SONY FE 1635MM F2.8 GM
Kevin Carter puts Sony’s high-speed ultra-wide zoom through its paces
Sony’s mirrorless line-up has expanded lately to include some high-end glass aimed at working professionals. This lens is one of the three essential f2.8 zooms and is arguably the most versatile, so it had better be good. A lot has been said about the benefits for mirrorless cameras, particularly smaller-size lenses, but that only applies to ‘retro-focus’ lens designs up to around 55-60mm in focal length. So, this lens should be appreciably smaller and less complex than equivalents made for DSLRs. And yet it’s not that much smaller nor less complex, but it is a little lighter than rivals and it feels relatively well made. Both the zoom and focus rings are smooth in operation, and like others in the range there’s no distance markings or AF window. Autofocus is a high point though. It’s both quick and quiet and the programmable focus-hold button on the side is good news for fans of Sony’s Eye-AF option.
The most impressive thing about this lens though is the optical performance. Admittedly, it has quite high levels of barrel distortion at 16mm and noticeable vignetting, but this is easily removed with lens profiles in RAW software and on the fly with JPEGs. Even so, it combines high levels of contrast wide open and good resolution, especially at the wider end of the focal range between 16-24mm. It does have one particular weakness though and that’s veiling flare, so make sure the included lens hood is used at all times.