This E-mount full frame telephoto zoom lens features a constant f/4 max aperture, Optical Steadyshot™ image stabilization to keep your shot stable even when conditions are not, and a rugged dust and moisture-resistant build that makes it worthy companion for wherever your adventures take you.
Aluminum alloy lens barrel
Aluminum alloy is used in the construction of the G Lenses and other high-end lenses to ensure high optical performance. This material is lightweight, durable, and highly resistant to the effects of temperature change.
Aspherical lens elements
Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped "aspherical" elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight. Advanced Aspherical (AA) elements are an evolved variant, featuring an extremely high thickness ratio between the center and periphery. AA elements are exceedingly difficult to produce, relying on the most advanced molding technology to consistently and precisely achieve the required shape and surface accuracy, resulting in significantly improved image accuracy and quality.
Circular Aperture
Because the aperture blades form a near circle at the wide openings used for low-light shots, spot-light sources have a pleasing circular defocused effect. The lens features nine aperture blades.
Dust and moisture resistant design
Like the a7-series full frame E-mount bodies, critical areas of the lens exterior feature dust and moisture resistant seals that help to ensure reliable operation even in adverse environmental conditions. The lens exterior features an elegant aluminum finish, adding sophistication that is consistent with the high quality standards implied by the Carl Zeiss name.
ED (Extra-low Dispersion)
Two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements minimize chromatic aberration for sharp, clear images with well defined colors.
Focus hold button
Once you've adjusted focus to where you want it, pressing this button on the lens barrel will keep the lens locked to that focusing distance. The preview function can also be assigned to this button through the camera's custom settings.
Focus Range Limiter
Used when you need the quickest possible autofocus response within a certain focal range. The lens will only autofocus within the set range eliminating AF at focal lengths outside.
Lens-based optical image stabilization
Gyro sensors built into the lens detect even the slightest movement, and the stabilization lens is precisely shifted to counteract any image blur that might occur. The use of precision, quiet linear motors and technology inherited from high-end Sony professional camcorders results in exceptionally quiet, effective image stabilization that contributes to high-quality movies as well as stills.
Nano AR Coating
Effectively suppress reflections that can cause flare and ghosting with Sony's original Nano AR Coating technology. This precisely defined regular nano-structure allows accurate light transmission, contributing to high-quality images, even more so than lenses with coatings that use an irregular nano-structure. The reflection suppression characteristic of the Nano AR Coating is superior to conventional anti-reflective coatings, providing a notable improvement in clarity, contrast, and overall image quality.
Internal Focusing
Only the middle groups of the optical system move to achieve focus, so the overall length of the lens does not change. Other important benefits include fast autofocusing and a short minimum focusing distance. Also, the filter thread at the front of the lens does not rotate, which is convenient if you're using a polarizing filter.
SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor)
Designed for fast, smooth, silent automatic focusing, this unique technology achieves high torque at low speed with rapid start/stop response. It operates through the ability of a piezoelectric device to reshape itself quickly when voltage is applied.