{"id":1326,"date":"2021-12-10T10:21:17","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2021\/12\/10\/sony-fe-24-70mm-f-2-8-gm-review\/"},"modified":"2021-12-10T10:21:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:21:17","slug":"sony-fe-24-70mm-f-2-8-gm-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2021\/12\/10\/sony-fe-24-70mm-f-2-8-gm-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In its infancy, the Sony Alpha 7 series fell short of offering its users a wide range of lenses. As is often the case with any new camera system, it took time for the full-frame FE mount to establish itself, but now, a couple of years down the line from the launch of the original A7 and A7R, Sony Alpha 7 users find themselves much better catered for.<\/p>\n

\"Sony-G-Master-lenses-1024x576\"
Sony has released three G-Master lenses for the Alpha 7-series, with more expected to follow. Pictured from left to right is the Sony FE 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS, Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM and Sony FE 85mm f\/1.4 GM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One area of the lens line-up that we\u2019ve been patiently waiting for the manufacturer to address is the absence of zoom lenses capable of shooting faster than f\/4, and up until recently, photographers wishing to couple faster zooms to an Alpha 7-series body have needed an adapter to use either Sony\u2019s own A-mount lenses or those from manufacturers such as Canon or Nikon. It has been a long time coming, but it\u2019s encouraging to see Sony launch a series of faster full-frame FE mount lenses labelled \u2018G-Master\u2019 (GM) lenses, which are designed to sit above the current \u2018G-series\u2019 range. Currently, there are three lenses that make up the GM line-up. The first of these under the spotlight is the Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM and we\u2019ll be following up with reviews of the new Sony FE 85mm f\/1.4 GM and Sony FE 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS as they arrive in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM\u00a0\u2013 Features<\/h2>\n

Compared to the smaller and lighter Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS \u2013 a lens with an optical construction of 12 elements in 10 groups \u2013 this new optic sports a more complex design comprising 18 elements in 13 groups with nine aperture blades. When you consider how many additional internal elements it has over the older model, it\u2019ll come as no surprise that what we\u2019re looking at is a significantly larger and heavier lens.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0448\"
The Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM coupled to the Sony Alpha 7R II, with which it was tested for our review.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Towards the front of its internal construction is a newly developed extreme aspherical (XA) lens element, which is joined by one extra-low-dispersion (ED) and one super extra-low-dispersion element. The new XA lens element is said to deliver exquisite corner-to-corner sharpness, with the ED and Super ED elements keeping axial and lateral chromatic aberration in check. In addition, Sony has used its Nano AR coating on the front and rear elements to suppress spurious reflections that can cause ghosting and flare when shooting towards the light.<\/p>\n

Like Sony\u2019s FE 35mm f\/1.4 lens, this zoom uses a direct drive supersonic motor (SSM) to provide smooth and quiet autofocus. It\u2019s claimed that the focus motor offers a 0.01mm precision of focus group placement and if it performs as silently as the FE 35mm f\/1.4, it\u2019ll have great appeal with those who\u2019d like to shoot movies as well as stills. As is expected from a premium optic with a premium price, it\u2019s resistant to dust and moisture, offering users peace of mind in poor weather conditions.<\/p>\n

\"DSC04271\"
The Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM is at its sharpest in the centre at 24mm. Stopping the lens down to its sweet-spot of f\/5.6-f\/8 improves\u00a0corner sharpness at all focal lengths<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Improving on the design of the 24-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS, an AF\/MF switch is found on the side of barrel, the hood features a release button to prevent it being inadvertently released in its forward facing or reversed position, and there\u2019s a zoom lock that can be engaged at 24mm to prevent the zoom extending. The lens accepts filters and adapters via an 82mm thread and to tie in with the release of the lens, Sony has also produced two new screw-in filters \u2013 the VF-82MP MC protector and VF-82CPAM Circular PL filter. These aren\u2019t cheap, however, and at the time of writing were available for \u00a3160 and \u00a3280 respectively.<\/p>\n

Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM \u2013 Build and handling<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no getting away from the fact that the Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM is a brute of a lens. It\u2019s a monster when you compare it to the older Sony FE 24-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS and to offer an impression of size, it\u2019s larger and heavier than Canon\u2019s EF 24-70mm f\/2.8L II USM and is only fractionally lighter than Nikon\u2019s AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f\/2.8E ED VR lens. It weighs a hefty 886g on the scales and you\u2019d assume it\u2019s a lens designed for a DSLR, not a compact system camera if you were to glance at it from afar.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0446\"
The Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM mounted to the Sony A7R II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was sceptical about how such a large and heavy standard zoom would handle on a Sony Alpha 7-series camera. It did make the A7R II feel very front heavy and in an effort to offset this imbalance I found myself supporting the full length of the barrel of the lens in the palm of my left hand for every shot other than those that were taken using a tripod.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0473\"
The barrel of the Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM features rubberised zoom and focus rings. There\u2019s also a zoom lock that can be engaged at 24mm to prevent the zoom from extending.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The barrel of the lens strays away from the smooth finish of old and is now textured to complement the body finish of the A7 II, A7R II and A7S II. From the rear of the lens looking forwards, the diameter increases towards the front, with the manual focus ring ever so slightly larger than that of the zoom ring. Unlike many lenses that engrave or print focal length markings flat onto the barrel, the engraved markings are added where the zoom ring steps up. This allows the user to use their non-viewfinder eye to refer to the focal length of the lens directly from behind the camera \u2013 something I found to be quite beneficial.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0469\"
The Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM extended to 70mm. Note the focus hold button at the side, which is positioned just beneath the G branding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The zoom and manual focus rings use\u00a0similar ribbed rubber grips, but there\u2019s enough distance between the two to decipher which is which without having to look. The zoom ring offers sufficient resistance to prevent the lens creeping under its own weight with the camera pointing downwards, and it requires less than a quarter of a rotation to shift the focal length from 24mm to 70mm or vice versa. The large MF\/AF switch is well positioned and quick to locate, and directly ahead of it, beyond the focus ring and below the \u2018G\u2019 branding, you\u2019ll find a focus lock button. This can be used to lock the focus at a moment\u2019s notice and prevent the lens refocusing in any AF mode for as long as it\u2019s continually depressed. The manual focus ring operates incredibly smoothly and the overall quality of the fit and finish must be commended for being made to an exemplary standard.<\/p>\n

Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM \u2013 Image quality<\/h2>\n

Those contemplating buying this lens will be pleased to read that it performs as well as its price suggests it should. It resolves a mesmerising level of detail\u00a0and comparing the results taken on this lens against those taken on the Sony FE 24-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS revealed there\u2019s no contest as to which is the superior optic. In isolation, the detail resolved by the 24-70mm f\/4 lens seems acceptable, but it\u2019s not until shots are viewed side by side that you realise the sharpness of this lens is in an entirely different league.<\/p>\n

\"Moss
Sony A7R II with Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM 1\/200sec, f\/4, ISO 400<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Untitled-1\"
This comparison clearly shows the difference in sharpness between the older Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f\/4 ZA OSS (left) and the newer Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM (right). For the purpose of this comparison, both lenses\u00a0were set to 70mm with the aperture set to f\/4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Running the lens through our lab produced a strong set of MTF curves that tell us it\u2019s super sharp at the widest end of the focal length and only slightly softer when you push through the zoom range. Centre sharpness peaks around f\/4 at 24mm, with corner sharpness improving all the time the lens is closed down towards f\/8. The sharpness in the centre at 70mm doesn\u2019t quite match the figures recorded at 24mm or 50mm, but it improves when the lens is closed down towards f\/5.6. As a general rule, the sweet spot of sharpness is found between f\/5.6-f\/8 and it\u2019s only as you start to push beyond f\/11 that the introduction of diffraction sees the level of detail tail off.<\/p>\n

\"DSC04280\"
Corner shading is obvious in images that are are captured at the wide end of the zoom at f\/2.8. Closing the lens down to f\/4 improves corner shading and it\u2019s untraceable in images\u00a0captured at f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With all lens compensation switched off on the camera, I did identify some purple and green aberrations, but the fringing that appeared along branches of trees were quickly dealt with in Lightroom. Vignetting isn\u2019t a major cause for concern at mid to full telephoto lengths, but is more obvious when the lens is used wide open at 24mm. Corners appear approximately 1.5EV darker than the centre of the frame when the lens set to f\/2.8 at 24mm and to banish this from wideangle images you\u2019ll ideally want to stop the lens down by one or two stops. Barrel distortion at 24mm disappears quickly as you move through the zoom range, but is replaced by pincushion distortion as you push towards 50mm and 70mm.<\/p>\n

Resolution<\/h3>\n

\"MFT<\/p>\n

Our Applied Imaging tests show the lens is super-sharp in the centre at 24mm, with corner sharpness peaking at f\/8. Sharpness in the centre isn\u2019t quite as high at 50mm or 70mm, but a close inspection of the graph reveals that edge sharpness improves considerably when it\u2019s closed down towards f\/5.6 and f\/8. The sharpest results on this lens will be captured between its f\/5.6-f\/8 sweet spot, with diffraction softening the finest details beyond f\/11.<\/p>\n

Shading<\/h3>\n
\"MATLAB
24mm @ f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
24mm @ f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
24mm @ f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
70mm @ f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
70mm @ f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
70mm @ f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lens displays obvious vignetting when the lens is wide open at 24mm, with the corners appearing approximately -1.5EV darker than the centre of the frame. This improves to -0.8EV at f\/4 and beyond this it shouldn\u2019t be a concern. Vignetting is less dramatic at longer focal lengths, with corners appearing approximately 0.5EV darker than the centre at f\/2.8 and is absent at f\/4 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Curvilinear distortion<\/h3>\n
\"MATLAB
24mm: SMIA TV = -2.1%<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
50mm: SMIA TV = -2.4%<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"MATLAB
70mm: SMIA TV = -2.2%<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 24mm, there\u2019s some noticeable barrel distortion present, with the straight lines of our test chart bowing outwards. This distortion starts to disappear around 30mm, with pincushion distortion becoming ever more prevalent as you push towards 50mm and 70mm. Users have the option of correcting this distortion automatically in-camera by enabling lens distortion correction from the menu. There will also be the option to tick the Enable Lens Profile Corrections option in Lightroom and Camera Raw.\u00a0At the time of writing a profile for the lens wasn\u2019t available, but is\u00a0expected soon.<\/p>\n

Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM \u2013 Our verdict<\/h2>\n

When we first heard news of the FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM, we knew it was a lens that had great promise. After extensive testing, both in the field and the lab, I\u2019m pleased to report it\u2019s exceptionally sharp and has been optimised by Sony\u2019s engineers to resolve sensational detail in combination with Alpha 7-series full-frame cameras. What\u2019s more, the AF performance is hasty and it goes about its business in a fast and silent manner.<\/p>\n

\"DSC04345\"
This shot, captured at 70mm, reveals the shallow depth of field that can be created by opening the lens to its maximum f\/2.8 aperture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Optically, the lens delivers some really impressive results. It behaves much as we\u2019d expect from a premium 24-70mm zoom, with super-sharp results in the centre at wideangle and only slightly softer results at full telephoto. The corners of images do appear softer at large apertures and to achieve optimum sharpness between the centre and edge, users will want to work between the lens\u2019s sweet spot, which is typically found between f\/5.6-f\/8 across the focal length range.<\/p>\n

The sharpness produced by the lens is stunning, but the trade-off for this impressive image quality is size and weight. With no form of optical stabilisation in the lens, it\u2019s a better match\u00a0with the A7 II, A7S II and A7R II\u00a0than\u00a0it is\u00a0with the original A7 and A7R, which don\u2019t feature Sony\u2019s impressive\u00a05-axis\u00a0in-body stabilisation system.\u00a0Users of this lens will find themselves turning to Sony\u2019s in-body stabilisation to prevent handshake that could result from handholding such a heavy optic.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s not a lens that complements the compact aesthetics of the Alpha 7 series, those who view image quality as a priority ahead of practicality aren\u2019t likely to give its size and weight a second thought. If Sony\u2019s other G-Master lenses are anywhere near as good as this one, the future seems very bright for Alpha 7-series users and the appeal of the system continues to go from strength to strength.<\/p>\n

Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM \u2013 Full specification<\/h2>\n

The post Sony FE 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM Review<\/a> appeared first on Trusted Reviews<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Author: Michael Topham
\nThis article comes from Trusted Reviews<\/i> and can be read on the original site.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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