Sony 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a premium-standard zoom lens newly introduced by SONY that shows excellent resolution even to the peripheries with the application of Nano AR coating and XA lens, while the DDSSM motor ensures the lens provides clear, fast AF function.

XA(Extreme Aspherical) Lens

Surface of normal aspherical lens It has a rough surface at 0.01 micron. The red graph at the bottom represents a graphic figure of a section of the aspheric lens. The rougher the surface, the clearer the wheelspoke marks on the inside when expressing bokeh.

Surface of extreme aspherical lens XA lens polishes up the surface of aspheric lens extremely and maintains a smooth surface even at 0.01 micron. The red graph at the bottom represents a graphic figure of a section of the XA lens. There are almost no wheelspoke marks left on the inside thanks to the smooth surface when expressing bokeh.

Since this is a premium lens brand launch, featuring some of the best specifications in the G lens line-up, the G Master Lens comes with various high-quality specifications.

Sony FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a standard zoom lens for mirrorless cameras that counters full frame. The focal distance of 24–70 mm shows the opposite angle of 84°–34° and it responds equally well in various environments such as landscape, street, and event photography. The lens is composed of 18 elements and 13 groups, and it is equipped with 2 sets of aspherical lenses: Super ED lens and ED lens. This ensures excellent definition and aberration control, and it minimizes reflected light through Nano AR coating and improved penetration. It boasts a fast aperture value of F2.8, making it good at shooting not only outdoors but also indoors, and the depth of field is also good. Because the previously introduced ZEISS 24–70 mm F4OSS lens had a fixed aperture value of F4, it will seem more attractive to users who wanted a wider aperture value. The AF motor uses the new DDSSM motor, so it has a silent yet fast AF function, and wobbling is minimized, which offers user satisfaction when taking pictures as well as shooting films. The close-up skill is 38 cm which is 0.24 times better, and it is finished with inner focus, and sealing for protection against dust and moisture. SONY FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a very high-quality standard zoom lens that has a high degree of completion with excellent resolution in the peripheries even when shooting with F2.8 full aperture on a7R II, which is a camera boasting a super resolution of 42.4 million pixels.

The lens length is 136 mm, and the maximum diameter is 87.6 mm. The shape is big and long like a lens for a DSLR camera, but this is understandable considering it is a high-specification lens that focuses on super-high definition, because it can't get away from the limitations of optical technology just because it is a mirrorless camera. The sense of grip is great since the lens is quite long, and the operation of the zoom-ring and focus-ring is also great.

The weight of the lens alone is about 890 g, and the weight including the front cap, back cap, and lens hood is 960 g.

The main tube sticks out depending on the zoom adjustment, the projection is the shortest at 24 mm and the longest at 70 mm. The lens length, when 24 mm, is about 136 mm to the mount and about 168 mm when 70 mm. The focus ring supports inner focus so even if the focus changes it doesn't change the external main tube so there is no restriction in using CPL and square filter.

Filter uses 82 mm as standard.

The mount uses metallic materials, so it provides rigid durability, and the mount is finished with rubber, so it prevents extraneous substances from entering in during lens mounting.

The focus ring and zoom ring are finished with rubber. The focus ring is very soft, enabling soft focus movement when shooting video, and the zoom ring is a bit tight. The zoom lock lever is located under the zoom ring.

FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens features Nano AR coating which increases the light penetrating through the lens and minimizes ghosting, and it offers high resolution and beautiful bokeh at the same time with its XA lens.

Along with rubber sealing around the mount area, the main area of the lens is also sealed, which minimizes any entry of external dust and moisture.

The focus hold button is located on the side of the lens, so users can set their preferred functions by allocating them in the camera’s User custom menu. The available functions can vary depending on the camera type.

SONY mirrorless cameras are set to adjust the AF and MF of lens via the camera's internal menu, but the FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens has an AF/MF converting switch on the side of the lens so the user can quickly change the state of AF/MF.

The zoom ring tends to loosen with time and use, but the FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens has a zoom lock applied so you wouldn't need to worry about the lens slipping when it is not in use.

The filter diameter and close focus distance are shown in internal angle in the front of the bottom part of the lens, and at the end of the bottom part, the name of the lens model and miscellaneous information are displayed. The filter diameter of this lens is 82 mm, and the close focus distance from every field angle is 38 cm.

The lens comes with a snap-on front cap, and the back cap is the same one as the general E mount lens cap.

This lens is provided with an ALC-SH141 hood, which is an exclusive hood. There is a locking device on the side of the hood, so the hood doesn't turn while using the lens, and the internal part of the hood is finished with velvet, so it is effective in controlling flare/ghosting.

The FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens comes with its own lens case, and you can attach straps to the side of the case, so it is easy to carry around. There is soft foam inside the lens case to relieve any impact when carrying the lens.

The FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens employs a new type of motor: DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonicwave Motor). This offers fast speed along with almost silent movement. The wobbling effect caused by the focus moving before/after focusing is also greatly diminished so you can enjoy significantly faster AF process when taking pictures. While shooting video, you can see simple, accurate AF without any wobbling. The AF motor speed is quite fast, making its ability to shoot moving objects in AF-C consecutive focus mode quite good.

SONY's lens line-up is divided into general lenses and high-class lenses such as G lenses and ZEISS lenses. G lenses are a high-class lens line-up developed independently by SONY, while ZEISS lenses are developed and produced by ZEISS and SONY together. The GM lens being introduced is shortened name for the G Master lens and it is definitely part of the premium lens line-up, using only the best specifications even among the G lenses. The GM lens, since it is a premium lens offering, is structured to respond to super-high-pixel cameras in excellent resolution, producing beautiful fading background and bokeh expression, with an AF drive that is optimized for pictures and video. The GM lens is a premium lens made by introducing the latest lens techniques from SONY, such as XA lens, Nano AR coating, and DDSSM motor. Compared to normal lenses, where the central definition is good but peripheral definition is poor at full aperture, the GM lens is designed to provide excellent definition even at the peripheries so it is considered as a groundwork that prepares not for only taking pictures but also for shooting movies at super-high definition of more than 4K.

Currently, only three lenses have been introduced: FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM, FE 85 mm F1.4 GM and FE 70–200 mm F2.8 GM OSS. But since SONY intends to expand in making mirrorless cameras that are equipped with exclusive shooting with super-high definition, it is expected that they will continuously introduce new lenses.

It is a standard zoom lens that can use the field angle of the opposite angle of 84°-34° in a 35 mm full-frame camera. Since it is a standard zoom lens, it can respond well in various environments such as landscape, street, and event photography. It has a very high resolution at every interval, so it is suitable for places that require the high resolution of super-high definition.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/320 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

It is a full-frame lens that supports a maximum wide angle of 24 mm, so it is enough to appeal to the sense of wide angle when shooting landscapes, and it can also express the width indoors as well as outdoors. In an APS-C standard camera, a maximum wide angle of about 38 mm is available.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70mm

Telephoto enables semi-telephoto shooting of a maximum of 70 mm, and about 105 mm maximum telephoto is available in an APS-C standard camera. The 70 mm captures screens from a long distance through framing, and when used in a full-frame camera, the background fading skill is also prominent.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/1250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/1250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

This lens employs a fixed aperture of F2.8 at every interval, so it is advantageous in securing shutter speed, and it shows excellent definition even at a full aperture of F2.8. It is an FE lens that counters full-frame and the background fading form is elegant, and aberration restraint is also great.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/100 Sec | ISO: 400 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/640 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Normal lenses tend to have bad effects when expressing bokeh, such as creating bands at the edges or causing an onion ring effect in the inside. This is caused because the surface of aspheric lens that reduces aberration and light spreading is not smooth. The FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens applies an XA lens which is an aspheric lens that has a surface precision degree of 0.01 micron (1/100,000 mm) and through bokeh simulation in the design process, it shows more natural bokeh expression.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/400 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/320 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Although the background fading level of is important, the shape of how it is faded is also very important. Having high resolution and soft background fading together is a double-edged sword—this part is also achieved through the bokeh simulation in the design process and the XA lens application. This enables the resolution of the focused object itself to be higher and the background to be natural and elegant.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/125 Sec | ISO: 400 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/125 Sec | ISO: 800 | Focal Range: 52.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/125 Sec | ISO: 4000 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

The field angle that the 24–70 mm lens shows covers semi-telephoto from wide angle so portrait shooting can be approached from various angles, and because it is equipped with a wide fixed aperture of F2.8 as a zoom lens so it is advantageous in expressing depth.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F10.0 | Shutter: 1/80 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F5.6 | Shutter: 1/100 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

The minimum focus distance is excellent at every interval with about 38 cm, and the maximum magnification is about 0.24 times. It boasts excellent definition at all aperture values of every interval, so it shows highly detailed images even in a7R II with 42.4 million pixels.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/200 Sec | ISO: 4000 | Focal Range: 26.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 1000 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 640 | Focal Range: 54.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 2000 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens has a wide aperture of F2.8 so it is good at securing shutter speed when shooting in a dark interior such as at concerts, and the fast drive speed of the AF motor meant it was easy to shoot the highly active band on stage. Also, the overall definition is excellent, and the flare and aberration restraint is good, so there was no distraction when shooting the concert which involved a lot of bright lights.

During video filming, the variable ND filter is used often to limit the exposure in a full aperture situation, so the definition of peripheries in full aperture is important. Normally, general photo lenses have a low definition of periphery in full aperture and better definition when tightening the aperture. But the FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens shows excellent periphery definition even at a full aperture of F2.8 when using an a7R II with 42.4 million pixels, so you can expect excellent definition of peripheries when shooting video. Also, since the AF function of the new DDSSM lens which minimizes wobbling is very natural while shooting video, it is a lens equipped with high definition and natural AF that is optimized for video shooting.

The DDSSM on the FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is very silent yet shows a fast AF speed, so it provides soft focus movement when shooting video with minimized wobbling and lessens worries about noise. Also, you can achieve good-quality pictures and video even in strong backlight or light situations because it has less burden for flare and ghosting, since a great amount of SONY's high-class technology (such as Nano AR coating and XA lens) is applied.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F7.1 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/160 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 51.0mm

FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a standard zoom lens and, based on the good resolution and description skills in every interval, it provides excellent definition not only in the central part of the lens, but also in the extreme peripheries. The effect of the definition based on the aperture value is quite reduced, and it can be said that the overall aberration restraint is excellent.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/3200 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

The excellent definition shown from the extreme peripheries of the lens is the strong point of this lens and, even when shooting with F2.8 full aperture in 24 mm, it provides excellent detailed results in the central part as well as at the peripheries. The pictures taken in the review are shot with the distortion, shadow, and aberration functions provided by the camera turned OFF so you can get higher-quality pictures than the one taken in JPEG using the indicated functions.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/250 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F6.3 | Shutter: 1/125 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 70.0mm

The FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens boasts excellent resolution, when used with an a7R II that is loaded with a high-resolution image sensor of 42.4 million pixels and 5-axis stabilization, provides stability even when shooting handheld and gets you super-high definition images so it provides highly satisfying results for photographers who shoot landscapes and need high-definition images.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F7.1 | Shutter: 1/160 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 28.0mm

As for studio work, there are many times products are shot using standard zoom lens and light, but since the FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a standard zoom lens that responds to high resolution and provides highly detailed results, it can be easily used for commercial photography.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F2.8 | Shutter: 1/1600 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 43.0mm

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F8.0 | Shutter: 1/100 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 34.0mm

It also shows excellent definition and detailed expression in close-up shooting with full aperture, and the aberration restraint is very good, so it lessens the pressure of shooting glossy products such as metal or glass.

Camera: SONY a7R II | Aperture: F14 | Shutter: 30 Sec | ISO: 100 | Focal Range: 24.0mm

The capability of flare and ghosting inhibition effects is outstanding in outdoor and backlit shooting. Since the influence from flare or ghosting is minimized, shadow expression is good, and details are also very sharp.

The ISO 12233 Resolution Chart which gave the clearest result of the aperture value is analyzed from Osram DULUX L 55W/954 (5400K, 3000LM), a set composed with 8 lamps.

Chart Used | 450x760 mm ISO 12233 Resolution chart (Distance between chart and imaging surface: Approx. 52 cm)

Resolution of center area (24 mm focal length)

Resolution of surrounding area (24 mm focal length)

Chart Used | 450x760 mm ISO 12233 Resolution chart (Distance between chart and imaging surface: Approx. 134.5 cm)

Resolution of center area (70 mm focal length)

Resolution of surrounding area (70 mm focal length)

iST Solution Pro Image Analyzer S/W, Resolution, 24 mm Sony FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM, Sony a7R II

iST Solution Pro Image Analyzer S/W, Resolution, 70 mm Sony FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM, Sony a7R II

The distortion factor is measured by shooting a TV-Distortion Chart, made with the recommended standard of IGAnalyzer, the digital image analysis program

Camera used: Sony a7R II | Focal length: 24 mm (Up), 70 mm (Down)

Camera used: SONY a7R II  |  Focal length: 24 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: 100  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Tungsten  |  Remark: 35% Crop of Original Copy

Camera used: SONY a7R II  |  Focal length: 70 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: 100  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Tungsten  |  Remark: 35% Crop of Original Copy

Camera used: SONY A7R II  |  Focal length: 24 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: Variable  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Auto  |  Remark: 45% Crop of Original Copy

Camera used: SONY a7R II  |  Focal length: 70 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: 100  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Tungsten  |  Remark: 15% Crop of Original Copy

Camera used: SONY A7R II  |  Focal length: 24 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: 10  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Auto  |  Remark: 20% Crop of Original Copy

Camera used: SONY A7R II  |  Focal length: 70 mm  |  Photographing mode: M  |  Sensitivity: 100  |  Aperture Value: f/2.8~ f/22  |  Shutter speed: Variable  |  White balance: Auto  |  Remark: 20% Crop of Original Copy