Trying Out The Sony 70-200mm f/4 G II for Product Photography

A telephoto lens might not be the first lens that comes to mind for photographing products, but this recent version of Sony’s 70-200mm offers it as an additional use case. Let’s see what it can actually do.

Sony’s second version of their f/4 telephoto zoom, the Sony 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II, has a number of notable new features. For one, the compact size of just 149 mm (5.8 inches)—which is over an inch shorter—and a lightweight build that weighs just 794 grams (down from the 840 grams of the first version) have more favorable implications for photographers (and videographers) who prefer to travel light, with or without other lenses or cameras factored in.

Perhaps an even more remarkable new feature for the second version of the lens would have to be the macro capabilities, specifically being able to focus as close as 26 cm (0.86 ft) from the sensor at its widest focal length of 70mm with a magnification ratio of 0.5. Personally, I gave up the f/2.8 aperture and shifted to this lens because of the ergonomic benefit and the fact that it can also double as a macro lens for when I find small details to photograph when out in nature. My main purpose for a telephoto lens is for tight shots of distant views, but having the same lens be able to focus on small objects opens more possibilities in photographing nature and wildlife.

A tertiary use case for me would be photographing products with small details that I would like to highlight better. I’m not in any way a professional product photographer, but because I write reviews for this site and also review products on my YouTube channel, there has always been a desire to at the very least provide decent visuals. In this video, join me as I put the Sony 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II Macro to use in that situation while photographing some nice new limited edition gear from Peak Design and Carryology’s recent collaboration.