Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II Lens (Sony E)

Time flies also in the mirrorless camera world. Some of the lenses released early in this era are getting a little long in the tooth - like the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS, which was released back in 2014. It's a fine lens also used by yours truly for a while.

This is a lot of lens, and I think it will work for a lot of different photographers. It is much more affordable than the incredible but incredibly expensive , which might make it a more realistic target for many photographers at the roughly $1700 price point.

The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS II telephoto zoom is one of the most versatile lenses on the market, and a comprehensive, if pricier, update of the 10-year-old original. Paired with one of Sony's latest mirrorless cameras, you have a smaller, lighter, faster-focusing and sharper lens, with...

• +

  Highly versatile telephoto zoom, Better size-match for Sony mirrorless cameras, Excellent all-round image quality

• -

  Pricy for a F4 lens, Cat-eye bokeh in corners, Not one for low-light shooters

Fortunately, the Sony FE 70-200 mm f/4 G OSS II also has a lot of assets. Images are very sharp, not giving you any reasons to complain, the autofocus unit is very accurate and fast, image stabilization is very efficient.

• +

  solid, shapely, lightweight body, which is also weather-sealed,, excellent image quality in the frame centre,, good image quality on the edge of the APS-C sensor,, sensible image quality on the edge of full frame,, low longitudinal chromatic aberration,, negligible lateral chromatic aberration at...

• -

  weak performance against bright light,, noticeable vignetting on full frame,, a bit too high distortion,, noticeable lateral chromatic aberration at the shortest focal length,, high price.

The best midrange telezoom for Sony's E-Mount

• +

  Lightweight, stabilized design, Excellent picture quality on high-pixel cameras, Focuses close for 1:2 macros, Lightning-fast linear autofocus, Works with Sony teleconverters, Suppresses focus breathing effect optically, Metal barrel with dust, splash, and fluorine protection

• -

  Non-Arca-Swiss tripod foot, Shows pincushion distortion without correction, Some texture in specular highlights

I enjoy a number of different types of photography and always struggle with which lens to bring or which ones to bring. This has proven to be a great answer to that dilemma. I never know what nature will present for me to capture.

Loving the image quality, size and weight of this lens, with the x2 teleconverter you get so much reach, the macro capabilities are so good for detail shots, I use it a lot for food and drinks videos.

I found these lens to be very good and fit for purpose. I use a 200-600mm G lens for wildlife photography, this lens simply fills the gaps, gives me the opportunity to switch to close-up/macro etc. Good quality, fast lens, good for field trips when you want to reduce your kit without missing a shot.

I love the macro mode on this lens. Very versatile when out on nature shoots. Great quality images so far!

This is a lightweight telephoto zoom. When you zoom in, the lens retracts, making it easier to fit in a camera bag. Auto-focus is fast and the lens is sharp. I took this on a holiday trip to Portugal with my family, including grandchildren.

This is a perfect match with the 20-70G and lives to to the excellent reviews. The macro capability and teleconverter compatibility are great bonuses.

Compared to the previous 70-200 f4, this lens is sharper, lighter and faster focusing.More importantly the macro design of this lens reduces min focus distances, enabling close up shoots, that the old lens could not.

Really good quality image, lightweight for this type lens, easy to use. Distant focussing is instant but close focussing is slower.

Recently bought this lens, having just moved from Fujifilm and the build quality is fantastic. The image quality is excellent and love all the functionality that can be used direct on the lens.Tested it for a few macro shots and was super happy with the images, sharp and great contrast.

This lens offer such versatility in a small and light package that its become a regular in my camera bag. The F4 aperture is more than good enough for amazing quality photos. The autofocus performance is as good as any.