Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master Lens Review

Handling and Features
Performance
Verdict
Specification

The Sony G Master range is described as a “supreme blend of high resolution and beautiful bokeh” which will match current and even future trends with high resolution sensors. This is a very desirable combination of properties if it can be achieved, especially with such a useful, bright f/2.8 aperture, mid range zoom. We put it to the test using the 42MP Sony Alpha A7R II body to see if the lens does indeed live up to its billing.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Handling and Features

The lens is big and heavy, weighing a fairly substantial 886g. It is clearly very well made, all controls are smooth and without excess play. If we start at the front of the lens, the petal lens hood provided bayonets securely into place and has a release catch to ensure it does not work loose. There is an 82mm filter thread taking standard screw-in filters.

Behind this we find the manual focus ring, which is electronic in operation. This is very smooth and placed so that it is unlikely to be moved accidentally. Just behind this, conveniently placed, is a single focus lock button. This allows the focus point in AF to be locked prior to recomposing and shooting.

The zoom ring is slightly broader and quite firm, presumably because it is moving a lot of glass. There is a lock switch that can be employed at 24mm, to ensure the lens does not extend under its own weight whilst carrying. Finally, the AF/MF switch is close to the camera body. The metal bayonet mount looks solid and should carry the weight of some quite heavy optics without concern. A mask over the rear element helps ensure that flare is kept to a minimum.

The optical formula comprises 18 elements in 13 groups. There is one XA (extreme aspherical) element, with a quoted surface precision of 0.01 microns. There are two aspherical elements, plus one ED (extra low dispersion) and one Super ED element completing the line-up of special glass. The whole lens is dust and moisture resistant. Sony Nano AR coatings reduce flare and improve contrast and colour. Bokeh is enhanced by the use of a nine blade circular diaphragm.

AF is driven by a Direct Drive SSM motor of high precision, offering speed, accuracy and virtual silence in operation. Focusing is down to 0.38m (1.25 feet), a maximum magnification of 0.24x.

The 24-70mm zoom is a mid-range standard optic and as such very versatile, usable from landscapes to portraits, street photography to sport. Coupled with the fast f/2.8 aperture this makes for a very practical lens indeed.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Performance

Resistance to flare is exceptional, it is just not a problem. The bokeh is highlighted by Sony themselves and I agree with them, it is beautiful. Combining the smoothness of the bokeh with the high resolution is a nice trick and they have carried it off with assured confidence.

At 24mm we have -3.01% barrel distortion, obvious in architectural images, but correctable in software. This becomes a negligible +0.827% pincushion at 35mm. 50mm sees +2.33% pincushion and 70mm +2.21% pincushion distortion. This is a good level of control for a 24-70mm zoom lens.

24mm central sharpness is simply outstanding at f/2.8 and f/4. Diffraction slowly reduces this, but image sharpness remains excellent through to f/16. It is still very good at f/22. At the edges, sharpness is excellent from open aperture through to f/11, remains very good at f/16 and still good at f/22.

24mm CA is an insignificant amount at the centre, slightly less than one quarter of a pixel. The edges are not so well controlled, but this is correctable in software.

MTF@24mm
 

MTF@50mm
 

MTF@70mm
 

How to read our charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges. 

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution as LW/PH and is described in detail above. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. 

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony Alpha A7R II using Imatest.

35mm sharpness is excellent centrally from f/2.8 to f/11, remaining very good at f/16 and f/22. The edges start off very good at f/2.8, have an excellent standard from f/4 to f/11. Diffraction takes its toll thereafter, sharpness being very good at f/16 but the edges becoming soft at f/22. Nonetheless, there can be value in having that f/22 setting where circumstances dictate that depth of field is the priority.

35mm CA is again very low centrally and control also improves at the edges.

50mm sharpness shows exactly the same pattern as at 35mm. Centrally excellent down to f/11, very good at f/16 and f/22. Edges start off very good at f/2.8, become excellent from f/4 to f/11, very good at f/16 and fair at f/22.

50mm CA shows that the control peaks at this focal length, and values both centre and edge are commendably low.

CA@24mm
 

CA@50mm
 

CA@70mm

How to read our charts

Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony Alpha A7R II using Imatest.

70mm does see a slight fall in performance, but central sharpness is maintained very well. It starts off at a very good level at f/2.8, becomes excellent from f/4 to f/11, remaining very good at f/16 and f/22. The edges fare less well, but are good from f/2.8 to f/5.6, very good from f/8 to f/16 and still good at f/22.

In some respects, the outstanding performance at some settings does mean that it sets the stage for a very demanding expectation of performance overall. It's fair to say that compared to other 24-70mm full frame lenses the Sony does indeed deliver a stellar performance. “Supreme blend of high resolution and beautiful bokeh” does seem to be a description that can be totally justified.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Sample Photos

Value For Money

Value For Money can be looked at in various ways. Firstly, taken in isolation, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens is priced at a hefty £1799. It is only available in E mount, so the pinnacle of performance will be one of the A7R camera bodies, as used in this review. To get something similar we would look to the admittedly bulkier DSLRs. In this case, Canon produce the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM (£1459), Nikon the 24-70mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED VR (£1849) and Pentax the HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 (£1149). All of these are great lenses for their respective marques, but the Sony does seem to out-perform them all.

The Sony lens can also be used on E mount APS-C cameras, although to do so may seem to waste some of its potential and it could be argued that it deserves full frame use and would not represent the best VFM on a smaller format.

The Sony lens represents a level of performance that can only be found in the most expensive lenses. It is itself quite expensive, but given that prices may yet ease over time it is within the realms of being a realistic price.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Verdict

Zoom lenses do have strengths and weaknesses in their performance, but there is little to complain about with this Sony G Master. Any sacrifice in the bald figures is more than made up for with the convenience and versatility a zoom lens represents, and there are precious few sacrifices.

Sharpness at its best is excellent to outstanding, CA and distortion can be addressed in software, although centrally CA is very well controlled anyway. Flare is non-existent. And the bokeh is indeed beautiful, quite sublime. So visually the overall “look” of the images from this lens is highly impressive.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM  Pros

Outstanding sharpness centrally
No flare
Low central CA
Beautiful bokeh
High manufacturing quality
Silent AF

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Cons

Price
Some edge CA
Heavy
Bulky

 

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master is a superb standard zoom with high resolution and sublime bokeh.

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Specifications

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