Along with the a1 II announced earlier today, Sony also released a new FE 28-70mm f/2 GM lens! Although there are already a few 28-70mm lenses for Sony E mount, such as the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary, this will be the first with a very bright f/2 constant aperture. It follows in the footsteps of Canon who already has the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM, although it improves the concept in a few ways. Being a Sony GM lens, we can expect the highest quality from this new optic. What does this lens have to offer?
A Bright Event Lens
Obviously, the nicest aspect of this new lens is the bright f/2 aperture, which is almost exactly one stop brighter than f/2.8. Although the standard zoom f/2.8 lenses such as 24-70mm lenses have been the workhorses of event photographers, this f/2 lens lets in twice as much light. Here are the basic specs of this lens:
- Coverage: Full Frame
- Filter Size: 86mm
- Aperture Range: f/2 to f/22
- Mininum Focus Distance: 38cm (1.2″)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.23x
- Optics: 20 elements in 14 groups
- Blades: 11, rounded
- Stabilization: No
- Dimensions: 92.9 x 139.8mm (3.7 x 5.5″)
- Weight: 918g (2lbs)
The only downside is the weight at 918g (2lbs), which is 223g (8 ounces) heavier than Sony’s FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. However, that weight is still impressive considering the Canon 28-70mm f/2 is a whopping 1430g (3.15lbs), which is as heavy as a typical 70-200mm f/2.8 lens! The Sony is also significantly shorter and more portable.
With Sony’s amazingly light 300mm f/2.8 lens, it’s clear that they are trailblazing when it comes to the physical size and weight of lens design. Yet we have seen very high performance from Sony lenses in our reviews so far, and have high hopes for the 28-70mm f/2 GM.
The new lens will also be versatile for a variety of shooting situations, and it’s got some very nice features such as Sony’s new Nano AR Coating II and eleven rounded aperture blades for beautiful bokeh, just like the FE 24-70mm f/2.8.
Inside, the lens has 4 quiet XD motors that should make focusing very quick. It’s compatible with continuous shooting up to 120 FPS, as is possible on the a9 III. Combine those features with the bright f/2 aperture, and this lens is likely to be very popular among event photographers.
Like many more recent lenses, the Sony FE 28-70mm f/2 has been optimized for video with minimal focus breathing. It also can work with Sony’s “Breathing Compensation” function available on some cameras to make focus breathing nonexistent when shooting video clips. Finally, the manual aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth aperture transitions in video.
Overall, this is destined to be a great lens. Personally, I love lenses like this, as it shows that camera companies are going to new heights with these modern mirrorless designs – releasing lenses that simply never existed for DSLRs. Of course, features like this aren’t cheap at $2799.
