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24-70mm

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Hands-on Review

Is Sony's new 24-70mm F2.8 GM Mark II zoom lens a significant improvement or just more of the same?

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 04/27/2022

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 51mm, F11, 1/3s, ISO 50. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. This is a focus stack of two images. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file. The other RAW file is located in the Gallery.

The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens was announced in early 2016. It was, and still is, a great standard zoom lens that delivers impressive usability, autofocus and image quality. Alongside the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM is what most photographers would consider a 'staple' lens.

Last year, Sony released an updated version of its 70-200mm F2.8 GM zoom lens, improving the lens's overall usability, image quality and autofocus, while simultaneously reducing its size and weight.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/15s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Now, Sony's other popular F2.8 zoom lens, the 24-70mm F2.8, has received the same treatment. The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Mark II lens is smaller, lighter, faster, more usable and better than its predecessor. And much like the Mark II version of the 70-200mm F2.8, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is a compelling lens for hybrid creators and still photographers alike. But how much better is it? Let's dig in and find out.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 57mm, F11, 1/10s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II key features and specs

• World's smallest and lightest F2.8 standard zoom lens for full-frame ILC cameras
• 67th E-mount lens (47th full-frame lens)
• Enhanced optical performance
• 20 elements in 15 groups
• 3 aspherical, 2 XA, 2 Super ED and 2 ED elements
• Nano AR Coating II and fluorine coating
• Improved autofocus system with XD linear motors
• Reduced focus breathing
• Linear Response MF
• 0.34x max magnification
• 'Smooth' zooming option
• Weighs 695g, 191g lighter than the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM
• 119.9mm long, 16.1mm shorter than the previous version
• $2299.99

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 55mm, F9, 1/30s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II lens design and handling: Smaller, lighter and significantly better

The primary takeaway is that the new 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is smaller and lighter than its predecessor. In total, the version reduces overall volume by about 18 percent. This is primarily the result of a 16.1mm reduction in length. Further, despite a roughly identical max diameter, the new lens is thinner through much of its barrel. Both lenses utilize an 82mm filter thread.

The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is the smallest and lightest 24-70mm F2.8 zoom out there.

You can see the size difference, and it does matter, but I found the weight difference to be more noticeable in use. The original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens isn't heavy, especially not compared to competing 24-70mm F2.8 zoom lenses, but the new lens is impressively lightweight. It weighs 695 grams (24.5 ounces), which is 191g (6.74 oz.) lighter than the original version. You can easily feel the difference. The GM II version is simply more enjoyable to hold.

Before moving on to the other design improvements, let's stop and consider how 695g and 119.9mm stacks up against the non-Sony competition. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 G DN lens weighs 830g and is 124.9mm long. The Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM is a hefty 900g and is 125.7mm long. The Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S lens is 805g and 126mm long. All the lenses use an 82mm filter thread. And, while it probably goes without saying, I want to say it anyway, all these 24-70mm F2.8 lenses are excellent, including the now 'old' Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM. That said, the size and weight of Sony's new 'Mark II' zoom is extremely impressive.

The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II (left) is quite a bit smaller than the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM (right). Plus, the GM II version adds an aperture control ring, zoom torque switch, additional Fn button and features a redesigned lens hood with a sliding door to adjust an attached 82mm filter.

Despite shrinking the lens down, Sony has added a lot of niceties. The lens now incorporates a dedicated aperture ring, which can be de-clicked or clicked. It is labeled at full stop increments and includes hash marks for every one-third stop. The aperture ring also has an 'A' position for automatic or for control via the camera, depending upon the selected shooting mode. The iris locks, but the zoom ring no longer does – a worthwhile tradeoff.

The zoom ring requires less than 90 degrees of rotation and has markings at 24, 35, 50 and 70mm. It also has a new adjustment mechanism. You can make the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II's zoom ring 'smooth' or 'tight,' the latter being the typical default resistance. It feels familiar. The smooth option is noticeably smoother, although I prefer the resistance offered by the 'tight' option. Your mileage may vary.

Like other 24-70mm F2.8 lenses, the GM II is an 'extension' zoom, meaning that it increases in length as you zoom. From 24mm to 70mm, the lens extends by slightly more than an inch. The lens lengthens by nearly the same magnitude as the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM.

As you zoom from 24 to 70mm, the lens gets slightly longer.

The lens has a couple of function buttons and an AF/MF switch. Speaking of MF, the focus ring, which feels a bit loose for my taste, works with Linear Response Manual Focus. I used manual focus some, and no surprise, the experience was good.

The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II also includes a redesigned lens hood. It's still petal-shaped and has a nice locking button mechanism, but the new hood is shorter. This reduces the overall length of the lens even more for those who use a lens hood. I typically ditch the lens hood because I frequently shoot with a circular polarizing filter. It's annoying to squeeze my fingers past the hood to rotate the filter. Luckily, the new lens hood has a sliding door, so I can easily rotate a filter without reaching around the hood. For the first time in a while, I barely ever shot without the lens hood. Couple that with the new Nano AR Coating II, and flare is almost exclusively a problem of the past.

The new aperture control ring can be de-clicked and has an 'A' position.

In terms of ruggedness, the lens is water- and dust-resistant. It also includes a fluorine coating on the front element, something missing from the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens. It makes the lens more likely to repel dirt and water, plus it's easier to wipe clean.

The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is the smallest and lightest full-frame 24-70mm F2.8 zoom lens, and you can instantly feel the difference between the new version and its predecessor. You can also see the difference, but I'm more concerned about the overall user experience and wow, is it ever good.

Image quality: Fantastic image quality across the board

While the GM II's key improvements lie elsewhere, that doesn't mean that Sony hasn't refined the optical design. The lens incorporates 20 elements across 15 groups, up from 18 in 13 groups. The new lens has two XA elements, three aspherical elements, two Super ED and two ED elements. This is a notable increase from single elements of each. Do the new design and extra glass deliver fantastic image quality? Yes.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/10s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

All the crops seen below are 100 percent crops from raw image files converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings and built-in lens correction profiles enabled. Adobe Camera Raw does not yet include special profiles for the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. I have selected specific images to show, but you can download the full-size raw files for each test scene and aperture in the Gallery.

24mm

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens delivers outstanding image quality at 24mm, especially in the center of the frame, even when shooting wide open at F2.8. The bar was set high by the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens. It's a sharp zoom lens. Sony's revised version continues the trend by offering excellent sharpness.

At F2.8, center sharpness is excellent. Optimal sharpness does improve as you stop down, but it's not immediately obvious until you start pixel-peeping the A7R IV's high-resolution images. You see a more noticeable improvement in the corner as you stop down. There's more detail and contrast in the corners at F4 and F5.6 than at F2.8, but it's a minor difference. There's also a bit of vignette when shooting wide open that's resolved by stopping down to F4.

However, by resolving the vignette, you can see some minor longitudinal chromatic aberration that was somewhat obscured by the slight darkening in the extreme corner of the frame at F2.8. If you look closely, you can observe magenta and green fringing to the left and right of the tree trunks, respectively. I'll discuss CA further later on, but it's most evident at 24mm, although only in limited situations. At 35, 50 and 70mm, CA is present in the corners to a lesser degree.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

To my eyes, center sharpness is nearly indistinguishable from F2.8 through F8. At F11, you can start to see some minor diffraction. It isn't nearly enough softness for me to not want to use F11 in situations when I need more depth of field or a slower shutter speed. However, diffraction at F16 is noticeable. I think that the aperture is still useful in some situations, but it's not the best choice if you are prioritizing sharpness. F22 is very soft.

35mm

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 35mm – 34mm, to be exact – the image quality remains excellent. Although somewhat surprisingly, at least to me, corner performance isn't quite as good at 35mm as 24mm. It's still good, though. We'll revisit this topic at 50mm and 70mm, but the middle focal lengths are a bit of an outlier in this regard. The corners are far from bad, especially as you stop down to F5.6 and F8.

Considering center sharpness, it's good news again. At F2.8, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is excellent across much of the frame. There's slightly better detail when you stop down, but the difference is as negligible at 35mm as it is at 24mm. You get nearly the best the lens offers in terms of maximum resolving power at F2.8. Like at 24mm, I think the best overall performance is around F5.6, but F8 and F11 remain good, especially if you want more depth of field. The lens is slightly soft at F11, but it's not bad. F16 and F22 are noticeably softer, but F16 is okay in certain situations.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 34mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 35mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

50mm

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 50mm (49mm), the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is outstanding. There's some slight vignette at F2.8, but even so, the lens is very good at 50mm. I'm beginning to feel like a broken record, and not to spoil the next section, but the good news doesn't suddenly turn bad at 70mm, either. Simply put, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is excellent. It's simultaneously exciting and boring how sharp the lens is. That's great for Sony photographers, but it's somewhat dull for me to write about. Better to be boring than bad, though.

If you want to find a weakness at 50mm, you can point to the slightly soft corners. However, that's not unusual, and the lens still offers impressive sharpness at the extreme edges. If you want to maintain sharp corners, then stopping down to F5.6 or F8 is the way to go. If you don't care about the very edge or a little vignette, stay at F2.8 and enjoy the bokeh.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 49mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 50mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

70mm

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

You already know how this section is going to go. However, there's a minor twist. Well, maybe it's not a twist, but it is different than the previous 24-70mm G Master lens, as we'll see later…70mm is this lens's best focal length in terms of full-frame sharpness. As expected, center performance remains excellent, but the corner performance is especially impressive. Even at F2.8, corner sharpness is good. There's a minor vignette still, which resolves at F4, but the detail in the corners is noticeably better than at 24mm, 35mm and 50mm.

Much like at the other focal lengths, performance across the board improves slightly at F4, but sharpness at F2.8 is still great. F5.6 and F8 are great, too.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F5.6, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% center crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F8, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sharpness summary

To the surprise of nobody, the primary takeaway here is a positive one. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is very sharp. While there is slight softness in the extreme corners of the full-frame image area, the corner performance is still impressive. If you require sharper corners, then stop down to F4-F8. If you need more depth of field or require a slower shutter speed, then F11 and to a lesser extent F16 are good options. Avoid F22 due to significant diffraction.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F8, 1/5s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens is very good at 24mm through 70mm. There's no real weak focal length when it comes to sharpness, although I found performance to be best at the long end. Nonetheless, the lens is so good that you don't need to think about focal length or aperture when shooting, at least not to achieve excellent image quality. That's about the best compliment you can give a zoom lens.

Bokeh

Sony makes a lot of great lenses, but its G Master lenses are the cream of the crop when it comes to bokeh. The lenses are built to more precise and demanding standards. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, like the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens, incorporates XA lens elements. These are special optical elements that are manufactured to 0.01-micron surface precision. However, the new lens has two XA elements, whereas the original GM lens had just one. The result is cleaner bokeh without onion-ring effects. Unlike the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM, the new GM II includes a rounded 11-blade aperture diaphragm, up from 9 blades.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/80s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony's new 24-70mm F2.8 GM II delivers outstanding bokeh performance. The lens produces smooth, soft out of focus areas in front of and behind the subject. Further, the bokeh is clean due to the XA elements.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 52mm, F2.8, 1/20s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 69mm, F2.8, 1/4s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/50s, ISO 3200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/800s, ISO 100. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Flare and aberrations

The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens includes a new Nano AR Coating II. The original lens had Nano AR coating, but not the newest iteration featured in the GM II zoom. The new coating, plus a revised optical design, helps reduce internal reflections, which controls flare and ghosting. No complaints here, as the lens had no issues with flare at all.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F11, 0.6s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file. This scene was backlit, but it was no issue for the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II.

Concerning aberrations, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II incorporates two Super ED and ED glass elements. These elements compensate for chromatic aberration and help ensure that different wavelengths of light focus at the same point, which reduces color fringing, especially around high-contrast edges in difficult lighting conditions.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/80s, ISO 160. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/80s, ISO 160. 100% crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/100s, ISO 100. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/100s, ISO 100. 100% crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

I saw minimal chromatic aberration during my hands-on time with the lens. Consider the two images above. In the first one, the crop is at the point of focus. There's no noticeable chromatic aberration. I highlighted an out-of-focus area in the second image, as out-of-focus elements are more prone to show longitudinal chromatic aberration. In this case, there's some, seen as teal fringing, but it's very well-controlled. The samples above are the worst cases I could find in my images, and I wouldn't even notice the color fringing if I hadn't been zooming in and seeking it out. In a wide variety of other situations, I couldn't see any aberrations.

Distortion

If I must point out an optical weakness of the lens, it's distortion. In real-world shots, it's not strong enough that I noticed. However, in an impromptu hallway test, you can see a bit of distortion.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/30s, ISO 1250. Distortion test at 24mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 24mm, there's some barrel distortion. Take note of the door frames, especially the ones nearer the edge of the frame.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/80s, ISO 2500. Distortion test at 70mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 70mm, there's a bit of pincushion distortion. Instead of the doorways curving inward like at 24mm, they curve outward. It's minor, but it is evident when you specifically seek it out. I don't shoot doorways for fun, but distortion at 24mm and 70mm could impact more interesting scenes with dominant straight lines and require correction during post-processing. The good news is that it's an easy fix. The corrections below took a combined total of maybe 30 seconds.

Manual distortion corrections applied in Photoshop. 24mm (left) and 70mm (right).  

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 68mm, F16, 1.3s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the field

Autofocus

The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens incorporates a redesigned autofocus system. Alongside the size reduction, this is perhaps the lens's biggest improvement. When Sony launched the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens, the company had yet to develop its XD Linear Motor focusing system. The original zoom used a Direct Drive SSM system. Since then, many lenses, like the 70-200mm GM II last year, have included XD Linear Motor focusing.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/40s, ISO 1600. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II includes four of Sony's XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors, which use high-torque motors with a lot of thrust to move a floating focus element. The lens can support autofocus at up to 30 frames per second, and the autofocus is faster and more stable during zooming.

Sony was kind enough to supply me with the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens so I could see the difference in autofocus speed. The older 24-70mm F2.8 GM isn't slow, but the newer lens is noticeably faster…and quieter. The focusing speeds of both lenses are fast enough that it's hard to measure a difference precisely. Still, I'd describe the GM II lens as focusing almost instantly, whereas there is a noticeable transition from out of focus to in focus with the original GM lens. With the GM II, even when going from a faraway focus distance to a very close one, it feels like the lens is in focus almost as soon as I press the shutter.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F8, 1/80s, ISO 1000. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

It's not just a difference in speed and sound, there's also a noticeable difference in smoothness. The GM II goes from out of focus to in focus without any hiccups. It doesn't overshoot. In contrast, the original GM lens bounces around a bit and has a slight wobble to its focus, even if it quickly corrects itself.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/100s, ISO 5000. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Overall, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II delivers impeccable autofocus. It is swift, quiet and smooth. For years, I've thought the original lens is a solid autofocus performer – and it is. However, compared to the GM II, the older autofocus system feels decidedly old-fashioned and somewhat unrefined. That's not a knock on the 24-70mm F2.8 GM as much as it is a testament to the difference that the XD Linear Motor system and floating focus mechanism makes with the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 61mm, F2.8, 1/400s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Close focus

The floating focus inside the new GM II lens also affects close-up focusing performance. The older lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.38m (just under 15"), resulting in a max magnification of 0.24x. The GM II can focus as close as 0.21m (8.3") at 24mm and 0.3m (11.8") at 70mm, resulting in a max magnification of 0.32x at 70mm. It may not look like a big difference on paper, but it's a nice improvement.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/10s, ISO 100. Same settings for the original GM image. Close focus comparison between the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II (top) and 24-70mm F2.8 GM (bottom). Click for the full-size GM II image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 100. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II versus the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM

The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is a remarkable improvement upon an already excellent standard zoom lens. Throughout this review, I've discussed different improvements offered by the new lens, but I wanted to recap the most significant differences.

Design: The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is 191g lighter and 16.1mm shorter than its predecessor. The GM II is the smallest and lightest lens in its class, and the size and weight difference are immediately noticeable and acutely felt during use. The GM II also adds an aperture control ring, Linear Response manual focus, a redesigned lens hood, and a zoom torque switch.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F11, 1/10s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Optics: The GM II lens incorporates 20 elements across 15 groups, including two XA elements and three aspherical elements. The older lens has 18 elements in 13 groups, including a single XA element and one aspherical. The GM II also adds an extra Super ED and regular ED element. Plus, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II has an 11-bladed aperture, rather than the 9-bladed design in its predecessor.

Autofocus: With four XD Linear Motors, the GM II lens focuses significantly faster than the Direct Drive SSM-equipped 24-70mm F2.8 GM. Plus, the GM II incorporates a floating focus element, allowing it to focus closer than its predecessor (0.32x versus 0.24x max magnification). The GM II delivers faster, quieter and smoother autofocus across the board.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 35mm, F16, 1.6s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Those are the big three areas of improvement, and each of them varies in impact depending upon the use case. Well, save for the new and improved design. The smaller size and lighter weight matter to everyone.

As for optical improvements, the original lens already presented an extremely high bar to clear. However, I still wanted to see if there was any noticeable difference when shooting wide open at the two extremes. I didn't feel it worthwhile to do a full test series, but I wanted to test center and corner sharpness. I focused separately on the center and bottom right corner tests to account for any issues with focus distance given my less-than-ideal test target. Images were shot at 24mm and 70mm at F2.8 with the original and new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lenses. Further, because the GM II lens doesn't have a profile in ACR, I left Adobe's corrections disabled for the original GM lens.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/8s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are disabled. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/8s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop from original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are disabled. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/8s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II lens. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 24mm, F2.8, 1/8s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop from new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II lens. Sharpness test shot - 24mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Again, this is an informal test since this is a review of the GM II lens and not a retrospective on the original GM. At 24mm, there isn't much difference at F2.8 in the center of the frame. Both lenses are extremely sharp and deliver strong detail and contrast. Quickly flipping back and forth, I see a slight sharpness improvement with the GM II lens. More noticeable is that the lenses deliver slightly different framing at 24mm despite the camera being stationary. I'm not sure what that's about, although my colleague, William Brawley, noticed something similar with the new FE 16-35mm F4 PZ lens compared to the 16-35mm GM F2.8 lens.

In the corners, the difference is more noticeable. The test shots were focused specifically on the bottom right corner, but nonetheless, you can still see a difference in sharpness. The GM II lens is sharper and shows less chromatic aberration.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/6s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are disabled. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/5s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop from original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are disabled. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/6s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/8s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop from new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The difference at 70mm and F2.8, even in the center of the frame, is significant enough that I reshot the test images multiple times using both autofocus and manual focus. Nonetheless, every time, the conclusion remained the same. The GM II is significantly sharper in the center of the frame at 70mm and F2.8. Interestingly, there remains a puzzling difference in framing despite the stationary setup. That aside, the difference in fine detail is stark. I figured, 'what the hell, let's try a different subject. Maybe that will matter.'

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/3s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are disabled. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/3s, ISO 100. 100% center crop from new 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II lens. Sharpness test shot - 70mm. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and built-in lens profiles applied. Additional corrections are not yet available. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Again, it's an informal test. We again see slightly different framing, but what about sharpness? At this point, it's safe to say that the GM II simply is sharper when shooting at 70mm and F2.8. At least when considering single samples of each lens.

To summarize, the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II offers better usability, autofocus, and wide-open sharpness, especially at 70mm.

So, should you upgrade if you have the original 24-70mm F2.8 G Master lens? Well, that depends. While optical quality is improved, I don't think it's enough of a reason to justify the upgrade by itself. If you shoot handheld a lot, the more compact size and the lighter weight could be a compelling reason to upgrade. As someone who primarily enjoys landscape photography, I think that these two improvements combined could convince me to trade up.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 63mm, F11, 1/3s, ISO 50. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

If you photograph action or do video work, there is more reason to upgrade. The improved autofocus system alone will convince many photographers to get the GM II version. Then add in the better video performance, including reduced focus breathing, more stable autofocus, quieter autofocus, smooth zoom, a de-clicked aperture ring and Linear Response MF, and there's a lot to like about the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F2.8, 1/50s, ISO 2500. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

If you don't have the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM and want a 24-70mm F2.8 standard zoom for your Sony Alpha camera, get the new 24-70mm F2.8 GM II. It's worth whatever the price difference ends up being when the dust settles.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 70mm, F11, 1/30s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II hands-on review summary

Sony's F2.8 standard zoom is smaller, lighter, faster and better designed

What I like most:

• Smaller and lighter
• Dedicated aperture ring is useful
• Improved lens hood
• Excellent image quality across the board
• Extremely fast autofocus
• Closer minimum focus distance

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 68mm, F11, 1/13s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I dislike:

• Corner performance is a slightly lackluster at some focal lengths
• Distortion can be a bit strong, although not impossible to correct

There is not much to dislike about the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens, except maybe that it's so good that it could give owners of the original lens a bit of envy. However, the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM is as good now as when it launched. The only difference is that Sony has been improving its technology, and now that new and improved tech, like better optical design and Linear XD focusing, has made its way into a revised 24-70mm F2.8 lens. And yes, the new version is better. It's better in every significant way.

Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens at 48mm, F11, 1.3s, ISO 50. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. This is a focus stack of two images. Click for the full-size modified image. Click here for the RAW file. The other RAW file is located in the Gallery.