Compare lenses

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS

The Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM if you want a brighter f/2.8 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds. Pick the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS if you want optical stabilisation, which helps most on bodies without it and a lighter lens (518 g against 680 g).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM	Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS
Maker	Sony	Sony
Focal length	16-35mm (zoom)	16-35mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	16-35mm	16-35mm
Maximum aperture	f/2.8brighter	f/4
Made for	Full frame	Full frame
Mounts	Sony E	Sony E
Stabilised	no	yesstabilised
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	2.2×	2.2×
Weight	680 g	518 glighter
Cameras it fits	41 in this guide	41 in this guide

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM: 16-35mm.

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS: 16-35mm.

Aperture

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM: f/2.8 wide open.

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS: f/4 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

41 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body.