Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 Lens Evaluation for Underwater Photography & Video

Featuring Logan Wood

Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 lens is no-brainer for Sony shooters underwater. Wide sufficient for splits, and tight sufficient for portraits. Ikelite Video Producer Logan Wood breakdown why this wide-angle zoom goes in his digicam bag on each journey.

Scroll down to learn the video transcript.

“This is hands down my most used lens underwater. It’s sharp, compact, and easy to use. Without a doubt it’s in my bag every trip I go on.”

Equipment Used

This is fingers down my most used lens underwater. It’s sharp, compact, and straightforward to make use of. Without a doubt it is in my bag each journey I am going on and typically the one lens I carry. The Sony 16-35mm PZ F/4 won’t be a topside shooter’s first choose, however underwater that is the lens you wish to use. Let me present you why.

Size

Off the bat, bodily this lens is a superb, compact dimension. Typically full body lenses are usually lots bigger and heavier than this lens so simply the dimensions alone provides it a direct benefit. It’s solely 353 grams so in my bag, on my digicam, or in my housing this lens doesn’t add a variety of weight in any respect. Its 3.5 inches (8.8cm) lengthy and doesn’t lengthen when it zooms, so it is not going so as to add any bulk to my system. All this makes it so fast to only again load the digicam and lens into the housing and get going.

“The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 lens is only 353 grams so whether it’s in my bag, on my camera, on in my housing it does not add a lot of weight at all.”

Dome Options

Because the lens makes use of an inner zoom there isn’t a change within the size of the lens whenever you zoom. This pairs particularly nicely with domes underwater and maintains the identical optical distance regardless of the place you are zooming from 16mm to 35mm.

Because it is a vast angle lens the best setup is with the bigger 8 inch dome, and I’ll use that dome whether or not I’m capturing it on a DL housing or a smaller DLM housing. I’ve used it behind the shallower compact dome however I have a tendency to stay with the bigger 8 inch dome for this lens. Ultimately, the housing is fairly streamlined with this lens so utilizing the bigger dome would not make an excessive amount of of a distinction particularly if I’m on scuba.

The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 lens inside an Ikelite 200DLM underwater housing with the total dimension 8 inch dome port for DLM housings.

Some time again I used to shoot lots underwater with the bigger f/2.8 model of this lens however I discovered that the picture high quality was not considerably higher to justify the added weight of a bigger lens. So in case you’re on the fence between the 2 for underwater I’d go along with the F/4 PZ model.

Focal Length

This lens zooms from a large 16mm to 35mm which is a reasonably normal vast angle zoom. Most digicam manufacturers can have some kind of variation of this lens. 16mm is nice for getting pictures of the reef, bigger animals, or splits on the floor. And 35mm is good for getting a bit extra element of your topic.

Capture the entire story at 16mm. // 16mm • 1/250 • f/16 • ISO 640 © Logan Wood

Honestly, I normally maintain it zoomed out at 16mm however in a pinch if I do not wish to get near my topic, like some wildlife for instance, I’ll punch into 35mm and that zoom vary is good to have.

Power Zoom

Now the actual benefit of this lens is the ability zoom or “PZ” perform. Which is mainly Sony’s method of claiming that you could zoom the lens electronically by the digicam. Traditionally on land you’d use a zoom rocker in case your digicam has one. But if yours doesn’t otherwise you’re in a underwater housing, like most of us are, you possibly can assign customized buttons to the again of your digicam to zoom out and in.

I normally assign the middle button and down button on the d-pad to zoom out and in. Watch Power Zoom Your Sony PZ Lens Underwater to learn to set that up in your Sony digicam. This implies that I do not want a zoom gear in any respect for this lens, which makes it tremendous simple that I haven’t got to consider something when I’m packing or organising my housing.

Savor all of the high-quality particulars at 35mm. // 35mm • 1/160 • f/8 • ISO 200 © Logan Wood

Autofocus

The autofocus of this lens is powered by two XD (Extreme Dynamic) Linear Motors, they usually’re quick, quiet, and clean. Practically talking, it locks onto topics simply high-quality and barely makes a sound.

Like most lenses, the autofocus efficiency principally is determined by the digicam mannequin that you simply’re capturing on, however throughout all of the Sony fashions that I’ve shot, this lens has been fast and dependable.

The autofocus on this lens retains up with fast-paced sharks, dolphins, and no matter comes your method underwater. // 16mm • 1/250 • f/16 • ISO 640 © Logan Wood

Focus Breathing

Another plus is how secure it feels when altering focus. There’s virtually no focus respiratory, which implies that the body would not shift or zoom when racking focus between topics. PZ lenses are extra geared in the direction of video capturing so this stems from Sony’s effort to make the lens higher as shifting focus between topics throughout a shot.

Minimum Focus Distance

The shut focus means can also be spectacular. You can focus all the way down to 11″ at the wide end and just over 9″ at 35mm. This lets me get proper as much as my topic for shut focus vast angle pictures, that are all the time enjoyable to shoot underwater.

The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F/4 lens is a superb device for shut focus vast angle pictures underwater. // 16mm • 1/160 • f/8 • ISO 200 © Logan Wood

That’s my breakdown of this compact killer lens, the Sony 16-35mm PZ F/4. If I missed something, or you have got some other questions, please shoot us an e-mail to [email protected].

Additional Viewing

POWER ZOOM Your Sony PZ Lens Underwater [VIDEO]

Top 3 Best Lenses for Sony Full Frame Mirrorless Underwater [VIDEO]

Sony Mirrorless Lineup Explained for Underwater [VIDEO]

Sony a1 II vs A1 // Which is Better for Underwater Photo & Videos??? [VIDEO]

Logan Wood is a broadcast photographer, cinematographer, and Producer at Ikelite. Stemming from an amazing appreciation for the outside and dwelling an lively life-style, his work focuses on capturing and sharing the pure world by the newest applied sciences. When not within the studio, Logan could be discovered cruising on his bike, going to live shows, and researching the place to go subsequent. You can see extra of his work at loganwood.net and on Instagram @jlowood