Lens News

Sony launched a new line of premium interchangeable lenses today, which the company has christened with its new G Master brand. Sony’s new G Master line includes three E-mount full frame lenses for its mirrorless cameras: the 24-70mm F2.8 GM zoom (goes on sale in March 2016 for $2200), 85mm F1.4 GM prime (goes on sale in March 2016 for $1800) and the 70-200mm F2.8 GM zoom lens (ships in May 2016, price TBD).

We had a chance to shoot with the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM zoom during an event to launch the new G Master brand and Sony’s new A6300 mirrorless camera and have included a few photos and a video in this story.

New FE24-70mm F2.8 GM Standard Zoom Lens
The new lens is built with three aspherical elements including a newly developed, extremely precise XA (extreme aspherical) element that reduces aberration and delivers added resolution throughout the entire zoom range and aperture range, as well as from corner to corner of all image files.

Additionally, an ED (Extra-low-Dispersion) glass element and Super ED glass element keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximizing resolution and bokeh without any unnatural coloration.

The lens features a 9-bladed aperture that maintains a near circular shape at all settings and is coated with Sony’s original Nano AR coating to suppress reflections and ensure spectacular contrast and clarity.

The new FE24-70mm F2.8 GM lens has a direct drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) focusing system that works with incredible efficiency thanks to a new set of algorithms that positions the lens elements quickly and accurately.

The motor is smooth and quiet, making it an ideal choice for shooting both still images as well as movies. To maximize usability, the lens is dust and moisture resistant and features a compact, streamlined design that includes AF/MF switch as well as focus hold, zoom lock and hood release buttons.

Two new matching filters for the FE24-70mm F2.8 GM lens have also been introduced, including the VF-82MP MC protector and VF-82CPAM Circular PL filter.

New FE 85mm F1.4 GM Telephoto Prime Lens
Designed as the ultimate portrait lens, the long-awaited new FE 85mm F1.4 GM telephoto prime lens (model SEL85F14GM) is designed to strike a balance between resolution and bokeh in a compact package.

The lens features a new XA (extreme aspherical) element as well as three ED glass elements that work together to ensure that the in-focus areas are captured in extremely high resolution while the surrounding out-of-focus areas dissolve smoothly into a beautiful soft backdrop. It has a circular aperture with 11 blades – the most ever used in an A-series lens – designed to ensure that bokeh is smooth and visually appealing. Externally, the new model has Sony’s original Nano AR Coating, which reduces flare and ghosting, even with backlit subjects or similarly challenging lighting conditions.

For better autofocusing, the FE 85mm F1.4 GM lens includes a ring drive SSM motor system that provides power and speed to drive the lens’ large, heavy focus group. It’s also equipped with two position sensors to support focus control of the large, heavy lens elements.

This new professional portrait lens is dust and moisture resistant and also has an aperture ring with on/off switchable click stops that can be adjusted based on whether a user is shooting still images or movies. It also has an AF / MF switch and a focus hold button.

New FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Telephoto Zoom
Covering the frequently used 70-200mm focal range, the new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS telephoto zoom lens (model SEL70200GM) offers high rendering, AF performance and image stabilization, making it a choice for shooting wildlife, sports, weddings and a variety of other events and locations.

The new flagship telephoto zoom model delivers sharpness and clarity throughout the entirety of its zoom range thanks to its three advanced lens elements including XA, Super ED and ED glass components, as well as its Nano AR coating.

The new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS lens features a floating focusing system – implemented in an α zoom lens for the first time – that contributes to a minimum focusing distance of just 0.96m and ensures AF performance is optimized during both still and video shooting. The lens includes a SSM (Super Sonic Motor) plus dual linear motors that work together to move large lens elements quickly - a task that requires a high level of drive control and ensures focus accuracy.

The new model also has built in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization for capturing sharp, blur-free subjects at all focal lengths and a rotating tripod mount that allows the camera to be quickly removed from a connected tripod as needed.

The new 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens is dust and moisture resistant with an additional fluorine coating added to the front lens. It also has a focus hold button as well as a focal range limiter. 

Sony has also announced new compact 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters  – models SEL14TC and SEL20TC respectively – that offer even greater reach while maintaining the overall streamlined design and feel of the 70-200mm lens.

Pricing and Availability
The new FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Standard Zoom and 85mm F1.4 GM Telephoto prime lenses will be available in March for about $2,200 and $1,800, respectively. In Canada, they will be sold for $2,900 CA and $2,400 CA, respectively.

The new 70-200mm F2.8 GM Telephoto Zoom Lens and its compatible 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters will be available in May. Pricing is not yet available for these models.

Here's a short video we shot while using the new Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM on a Sony A7R II mirrorless camera during a press event to launch the new lenses.