Sony's 16-35mm F2.8 GM II is the benchmark fast ultra-wide zoom for full-frame E-mount — but at nearly 700 grams and a flagship price, it's not a lens everyone wants to carry. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G, released in April 2024, asks what happens if you give up the last 10mm of range in exchange for real savings in both size and cost, while keeping the exact same constant f/2.8 aperture throughout.
At 409 grams and 9.23cm long, the hybrid metal-and-plastic build stays noticeably lighter than the GM II, with 16 elements in 13 groups delivering sharpness reviewers describe as excellent across the frame even wide open. Fast, silent autofocus and vibrant color rendering round out a lens built for photographers who've decided that carrying less matters more than squeezing out the final few millimeters of a flagship zoom.
