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What's your first GM lens and why did you choose it?

Superflyalpha
Newbie

4 weeks ago

The reason you had choose the lens and what did you use to shoot with?

6 REPLIES 6

ST
Star Member

4 weeks ago

First GM lens

70-200 F2.8 OSS GM II
I just got it a few weeks ago, and I've been ecstatically happy with it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the 2x teleconverter I had planned to get with it - until today. I picked it up late this afternoon and plan to check it out tomorrow. 
Here's an example of why I wanted the 2x teleconverter. I would have liked to fill the frame with these photos, but I couldn't crop that much without degrading the results. Taken two days ago. All at 1/2000-1/2500, F2.8, 200 mm, ISO 100.

DSC07182.jpgDSC07183.jpgDSC07184.jpgDSC07185.jpg

History - what I used to shoot with
I had used the FE 24–105mm F4 G OSS Lens (SEL24105G)  as my daily all-around lens for about five months, and I was very happy with that. I also got the PZ 16-35 F4 for some environmental portraits, landscape and some video. I walk outdoors daily, and lately, there has been more wildlife, but most of those creatures were beyond the reach of the 24-105. And since I often walk in the early hours, I wondered about how much more I could photograph with a wider aperture.

Why did I choose the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II?

See the list below of the lenses I considered. I have shown the features that mattered most to me. 

  • Weight and, to a lesser extent, size
    • I have to be able to carry it for 10 miles
    • Use it hand-held
  • Versatility 
    • widest to the narrowest field of view 
      • Wildlife and landscapes
    • fastest aperture
  • Performance
    • All three lenses below get great reviews
    • Autofocus speed
    • Image quality


I considered 

  1. FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (SEL70200GM2) with 2x Teleconverter Lens (SEL20TC) 
    1045 + 207 = 1252 grams / 88 x 200 mm + 62.4 x 42.7 mm (total length 242.7 mm)

    • This combination would give me a fast zoom
      • F2.8 for 70-200
        and with the teleconverter
      • F5.6 for 140-400 
    • Reviews of this combination suggested that I should get comparable results at 400mm to the FE 100-400 F4.5-5.6 GM below 
    • Internal zoom
    • All the latest GM II features (announced 2022)
      • XD Linear Motors
      • Aperture ring
      • 3 mode OSS
    • Shortest minimum focus distance 0.4–0.82 m

  2. FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM) 1,395 grams / 93.9 x 280 mm at 400 mm

    • Older GM design (announced 2017)
      • Linear motor and Direct Drive SSM
    • External zoom
    • Minimum focus distance 0.98 m/3.22 ft

  3. FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 2,115 grams / 111.5 x 318 mm

    • Not GM 
    • Announced 2019
    • Minimum focus distance 2.4 m
    • Internal zoom
    • Too heavy to carry for the duration of my long walks, and I'd probably need to carry
      • a tripod or monopod
      • a second lens for more typical landscape shots
    • I had a chance to try this lens on my camera today. It was challenging to hand-hold it at 600 mm.

ST
Star Member
In response to ST

Thursday

A quick update to my post above. 

I got the Sony FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 13 days ago and despite my reservations above

  • It's a fine lens (G is still great vs. GM)
  • While the minimum focus distance is 2.4 meters, it's not as big an issue as I had imagined
  • The internal zoom is great, and the 1/4 turn to go from 200-600 mm is terrific
  • I'm getting used to the weight, and I have carried it at least 7 km for 12 of the past 13 days

Here are a couple of shots.

A1_08353.jpgA1_08433.jpg 

GunslingerMedia
Member

4 weeks ago - last edited 4 weeks ago

I got the 16-35mm 2.8 GM because Amazon randomly offered a 5 installment payment plan on it, no interest, no credit check, just straight up. I had 400 bucks so I got it. It blew me away how good it was. I started photography/videography with the A7C the day it came out, and had been using a ton of third party lenses. Samyang, Viltrox, my mind set was I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, I just wanted to get the shot, but I wasn’t happy with the shots I got. When I put that G Master on I felt like I had been living a lie. It was so much better, the colors in my photos were so much better, my videos looked clearer and more in focus. Made me rethink every purchase I ever made. I sold everything, ended up getting a Canon R6 because I couldn’t afford an A7Siii and wanted 10 bit video, and sold the R6 to get an A7IV the day it came out. I had a lot of cheap lenses then, now I’m down to three, the 14mm GM, the 24-70 GMii, and the 28mm f2. Now I feel like if I don’t use the best glass I can get, I’m doing a disservice to my images, and I am ready to spend a lot of money to have quality over quantity. 

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