Second-generation lens upgrades frequently feel decently negligible, with a couple of minor changes. And with the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM as of now being a profoundly respected lens, it wouldn’t be astounding on the off chance that the overhaul to that lens was lovely essential. But, that’s not precisely the case. The new Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II could be a lighter adaptation of the ultra-wide zoom, however Sony has still overseen to fit in a modern opening ring. The upgraded lens too centers a bit closer than the initial.
But, the moment era lens has a few lovely enormous shoes to fill as the initial scored best marks. Can the lens live up to the buildup? I tried the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II to see how the lens holds up.
Table of Contents
- The Big Picture
1.1 Pros
1.2 Cons - Gear Used
- Innovations
- Ergonomics
- Construct Quality
6. Focusing - Ease of Utilize
- Picture Quality
8.1 Bokeh - Color Rendition
9.1 Lens Character
9.2 Sharpness
THE Big PICTURE
The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II encapsulates everything that I come to anticipate from a Sony GM lens. All the things that most photographers generally despise — vignetting, barrel twisting, chromatic abnormality — are well controlled, in case they exist at all. The coasting autofocus engine works both rapidly and unobtrusively. One of the finest changes from the unique is that it can focus near sufficient for a 1:3.1 macro ratio. But, those upgrading the lens will too discover the lighter weight reviving.
The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II met and indeed surpassed a few expectations. But, it doesn’t render much lens flare, which is great in the event that you need close logical exactness but doesn’t bode as well for character. And whereas most bokeh is shocking, every so often, the brightest manufactured lights will take on more of a cleanser bubble surface. Like other f2.8 zooms, the lens is expensive and ought to be considered a long-term venture. The lighter construct moreover implies the materials on the lens barrel do not feel very as decent. Still, those are minor second thoughts for a few pretty stunning images.
Pros
- Lightweight and compact
- A modern opening ring with declick!
- Decent and sharp
- Bokeh is circular and doesn’t take on much cat-eye shape towards the edges
- Focuses as near as .7 feet
- Autofocus has decent speed and is lovely calm
- Incredible picture quality that’s beautiful steady with other GM arrangement lenses
- Negligible, if non-existent, twisting, aberration, and vignetting
- Stabilized
- Weather-sealed
CONS
Intermittent cleanser bubbling to the bokeh
Flare is intensely stifled
The lighter construct doesn’t feel very as pleasant
Gear USED
I tried the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II with the Sony a7c II. Both the lens and camera were transitory credits from Sony and LensRentals.
Innovations
The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II includes a parcel to live up to, as the first was a highly-ranked, noteworthy lens designed to match with the standard 24-70 and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses. Whereas the first is awesome, the lens with the II within the title isn’t fair a minor revive. The second-generation lens is around 20 percent lighter as well as a bit shorter. In spite of that, the unused lens has an opening ring, total with a declick switch. Other than the plan changes, the modern lens too focuses a bit closer than the first.
ERGONOMICS
Ultra-wides tend to be bulky, and ultra-wides with both zoom and an f2.8 gap are particularly so. But, the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II is sensibly measured — in reality, at its dispatch, Sony said it’s the lightest of its kind among other full-frame autofocus lenses with the same focal lengths. The lens weighs 1.2 pounds. It’s not a horrendously overwhelming lens to carry around for long extends. The lens will take up a 4.4-inch opening in a camera pack.
The expansion of a devoted gap ring could be a exquisite overhaul, permitting for quick aperture changes right on the barrel. An iris bolt switch locks the lens within the A position or on the other hand avoids the lens from turning off manual settings into auto. Videographers can utilize the declick switch for smooth aperture adjustments without the click.
Moving assist from the mount, the following control may be a grippy zoom ring. The space between that ring and the center ring at the front houses custom buttons and an AF-MF switch.
The front of the lens accepts 82mm channels. It ships with a petal-shaped lens hood.
Build QUALITY
I love the transportability of the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 II lens. But, the barrel contains a bit of a plasticky feel. It’s not loathsome, but I’ve held more pleasant feeling GM lenses. I suspect typically where a few of the weight investment funds come in.
Whereas the barrel is plastic, the lens is weather-sealed. I gave the lens a great splash from the sink and did not involvement any sick impacts. By the end of the review, I hadn’t spotted any clean or flotsam and jetsam on the camera sensor or interior the lens mount.
FOCUSING
The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II can focus as near as .7 feet from the front of the lens. Whereas that’s distant from macro standards—1:3.1 to be exact—it’s beautiful strong for an ultra-wide zoom. Getting in near will truly play up the bokeh as well as the perspective twisting of the more extensive focal lengths.
The lens was quick sufficient to induce bounty of attendants when photographing way of life images of kids running around. It moreover kept up with a puppy running straight towards the camera lovely well. The lens had many misses in these fast-paced scenarios but still nailed a majority of the shots. I suspect a few of those misses had to do with utilizing one of the more affordable E-Mount body, the a7C II, for testing.
There weren’t truly any autofocus shocks here — the lens centered like I would anticipate an ultra-wide to center. It bolted on quick sufficient to have a tall, though not perfect, hit rate for activity, with the leading results coming with eye location, turned on. The lens’ autofocus engines too work fairly quietly as well.
EASE OF Use
The stabilization within the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM blended with the ultra-wide point makes it conceivable to capture a few handheld long exposures. I had a lovely great hit rate of sharp shots at half a moment. And whereas the hit rate was much lower, I did oversee to get a few sharp pictures at up to 2.5 seconds long.
The stabilization blended with the upgraded plan makes this lens a delight to utilize. I much lean toward altering the gap right on the lens, so I adore the new aperture ring. The added ring makes the lens simpler to utilize for experienced shooters. But, for more current photographers, it is possible to bolt the lens within the auto position, so I think the lens is suited for a run of diverse capacities.
Image QUALITY
The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II lived up to the tall desires I had for this lens. And since the lens fell right in with what I would anticipate from a Sony GM, the pictures should work well with the other lenses within the set of three, the 24-70 and 70-200mm, with decently reliable color and sharpness over collections shot with diverse lenses.
Like most other Sony GM lenses, this lens is more in fact sublime than a interesting character builder. The near focusing remove, wide sees, and shinning opening work really well together at making a few fun pictures, be that as it may. And indeed pixel peepers are progressing to be upbeat with the sharpness.
BOKEH
The wide aperture and ability to induce in near makes up for the shorter focal length. Bokeh is still more than fair conceivable but or maybe simple to make, with the leading comes about coming from getting in near at f2.8. Combined with the sharpness of the lens, the subject truly stands out.
Focuses of light are rendered towards smooth bokeh balls that, indeed at the edges, remain circular instead of cat-eye. Most bokeh balls had smooth edges. Once in a while, with more grounded points of light, such as streetlights on a dull night, the bokeh took on a slightly soapy surface, but not frequently.
COLOR Rendition
The colors had fair the correct sum of pop to them without being excessively saturated. I found the colors coming from the Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM II to be exceptionally steady with the other Sony lenses that I’ve utilized. Meaning that, in post, I would anticipate alters to adjust up pleasantly over different GM arrangement lenses. When shooting on green grass, I wanted to tone down the greens in post, at the side warming up the skin tones. Since flare is intensely smothered, the lens doesn’t wash out colors as much as others when shooting in backlight.
For scenes, the wide see is amazingly low on barrel mutilation, and it’s sensibly simple to keep lines straight. Flipping back and forward between the JPEG and Crude records, which regularly makes these mutilations stick out, there wasn’t any recognizable contrast in those lines. Which means that the barrel mutilation rectification is all within the lens, not the lens profile that’s altered and connected to the picture. Essentially, I too didn’t take note any solid vignettes. At 35mm, you’ll get some decent, flawlessly straight horizons and buildings. At 16mm, you’ve got to hold the camera fair so as to avoid—or intentioned create—perspective mutilation.
SHARPNESS
I didn’t require to touch the sharpness slider amid post-production at all with this lens. At that point again, as a Sony GM, that’s barely surprising. Pictures are sharp down to eyelash level, which loans to a few exceptionally detailed images and subjects that truly pop.
Lens CHARACTER
The coatings on this lens offer assistance stifle flare, which is awesome for color consistency but not so incredible in case you actually want a bit of sun flare in your shots. Much of the character coming from this lens stems basically from the ultra-wide see mixed with the wide aperture and near centering separate. The viewpoint of a wide-angle lens, once you get in near to the subject, creates an nearly unusual feel in portraits.