GEAR MINI TESTS
SONY 70- 200MM F/2.8 GM OSS II LENS £2599/$2798 sony.com Sony has taken its five-year-old 70- 200mm f/2.8 G Master zoom lens and given it a huge makeover with the new Mark II version. Its weight is reduced by 29%–making it the lightest lens of this spec from any manufacturer – and image quality and autofocus speed have been improved. Sony claims that the four new XD linear motors make it focus four times faster than the old lens, which was no slouch anyway. It doesn’t feel this much quicker in real-world use, but the change is certainly significant. It locks on speedily and stays on securely – just what you’d want a telephoto zoom to do. Optically, there are fewer elements than the old model, although more advanced aspherical optics. The result is a lighter lens group – aiding faster AF – and the image quality has taken another leap forward, especially at the edges of the frame. Even wide open, it’s bitingly sharp, and the bokeh is pleasing – thanks to the 11-bladed aperture. The construction has minimised focus breathing, too – certainly better than the older model. The body of the lens has been redesigned, and now there are six switches on the left side of the lens barrel. A new switch allows manual focus override at any time when the camera is set to AF-C. The OSS switch turns image stabilisation on and off, and there are now three modes to choose from
SPECIFICATIONS Mount: Sony E Aperture range: F/2.8-22 Optical construction: 17 elements in 14 groups; two super ED, two ED and one XA (extreme aspherical) element Aperture blades: 11, rounded
Image stabilisation: Yes Close focus: 40cm/15.7in Filter size: 77mm Dimensions (dxl): 88x200mm/3.46x7.87in Weight: 1045g/2.3lb
CONTROL TECH All the vital
“The lens is lighter, faster, sharper, and boastsmore functions than the old version”
settings have very obvious switches
instead of two. The first is standard mode, the second is specifically for panning, and the third for erratic subjects like birds in flight or athletes. It’s a shame these aren’t marked with some sort of icon to help you remember which is which, though. IS is improved, but this is one of the few areas where Sony doesn’t excel over its rivals. An iris lock switch defers all aperture controls to the camera body, as the lens has a real aperture ring, like the latest slew of G Masters. On the right side of the body, a switch can be activated to de-click the iris for smooth and silent video use.
Overall, the lens is lighter, faster, sharper, and boasts more functions than the old version, which I have owned since launch and know very well. It’s by far my most-used lens. But the charms of the newMark II are so great, I’ve already bought one. Mainly for the greatly reduced weight – a big deal for someone with a dodgy back like me. The increased performance in other areas is a very nice bonus. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 Takes a great lens and makes it better Pros: Sharp and lightweight Cons: Not cheap
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