GEAR MINI TESTS
SONY FE 24-70MM F/2.8 GM II £2099/$2298 sony.com
allowing easy adjustment of the variable ND filters or polarisers – without taking the filter off. So, if you don’t own a 24-70mm f/2.8 standard zoom, then this is the best you can get. Just rush out and buy one, if you can stomach the not insubstantial asking price. However, if you already own the Mark I version, you have to really value the smaller size and weight, since the lens’ optical performance is only marginally better. When you start with one of the most revered standard zooms ever made, improving it is an awesome achievement anyway. Just don’t expect it to be night-and-day better than the original G Master. Optically, the new version has a more advanced lens construction with improved aspherical elements. This resolves greater detail and has better performance in the corners, with reduced vignetting, an absence of purple fringing and slightly more natural colours. Flare is beautifully well controlled – and when the optic does flare, it’s actually a rather pleasant look. Each focal length is very impressive even when shot wide open – and bokeh is perfectly smooth.
If you want the ultimate, fastest and lightest standard zoom for your full- frame Sony E-mount camera, this is the best we have ever tested. The new G Master II takes the original, beloved Mark I version and improves on it in every way. Lighter and smaller, it performs somewhat better in terms of focus breathing and focus shift, has a more video-friendly aperture ring that may be de-clicked, and focuses more quickly. It also supports focus breathing compensation in some of the very latest mirrorless Sony cameras like the A7R V. AF motors are quieter and definitely faster, while the manual focus feel is more linear and natural, too. Even the lens hood has been improved, with a cut-out window
SIZE-MIC CHANGES The Mark I is
SPECIFICATIONS Focal length: 24-70mm Mount: Sony FE Image coverage: Full-frame Aperture: F/2.8-22 Aperture blades: 11, rounded Construction: 20 elements in 15 groups, 2 ED, 2 Super ED, 5 aspherical elements Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 21cm/8.3in
bigger than this recent upgrade
Filter size: 82mm Dimensions (wxl): 87.8x119.9mm/3.5x4.7in Weight: 695g/1.5lb
SUPERIOR STANDARD The Mark II G Master zoom sets a new benchmark
Only you can work out whether this small but definite increase in optical performance is important to you, especially if you don’t often shoot 8K video or routinely employ softening filters to make your footage more organic-looking. If you are predominantly a stills shooter and demand the ultimate in resolution for large prints – or pixel- peeping on a large screen – this optic makes a lot of sense. It’s actually the size and handling improvements that are most valuable for video shooters. The lighter weight makes it balance better and it’s easier to use on a gimbal, for example. The iris ring and manual focus feel is better, too. It’s possible to alter how tight or smooth the zoom action is. But it’s still not parfocal, so you will need to adjust focus slightly as you zoom from one end of the range to the other. With Sony’s advanced AF system, you probably won’t notice it, though. The new lens is simply the best all-round, mid-range zoom for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 Perfect for full-frame Sony machines Pros: Image quality, compact, light Cons: No IS, expensive
“The lighter weight makes it balance better on mirrorless cameras and it’s easier to use on a gimbal”
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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