![\"Best](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Fujifilm-16mm2_355382482_615619111-378x400.jpg\")
\nThis lens is the second 16mm prime Fujifilm has made for its X-series cameras, after the XF16mm F1.4 R WR. As we\u2019ve seen before with the 23mm f\/2 and 35mm f\/2 lenses, it\u2019s an affordable alternative to the firm\u2019s larger and faster primes.<\/p>\n
Equivalent to 24mm in 35mm terms, its petite size sees it pair up very nicely with the smallest models in the X-series such as the X-T100 and X-T30. It looks great coupled to Fujifilm\u2019s premium X-series models such as the X-T3 or X-Pro 3, too, and backs up its good aesthetics with an excellent feel to the aperture and focus rings. Added to this, it has a robust metal exterior and the WR abbreviation in its name indicates it\u2019s weather resistant.<\/p>\n
During our testing we observed that it goes about its business of focusing a little more quietly than Fujifilm\u2019s XF16mm F1.4 R WR and is also less prone to hunting. As you might expect, the larger and more expensive XF16mm F1.4 R WR is optically superior in terms of sharpness. However, we\u2019re looking at a lens that delivers respectable image quality, with the best edge-to-edge performance located between f\/4 and f\/5.6.<\/p>\n
Fujifilm users who\u2019d like to keep their set-up as light and compact as possible when travelling or heading out with a camera and single lens will fall in love with this prime very quickly. It represents good value, too. Add this lens and the excellent XF50mm F2 R WR to your kit, and you\u2019ll end up spending less than if you were to buy the XF16mm F1.4 R WR on its own.<\/p>\n
What we like<\/strong> Recommended 4.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a3629 \u25cf www.sony.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n This is the third 35mm prime in Sony\u2019s FE line-up, following on from the tiny f\/2.8 lens that appeared alongside the original Alpha 7 and 7R in 2013, and the huge, premium f\/1.4 offering of 2015. Of the three, it offers the best balance of size, weight, and optical quality, while also being the most affordable.<\/p>\n At 73mm in length and 280g in weight, the FE 35mm F1.8 is much more compact than the majority of Sony\u2019s full-frame lenses, and a far better match physically to the firm\u2019s full-frame mirrorless bodies.<\/p>\n It can focus as close as 22cm, which gives a higher maximum magnification of 0.24x compared to its f\/2.8 and f\/1.4 siblings. A physical AF\/MF switch is placed on the side of the barrel, along with an AF-stop button that\u2019s programmable from the camera body.<\/p>\n Autofocus is super-fast, near silent and pretty much perfectly accurate. Optical quality is very good indeed, delivering image files that are highly detailed from corner to corner, with minimal distortion and low levels of colour fringing from chromatic aberration. Distant out-of-focus backgrounds are rendered with a very attractive blur, too.<\/p>\n Overall, this is a fine little lens and a great match for Sony\u2019s range of compact full-frame mirrorless camera bodies. It\u2019s small, light and weather sealed, yet still provides impressive image quality and near-instantaneous autofocus.<\/p>\n Some might question why you\u2019d pay \u00a3630 for a lens that\u2019s \u2018only\u2019 f\/1.8, but the reality is that you\u2019re getting seriously high-end performance here. It deserves to be on many an Alpha 7 user\u2019s Christmas list.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 4.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a31,149 \u25cf www.zeiss.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s no getting away from the fact that the Zeiss\u2019s latest autofocus prime in its Batis line-up for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras is both bulky, and extremely expensive for an f\/2 lens. Some photographers may also be put off by the unusual focal length, which is far less common than either of its 35mm or 50mm neighbours.<\/p>\n But to dismiss the Zeiss Batis 40mm F2 CF on any of these grounds would be a huge mistake, because it\u2019s a truly wonderful standard lens that\u2019s a fantastic match for Sony Alpha 7-series cameras.<\/p>\n So what makes this lens so special? First and foremost, the image quality it delivers is about as close to flawless as you could hope, with superb detail rendition and minimal aberrations. Its close-up shooting ability, with a 24cm minimum-focus distance that gives one-third life-size magnification, is really handy, too. On top of this, the build quality is superb, with a sturdy weather-sealed metal barrel. Autofocus is quick, silent and accurate, while the small OLED panel that displays distance and depth-of-field information is a bonus for manual-focus shooting.<\/p>\n But what about that unfamiliar focal length? As it happens, there\u2019s a hard core of photographers who\u2019ll swear that this represents the ideal standard lens on full-frame, bringing an extremely natural perspective to your images. For those who love shooting with 40mm lenses and the look of the images they produce, this is an absolutely stunning example of the type.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a3359 \u25cf www.sigma-imaging-uk.com<\/a><\/p>\n This delightful little prime is a top choice for mirrorless users looking for a fast short-telephoto lens. With the E-mount version being equivalent to 84mm and the Micro Four Thirds version offering 112mm coverage, it\u2019s well matched to applications such as portraiture, reportage and travel photography.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the smallest of Sigma\u2019s three DC DN lenses, weighing just 280g. The optical construction consists of 10 elements in six groups, with one special low dispersion (SLD) glass element and two aspherical elements used to curtail optical aberrations.<\/p>\n In keeping with Sigma\u2019s Contemporary ethos, it delivers a high performance at a sensible price while feeling reassuringly solid and well constructed in the hand. The super-smooth focus ring allows you to make precise manual-focus adjustments, but with no AF\/MF switch, you need to select the focus mode via the camera.<\/p>\n The aesthetic out-of-focus specular highlights at wide apertures is particularly pleasing, with nicely rendered circular highlights in the centre of the frame. Cat\u2019s-eye bokeh is observed towards the edge at f\/1.4, but this is less pronounced when you stop down. Centre sharpness is good at f\/1.4, but stopping down to f\/2 and f\/4 yields crisper results.<\/p>\n The nature of its size means that it doesn\u2019t dwarf small mirrorless cameras, and those who are after a fast prime that\u2019s neither too heavy or too cumbersome will enjoy the handling and overall experience of using it. For the price and size of the lens, you can\u2019t argue with its image quality.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 4.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a3899 \u25cf www.tamron.eu\/uk<\/a><\/p>\n This wideangle zoom for Sony mirrorless cameras maintains much the same design philosophy as Tamron\u2019s highly regarded 28-75mm F\/2.8 Di III RXD, being a large-aperture zoom that achieves a compact size by employing a relatively modest focal-length range. This approach makes sense, as most users will surely pair it with a 24mm or 28mm standard zoom.<\/p>\n In fact the 17-28mm is surely the smallest and lightest f\/2.8 full-frame wide zoom on the market, weighing in at just 420g. It also uses relatively small 67mm filters, the same size as the 28-75mm f\/2.8. As befits a lens that\u2019s ideal for landscape work, the barrel features moisture-resistant construction for shooting outdoors in challenging conditions, with fluorine coating on the front element to repel raindrops and fingerprints alike.<\/p>\n Most importantly, Tamron has succeeded in delivering the optical characteristics that are most valuable for this kind of lens, with high resolution right across the frame even at f\/2.8, low distortion, and strong resistance to flare. In addition, the RXD autofocus drive is super fast and essentially silent in operation, and works well for both stills and video. The net result is a lens that delivers excellent images with the minimum of fuss.<\/p>\n Indeed, the Tamron 17-28mm f\/2.8 is now arguably the standout choice for Alpha 7 users who are looking for a small, lightweight wideangle zoom. It\u2019s an extremely likeable lens, and landscape photographers in particular should appreciate its finely judged combination of strengths.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a3799 \u25cf www.olympus.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Serious photographers tend to be suspicious of all-in-one lenses, on the grounds that the larger the zoom ratio, the lower the optical quality must be. On that basis, it would be easy to overlook this 24-400mm equivalent, 16.6x superzoom. But Olympus has already shown, with its exceptional 12-100mm F4 IS Pro, that it knows how to make this kind of lens, and in practice, the 12-200mm performs much better than expected.<\/p>\n Indeed for some photographers this might be the perfect lens for travelling light. Its massive range is complemented by impressively short close focus, with a 0.46x equivalent magnification at full zoom. The lightweight plastic barrel benefits from dust- and splash-proof construction, making it a great companion to E-M5-series cameras for shooting outdoors in less-than-perfect weather. This really is a lens that can tackle almost every subject.<\/p>\n In terms of optical quality, this isn\u2019t the best choice for pixel-peepers. Like most superzooms, it\u2019s pretty good at its wider settings, but gets less sharp as you zoom in, and is plain soft at telephoto. So it\u2019s not the best choice if you\u2019re looking for crisp detail corner to corner when viewing your images up-close onscreen. However, thanks to integrated software corrections, images are free of the unsightly distortion and colour fringing that are usually associated with superzooms. For those who value the creative potential of having a huge range of focal lengths in a single lens, it\u2019s a really interesting option.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 4\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a31,819 \u25cf www.nikon.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n After releasing a couple of f\/4 zooms and f\/1.8 primes, it\u2019s good to see the first professional f\/2.8 lenses starting to arrive for Nikon\u2019s full-frame Z system. Whereas the Z 24-70mm f\/4 S is quite compact, with its retracting zoom mechanism, this lens is significantly larger. But it\u2019s still 265g lighter and 28.5mm shorter in length than Nikon\u2019s AF-S 24-70mm f\/2.8 E ED VR.<\/p>\n As well as introducing a new multi-layer ARNEO coating to maximise contrast and sharpness when light sources are visible in the frame, it includes a ring to take control of exposure compensation or aperture. The illuminated panel can be set to display focal length, aperture or focus distance information, while the build and finish is deserving of the serious enthusiast and professional users it\u2019s designed for.<\/p>\n Like other camera manufacturers, Nikon has taken the direction of embedding lens-correction profiles into raw files, which are applied automatically by the processing software to eliminate colour fringing and distortion. The gorgeous blur the lens creates behind subjects at wide apertures is nothing short of sublime, and if you insist on the best possible sharpness at the longer end of the zoom, it\u2019s advisable to stop down to at least f\/4.<\/p>\n This is a lens that produces outstanding sharpness and contrast, is built to withstand the demands of professional use, and balances beautifully on Nikon\u2019s full-frame Z-series bodies. Advanced features such as the control ring, L-Fn button and information panel are the icing on the cake. Yes, it\u2019s expensive, but it\u2019s also the best Z-mount zoom lens we\u2019ve tested so far.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong> Recommended 5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf \u00a31,799 \u25cf www.sony.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Not only is this the first 600mm zoom made by a major camera company, it\u2019s also the first to feature an internal-zoom design. Just a quarter turn of the zoom ring is needed to progress from 200mm to 600mm, and it\u2019s difficult to overstate just how much of an advantage this becomes when you need to change focal length quickly.<\/p>\n In essence, the FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is an ultra-telephoto zoom that\u2019s designed for use with Sony\u2019s full-frame mirrorless cameras. Its maximum aperture may look slow, but in practice there\u2019s no penalty in terms of viewfinder brightness or autofocus speed under most shooting conditions. The lens can also be used with APS-C format cameras, on which it will provide a 300-900mm-equivalent range.<\/p>\n While this is a sizeable lens, measuring 31.8cm in length and 11.8cm in diameter, at 2,115g it\u2019s not as heavy as you might expect, thanks to a liberal use of magnesium alloy in the barrel construction. As befits a lens that will overwhelmingly be used outdoors, it includes an array of seals protecting against water and dust from entering the lens. It also comes complete with a smoothly rotating tripod collar.<\/p>\n We haven\u2019t reviewed the lens fully yet, but in our initial shooting we found it to focus quickly and accurately, and deliver sharp images wide open across the full zoom range. It\u2019s a unique optic that\u2019s sure to be very popular with Sony users for subjects such as sports, wildlife, and airshows.<\/p>\n What we like<\/strong>
\n\u25cf Good saving to be made over the XF16mm F1.4 R WR
\n\u25cf 17cm minimum focus distance
\n\u25cf Lovely feel to both the aperture and focus rings<\/p>\n
\nSony FE 35mm F1.8<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Compact and lightweight
\n\u25cf Excellent optics
\n\u25cf Splash-proof construction<\/p>\n
\nZeiss Batis 40mm F2 CF<\/h3>\n
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\n
\n\u25cf Supreme optics
\n\u25cf Handy close-focus feature
\n\u25cf Weather-sealed construction<\/p>\n
\nSigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Small and light
\n\u25cf Solid-feeling build
\n\u25cf Very pleasing bokeh<\/p>\n
\nTamron 17-28mm F\/2.8 Di III RXD<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Bright maximum aperture
\n\u25cf Excellent optical quality
\n\u25cf Compact size and light weight<\/p>\n
\nOlympus M.Zuiko ED 12-200mm F3.5-6.3<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Massive zoom range gives huge compositional flexibility
\n\u25cf Good for close-ups
\n\u25cf Weather-sealed construction<\/p>\n
\nNikon Z 24-70mm f\/2.8 S<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Lighter than Canon and Sony equivalents
\n\u25cf Presents both a focus ring and a control ring
\n\u25cf Features a customisable function button (L-Fn)<\/p>\n
\nSony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS<\/h3>\n
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\n\u25cf Internal zoom mechanism
\n\u25cf Light enough to handhold
\n\u25cf Rapid autofocus<\/p>\n
\nSigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports<\/h3>\n
![\"Best](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Sigma-60-600mm_355382521_615619111-400x400.jpg\")
\n![\"Best](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Sigma-70-200mm_355382531_615619111-400x400.jpg\")
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