Conclusion

The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS is a great upgrade for your NEX/Alpha kit lens, offering much better image quality across the versatil focal range, a useful constant aperture of f/4, built-in image stabilisation, great build quality and reliable auto-focusing. The high price tag will inevitably put a lot of people off, but if you can afford it the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS delivers excellent image quality and high sharpness from f/5.6-f/11 at all focal lengths, with performance only dropping off a little at the edges of the frame. If you've outgrown the capabilities of the standard zoom that came with your camera and don't want to invest in a bag of prime lenses, then you should definitely consider the new Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4