Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II announced: Read our review of Sony’s newest G Master zoom lens
posted Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM EDT
Click here to read our Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Hands-on Review
Sony has announced a new and improved version of its popular F2.8 standard zoom, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master Mark II. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II offers many of the same improvements we saw last year in the 'Mark II' version of the Sony 70-200mm F2.8, including a smaller and lighter design, improved optics, and faster autofocus thanks to XD Linear Motors. In the six years since the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens was launched, Sony has developed many key optical technologies and made significant strides in its lens design. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II incorporates all these sophisticated new optical and autofocus improvements, but do they help make the GM II a significantly better lens than its predecessor?
Starting with lens design and usability, the reduction in size and weight is instantly apparent as soon as you pick up the new 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. It's the smallest and lightest lens in its class, and compared to the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM, the Mark II is 191 grams (6.74 ounces) lighter and 16.1 millimeters (0.63") shorter. 191g and 16.1mm may not sound like big numbers, but in use, they matter. The lens is noticeably smaller and lighter, thus more enjoyable to use for extended periods. It also balances better on the camera, especially as you zoom.
Despite shrinking down, the lens barrel includes more bells and whistles than before. Like with the 70-200mm F2.8 GM II, Sony has added an aperture control ring to its new zoom. The ring can be clicked or de-clicked with a switch. The zoom ring also includes torque adjustment, allowing the user to swap between 'Smooth' and 'Tight.' The latter option delivers the resistance you're used to, while 'Smooth' is just that, smoother. The lens also includes a couple of function buttons and an AF/MF switch. The lens includes a redesigned lens hood, which now includes a sliding door so that you can easily rotate an attached 82mm filter. This is a great usability improvement.
The optical design has received an update as well. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM II incorporates 20 elements across 15 groups, up from the original's 18 elements in 13 groups. The 24-70mm F2.8 GM has a single element of XA, aspherical, Super ED and ED glass. In contrast, the GM II ups the count to two XA, three aspherical, two Super ED and two ED elements. While both 24-70mm F2.8 lenses deliver impressive overall image quality, the GM II raises the bar by delivering excellent sharpness across the board, even when shooting wide open at F2.8. There's no question that the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II delivers better sharpness than its predecessor.
The third key area of improvement with the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is autofocus. When the first 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens was released, Sony had yet to develop its XD Linear Motor autofocus technology. XD Linear Motors provide fast, precise thrust to move focusing groups. In the 24-70mm F2.8 GM II's case, it's a floating focus mechanism. Compared to the Direct Drive SSM focusing tech found in the original 24-70mm F2.8, the new lens offers much faster and smoother autofocus. Plus, it's quieter. Further, the lens has been designed to serve hybrid creators better, offering better focusing performance when zooming and delivering less focus breathing. The GM II also focuses closer than its predecessor, thanks to that floating focus design, delivering a maximum magnification of 0.32x, up from 0.24x.
Overall, across these key areas of design and usability, image quality and autofocus, the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II offers significant improvements over its predecessor. The original zoom is great, but the new one? It's way better. To read more about the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II and its excellent performance, plus see some comparisons against the original 24-70mm F2.8 GM, head over to our full Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II Hands-on Review. You can also download sample images from our Gallery.