Cameras Ranked

16–35 Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM vs 16–35 Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS

Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM vs Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS: no overall pick, it depends on what you need. Pick the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM if you shoot in low light or want a blurrier background (widest aperture: f/2.8 vs f/4). Pick the Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS if you carry it all day or travel light, your body has no in-body stabilization or you shoot handheld video, or you want cheaper filters (weight: 680 g vs 518 g; stabilization: No vs Yes; filter thread: 82 mm vs 72 mm).

The pick, in points

Lead for a pick: 1

Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM

3points

Wins on widest aperture.

Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS

3.5points

Wins on weight, optical stabilization and filter thread.

Each real difference scores its importance for the side that wins it; a lead under 1 is “it depends”. How the weights work

The Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM on its ownThe Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS on its ownAll Sony E-mount lenses

Where they differ

4 of 17 specs

Each bar is the gap as a share of the smaller value, on one scale from 0 to 100%; an arrow end is a gap past 100%. The dashed tick marks where a gap starts to count.

  1. Widest aperture

    Importance 3

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GMf/2.81Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSSf/42

    1.2 apart (42.9%), to the Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM

    3points

  2. Weight

    Importance 2

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM680 g3Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS518 g4

    162 g apart (31.3%), to the Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS

    2points

  3. Optical stabilization

    Importance 1

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GMNoSony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSSYes4

    Only the Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS has it

    1points

  4. Filter thread

    Importance 0.5

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM82 mm3Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS72 mm4

    10 mm apart (13.9%), to the Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS

    0.5points

Also different, no weight reads them5

  1. Length

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM121.6 mm3Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS98.5 mm4

    23.1 mm apart (23.5%)

    Not weighted

  2. Diameter

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM88.5 mm3Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS78 mm4

    10.5 mm apart (13.5%)

    Not weighted

  3. Elements

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM163Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS124

    4 apart (33.3%)

    Not weighted

  4. Groups

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM133Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS104

    3 apart (30%)

    Not weighted

  5. Aperture blades

    Sony 16–35 F2.8 GM113Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS74

    4 apart (57.1%)

    Not weighted

Specifications

SpecificationsSony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GMSony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS
Widest aperturef/2.81f/42
StabilizationNoYes4
Weight680 g3518 g4
Length121.6 mm398.5 mm4
Diameter88.5 mm378 mm4
Filter thread82 mm372 mm4
Elements163124
Groups133104
Aperture blades11374
HoodALC-SH1493ALC-SH1344
AnnouncedMay 17, 20171Not stated

Same on both

  • Focal length 16-35 mm1
  • Closest focus 0.28 m3
  • Maximum magnification 0.19x3
  • Mount Sony E-mount3
  • Covers Full frame
  • Type Zoom

Full specifications, side by side†

Show all 22 rows
Full specifications, side by sideSony 16–35 F2.8 GM3Sony 16–35 Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* F4 ZA OSS4
Model numberSEL1635GMSEL1635Z
Lens mountSony E-mountSony E-mount
Compatible sensor size35mm full size35mm full size
Focal length16-35 mm16-35mm
Equivalent focal length24-52.5 mm (APS-C sensor)24-52.5mm (APS-C sensor)
Lens construction13 groups, 16 elements10 groups, 12 elements
Angle of view83°-44° (APS-C format)83°-44° (APS-C format)
Angle of view107°-63° (35mm format)107°-63° (35mm format)
Maximum apertureF2.8F4
Minimum apertureF22F22
Diaphragm blades117
Circular diaphragmyesyes
Minimum focusing distance0.28 m0.28m
Maximum magnification ratio0.190.19x
Filter size82 mm72mm
Hood typepetal-shaped bayonet typePetals bayonet type
Dimensions88.5 x 121.6 mm78 x 98.5mm
Weight680 g518g
Included hoodALC-SH149ALC-SH134
Included front capALC-F82Syes
Included rear capALC-R1EMyes
Included casesoft carrying caseSoft case
Rows only one maker lists: 5

Also on the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM spec page3

Product nameFE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM
Teleconverter compatibilityno (1.4x teleconverter)
Teleconverter compatibilityno (2.0x teleconverter)

Also on the Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS spec page4

Product nameVario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS
Optical stabilizationIn-lens optical stabilization

How the pick works

  1. Widest aperture3

    Lower wins once they are 0.3 apart.

  2. Weight2

    Lower wins from a 12% gap.

  3. Focal length (longest)2

    Higher wins from a 15% gap.

  4. Focal length (widest)2

    Lower wins once they are 2 mm apart.

  5. Optical stabilization1

    Having it wins.

  6. Closest focus, wide end1

    Lower wins from a 15% gap. Compared only between lenses of the same focal length (widest).

  7. Filter thread0.5

    Lower wins once they are 5 mm apart.

  8. Lead for a pick1

Our pick or our take adds up the importance of each real difference, with these importances and thresholds: a gap smaller than its row's threshold is too close to call and counts as the same. They are our editorial choice, not a measurement, the same on every page, and they never read prices, sales or who sells it.

Paid placements0

How we rank, in full

Sources

  1. Wikidata: Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, checked Oct 9, 2026 (CC0 1.0)
  2. Wikidata: Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, checked Oct 9, 2026 (CC0 1.0)
  3. Sony Japan lens specifications (sony.jp): Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, checked Oct 6, 2026
  4. Sony Japan lens specifications (sony.jp): Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, checked Oct 6, 2026

Worked out by code, not stated by a source

  • Read from the lens name: each maker marks the sensor size a lens covers (Sony FE/E, Canon RF/RF-S, Nikon DX, Tamron Di III/Di III-A, Sigma DG/DC); every Fujifilm X lens is APS-C and every Micro Four Thirds lens is Four Thirds.
  • Read from the lens name: Sony marks optically stabilized lenses OSS, Canon IS, Nikon VR, Fujifilm OIS, Panasonic O.I.S., Tamron VC and Sigma OS; a lens from these makers without the mark has no optical stabilization.
  • Prime or zoom, read from the focal length in the lens name.

Each value is checked automatically against the source it links, on the date shown. How we build these pages

† The makers' own tables, row by row, with labels in our plain words (translated where the maker's page isn't in English); each row's numbers are checked against the page it links.

What we don't know yet

  • Announced for the Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS: our sources don't state it yet.

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