Sony has released one of the most compact, fast, wide-angle lenses and super-telephoto zooms ahead of CP+ 2025. In this competition, the new Sony 16mm f1.8 G lens left its Viltrox counterpart far behind but slightly ahead in price. The Sony 400-800mm f6.3-8 G OSS lens promises high resolution throughout the zoom range, beautiful bokeh, and fast, accurate autofocus.
Sony 16mm f1.8 G
It has a dual autofocus drive that supports shooting at speeds up to 120 fps, as well as support for 67mm filters (the front element of the lens does not protrude). Here: an 11-blade aperture, a minimum shooting distance of 0.15 m (with autofocus), and 0.13 with manual focus.
The lens has an ultra-compact form factor and weighs only 304 grams. This is compared to the Sony FE 14mm F1.8 G-Master, which is much larger and weighs 460 grams.
The new Sony 16mm F1.8 G lens features an optical design that includes two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements to ensure sharpness at all aperture values. It also incorporates one Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element and three ED elements to suppress chromatic aberrations. In total, the entire scheme consists of 15 elements in 12 groups.
Sony’s optimized coating also minimizes flare and ghosting, ensuring high-quality images even in challenging lighting conditions.
Advanced autofocus is available. The system operates based on a dual linear drive, which is extremely dynamic. Thus, the optics can track objects at a speed of up to 120 frames per second (for example, when using the Sony A9 III camera). The autofocus copes quickly and accurately.
In addition, the lens provides virtually no focus breathing, meaning that the Sony 16mm F1.8 G can be used for video shooting.
The lens’s front element does not protrude forward like most ultra-wide-angle lenses, allowing for standard 67mm screw-in filters. Thanks to its 11-bladed circular aperture, the lens produces beautiful, creamy bokeh (see sample shots at the end of the article).
Another element is a minimum focusing distance of 0.15m with autofocus and a maximum magnification of 0.25x. When using manual focus, these figures improve to 0.13m and 0.30x, allowing you to create unique wide-angle compositions with “extraordinary depth,” Sony says.
Features include a focus hold button, auto/manual focus mode switch, and a physical aperture ring for controlling advanced settings. There’s also an aperture control ring for video shooting.
Price and Release Date
The new lens costs $798 and is now available for pre-order on B&H Photo and Adorama. The competing lens, the Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8, will cost $200 less but is much larger and heavier.
Sony 400-800mm f6.3-8 G OSS
In addition, the internal zoom design minimizes center-of-gravity changes, ensuring stable framing. It is compatible with 1.4x and 2x converters, which extend the maximum focal length to 1600 mm, making this lens ideal for photographing birds, wildlife, sports, aircraft, and landscapes.
We recall that the company released a similar telezoom—Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS—quite a long time ago—in 2019. The company assures that it has completely redesigned the optical design due to increased focal lengths. However, the lens has lost some of its aperture capabilities.
The 400-800mm f6.3-8 optical system consists of 27 elements in 19 groups, compared to 24 in 17 for the 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3. The new zoom has six elements with extra-low dispersion (ED) to minimize chromatic aberrations. The aperture is 11-bladed, circular.
The autofocus system has become more efficient. The new lens has powerful linear motors, providing fast, precise, almost silent autofocus. The designers prioritized “focus breathing” when creating the lens. This allows videographers to use the new telephoto zoom lens without relying on digital “breathing” compensation in the camera, though the lens supports it.
The Sony 400-800mm f6.3-8 G OSS lens has almost the same set of switches as its predecessor. It includes three focus buttons, an autofocus mode switch, a focus limiter, and optical stabilization system (OSS) controls. However, it also features a DMF on/off switch. The lens is equipped with zoom and focus rings.
The lens’s minimum focusing distance at 400mm is 1.7 m, giving a maximum magnification of 0.23x. The minimum focusing distance at 800mm is three meters, resulting in a slight reduction in magnification at the maximum focal length.
In terms of design and body, the Sony 400-800mm f6.3-8 G OSS closely resembles the 2019 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3. It shares the same aesthetics and is nearly the same size. However, it is slightly longer (346mm vs. 317mm), slightly thicker (119.8mm vs. 111.5mm), and 360g heavier at 2,475 grams.
Price and Release Date
The Sony 400-800mm f6.3-8 G OSS super telephoto zoom will go on sale in mid-March. You can now pre-order it for $2,898 on B&H Photo and Adorama online stores.
