Back in May 2017 Sony announced the FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM (SEL1635GM) lens.
Six years later in August 2023 Sony released the FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM Mark II (SEL1635GM2) lens.
In this short article I compare the size, weight, features and specifications of these two wide-angle G Master lenses.
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Size & Weight
Thanks to a new optical design the Mark II lens is approximately 20% lighter than the Mark I and 10.1 mm shorter in length.
| FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM | FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM II | |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter: | 88.5 mm | 87.8 mm |
| Length: | 121.6 mm | 111.5 mm |
| Weight: | 680 g (24 oz.) | 547 g (19.3 oz.) |
| Filter Thread Size: | 82 mm | 82 mm |
Features
Let’s take a closer look at how the features compare.
Lens Elements & Nano AR Coating
The FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II has a new optical design that features five aspherical elements including three XA (extreme aspherical) elements. The Mark I has two extreme aspherical elements.
The Mark I lens features Sony’s Nano AR Coating that suppresses spurious reflections that can cause flare and ghosting in backlit and other challenging lighting situations.
The Mark II lens features Sony’s new Nano AR Coating II that can be evenly applied to large lens elements or highly curved element surfaces to help suppress internal reflections that can cause flare and ghosting for clear, crisp imagery.
Focus Motors
The Mark I lens makes use of two DDSSM (Direct Drive SSM) systems employing original Sony piezoelectric motors to directly drive two focus groups in a floating focus configuration.
The Mark II lens utililizes four XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors for precise high speed lens control. The FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II achieves up to approximately 2x higher AF speed compared to the Mark I when shooting with the Sony A1. Focus breathing, focus shift, and axis shift are also reduced.
Linear Response MF
The Mark I lens uses a Focus by Wire system. Unfortunately Focus by Wire lenses are never consistent with where they focus for a particular position on the focus ring. The speed of your movement will change where the lens is focused. A slow movement will be more accurate to where you’re looking to focus, but a faster movement over the same distance will throw the focus point off. This is not particularly friendly for video shooters.
This is demonstrated from 4:34 in the following video from Sony.
The Mark II introduces Linear Response MF. With Linear Response MF the focus changes linearly in response to focus ring rotation similar to mechanical focus, giving the user more control for fast, accurate and consistent manual focusing. This should definitely help to make the Mark II more appealing to videographers.
Aperture Ring
Only the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II features an aperture ring with both a click ON/OFF switch and an iris lock switch for quick, flexible aperture control.
The aperture ring click stops can be turned ON to provide tactile feedback when shooting stills, or OFF for seamless, silent aperture control when shooting movies.
Specifications
| FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM | FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM II | |
|---|---|---|
| Mount: | Sony E-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Format: | 35mm full frame | 35mm full frame |
| Focal Length (mm): | 16-35 | 16-35 |
| 35mm Equivalent Focal Length (APS-C): | 24-52.5 | 24-52.5 |
| Lens Groups / Elements: | 13-16 | 12-15 |
| Angle of View (35mm): | 107°-63° | 107°-63° |
| Angle of View (APS-C): | 83°-44° | 83°-44° |
| Maximum Aperture: | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Minimum Aperture: | 22 | 22 |
| Aperture Blades: | 11 | 11 |
| Circular Aperture: | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum Focus Distance: | 0.28m (0.92 ft) | 0.22m (0.73 ft) |
| Maximum Magnification Ratio: | 0.19x | 0.32x |
| Filter Diameter (mm): | 82 | 82 |
| Image Stabilization (SteadyShot): | No | No |
| Zoom System: | Manual | Manual |
| Teleconverter 1.4x Support: | No | No |
| Teleconverter 2x Support: | No | No |
| Dust & Moisture Resistant: | Yes | Yes |
| Hood Model: | ALC-SH149 | ALC-SH177 |
| Diameter: | 88.5 mm | 87.8 mm |
| Length: | 121.6 mm | 111.5 mm |
| Weight: | 680 g (24 oz.) | 547 g (19.3 oz.) |
Lens Images
Here you can more closely compare the differences between the bodies of these two lenses.
Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM
Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM II
Sample Images
Sample images and the settings that they were taken with are available on Sony’s Photo Gallery pages for each of these lenses.
Marketing Videos
Sony’s marketing videos are always helpful for a quick introduction to each lens, especially if you are unfamiliar with them. Unfortunately they didn’t create one for the Mark I but they have for the Mark II.
Price
There’s currently very little difference in price between these two lenses. With the Mark II only costing $100 more than the Mark I.
However, expect to see some big discounts on the Mark I and we will most likely see a lower price point as well in the near future.
| FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM | FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM II | |
|---|---|---|
| RRP Price: | $2,198.00 / £2,299.00 | $2,298.00 / £2,399.00 |
| Check Price: | B&H Photo | Amazon | B&H Photo | Amazon |
Summary
The Sony FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM II offers some very nice improvements over the Mark I, most notably these are:
- 20% lighter
- 10mm shorter
- New optical design
- Four XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors for twice the AF speed of the Mark I
- Linear Response MF
- Reduced focus breathing, focus shift, and axis shift
- Aperture ring with both a click ON/OFF switch and an iris lock switch
If you already own the Mark I and don’t shoot video then you might struggle to justify upgrading.
But if you don’t own the Mark I and you have the need for a 16-35 F2.8 wide-angle lens whether it be for shooting stills or video, then the Mark II is definitely worth considering, especially since there’s only a hundred dollar price difference between the lenses.
Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM Review
To learn more about the Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM Mark I I’d recommend watching this review from Christopher Frost.
Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM Mark II Review
To learn more about the Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM Mark II I’d again recommend watching this review from Christopher Frost.
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