SonyFE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

20200116 1830. Don't get me wrong, it is a fine lens, but it is $2500 and for that I expected something ... AMAZING!I got the lens for portrait shooting, but so far, I like the pictures from my Tokina 100mm better. The Sony is not quite as sharp at f/2.8. Stop it down to 4, or even 8, and the pictures are crisp. But, if I'm going to shoot at f/8, I could just as well use my Sony 25-250. The real issue for most people getting this lens is the 1:2.8 constant-aperture zoom. That is really nice, and I like the lens, I just didn't get the jolt of excitement I expected. Other reviews will tell you that it is amazingly sharp at f2.8. I just don't find that. Granted, I have only shot maybe 200 shots on it. I will keep testing, and I will update this review if I decide differently, but as of now, I'm not as happy as I thought I would be with it wide open.In fact, when I shoot on the Sigma 150-600, I like the pictures better. I admit, the Sigma is huge, and I'm not so likely to shoot any portraits at 150mm, but ...Anyway, that's the subjective review. Now the objective stuff.1. It's a big lens. Sony equipped it with an adjustable collar and a tripod foot to better balance it on a tripod. The foot mounts on a rotatable collar that allows adjusting which parts of the lens (or the camera) are oriented toward wherever you need them. This allows shooting portrait or landscape without taking the camera off the tripod. There are dots on the lens body and the collar to help you line up on a perfect 90 degrees.2. There are three (count 'em, 3) focus hold buttons on the lens.3. The lens has Optical Steady Shot (hence the OSS in its name) with two modes: 1) normal 2) panning. The OSS works with the in-body stabilization available on the a7 ii, iii, and iv cameras, so, at least in theory, even better stabilization. This is similar to what Sigma offers in the 150-600 I mentioned earlier. On both lenses, I leave them in mode 2. Sony recommends turning off OSS when on a tripod.4. The lens has SSM (super sonic motor) much like the Canon USM. The SSM is strong, and turns the heavy focusing elements quickly and quietly. If you plan to use this at a wedding, it won't disturb anyone. It also works nicely recording video, especially when combined with constant auto-focus (AF-C).5. for manual focus and DFM, the lens has a big rubber focus ring. It is a real focus ring you can use comfortably and confidently. Sony did a GREAT job on both the focus ring and the zoom ring. And wait, that's not all: the zoom and focus rings are nearly perfectly spaced to allow easy use with one hand. The lens really fits in the left hand nicely. Good job, Sony!6. The zoom ring is another big win. Compared to other lenses, the zoom ring is marvelous. It is great without comparing, but Sony really did a good job here as well. The zoom ring completes its entire range of 70-200mm in right at 1/4 of a turn. Other lenses I've used require so much more turning (ahem, cough, the Sigma 150-600 requires a full 1/2 turn). That may not sound like much, but if you are shooting a portrait session, it means you don't ever need to let go of the lens to zoom.7. The lens hood is better than any other lens I've ever used. I used a lot of lenses. The hood has a common "tulip" shape, that's not the interesting part. Sony put a small port at the bottom side of the hood to allow adjusting filters without removing the hood. The hood also has a lock to keep it from coming off inadvertently.8. The build quality is superb. The lens is metal, it is heavy, but it is well built. Everything moves smoothly, and it just feels good when you hold it. I warn you now, if you aren't working out, you will want to. This thing weighs a little over 3 pounds! doesn't sound like much until you shoot an hour-long ball game. :-)All in all, so far, it is a great lens.

Everyone seems to be a sceptic until they try the lens for themselves. A little history: I was using Canon L glass with a Metabones adapter for my Sony A7RII before since there weren't any good zoom options prior to this lens. I was fairly satisfied with that setup, that was until I got this lens. It is a WOW lens for me, and I'm enjoying my A7RII much more these days.Here are the exceptional qualities of this lens based on my short experience with it so far:- At its best, it is as sharp as the 55mm f1.8 Zeiss prime lens, and it stays very sharp throughout the focus range. By far the sharpest zoom lens I've ever used. I can pixel peep all day at the RAW images this lens produces with the A7RII and find excellent detail and sharp lines everywhere I look (so long as I didn't fudge the focus). It's a croppers dream lens.- Very nice round bokeh - not ultra creamy smooth, but definitely not noisy or jittery.- Balances well on the A7RII. It feels much better than my previous setup. No fear holding it up by the camera body.- Focuses 2-3x quicker than the Canon/Metabones setup. No flakey focus hunting either.- It makes beautiful photos. Excellent IQ.- Image stabilization for me has been beautiful. It doesn't feel as jerky as some of my other lenses, and is definitely much better than the Metabones/Canon lens setup.- Construction is solid. The buttons and switches feel good and are positioned well. The hood locks into place and feels like it can take a beating.- Constant focus distance is very nice when zooming in on your subject.And here are some nits - nothing worth knocking off a star for:- Some light fringing and chromatic aberration in very high-contrast scenes when shooting RAW, easy to fix post processing.- The zoom ring is just a tiny bit too tight for my use, making it a difficult to turn with 2 fingers. Zooming while taking video without a mount isn't pretty. I'm hoping the ring loosens up after some use, though I don't have to worry at all about lens creep.- I do wish the tripod mount was a bit larger. I'm used to the big tripod mounts on Canon zoom lenses, which make those lenses more comfortable hand-held, and more comfortable as a carry handle. I may look for a foam handle in the future.- For it's size, it is a heavy lens. That's a lot of glass to stuff in that small body.

I can't recommend the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 lens enough. If you're into sports photography and have a Sony camera, you need this lens.Pros:Game Changer: I hate using that term, but in this case, it’s true. The lens significantly improved the quality of my sports shots.Excellent Quality: The image quality is outstanding, with sharp, vibrant photos even in challenging conditions.Fast Aperture: The f/2.8 aperture is perfect for capturing fast-moving action with great clarity.Stabilization: The OSS (Optical SteadyShot) stabilization helps keep shots steady, even at the long end of the zoom.Cons:Pricey: It’s an investment, but the performance and results make it worth every penny.Overall, this lens is great for sports photography. If you’re serious about capturing great action shots, this is the lens to get.