{"id":3509,"date":"2014-06-15T15:29:43","date_gmt":"2014-06-15T20:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=3509"},"modified":"2014-06-15T16:01:18","modified_gmt":"2014-06-15T21:01:18","slug":"review-carl-zeiss-16-70mm-f4-vario-tessar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-carl-zeiss-16-70mm-f4-vario-tessar\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Carl Zeiss 16-70mm f\/4 Vario-Tessar T* ZA OSS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carl Zeiss has been making lenses for longer than most anyone in the industry, and while they still produce their own lens lines for a variety of camera mounts, they have a more intimate relationship with Sony, producing a variety of E and A mount exclusives. \u00a0Today’s review focuses on a somewhat recent release for Sony’s E-mount mirrorless cameras, the 16-70mm f\/4 Vario-Tessar (Given the designation SEL1670Z in Sony land). \u00a0This standard zoom for APS-C cameras covers an extremely useful range of focal lengths, equivalent to 24-105mm on a full frame camera. \u00a0The lens’ constant f\/4 aperture and relatively compact size makes this a very attractive offer for Sony shooters, though some will be put off by the $999 price tag. \u00a0Let’s dive in and see if it is worth the cost of admission.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Zeiss 16-70mm f\/4 Vario-Tessar on the Sony NEX-6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with my reviews, I review from a real world shooting perspective. \u00a0You won\u2019t find lens charts or resolution numbers here. \u00a0There are plenty of other sites that cover those. \u00a0I review products on how they act for me as a photographic tool in real-world shooting.<\/em><\/p>\n

Around the Lens –\u00a0Build Quality<\/h3>\n

The 16-70mm f\/4 is a relatively compact lens considering the constant maximum aperture and relatively wide zoom range. \u00a0It is constructed predominantly of metal, with the main barrel, zoom and focus rings all having a rigid\u00a0aluminum construction. \u00a0These parts feel very nice in the hand and solid. \u00a0The extending barrel of the lens, which protrudes as the focal length is increased, is constructed of plastic. \u00a0While the plastic extending tube doesn’t wobble and is sturdy enough, the feel of the plastic is a little underwhelming. \u00a0It has an almost cheap feel to it, which is the very opposite of the rest of the lens.<\/p>\n

The zoom mechanism is smooth and the focus ring is silky, though I wish it had slightly more damping. \u00a0The review sample tested had a very small amount of play when operating the zoom ring, though in talking with other photographers, this appears to be a minor issue with this specific copy of the lens, and not a widespread concern.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Zeiss 16-70mm at 16mm (left) and 70mm (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Included with the lens is a plastic petal type lens hood that is well constructed and finished. \u00a0The hood clicks on to the recessed bayonet mount, providing a fluid\u00a0appearance when the lens is set to 16mm. \u00a0The hood reverses for storage and doesn’t take up very much additional space.<\/p>\n

Handling, Autofocus and Stabilization<\/h3>\n
\"Fallsville<\/a>
Fallsville Falls, OH – Sony NEX-6 with Zeiss 16-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS @ 38mm, f\/13, 1\/8 second handheld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 16-70mm is small and light enough to handle quite well on my NEX-6. \u00a0The useful focal range makes it an ideal walkaround lens for street or event shooting, as well as convenient for landscape photography.<\/p>\n

The autofocus motor on the Zeiss 16-70mm is rather quick and very quiet. \u00a0I had no issues with autofocus accuracy, and focus acquisition was generally quite quick and sure. \u00a0In dim light, focus can slow down a bit, but accuracy remained high.<\/p>\n

The Vario-Tessar features Sony’s Optical SteadyShot stabilization (OSS) to allow for handholding at slower speeds than would otherwise be possible. \u00a0Given the modest f\/4 maximum aperture, the OSS comes in quite handing for typical shooting. The 16-70’s OSS I found to be decently effective, though it falls short of the very best stabilization systems that I’ve used. \u00a0I found I could typically handhold the 16-70mm at speeds between two and three stops slower than I would otherwise be able to handhold.<\/p>\n

The shot at the right was taken handheld. \u00a0I stopped by this waterfall on a whim last week, and I had forgotten to pack my tripod quick release plate for the camera (though I did have my tripod). \u00a0While I wasn’t going to be able to get great shots without my tripod here, I decided to use the visit as a scouting trip (I’ll post photos from the real trip, which I did this past Saturday, very soon). \u00a0Using only the image stabilizer and handholding, I was able to take this image at 38mm at only 1\/8 second. \u00a0This is around 3 stops slower than the typical 1\/(35mm equivalent focal length) rule that most people use. \u00a0Due to the angle I was holding the camera and my precarious positioning in the stream, I had to take several images at this speed to get one that was sharp, though the lens more consistently produced sharp results at 1\/15 second.<\/p>\n

Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Image Quality<\/h3>\n
\"Ladders<\/a>
Ladders – Sony NEX-6 with Zeiss 16-70mm f\/4 @ 51mm, f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharpness<\/h4>\n

Carl Zeiss lenses are renowned for their image sharpness, high contrast and rich color. \u00a0On the sharpness front, the 16-70mm f\/4 falls a little short of expectations, though still puts in a solid performance. \u00a0Images show good central sharpness throughout the zoom range right from f\/4. \u00a0Image borders and corners are a little soft at the widest aperture. \u00a0Stopping down brings the central part of the frame into outstanding territory and the image borders to a very good level, though the extreme corners lag a bit and never really get sharp. That last remaining softness\u00a0is of minimal concern in daily use, though it does limit the lens’ usefulness as a landscape optic for those who are picky about cross-frame sharpness.<\/p>\n

To get an idea of how the lens performs, click on the image to the right, then click on the green arrow at the bottom of the screen to\u00a0view a large version of the image.<\/p>\n

Bokeh<\/h4>\n

With a maximum aperture of f\/4, there’s not a tremendous amount of blur that can be created throughout most of the range, though the lens is capable of providing some subject separation at the longer end of the zoom range, and provides plenty at 70mm when shooting tighter portraits or closer objects. \u00a0Given the relatively close minimum focus distance of 13 inches, the lens does a good job for closeup photography, though it falls far short of a macro lens.<\/p>\n

The 16-70mm produces quite pleasing bokeh for a standard zoom lens, with smooth gradations and very even and smooth specular highlights. \u00a0 The quality of the bokeh doesn’t vary much over the focal range, maintaining good smoothness at any zoom setting and both close up and at further focus distances. \u00a0Overall, this is a very impressive performance in a standard zoom.<\/p>\n

\"Bokeh<\/a>
Bokeh – Sony NEX-6 with Zeiss 16-70mm f\/4 @ 70mm, f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Color, Contrast and Chromatic Aberration<\/h3>\n

Typical of most Zeiss lenses, the 16-70mm provides ample image contrast and very pleasing, rich color response. \u00a0There’s just a little something extra that ‘pops’ a bit with this lens<\/p>\n

The lens isn’t perfect with regards to chromatic aberration, but I found it not to be particularly noticeable in everyday shooting. \u00a0Longitudinal CA can be present in out of focus areas under the right circumstances, but even there, it’s relatively well controlled. \u00a0The minor lateral CA can be taken care of with a simple click in RAW development programs such as Lightroom.<\/p>\n

Distortion, Vignetting and Flare<\/h3>\n

The 16-70mm features a fairly typical distortion profile for a standard zoom lens. \u00a0There is some barrel distortion at the wide end (which can be quite visible at 16mm when shooting architectural subjects), and a bit of pincushion distortion at the long end. \u00a0These distortions are corrected in-camera if you shoot JPEG, and Lightroom contains a profile that will also correct them automatically if you so desire.<\/p>\n

The 16-70mm f\/4 shows some visible corner shading at wide apertures, and even a small amount of residual vignetting when stopped down, though neither are particularly objectionable.<\/p>\n

With regards to flare, I unfortunately did not get a chance to test the lens against bright light. \u00a0The first day I had the lens, we had plenty of sun, but I was simply intent on getting to know the lens at that point. \u00a0Later in the week, we had a series of overcast days that precluded shooting into the sun, so a thorough evaluation of flare couldn’t be performed.<\/p>\n

Continue: Conclusion and Image Samples<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Pros<\/h4>\n