The new Sony FE 70-200/f4 G OSS version II, a versatile lens that surprises with its size and weight. The 70-200 range is my absolute favorite for landscape photography, especially when including a person as an important part of the image. I was thrilled to hear that Sony was releasing a new version of the 70-200/f4. The previously released 70-200 with an f2.8 aperture has always been my top choice for this type of photography. Now, some may wonder, why would a 70-200 with an f4 aperture be of interest? Well… A large aperture is always desirable, but in lens manufacturing, a larger aperture often result in larger size, weight, and higher prices. The 70-200/f2.8 is a dream lens if you need the range and a large aperture, but if you don’t need f2.8, a “little brother” like this f4 variant is invaluable. I spend a lot of time in the mountains, doing day trips and sometimes multi day hikes where weight and size of the lens are crucial. If you don’t need the largest aperture, an f4 variant is an excellent choice. What I was most curious about, and a bit worried about, was whether the image quality would meet my expectations since the big brother f2.8 sets a high standard, and the answer is yes! This lens truly impresses with its image quality, especially when considering its size, weight, and price. After the first mountain trip, I was hooked, and now this f4 version of my favorite 70-200 range has a permanent place in my backpack when adventure calls and weight and size are higher priorities than aperture.
Another very good feature is that the lens works excellently with Sony’s 1.4x teleconverter, which gives you 280mm and an aperture of f5.6. And together with one of Sony’s high-resolution full-frame cameras, you can easily reach the equivalent of approximately 400mm in cropped “APS-C” mode, allowing you to photograph wildlife and other subjects that often require focal lengths longer than 200mm. The image quality with the 1.4x teleconverter is surprisingly good, and the center sharpness at maximum aperture is very good. A teleconverter is a compromise in itself and always gives you increased focal length at the expense of brightness and image quality. In theory, image quality is always reduced when using a teleconverter; it’s just a matter of how much it affects it, which varies from lens to lens, and the 70-200 f4 is one of the lenses that works very well and maintains good image quality even with a converter.
- Pros +
- Excellent sharpness already at f/4 across all focal lengths and focus distances
- Beautiful bokeh
- Short minimum focus distance and 1:2 magnification ratio throughout the zoom range
- Fast and accurate AF
- Parfocal
- Working very well with Sony teleconverters
- Compact size and low weight
- Better OSS than version 1
- Perfect lens for Macro
- Cons –
- Quite much focus breathing that might be a problem for video
- Tripod mount is not Arca Swiss-compatible
- Increases a lot in size when zooming
In summary, if you, like me, enjoy composing with the 70-200mm range and value low weight and compact size, then the 70-200 f4 G OSS II is an absolutely perfect choice. It offers excellent image quality, works superbly with teleconverters, and also serves as an excellent macro lens. Incredibly versatile, it provides enormous potential for capturing a variety of images with just one lens.
