FE70-200mm f/4G Macro OSS II lens reviewed by Sony Ambassador Patrick Murphy-Racey

[pm-r]

INTRODUCING THE NEW SONY 

FE 70-200 F4 G OSS II

By Sony Ambassador Patrick Murphy-Racey

 

Experience:

Adjectives: new, Elegant, sophisticated, tiny, lightweight, capable, sharp, fast

Moto trip - Sony shipped the lens to me and I headed out of Seattle area and into Canada.  The first experience is the lack of size or weight.  Here is some footage I shot in my hotel as I opened the box-didn’t even know what was inside!

Sony will not confirm this but I feel like the AF on this may be faster than GMII

Using TC’s seems to be normal lens without TC - The a1 loves this lens with 2x

AF worked best on the a1 and then almost as good was the a74 and a7R5

 

Speed:  AF is super quick—possibly faster than 70-200GMII but Sony won’t release AF speed.  Sony says 20% faster than SEL70-200 f/4G

The old 70-200f4G would only get you to 15 fps on a9 or a1

The macro version goes 30fps all day long on a1

 

Size/Weight: show the way I hold lens in hand

weight 794g 15% shorter than the original 70-200 f/4G 25% shorter than GMII

But most people will be amazed to find new macro is 1045g Than 70-200 f/2.8GM2

(measure weight with 1.4X?).

Tripod collar is removable.

 

Macro:  über sharp at al focal lengths, flat field across entire imaging area

Flouring coating protecting the front element, 9 blade circular aperture helps to make soft organic bokeh

Macro section:  .5X macro capability over entire zoom range but you get 1:1 when you add the 2x teleconverter.

10.24” at 70mm and 14.2” at 200mm in AF or MF (without extension tubes)

 

TELECONVERTERS????  YES!!!!

On the a1, this means that without a TC attached, you will punch in to 105-300 21mp

Accepts both FE teleconverters so that means 1.4X: 98-280mm f/5.6 2X: 140-400mm

Or with punching in, the 1.4X will offer 147-420mm, 2x will offer 210-600mm

On any APS-C camera, this means the field of view will be 105-300mm f/4

 

AF aspects:  

Internal focus design even though lens is of the extension type

4- XD linear AF motors , high speed, precise tracking, quiet AF,

floating focus: two independently controllable groups 

2 focus groups each gets it’s own 2 XD linear AF motors (4 motors total)

As you zoom and focus, these two groups adjust perfect edge to edge focus no matter

AF tracking WHILE zooming supported

When shooting macro tracking AF works!  Most macro is mF only but tracking AF actually works most of the time (recommend tracking: flex spot S)

 

Buttons and switches:  same as big boy super-teles 

3 focus hold buttons

Optical image stabilization

Removable Tripod collar

Zoom lock switch

AF/MF

Full time DMF

Focus range limiter

 

Video Advantages:

OSS

Tripod collar for rigging

Especially suited to a7RV

So lightweight, use without rails but get legit tele

Don’t need f/2.8 all the time anyways

Bokeh is really creamy

Gimbal for sure, esp. with a7RV

Image stabilization on a7RV is otherworldly (shoot video examples)

Active: IBIS + lens OSS = crazy cool stabilization that rivals gimbal

 

Who will use this?  Me.  Macro, Nature, product, food photography, portrait, wedding, pj, sports shooters for daytime work and auto racing, & field sports for goal captures. Videographers will love it with it’s OSS and still fast f/4 constant aperture.  No aperture ring though—it was the cost of making it this small and light.  Remember the a7R5 has the cool speed control for aperture changes.

 

Sign me up!!!!

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by pm-r

[kevinmcox]

Looks good. I loved my old Canon EF 70-200 f/4.0 and carried it about 90% of the time over the f/2.8 version.

Glad to see I've got that option now with Sony as well as a cheaper lens that can be used for remotes.

[pm-r]

I fell the same way!  I just wish the 135GM could take the 1.4X TC and I might even switch from the 70-200 f/2.8 to the f/4...

[TrekRover]

Sounds like a great lens. I am curious what the minimum focus distance is with the 2x TC attached. I am considering replacing my FE 90mm G Macro lens with this 70-200mm f/4 G Macro since I already have a 2x TC.

[pm-r]

with the 2x, it would be the same, 1:1 macro, however, it's much easier to get light onto small things when you can back off a little.  Not being stuck always at 90mm is a nice benefit of the new macro zoom.

 

[pm-r]

I just ordered the FE70-200G f/4 Macro.  I should get it this week--so excited!!!!   pm-r 🙂

[Joey-Austin]

Thank you for the detailed review, I am thinking about getting one 

[modsupremo]

Good stuff!

I am torn between the 135GM and this lens.

Thanks for the review and info, which may sway me to get the FE70-200mm f/4G Macro OSS II.

Warmest regards!