrance lens component to assist stop fingerprints and different contaminants.It supply a minimal focusing distance of 18cm / 0.59ft with a most magnification of 0.20x and incorporates two linear motors for quick and quiet auto-focusing.The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens might be out there in April 2024 priced at £1250 / €1400 within the UK and Europe, respectively. It’s made in Vietnam.
Ease of Use
Weighing in at simply 409g /14.5 oz. and measuring 9.23cm in size, the hybrid metallic and plastic bodied Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G may be very mild and compact for a quick wide-angle zoom lens.
It proved to be a superbly balanced accomplice to the the Alpha A7C II digital camera that we examined it with, as proven within the pictures under.
It is considerably lighter than all of its principal rivals, which embrace amongst others the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II (547g / 19.3oz), Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM (847grams / 29.9oz) and the Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G (560g / 19.75oz).
Third-party options embrace the very comparable Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN (450g / 15.9oz.), Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD (420g / 14.82oz.)and the lighter however longer Tamron 20-40mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (365g / 12.88oz).
It is necessary to notice that his new lens does prolong by a further 1cm when zoomed from the utmost 25mm focal size to the 16mm focal size.
The general construct high quality is excellent, which is one thing of a reduction given the excessive price-tag, with this very fashionable lens using a hybrid metallic and plastic development.
This lens has a sealed mud and moisture resistant design utilising silicon seals round all of the buttons and switches and a rubber gasket across the lens mount, which makes it well-suited to life in each the sphere and the studio.
There’s additionally a a fluorine coating on the entrance lens component to assist repel water, oil, and another contaminants, in addition to making it simpler to scrub.
It has a metallic lens mount and accepts 67mm filters through metallic threads.
The Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 GM has a spherical Focus Maintain Button which by default retains the lens locked to the present focusing distance, helpful when you’re auto-focusing and don’t need the lens to attempt to discover focus once more.
Another operate may also be assigned to this button by the digital camera’s customized settings.
There’s a ridged focus ring on the finish of the lens. Handbook focusing is feasible by utilizing the devoted AF/MF change to toggle between AF and MF.
There aren’t any exhausting stops on the ends of the vary, making it tougher to set focus at infinity. Polariser customers needs to be happy that the 67mm filter thread would not rotate on focus.
The lens makes use of two Linear Motors for satisfyingly quick, clean and exact auto-focusing, and it’s extremely quiet in operation making it well-suited to taking pictures video.
An inside focusing design ensures that the general lens size stays fixed throughout focusing.
In relation to auto-focusing, this lens is a fast performer, taking round 0.15 second to lock onto the topic when mounted on the Sony Alpha A7C II that we examined it with.
We did not expertise any “searching” in any respect, both in good or dangerous mild, with the lens precisely focusing nearly all the time.
It is also a really quiet performer, which makes this lens equally well-suited to each video recording and extra candid stills taking pictures.
This lens has a devoted aperture ring with 1/3EV stops starting from F2.8 to F22.
It may be switched between clean and notched rotation utilizing the devoted Click on On/Off change on the underside of the lens barrel.
There’s additionally an A (Auto) setting if you wish to let the digital camera take management of the aperture.
The zoom ring sits in the course of the aperture and focusing rings and rotates by roughly 80 levels. It has 5 totally different focal size markings – 16, 18, 20, 22 and 25 mm.
This lens doesn’t function optical picture stabilisation, so it depends on the digital camera physique’s personal built-in stabilisation, which is ok until you are an proprietor of an early Sony Alpha digital camera.
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens is provided with a plastic petal-shaped lens hood (ALC-SH178) which rotates by 90 levels then snaps into place (there is not any lock button as on some extra premium hoods). There is no case included with this lens.
Focal Vary
The 16mm focal size offers an angle of view of 107 levels.
16mm
The 25mm focal size offers an angle of view of 82 levels.
25mm
Chromatic Aberrations
Chromatic aberrations, usually seen as purple or blue fringes alongside contrasty edges, should not an issue for the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens, even in areas of very excessive distinction.
16mm
25mm
Vignetting
With the lens set to its most aperture of f/2.8, there may be some important mild fall-off within the corners, requiring you to cease down by at the least 3 f-stops to fully stop it.
16mm / JPEG
16mm / RAW
25mm / JPEG
25mm / RAW
Distortion
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G reveals some barrel and pincushion distortion within the JPEG information, as you may see within the pictures under, which can it is advisable right in post-processing.
Notice that Distortion Compensation is all the time set to Auto in-camera – the menu possibility is completely disabled.
It is a good factor given the massive quantity of distortion that’s current when you open the RAW information in software program that does not have the right lens profile, particularly on the huge finish of the zoom vary.
16mm / JPEG
16mm / RAW
25mm / JPEG
25mm / RAW
Macro
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G provides excellent close-up efficiency for the standard zoom lens, with an in depth focus level of 18cm / 0.59ft from the sensor aircraft at 16mm and 24cm / 0.79ft at 25mm when auto-focusing. It provides a most magnification of 0.20x when auto-focusing and 0.23x when handbook focusing.
Bokeh
Bokeh is a phrase used for the out-of-focus areas of {a photograph}, and is normally described in qualitative phrases, reminiscent of clean / creamy / harsh and so forth.
Sony have paid shut consideration to this side of lens use, using an 11-segment diaphragm with rounded blades for extra pleasing bokeh.
In our view, their efforts have been profitable for a wide-angle zoom lens – see the examples under to guage for your self.
Sharpness
With the intention to present you the way sharp the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens is, we’re offering 100% crops on the next pages.
