Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Review: The Standard Zoom That Lost 190 Grams and Gained Sharpness
A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the lens most working photographers reach for first. Weddings, events, news, travel. It’s the one you’d keep if you could only keep one. Sony’s first G Master version, from 2016, was good and very heavy. The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, released in 2022, is the redesign, and for a while it set the standard for what this kind of lens could be.
The headline is weight. The GM II weighs about 695 grams, down from roughly 886 grams for the original. That’s around 20 percent lighter, and on a long wedding day it’s the difference between a sore wrist and not thinking about the camera at all.
It’s also shorter and slimmer, with an 82mm filter thread, and it’s sharper across the frame.
Video review: DPReview TV
Optics
Sharpness is excellent from edge to edge, wide open at f/2.8, across the whole zoom range. It holds up on 61MP bodies like the A7R V, which is the real test. Contrast is high, flare control is good and color is consistent with other G Master lenses.
Out-of-focus areas are smooth for a zoom, helped by 11 rounded aperture blades. Close focus is very good: about 21 centimeters at the wide end, which lets you shoot details and food without swapping lenses.
Built for video as much as stills
Focus is driven by four XD linear motors. It’s fast, quiet and precise enough to keep up with Sony’s fastest bodies at full burst rates. Focus breathing is low, and compatible Sony cameras can correct the rest in-camera.
There’s a physical aperture ring with a switch to turn the clicks off for smooth changes while filming. Two customizable focus-hold buttons. A zoom ring that’s smooth and consistent. The zoom still extends as you zoom out, but the balance stays good on a gimbal.
The lens is dust and moisture resistant, with a fluorine coating on the front element.
The costs
Price is the big one. At launch it cost about $2,300, and it hasn’t come down much. Tamron’s 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 and Sigma’s 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art both get you most of the way for a lot less money.
It has no optical stabilization, which is normal for Sony’s f/2.8 standard zooms since most Sony bodies have it built in.
And while it’s light for a 24-70mm f/2.8, it’s still a big lens on a compact body like the A7C II.
Who should buy it
Wedding, event and corporate photographers who live on a standard zoom. Hybrid shooters who need fast autofocus for stills and well-behaved focus for video. Anyone on a high-resolution Sony body who wants a zoom that doesn’t hold the sensor back.
If you’re on a budget, the Tamron G2 is the smart alternative. If you want the best 24-70 on Sony with no compromises in handling and autofocus, this is it.