Photo: Sony Lens names can be quite complicated, with some brands including every detail about the lens in their name. Thankfully, Sony takes a more simplistic approach. Its lens names are generally concise and straightforward, without an extensive list of acronyms and abbreviations to decipher.
Still, there are some terms included in Sony lens names that are important to understand.
Lens format
Before the focal length of the lens, Sony includes information about what size sensor the lens is compatible with.
FE and E
The E PZ 16-50mm F3. 5-5. 6 OSS II lens is designed for APS-C cameras, as the 'E' at the start of the lens name shows.
Image: Sony
First and foremost, as with other companies, Sony includes a lens's sensor compatibility at the very beginning of a lens name. Lenses that start with FE, such as the Sony FE 24-70mm F2. 8 GM II, are designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. These can be used on any Sony E mount camera, including its crop sensor offerings.
The E at the start of a Sony lens name means that it is made for the company's APS-C mirrorless cameras. While these lenses will work on Sony's full-frame E mount cameras, they cover a smaller image circle and will result in heavy vignetting (black corners). You can set the camera to crop automatically to avoid vignetting, but doing so means the camera will use a smaller APS-C-sized portion of the sensor.
Lens features
After the focal length and maximum aperture, there may be a few other abbreviations, depending on the lens. These refer to either specific lens features or the lens lineup to which it belongs.
OSS
The FE 28-70mm F3. 5-5. 6 OSS offers optical stabilization.
Image: Sony
OSS stands for 'Optical SteadyShot. ' This terminology is Sony's phrasing for optical stabilization. As with any other brand's stabilization, it aims to reduce blur from camera shake when using slower shutter speeds.
PZ
A 'PZ' in the lens name means that it offers power zoom capabilities. This feature isn't exclusive to Sony; Canon, for example, also manufactures power zoom lenses and adapters. Power zoom lenses enable motorized control of the zoom ring, making it ideal for smooth and consistent zoom operation during video work.
DDSSM, RDSSM and XD
Sony also uses acronyms to refer to its brand-specific autofocus motors. These autofocus motor acronyms aren't in the lens names, but you will see them mentioned in lens descriptions. The Direct Drive Super Sonic wave Motor, abbreviated as DDSSM, is designed for precision autofocus with larger and heavier full-frame lenses. Sony promises quiet autofocus from these motors, making them ideal for video applications.
The Ring Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor (RDSSM) is a piezoelectric motor that promises smooth, precise and silent autofocus operation. Lastly, the Extreme Dynamic Linear Motor (XD LM) is Sony's version of a linear motor, developed to offer higher thrust and efficiency, allowing it to meet the demands of high-speed cameras.
Lens series
Sony's lens lineup also includes various lens classes to meet the needs of different types of creatives. These include its in-house classifications, the G and GM series, and a series of lenses that also feature Zeiss branding.
G, GM
The FE 50-150mm F2 GM is part of Sony's top-tier GM lineup.
Image: Sony
You may see either 'G' or 'GM' in Sony lens names. These refer to specific Sony lens lineups. The G lineup, which stands for Gold Standard, is Sony's advanced enthusiast series of lenses that sits above the company's basic kit lenses. They promise good sharpness, reliable autofocus and weather sealing. They come at lower prices than Sony's top-tier lenses, and, as a result, offer slightly slower maximum apertures and less specialized optical formulas.
GM stands for G Master, which is Sony's top-of-the-line series. GM lenses are professional-grade and designed for the most demanding photographers and videographers. They feature advanced optical designs for maximum sharpness and clarity, more robust weather sealing, faster autofocus motors, improved bokeh and faster maximum apertures. Of course, all of those improvements come with a larger, heavier build and higher prices than other Sony lenses.
Sonnar T*, Vario-Sonnar T*, Distagon T*, or Planar T*
The Sonnar E 24mm F1. 8 ZA lens was made in collaboration with Zeiss.
Image: Sony
Some Sony lenses may have additional words before the lens format, plus a 'ZA' (Zeiss Alpha) at the end. These lenses are co-branded with Zeiss, the German optics company, which provided support to Sony throughout the optical design and development process. ZA lenses sit above the G range, promising improved performance over G lenses. However, Sony appears to have stopped licensing the Zeiss name after it began developing its GM series of lenses, which meet even more stringent standards than those required by the Zeiss collaboration.
Sonnar lenses, such as the Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2. 8 ZA, use an optical design originally developed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele in 1930. These are prime lenses that are relatively simple in design, lightweight and offer fast maximum apertures. Vario-Sonnar lenses also use the Sonnar optical design, but with zoom capability. Like the prime versions, they are designed to be compact but with greater flexibility, thanks to the zoom capabilities.
The Distagon FE 35mm F1. 4 ZA is also a co-branded lens from Sony and Zeiss.
Image: Sony
The Distagon lens design was created in 1952 to produce quality results from wide-angle lenses. As a result, Distagon lenses, such as the Distagon T* FE 35mm F1. 4 ZA, are all wide-angle lenses. They also offer fast maximum apertures.
Lenses with 'Planar' in the name, such as the Sony Planar T* FE 50mm F1. 4 ZA, use the Zeiss Double-Gauss design. These promise low distortion and excellent flat field sharpness, which is ideal for edge-to-edge detail.
You'll notice that all of these lenses have 'T*' in the name. That designation refers to the T* coating, which promises improved color fidelity and image clarity.
. dpreview.com2025-11-12 17:24
