The Tamron 150-500mm F4-6.7 Di III VC VXD is a super-zoom lens for full-frame Sony E-mount bodies. It’s well-built, sharp and quick-to-focus. Learn what else Chris and Jordan thought about it in the DPReview TV review of the Tamron 150-500.
Camera
Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Review
Camera
A load of old pixel shift. Why I just don’t care for high-res modes
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I’d argue that multi-shot high-resolution modes are all but pointless.
Not entirely pointless: I’m sure there are applications out there where the subject stays still enough and where it’s practical to bring a tripod, and the improvement is worth the effort. And if you’re someone whose photography it suits, then I’m happy for you. But that’s very rarely the case, so it’s just not a feature I find very useful, and it’s certainly not one I’d use to choose one camera over another.
A lot of this is because most implementations are terrible. Noticeably, every brand appears to have a slightly different implementation, with the exact approach, the number of shots and whether they can be combined in-camera differing. This strongly points to it being an area in which each manufacturer is patenting its own approach and blocking others using it, and in doing so, making it harder for anyone else to deliver a usable/useful version.
Lost in a thicket of patents
It’s no surprise that some of the earliest pixel shift modes came from Olympus and Pentax: two companies that committed early to the idea of in-body stabilization, both looking for other features it could be used to deliver.
The Pentax system shoots four images, canceling out the Bayer pattern so that it has full-color information for each output pixel. This delivers greater color resolution with less aliasing, greater sharpness (through lack of demosaicing) and the improvement in noise that comes from combining multiple images. These individual shots are combined into a finished output file.
The Olympus method shoots eight images: four canceling out the Bayer pattern, then moving to position 1/2 a pixel offset from this and repeating the process to quadruple the output resolution. This system also combines the images in-camera and is unique in letting you set a delay if you were shooting, say, product photos and needed time for your strobes to recycle between shots.
It’s been mostly downhill from here, though. Sony first adopted a Pentax-like four-shot mode that had to be combined on a computer, before later adding a more Olympus-like 16-shot option. Nikon also offers a choice of Pentax-like Bayer-canceling or an Olympus-like res-boosting one, each with the option to perform it twice for a greater noise/tonal quality improvement. But, like Sony, these need to be combined off-camera, which requires a level of patience, file management and messing around in clunky own-brand software that builds into an appreciable hurdle.
Thanks to the complexity of the X-Trans sensor, the mode on its X-series camera requires 20 shots to deliver its pixel shift mode. Personally, I find that most subjects (even landscapes) have too much movement to wait this long and, on a grander scale, that life might be too short for such a commitment.
Limited benefits
Not only are they slow and clunky to use, but the benefits of multi-shot mode are often limited. Even with a static scene and optimal conditions, a 100MP multi-shot mode won’t match the results of a 100MP camera, but in most situations it often won’t even deliver its own maximal performance.
Unlike smartphones, which make extensive use of multi-shot combination, most large-sensor cameras read out their sensors quite slowly, creating appreciable delays between each shot, raising the risk of subject movement. The more sophisticated systems correct for this motion to some degree but do so by dropping back down to using a single image’s data, throwing away the detail benefit for any subject that’s moved, as well as leaving ghosts and artifacts around the image.
They’re also based on making precise sub-pixel movements, so are very sensitive to any camera motion, and can’t apply stabilization because the mechanism is too busy making pre-planned movements.
Finally, the flip-side of the higher resolution pushing aliasing to higher frequencies is that, just like a high-resolution sensor, the shots are quickly limited by diffraction. This means that you’ll need very sharp lenses, fairly wide open if you want to minimize the degree to which lens shortcomings and diffraction eat away at the hoped-for resolution boost.
My point being that it’s very easy to go to considerable extra effort for minimal gain. You still get the noise benefit, of course, but you can gain that by pressing the shutter button several times and merging the images yourself: you don’t really need a special mode for that.
Handheld multi-shot modes
Increasingly, we’re seeing handheld multi-shot modes appear, and these can be used in a broader range of circumstances. But it’s worth noting that these aren’t quite the same thing. Instead of moving the sensor in a precise, controlled way, they measure the degree to which your hand shake has moved the camera, then combine some of a burst of shots to try to boost detail levels. You don’t gain the Bayer-cancelling improvement in color resolution or sharpness through this approach, and won’t see the same degree of detail improvement.
Old man yells at cloud?
Ultimately, I’m not so vehemently against multi-shot modes that I don’t think they should exist. Even if they’re only useful to a tiny subset of users, I certainly don’t begrudge those people gaining a feature they want. But they’re so often so awkward to use and offer so little benefit in most circumstances, that I find it hard to be that enthusiastic about even the best (least-bad?) versions.
There’s a chance that my position is every bit as solipsistic as those who argue that cameras shouldn’t have video modes, just because they don’t use them. I’d like to think that my position is slightly different in that I dislike them because I don’t use them and have found them to be highly impractical and often awkward to use.
But to each their own. I’m certainly not about to start marking a camera down for having an extra feature, no matter how much clutter it adds to the menus. But equally, I’m not about to take up the cause of any commenters demanding that it’s a feature every new camera MUST have.
Camera
Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G sample gallery
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a relatively compact wide-angle zoom E-mount lens aimed at street and travel photographers.
We were able to get our hands on the lens for a day and figured most readers would be curious to see some street and architectural photography out of this lens, so we hit the streets of downtown Seattle and ducked into the Seattle Public library when the weather turned ugly.
View our Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G sample gallery
Note: Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.
Gear in this story
The Panasonic Lumix S5II launched the second generation of Panasonic’s full-frame mirrorless camera system and was the first Panasonic to feature phase detect autofocus. As our review reveals, it’s a heck of an all-around camera for both still and video shooters.
The latest Lumix puts a Four Thirds sensor in a full-frame body with boosted AF and a wealth of stills and video capabilities to create a Swiss Army Knife of a Micro Four Thirds camera.
The fourth camera in Leica’s SL series of full-frame mirrorless cameras sees the 60MP BSI sensor from the Q3 and M11 models arrive with a significant interface redesign.
The Fujifilm X100VI is the sixth iteration of Fujifilm’s classically-styled large sensor compact. A 40MP X-Trans sensor, in-body stabilization and 6.2K video are among the updates.
Camera
Sony adds FE 16-25mm F2.8 G compact fast wide-angle to lineup
Image: Sony |
Sony has announced the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G, a fast, compact wide-angle zoom designed as a twin to the recent FE 24-50mm F2.8 lens.
The 16-25mm is roughly the same dimensions as the 24-50mm and offers essentially the same features. This makes it a little longer but narrower than the existing 16-35mm F4.
The design is made up of 16 elements in 13 groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements to rein in chromatic aberration and four aspherical elements (one of which is an ED aspheric), helping to keep the lens compact. The optical performance is better than the original 16-35mm GM, and not far behind the newer GM II, the company says.
It uses twin linear motors to drive its internal focus design and doesn’t require the additional power of Sony’s XD linear motors, the company tells us. It is fully compatible with the a9 III’s 120fps modes.
Image: Sony |
The 16-25mm can focus as close as 0.17m (6.7″) at the 16mm or 0.22m (8.7″) at the 25mm end in manual focus mode. These figures increase to 0.18 and 0.24m in autofocus mode, decreasing the 0.23x maximum magnification to 0.2x.
Like the 24-50mm, it has an aperture ring with a switch to enable or disable the clicks between positions. Other than this, there’s an MF/AF switch and a customizable focus hold button on the side.
Focus breathing is fairly minimal, according to the demonstration we were shown, and this can essentially be eliminated when used with a camera that supports Sony’s focus breathing compensation function. The lens is also compatible with the company’s ‘Dynamic’ IS feature that relies on extensive communication of gyro data between the lens and camera.
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available from May 10th at a manufacturer’s recommended price of around $1199.
Sample gallery
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.
Sony Electronics Announces a Compact Wide-Angle FE 16-25mm F2.8 G Zoom Lens
A constant F2.8 full-frame E-mount lens that offers high-resolution image quality, a wide-angle zoom range and excellent portability
SAN DIEGO. April 16, 2024 – Sony Electronics is pleased to announce the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G (SEL1625G), a large-aperture wide-angle zoom lens compatible with Sony’s α™ (Alpha™) E-mount cameras. This latest addition delivers sharp imagery from 16 mm through 25 mm while maintaining a maximum aperture of F2.8 over the entire zoom range. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is the smallest and lightest constant F2.8 zoom lens that Sony has produced to date. The compact design is a signature feature of Sony’s G lens series and makes it a highly portable lens option.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G’s wide-angle lens offers photographers and videographers an expanded range of creative expression, allowing them to capture a variety of subjects including landscapes, architecture, portraits, and selfie-shooting. This new addition follows the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G standard zoom lens announced February 2024, both offering many of the same characteristics including filter diameter, aperture, and compact size and weight.
“The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G was designed to offer creators a wide-angle lens option that perfectly balances large-aperture, compact form factor, and high-image quality. This is the 73rd addition to our E-mount lens line-up, and just another step in our commitment to providing photographers and videographers with the perfect lens solutions for their specific needs,” says Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a fantastic lens with high-resolution performance, beautiful bokeh, and high precision autofocus. It is a perfect companion to the Alpha 7C R and Alpha 7C II compact full-frame camera bodies, and together they offer an unbeatable lightweight set-up.”
Key Features of FE 16-25mm F2.8 G
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G features an impressively compact and lightweight design with a width of 74.8mm (about 2.94 in), length of 91.4mm (about 3.58 in), filter diameter of φ67 mm, and weight of approximately 409g.
This lens incorporates advanced optical technology to deliver exceptional image quality across the entire frame. By incorporating three Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) elements and four aspherical lenses (including one ED aspherical lens), the lens design effectively minimizes various optical aberrations, including chromatic aberration.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G combines an 11-blade circular aperture and the optimization of spherical aberration to produce the signature smooth bokeh known to the G lens series. Moreover, it offers functional close-up shooting capabilities with a minimum shooting distance of 0.18m and a maximum magnification of 0.20x when using autofocus (AF)i.
The lens is equipped with two linear motors that enable exceptional autofocus performance, delivering high-speed, high-precision, and quiet focusing capabilities, even when capturing fast-moving subjects. These linear motors ensure swift and accurate focusing, allowing photographers and videographers to maintain sharpness and clarity in their images and videos, even in challenging shooting situations. Furthermore, it supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to 120 frames per second, a feature capable of being used when paired with the Alpha 9 III full-frame mirrorless cameraii.
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G excels in video performance, ensuring smooth and precise focusing even when shooting high-frame-rate videos such as 4K120p or FHD240piii. The lens is equipped with linear response manual focus (MF), allowing videographers to make precise focus adjustments with ease. Additionally, it supports in-body Active Mode Image Stabilizationiv and Focus Breathing to optimize video capture.
The lens is equipped with practical and user-friendly functionality including a customizable focus hold button, aperture ring, aperture click ON/OFF switch, and a focus mode switch. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G’s design is dust and moisture resistantv, and includes a fluorine coating to further prevent dirt from sticking to the front surface of the lens.
Pricing and Availability
The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available for pre-sale April 17, 2024, and purchase May 10, 2024. It will retail for approximately $1,199.99 USD and $1,599.99 CAN, at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.
i Maximum magnification is 0.2x (AF)/0.23x (MF) with a minimum focus distance of 0.18 m (0.59ft) (AF) / 0.17 m (0.56ft) (MF) at the 16 mm end of the range and 0.24 m (AF) (0.79ft) / 0.22 m (0.73ft) (MF) at the 25 mm end of the range for superb wide-angle close-up performance.
ii Sony test conditions. Maximum continuous frame rate may be lower in some shooting conditions. Continuous shooting speed may vary depending on the lens used in AF-C focus modes. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information.
iii Depends on the camera used.
iv Compatible models only.
v Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.
Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G specifications
Principal specifications | |
---|---|
Lens type | Zoom lens |
Max Format size | 35mm FF |
Focal length | 16–25 mm |
Image stabilization | No |
Lens mount | Sony E, Sony FE |
Aperture | |
Maximum aperture | F2.8 |
Minimum aperture | F22 |
Aperture ring | No |
Number of diaphragm blades | 11 |
Aperture notes | Rounded blades |
Optics | |
Elements | 16 |
Groups | 13 |
Special elements / coatings | 3 ED lenses, 1 ED Asph, 3 Asph |
Focus | |
Minimum focus | 0.17 m (6.69″) |
Maximum magnification | 0.23× |
Autofocus | Yes |
Motor type | Linear Motor |
Full time manual | Unknown |
Focus method | Internal |
Distance scale | No |
DoF scale | No |
Physical | |
Weight | 409 g (0.90 lb) |
Diameter | 75 mm (2.95″) |
Length | 91 mm (3.58″) |
Zoom method | Rotary (extending) |
Power zoom | No |
Zoom lock | No |
Filter thread | 67 mm |
Hood supplied | Yes |
Tripod collar | No |
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