Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series @ 35mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
Related: distortion, focus skew, lens skew, optical decentering, optics, Sony, Sony A7R, Sony A7R II, Sony A7R III, Sony A7R IV, Sony FE, Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, Sony Lenses, Sony mirrorless
This series evaluates the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM from f/2.8 through f/8 on an extremely demanding target: a planar subject with exceedingly fine detail. This target is among the most demanding any lens can face, mercilessly showing most all lens weaknesses.
Of keen interest here is lens symmetry, which is relatively challenging on a 60MP sensor, which mercilessly shows the slightest flaw. For this sample of the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, the lens skew is so awful that f/8 won’t overcome it, and yet it performs reasonably well at 18mm.
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Aperture Series @ 35mm (Sony A7R IV)
Includes images from f/2.8 to f/8 at up to full camera resolution.
Sadly, this is an excellent example of some of the worst quality control you might find. Sources tell me this is quite common for Sony lenses.
I also find pincushion distortion just unacceptable at 35mm, wether it be a horizon, a building, or a human face in a portrait. Distortion correction for pincushion distortion guarantees further loss of fine detail, because pixels must be stretched apart. Such distortion is typical for a 16-35mm zoom, so it’s not a zoom range I tend to like.
Sony A7R IV + Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM @ 35mm
RAW: LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, +30 Shadows
[low-res image for bot]
