Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G

Reviewers find it very sharp in the centre from f/4, with corners at 12mm that need f/8 to look their best. Distortion is well corrected for the angle, and lateral colour is low. Flare is handled reasonably well, but strong sun in the frame can produce visible ghosts.

The common comparison is with the later 12-24 GM: the f/4 G gives up a stop and some corner performance in exchange for being far lighter and much cheaper. The lack of a filter thread is the most-cited practical limit for landscape work.

Owners like how light it is for an ultra-wide zoom and say it lives in travel and hiking bags. Real-estate photographers value the 12mm end for small rooms and find distortion easy to correct.

Complaints focus on the lack of filters, soft extreme corners at 12mm wide open and the f/4 aperture for night-sky work. A few owners mention flare and ghosting with the sun in frame.