Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS £1,250 / $1,499
A new string for the Alpha 7’s bow
We’ve been impressed by Sony’s recent A7 series of full-frame mirrorless cameras, but lens choices have been limited. True to its word, Sony is steadily adding to the line-up of full-frame E-mount lenses, which now includes this constant-aperture 70-200mm zoom.
While A7 cameras are slim compared with SLRs, there’s nothing small about this lens. It’s bigger and heavier than the Canon equivalent, and almost as heavy as the Nikon, at 840g. At 72mm, the filter thread is also larger than on both other lenses.
The Sony is dust- and water-resistant but lacks the weather-sealed mounting plate of many competing lenses. Refinements include a similar set of switches to the Canon lens: AF/M focussing, an autofocus range limiter, on/off for the optical stabiliser, and mode 1/2 for static or panning stabilisation. The Sony also has a similar off-white paint job. Further additions include three focus-hold buttons, neatly placed around the barrel between the zoom and focus rings, plus a tripod mounting foot.
Performance
Levels of sharpness are a little below average in the central area of the frame, and drop off towards the corners. Optical stabiliser performance is also disappointing, equating to about two f/stops in our tests. As with the Panasonic 35-100mm, the Sony’s dual-linear motor autofocus system is silent, but not as quick as the SLR lenses on test.