The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM with a length of 122mm is 15mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM also has a larger diameter of 98mm compared to Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM's 89mm diameter.
Below you can find the scaled side by side image of Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM to get a better idea of how their size compare in real life.
Comparison image of Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Size and Weight Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM weighs 680g, 19% (167g) lighter than the Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM's weight of 847g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7R V, Sony FX30 and Sony A7 IV.
Focal Range
Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM has a focal range of 12-24mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 18 - 36mm.
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.