Introduction
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G (SEL2070G) is an ultra-wide customary zoom lens for Sony Alpha full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras.
It’ll additionally work with APS-C sensor cameras with an efficient improve in focal size to 30-105mm because of the 1.5x crop issue.
The optical development options 16 parts in 13 teams together with three ED parts, two AA parts, one ED aspherical ingredient, and one customary aspherical ingredient.
It has a near-circular 9-blade diaphragm which creates a pretty blur to the out-of-focus areas of the picture, a fluorine coating on the entrance lens ingredient, a minimal focusing distance of 0.25m / 0.82ft and a most magnification of 0.39x, two XD (excessive dynamic) linear motors for quick and quiet autofocusing, and it is also mud and moisture resistant.
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens shall be out there in March 2023 priced at £1400 / $1099 within the UK and the US, respectively. It’s made in Thailand.
Ease of Use
Weighing in at simply 488g /17.3 oz. and measuring 10cm in size, the hybrid metallic and plastic bodied Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G could be very gentle and compact for the standard zoom lens that provides such a large angle of view.
It proved to be a superbly balanced accomplice to the the Alpha A7R IV digital camera that we examined it with, as proven within the photographs under.
It is considerably lighter than all of its predominant rivals, which embody amongst others the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II (695g), the Sony FE 24-105 f/4 G OSS ^663g), and the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Artwork (830g).
Solely the a lot shorter Tamron 20-40mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (365g) and the fairly previous Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS (426g) weigh much less.
This new lens does prolong when zoomed from the minimal 20mm focal size to the 70mm focal size, by nearly 5cms when zoomed from 20mm to the 70mm focal size.
The general construct high quality is veery good, which is one thing of a aid given the excessive price-tag, with this very trendy lens using a hybrid metallic and plastic development.
This lens has a sealed mud and moisture resistant design utlising silicon seals round all of the buttons and switches and a rubber gasket across the lens mount, which makes it well-suited to life in each the sphere and the studio.
There’s additionally a a fluorine coating on the entrance lens ingredient to assist repel water, oil, and some other contaminants, in addition to making it simpler to wash.
It has a metallic lens mount and accepts 72mm filters by way of metallic threads.
The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM has two spherical Focus Maintain Buttons for simpler entry when taking pictures in both a horizontal or vertical orientation.
By default they preserve the lens locked to the present focusing distance, helpful should you’re auto-focusing and don’t need the lens to try to discover focus once more. An alternate operate can be assigned to both of those buttons by the digital camera’s customized settings.
There’s a barely slender ridged focus ring on the finish of the lens. Handbook focusing is feasible by utilizing the devoted AF/MF change to toggle between AF and MF.
There are not any onerous stops on the ends of the vary, making it more durable to set focus at infinity. Polariser customers must be happy that the 72mm filter thread would not rotate on focus.
The lens makes use of two XD Linear Motors for satisfyingly quick, clean and exact auto-focusing, and it’s totally quiet in operation making it well-suited to taking pictures video.
An inner focusing design ensures that the general lens size stays fixed throughout focusing.
Relating to auto-focusing, this lens is a very fast performer, taking lower than 0.10 seconds to lock onto the topic when mounted on the Sony Alpha A7R IV that we examined it with.
We did not expertise any “looking” in any respect, both in good or dangerous gentle, with the lens precisely focusing nearly all the time.
It is also a really quiet performer, which makes this lens equally well-suited to each video recording and extra candid stills taking pictures.
This lens has a devoted aperture ring with 1/3EV stops starting from F2.8 to F22. It may be switched between clean and notched rotation utilizing the devoted Click on On/Off change on the underside of the lens barrel.
Utilizing the Iris Lock change on the lens barrel, it can be locked to both the Auto or F4-F22 settings to forestall unintended motion of the aperture ring.
The generously sized zoom ring sits in the course of the aperture and focusing rings and rotates by roughly 80 levels. It has six completely different focal size markings – 20, 24, 28, 35, 50 and 70 mm.
This lens doesn’t function optical picture stabilisation, so it depends on the digital camera physique’s personal built-in stabilisation, which is ok except you are an proprietor of an early Sony Alpha digital camera.
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens is commendably provided with each an excellent high quality gentle case and plastic petal-shaped lens hood (ALC-SH174) which rotates by 90 levels then snaps into place (there is no lock button as on some extra premium hoods).
Focal Vary
The 20mm focal size offers an angle of view of 94 levels.
20mm
The 70mm focal size offers an angle of view of 34 levels.
70mm
Chromatic Aberrations
Chromatic aberrations, sometimes seen as purple or blue fringes alongside contrasty edges, will not be an issue for the Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens, even in areas of very excessive distinction.
20mm
70mm
Vignetting
With the lens set to its most aperture of f/4, there may be some gentle fall-off within the corners, requiring you to cease down by at the least 3 f-stops to utterly stop it.
20mm
70mm
Distortion
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G reveals some barrel and pincushion distortion, as you possibly can see within the photographs under, which can it is advisable appropriate in post-processing.
20mm
70mm
Sunstars and Flare
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G is able to producing very good sunstars when stopped-down to f/16 or f/22, as proven under, and the lens would not exhibit very a lot flare even when taking pictures straight into the solar, offered that you’ve the provided lens hood fitted.
20mm
70mm
Macro
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G presents superb close-up efficiency for the standard zoom lens, with an in depth focus level of 30cm / 0.99ft from the sensor aircraft at 20mm and 25cm / 0.82ft at 70mm and and 25cm / 0.82ft all through the zoom vary when focusing manually. It presents a most magnification of 0.39x.
Bokeh
Bokeh is a phrase used for the out-of-focus areas of {a photograph}, and is normally described in qualitative phrases, equivalent to clean / creamy / harsh and many others.
Sony have paid shut consideration to this side of lens use, using a 9-segment diaphragm with rounded blades for extra pleasing bokeh.
In our view, their efforts have been fairly profitable for the standard zoom lens – see the examples under to guage for your self.
Sharpness
As a way to present you the way sharp the Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens is, we’re offering 100% crops on the next pages.
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