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Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G First Look Review

Sony is expanding its vast range of mirrorless E-mount lenses with the addition of a new wide aperture FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens, which launched 21 February, 2024. With a wide to standard focal range, this latest full-frame addition to the lineup is ideal for everyday photography and videography, but how does it differentiate itself from other models, like the Sony FE 20-70mm F/4 G Lens?

Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G Lens Video Review

Find out this and more in our Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G First Look Review, which includes specs, sample images and a hands-on video review, so that you can decide if this is the perfect zoom lens for your stills and video content.

Sample images

All of the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens sample images were captured by Gareth while making the video review, who was shooting with the Sony A7C II camera.

Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens price

With an f/2.8 constant aperture, professional optics and fast autofocusing, it’s a surprise that the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G price is £1149.00. This is very competitive for its features, more cost-effective than the FE 20-70mm F/4 G, and significantly lower than similar GM lenses.

Key features

As a ‘G’ series Sony lens, the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G is a standard zoom designed to achieve high clarity and sharpness, matching the resolution of Sony mirrorless camera sensors. It combines all of the features newer Sony lenses are modelled on including versatile customisation, low weight and compact proportions.

Key 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens features include:

• Fast and quiet AF delivered by two linear motors
• Linear response MF
• 11-blade circular aperture
• Advanced optical design with four aspherical and two ED elements
• Great for video – compatible with breathing compensation and activate stabilisation
• Close 0.19m minimum focus distance (wide) with up to 0.3x maximum magnification (AF)
• Customisable buttons and control rings
• Dust and moisture-resistant design
• Compact 67mm filter thread
• 440g weight

Sample 01 @50mm. Camera settings: Exposure 1/1600 sec. f/2.8. ISO 160

What is a 24-50mm zoom lens best for?

The 24-50mm zoom range covers three of the most popular prime widths of all time in a single lens – with 24mm, 35mm and 50mm. However, it also boasts a constant wide maximum f/2.8 aperture with a rounded 11-blade design, which opens up excellent opportunities for subject and background separation.

Thanks to these characteristics, some of the most popular genres you can capture with the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G include:

• Landscapes
• Portraits
• Street Photography
• City and architecture
• Night shots
• Food and product photography
• Travel
• General shooting
• Video and vlogging content

Sample 02 @41mm. Camera settings: Exposure 1/640 sec. f/4.0. ISO 100

Image quality

The 24-50mm f/2.8 G draws on Sony’s extensive optical know-how, which has produced many of the world’s most popular lenses of recent times. It achieves extremely high image quality through an optical design comprised of 16 elements, arranged in 13 groups, including four aspherical and two ED elements.

A multi-coating is also applied to help maintain clarity and contrast, while reducing the effects of flare and ghosting when capturing backlit subjects in particular. The lens also sports an 11-blade aperture design, which renders smooth rounded bokeh, along with extremely soft backgrounds and defocus areas in the image.

Whether you have a high resolution A7CR, A7RV or any newer Sony camera body, this lens will render excellent sharpness, well controlled aberrations and low distortion throughout the zoom range.

Autofocus system

With dual linear focus motors the Sony FE 24-50mm lens is capable of extremely fast and quiet AF. for both stills and video. Sony has designed the internal focus system to maintain pace with the most high-speed cameras, and it’s able to keep up with 4K120p and 30fps continuous burst.

Sample 03 @50mm. Camera settings: Exposure 1/1600 sec. f/2.8. ISO 100

Is the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G good for video?

Yes, the standard zoom lens is designed for hybrid use, with several features specifically tailored to recording video. These include breathing compensation and activate stabilisation compatibility with select Sony cameras such as the Sony A7 IV, A6700, ZV-E1, and many more.

Furthermore, its combination of circular f/2.8 aperture, quiet autofocus and linear response MF make it perfect for filmmaking, helping to achieve cinematic shots more readily. Whether you’re a solo filmmaker or a beginner to video content, this lens offers the versatility of a zoom, combined with excellent features which support movie creation.

Ergonomics and usability

Much of the appeal of this lens lies with its lightweight and portable design, which ensures the 24-50mm f/2.8 G is easy to handhold and well balanced on any camera body. It includes focus, zoom and aperture rings for creative control, along with signature customisable buttons for additional control.

Customisable buttons are widely used by advanced creators to assign a function on the lens via the camera menu. You can set each one to various functions including Eye AF, AEL hold, White balance or any others available in the menu.

Once set up, these features provide instant access to change settings without taking your eye from the viewfinder, which can significantly increase your chances of capturing a decisive shot, rather than stopping to change settings while shooting.

Another benefit to this zoom is the close minimum focus distance, which is just 0.19m at the wide end, and 0.63m at the tele end, when using autofocus. These distances are slightly reduced when in MF.

A close focus distance offers creative versatility when composing close to your subject and while creating dynamic compositions with large foreground elements. Furthermore, the high 0.30x magnification ratio highlights the subject in the frame, especially when shooting at closer distances.

Sample 04 @50mm. Camera settings: Exposure 1/1600 sec. f/2.8. ISO 160

Build quality and durability

This Sony G-series 24-50mm f/2.8 lens is built to last, with strong plastics, a metal lens mount and weather sealing from dust and moisture. It includes the same ALC-SH168 Lens Hood as the 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II, and features a front lens Fluorine coating to repel dirt and water.

Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G vs 20-70mm f/4 G

The FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens and FE 20-70mm f/4 G Lens are comparable, but which should you choose? The table below highlights key specifications to help you decide which is most suited to your style of shooting.

Lens accessories

This lens features a 67mm filter thread, similar to several of Sony’s primes, such as the 35mm F/1.4 GM Lens. The compact filter thread enables the attachment of everyday camera lens filters including an ND, Variable ND, circular polariser and UV filter.

These are available in cost-effective and premium options, ranging from the Hoya 67mm UX II UV Filter, which costs around £30, to the Hoya 67mm HD NANO II Circular Polarising Filter, which is priced at around £150.00.

Other useful accessories include the ZEISS Lens Cleaning Kit, and you could protect the lens when not mounted on the camera with 3 Legged Thing’s new Nano technology Swirls Wrapz Medium, which will definitely stand out in your camera bag.

This compact lens fills a niche, which can’t be filled without significantly higher costs of a 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens, or similar option. Whether using the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 lens on a full-frame or APS-C format camera you can expect superb results for both stills and video. Sharpness is very high, and the lens resolves excellent clarity and detail from wide open and throughout the versatile zoom range.

It’s extremely lightweight, which is ideal for shooting handheld, especially on smaller camera bodies and when mounted on a gimbal stabiliser, or when using a camera cage. Although there’s no image stabilisation most Sony cameras offer competent in-body stabilisation, and for video recording you can utilise activate stabilisation with select cameras.

Discover our range of Sony mirrorless lenses, and reserve your FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens today in order to take your creativity in a new direction.

If you’re considering this zoom lens, why not grab a free trade-in quote and sell us your unwanted gear, and use the money to offset against the 24-50mm.

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By Nick Dautlich on 21/02/2024