Sony
Lens · SEL1635GM · Jul 2017
Sony's first-generation professional wide zoom, and the subject of a long-running free repair programme for a circuit board fault that could render the attached camera inoperable.
Launch price
$2,198
Lens type
Zoom
Focal length
16mm–35mm
Image circle
Full Frame
This lens was covered by a Sony service notice after some units were found to make the attached camera inoperable, or to affect the camera's rear monitor. Sony traced it to a specific electrical printed circuit board and offered free inspection and repair, extending the programme several times.
It is a useful reminder that a lens fault can present as a camera fault, which is exactly the kind of misattribution a structured archive is meant to untangle.
Official notices affecting this product. These are the most authoritative records in the archive, and each links to the manufacturer's own page.
Sony offered free inspection and repair after finding that some FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM units could make the attached camera inoperable, or affect the function of the camera's rear monitor. The programme was extended to 31 March 2024.
Source: Sony support
Derived from approved ownership reports. Rates describe what owners told this archive, not manufacturer failure statistics.
Reliability score
Not yet published
No ownership reports have been submitted for this product yet. A score appears once enough owners have reported.
Recurring problems documented from owner reports and published sources, each with its own record.
Recorded from manufacturer documentation. Fields with no recorded value are omitted rather than guessed.
Optics
| Lens type | Zoom |
|---|---|
| Focal length | 16mm–35mm |
| Image circle | Full Frame |
| Special elements | Extreme Aspherical, Aspherical, ED, Super ED |
| Coatings | Nano AR, Fluorine |
Aperture
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 |
|---|---|
| Minimum aperture | f/22 |
| Aperture blades | 11 |
| Aperture ring | No |
| Variable maximum aperture | No |
Focus
| Focus motorMotor type is one of the strongest predictors of long-term autofocus failure. | Ddssm |
|---|---|
| Focus mechanismExternal focus mechanisms draw air, and with it dust, into the barrel. | Internal |
| Manual focus | Focus BY Wire |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.28 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.19 x |
Stabilisation
| Optical stabilisation | No |
|---|
Build
| Filter thread | 82 mm |
|---|---|
| Zoom mechanismInternal zoom keeps overall length fixed and reduces dust ingress. | External |
| Fluorine front coating | Yes |
| Custom controls | Focus Hold Button, AF MF Switch |
The mount this body or lens uses, the image circle it covers, and how its physical size compares to the rest of the category.
Covers Full frame and APS-C
Physical size
Scaled against the largest lens with recorded dimensions in the archive.