Combining a versatile zoom range with a bright f/2 aperture, the Sony FE 28-70mm f/2 GM is aimed at those who need excellent low-light performance, sharpness, and creamy background blur. Whether you’re capturing weddings, shooting video, or working in dim conditions, this lens offers impressive features that make it a top contender for professionals.
Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this thorough video explores the performance and features of the Sony FE 28-70mm f/2 GM lens. One of the highlights is its size and weight. Weighing in at 2 pounds, it’s significantly lighter than similar lenses like Canon’s RF 28-70mm f/2, making it easier to use for extended periods. The lens also features a robust build with weather sealing, a metal mount, and customizable controls, such as a switchable aperture ring for smooth or clicked adjustments. These design elements make it an excellent choice for both stills and video.
The autofocus system is fast, silent, and precise, which is exactly what you’d expect from a high-end Sony lens. Focus breathing, often an issue in zoom lenses, is impressively minimized here, making this lens ideal for video applications. While it lacks optical stabilization, it pairs seamlessly with the in-body stabilization found in Sony cameras, ensuring sharp results even in handheld shooting.
Key Specs
- Maximum Aperture: f/2
- Image Stabilization: No
- Filter Size: 86 mm
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.2 ft (38 cm)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.23x
- Optical Design: 20 elements in 14 groups
- Diaphragm Blades: 11, Rounded
- Dimensions: 3.7 x 5.5 inches
- Weight: 2 lb (918 g)
Image quality is where the Sony FE 28-70mm f/2 GM truly shines. At all focal lengths, sharpness is exceptional in the center of the frame, even at f/2. Corner sharpness improves significantly when stopped down, with 70mm being a sweet spot for overall performance. Frost notes that vignetting and distortion are present but manageable, especially with in-camera corrections. The lack of optical stabilization doesn’t detract much, given how well the lens integrates with Sony’s stabilization systems.
When it comes to bokeh, the lens delivers beautifully smooth out-of-focus areas, even at wider angles. Frost highlights some minor issues with onion ring effects in specular highlights, but these are rare and don’t detract from the overall image quality. Chromatic aberration is visible at wider apertures but diminishes by f/5.6.
This lens is versatile, sharp, and well built, making it an excellent option for professionals who demand the best. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Frost.
