When I first heard about this Sony 16-35mm f/4 lens with power zoom, I saw it as a gimmick feature. But after actually using this lens, I think people will really love this lens.
In terms of lens design, this is a 16-35mm zoom lens that maintains a constant f/4 aperture throughout the zoom range. Wonderful thing. However. is that all zooming is done via the XD-Liniar engine attached to the optics inside the lens. This means that when you rotate the zoom ring on the lens, you don’t really control any kind of mechanical element as you might be used to with other zoom lenses. Instead, you’ll get the feel of wire-to-wire focusing that most Sony users will understand. That’s because the fast and quiet motors driving the zoom function are the same ones that Sony uses to deliver such fast and accurate autofocusing.
One great thing that I love about this zoom lens is that when you adjust the zoom, all the moving elements are inside the lens. This means the lens won’t get any bigger as you zoom.
Regarding the zoom function, you can actually control the zoom of this lens in different ways. Not only can you use the traditional zoom ring on the lens, but you can also use the dial on the side of the lens, program custom buttons to control everything, and use the remote. If you have a camera like the Sony FX3, you can also use the zoom knob near the shutter button.
Now, as someone who mainly does photography, I’m a bit confused as to why anyone would want or need a powerful zoom lens and why you would want multiple ways to control that zoom. But after researching and using the lens, I discovered that there are some cool things you can do with this feature. The main thing is the ability to zoom dolly.
If you’re not familiar, this film effect is when the camera zooms in or out while the camera moves. So if you zoom out from 35mm to 16mm while moving the camera closer to your subject, you can get a great effect where the subject remains the same size in the frame, but the angle of view change. Usually, this effect requires special equipment and multiple people (one person is in charge of moving the camera and another is in charge of a clear and consistent zoom). But with the powerful zoom, even I, as an unskilled shooter video player, can do the dolly zoom. Add to that I’ve been using my handheld, and you’ll quickly find that anyone with even a simple slider can get some great results.
In addition to the power zoom feature, the lens features an incredible array of tools, including a programmable button on the lens, a flicker-free aperture switch, iris lock, MF/AF toggle, and even whole aperture ring. And as most people know, it is quite common to have an aperture ring on a zoom lens, but with this ring, filmmakers have the ability to change the aperture while recording to achieve some effect. Interesting depth of field. For example, you can start with a narrow aperture to show the entire scene and then make the depth of field narrower to focus on a certain person or object.
With this lens, Sony has also paid special attention to controlling the breath of every focal point. So you won’t have to worry about any distracting lens characteristics getting in the way. The lens will also maintain sharp focus when changing the focal length. So if you change from 16mm to 35mm, you won’t have to refocus if the camera hasn’t moved.
As you may have noticed, this lens is aimed primarily at video shooters, but even as a photographic lens, it’s no slouch. It has fast and accurate autofocus, and its small and compact size makes it great for a rotating lens. As someone who almost always uses fast prime lenses, I find the f/4 aperture to be a bit limiting. But if you love your zoom lenses, then switching from f/2.8 to f/4 might not be such a big factor, especially if you tend to shoot in situations with a lot of people. more light.
For me and my general work, I would still aim for a faster prime lens. But for things like wedding receptions, I think this lens would be great. The 16-35mm range is great for disco. and since I added my own light, it should be easier to compensate for the smaller aperture. More. Having a smaller and lighter lens on the dance floor would be a huge benefit, one that wouldn’t be much of a hindrance, but two, it would be easier to hold for hours on end.
What I like
- The smallest and lightest 16-35mm f/4 lens on the market.
- Super useful zoom feature for videos.
- Aperture rings: I wish all lenses had them.
What I don’t like
- f/4 is a bit limiting for my shooting style, but it’s not really the lens’ fault.
- I wish you could see the focal length on the lens rather than needing to look at the monitor or the EVF.
Inference
At the end of the day, this is a very capable lens. If you’ve been thinking about buying a 16-35mm lens, 16-35mm f/4 . Power Zoom should be high on the list of candidates. It’s more feature-rich and cheaper 16-35mm f/4 CZ and cheaper and smaller 16-35mm f/2.8 GM. The power zoom and aperture ring also unlocks tools you might not be able to get with any other equivalent lens, making it a pretty powerful creative tool.
