Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens
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An Almost Very Good, But not Excellent, 70-200mm Zoom
I'm not going to try to repeat all the information in all the stats and reviews of the Sony FE 70-200mm F/4 G OSS lens, as DXOmark, SLRGear, DPReview and Photozone have weighed in and many B&H reviewers have also expounded. My experience with it on my Sony A7ii and A7Rii very much agrees with Photozone's appraisal of this lens. I have rated it as 4 stars. But if I could, I would have rated it as 3.75, better than good, but not quite very good. It... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Challenges the pro 70-200 F2.8 lenses!
My go to lens for people and events is my Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 VRII lens, mounted on my Nikon D810. For travel, this is a pretty heavy lens, so I almost bought the Nikon 70-200mm F4 lens, but on a whim, I thought I would give the Sony 70-400mm F4 a chance, since I prefer my Sony A7x cameras for travel.My first impression of this lens was quite terrible - after taking more 100 test shots of a variety of subjects in varying light conditi... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good, but as another reviewer stated, not spectacular.
This lens is quite good at the shorter focal lengths, but somewhat weaker at 200mm. Compared to a Nikon 85mm prime and the superb Tokina 100 Macro, this lens is about 97% comparable, even wide open. At 200mm, it's not dead sharp, and clearly somewhat behind my 80-200 Nikkor at all stops. Though quite good wide open, it simply never gets sharper when stopped further down. This has been my experience with Canon lenses as well, including the 11-24, ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent Lens
A very nice lens with some excellent features. I have only had the lens for about 3 weeks and used it for landscape and some action shots with my A7MII. Pictures come out crisp and clear. I already had a 24-70 lens that I use all the time and wanted something with a little more focal length when taking images outside and in large areas. Especially like an on off button for image stabilization on the lens and the stop focus button (as i call it) a... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Solid build. Superior Zoom quality
I purchased this lense for use with the Sony a6000 and am very pleased with the performance. It's very quick on the autofocus and sharp throughout the zoom range. Colors are Vivid and have the pop you would expect from a professional quality lense. Build is top notch with thick metal construction. Though it seems awkward in size when paired with y a6000, it is an extremely compact package when compared to similar lenses on other platforms. The F4... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
As advertised
Even though it is the dead of Winter here where we live, I have had the opportunity to shoot with the f4 70/200 a good bit and find the lens as advertised. My struggle prior to purchasing was do I go to the Gmaster to get the 2.8 stop or decide on the smaller, lighter Sony fe 4.0 oss. I am not sorry I chose the latter at all. I must say that I am not a professional, simply a discerning enthusiast who enjoys learning from professional input and th... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Stupid great.
I bought this and an a6000 to dip my toes into this Sony mirrorless system, why ?? Nikon AF wasn't cutting it and my 50 year old eyes weren't cutting it with the optical viewfinders. Sony's focus peaking, magnification, and SURPRISE, auto-focus THAT WORKS more than it doesn't. My Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 was mostly worthless in hunting for focus on the D800 compared to what this f4 lens does on the a6000 and a7ii. it focuses like a mind reader living 2... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Sony sensors make f/2.8 vs f/4 decision easier
I debated this or the f/2.8 version of this lens for quite some time. Having made a living with cameras since 1989...every zoom I've had in that timeframe has usually been a f/2.8 model. You just needed the extra f-stop of light. However, the sensor in the Sony A7III has changed my perspective on that last statement. In low light, the A7III is flat-out great. So, the extra f-stop of light isn't really all that important now. My ego told me to g... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Perfect Telezoom for landscape photography
Before purchasing this lens I rented both this lens and the F2.8 GM. The GM was a tad sharper and better in low light: rented it to take advantage of f2.8 for faster shutter speeds during a doors off helicopter flight in NY. However since I shoot landscapes & cityscapes the weight penalty of the GM far outweighed the differences for me: aside from the heli flight it never made it into my back pack while walking around during the day. In come... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent lens with QC issues
After I switched over to the Sony system I had very good luck with 3 of the lenses I purchased. The 16-35 F2.8, 24-105 F4, 100-400 F4.5-5.6 were all perfect out of the box, no decentering issues with any of them. I was beginning to think that Sony finally has a good Quality Control not like Nikon when I had to send most of the lenses back for an exchange due to decentering issues, when the center is sharp but one or both side are out of focus. My... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very Sharp Lens !
I am a professional photographer in transition from Nikon to Sony. I still use my Nikon equipment on certain things but I use the Sony on the majority of my shoots.If you have a Sony E-mount full frame camera ( I have the Sony A7RII) then this is the lens for you. Its a $1000.00 cheaper than the f2.8 version. This lens is sharp all the way through its focal lengths with very little if any vignetting. What little vignetting you may get is easily c... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Stay away from this fragile lens!!!
I got this lens 6 months ago and it was working fine. Didn't use it that much, all together on 6-7 occasions. Yesterday I took it out from my photo pack pack and it was broken in half!?! I really don't know how this happened. I didn't drop it and it didn't ever fall down. After online research, many similar cases like mine and even new out of the box lens had the same issue. How it is possible that Sony made this big lens with the plastics connec... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Solid Lens
Im a Porsche photographer, and Im getting into portraits. Ive owned this lens for about a month now, and so far I love it. The build is very strong, it just feels like a solid lens. The focus and zoom rings feel like they are gliding on a river of magic. The photos Ive taken so far are very sharp. Obviously being f4 its low light isnt the best, but the fact that I have the lens on an A7ii does make it possible to shoot in darker environments with... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
worth the money vs. 40-200 f/4 for many shooters,
Nice lens. Nice price point. Wish that Sony would release a 1.4X converter for it. That would still give you f5.6 at 280MM. Well lit action sports I am shooting more than f.5.6 Wish that we had some tele options for Sony, but understand why they are leaving this market for later. Not complaining as there are plenty of good lens options for most shooting styles. What's in my bag: (Voitlander 12, Batis 24, Sony 35 f1.4, Loxia 35, Sony 55, Sony 85, ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Rediculous
I've avoided long lenses most of my life and settled for 135 as about as far as I've needed. But this lens with the A7s is sort of magical. I shoot mostly video, but even with stills I can hand hold and get razor sharp, fantastic images. It's rare to find something that you can find nothing wrong with but this one is in the ballpark. And then you switch the APS-C mode on the A7s and holy moly you have 300mm. For video the only small caveat is tha... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very happy with my purchase
I shoot a lot of surf photography and mess around with portraits and landscapes. This lens is very versatile and have had success with most situations when im using this puppy. Now, i suppose if you can cough up the dough and grab the f/2.8 model, that would be ideal if you shoot indoors a bunch, but with an f stop of 4 and usually shooting on sunny beaches, i dont think its something i need. Autofocus has been great. im paired up with my sony a6... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Sports Lens for the a6000
This is a very good sports lens for the a6000. The equivalent focal length of 104-300mm is a decent medium reach for many sports. I shoot a lot of surfing from the beach and this works fine when the tide is high and the surfers are closer to shore. It proves to be a bit short when the tide and surfers are out. Very light weight and easy to shoot hand-held though I often use on a monopod for extra stability. Tack sharp on about 80% of the frames w... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Lens!
I got this lens 2 weeks ago, along with the Sony A7R II. I must say, I had some high expectations for the system and they have been exceeded. I put this lens on and went to take photos at the Zoo and at the dog park. I was really impressed by the results of both shoots. Catching my dogs in stills has always been a problem. They are always running...and they run fast. I was able to catch the action flawlessly. The wonderful faces they make when th... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Haven't had it all that long
I have only had it about 1 week therefore the 4 stars. Have played with it some and so far it is great, should go to 5 stars. I am using a Sony a7. Focus appears to be good and fast. Like the focus lock buttons. Do a lot of manual focus with the body. I got the Sony because it's lighter than the Canon 7D, which I have 2 bodies and still like them for what I do. It is lighter than the Canon with 70-200 f2.8 by a bunch. The out of focus isolation i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very happy....
Recently switched from Nikon to Sony. This lens performs excellent in my a6000. It's just as sharp as my old Nikon 70-200. Only difference is the Sony is an f/4, but that works for me. Autofocus works well. Once it acquires focus it tracks moving subjects will. I'm also impressed with the bokeh this lens can produce. Great for outdoor portraits. It's not as rugged as my old 70-200, but still feels good in my hand. Plus I prefer the lighter weight. One of the main readons I went mirrorless. If you're in the market for an affordable zoom, I would recommend looking into this lens.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A good lens with limited usage, for now
I bought the lens to use it with an a6000 for sports. The lens is physically large, nearly identical in size and weight to the Nikkor 70-200 f4, and as such, it did not balance well on the tiny a6000.Not to mention that tracking is not so great in AF, but I suppose that is not the lens' fault.Because the lens did not work for me for the intended purpose, I returned it.Despite that, I was impressed about the quality of the product, and what little use the lens got inside the house. It was sharp, and I was able to get good photos even at 1/50 s, which means the OSS system works.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Better than expected
I bought this to for some additional reach as compared to the 24-70 f4 FE lens. Works great as a full frame 70-200, and also as a 105-300 in crop mode - with the Sony A7r. I thought the f4 maximum aperture, or slow focus would bother me, they have not. My first day out, 200+ photos, only 3-4 missed focus, and this was moving kids. Not exactly sports photography, but still a challenge. The light weight of the lens, as compared to an f2.8, is great. Happy with the depth and bokeh at f4 for portraits. After a couple weeks of use, I may have to come back and update to 5 stars.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
An excellent lens with great build quality - very satisfied.
I have used this lens for landscape shooting, and have not done any shooting yet in low light. As expected, it will be a little less effective at that time, but the advantages of very light weight and comparatively small size (compared to the GM 70-200)make it well worth it. I find that for outdoor sports and landscape, it renders images on a par with the L series 70-200 Canon lens I have been using, and every bit as sharp. Probably the perfect 70-200 lens for traveling, at least for me. At the current price, it is an excellent value. Very solid build quality.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Stellar lens but.......
This is a stellar lens but, only if you get a good copy. I had to send the first copy back for an exchange because every image regardless of focal distance was very soft and it also seemed as if the OSS was not working properly. I couldn't even get sharp images at 1/4000sec shutter speeds. Thankfully the second copy was completely flawless. I get beautiful sharp images at every focal length. The reviews that I've seen have been mixed and i think that may be due to the fact the there are bad copies floating around. I hope Sony improves the quality control.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
