The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Sony DT 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II is the longer of the two lenses at 114mm. The Sony DT 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 with a length of 81mm, is 33mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 83mm.
The 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 DT 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 weighs 360g, 58% (512g) lighter than the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II's weight of 872g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Sony DT 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Focal Range
Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II 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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.
Sony DT 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 11-18mm and 1.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 16.5-27mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.