Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2) vs Minolta AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF

Side-by-side comparison from our catalogue data. Better values are highlighted only where a clear difference exists.

Sony

Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2)

Minolta

AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF

Verdict at a glance

Minolta AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF is lighter by 143g.
Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2) goes wider (16mm vs 135mm).
Minolta AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF reaches further (135mm vs 35mm).
Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2) is the newer design (2015 vs 1999).

Specification comparison
Spec	Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2)	AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF
Brand	Sony	Minolta
Mount	Sony A	Sony A
Type	Wide Zoom	Telephoto
Focal length	16-35mm (wider)	135mm
Max aperture	f/2.8	f/2.8
Released	2015	1999
Blades	9	n/a
Format	full-frame	full-frame
Groups	13	6
Af motor	SSM	none
Elements	17	8
Weight g	873	730 (lighter)
Filter mm	77	72
Length mm	114.0	99.0
Min focus m	0.28 (closer focusing)	0.87
Max magnification	0.24	0.25

Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II (SAL1635Z2)

The second version of Sony's Zeiss wide zoom for A-mount, with a constant f/2.8 aperture and SSM focusing. It weighs about 873 g and takes 77mm filters.

Pros

Constant f/2.8 aperture
SSM autofocus
Revised optics over the first version
Close focus of 0.28 m

Cons

Heavy at about 873 g
No stabilization (camera-based only)

Minolta AF 135mm f/2.8 [T4.5] STF

A manual-focus 135mm lens with an apodization element for exceptionally smooth out-of-focus areas. It weighs about 730 g and has a T4.5 transmission at f/2.8.

Pros

Apodization for smooth blur
Distinctive rendering
72mm filters
Sharp

Cons

Manual focus only
Light loss (T4.5)

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