Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens Review

The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens enables you to leave the bag of prime lenses at home. The f/2 aperture available over the entire 28-70mm general-purpose zoom range is game-changing, especially for portrait, wedding, and low-light event photographers.

This lens's advantages do not stop there. The G Master label assures that this lens is the complete professional package, including exceptional wide-open image quality, build quality ready for daily rigorous use, and fast and quiet AF.

Focal Length Range

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Focal length range is a primary consideration for lens selection. A specific angle of view is required to get a desired subject framing with the optimal perspective (or from within a working distance limitation).

The moderately wide-angle through short telephoto 28-70mm focal length range covers a vast range of general-purpose needs, making it an ideal option for photographing a wide range of subjects. This is the lens that you take when you are not sure which focal lengths you will need, and usually, it will be the right choice.

Hinting at this focal length range's popularity is that this lens is the 8th Sony FE zoom lens (out of 26 total) to minimally include the 28-70mm range.

This range is an outstanding choice for photographing people. I'll start with weddings. I used a 28-70mm f/2 lens to cover nearly all the last wedding I shot, additionally using only a 135mm f/1.8 lens for some tight portraits.

"Gpa, tractor!" is one of Elliott's most frequent requests, so we shared some tractor time.

This lens is also ideal for portraits, parties, events, documentaries, interviews, lifestyle, theater, fashion, studio portraiture, candids, and even some sports. Use 70mm for head and shoulders portraits and the wider end for full body, group, and environmental portrait imagery.

This lens is a great choice for media and photojournalistic needs as well as for street photography.

The 28-70mm range is also a good option for landscape and cityscape photography, with compositions being ideally captured using every focal length available in this lens. It is not difficult to create compelling landscape compositions using the 28mm perspective while still providing emphasis on a foreground subject against an in-focus background, providing the viewer with a sense of presence in the scene. At the other end of the range, 70mm works great for mildly compressed landscapes featuring distant subjects such as mountains.

Combined with a wide aperture, this focal length range is attractive for photographing the night sky, with the 28mm end being of primary interest for Milky Way nightscapes.

This lens is well-suited for commercial photography, and the wide end of the range is ready to capture exterior architecture and also interior spaces that avail longer working distances. This lens's capabilities list includes medium and large products and much more. If you like to photograph your food, 28-70mm covers that need.

The following images illustrate the 28-70mm focal length range:

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The focal length range of every zoom camera lens is a compromise. Size, weight price, and optical quality are often the limiting factors. Within its class, this lens's focal length range is abbreviated at the wide end, with alternative standard zoom lenses commonly offering 24mm.

Do I miss having the extra 4mm on my general-purpose zoom lens? For landscapes, yes. For event shooting, no.

Here is a 24mm vs. 28mm comparison (captured with a different lens):

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A shorter focal length range reduces the complexity of the optical design. That advantage can be translated into a lower price, improved image quality, smaller size, and lighter weight.

An interesting note is that this lens is the fourth 28-something mm model I recently reviewed, indicating upward trending popularity.

APS-C sensor format cameras utilize a smaller image circle than full-frame models, framing a scene more tightly. 1.5x is the Sony angle of view equivalence multiplier, and this lens's full-frame angle of view equivalency on an APS-C camera will be 42-105mm. This APS-C range is lacking from a wide-angle perspective, limiting landscape use. Still, the standard focal lengths are covered, and the telephoto end's angle of view becomes considerably more attractive, especially for portraiture.

Max Aperture

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How much light does the lens provide to the imaging sensor? Usually, that question is the second most important when selecting a lens and described immediately after the focal length in its moniker.

This lens's headlining feature is the super-wide f/2 max aperture available over the entire 28-70mm focal length range, and this is the first Sony-mount lens to avail f/2 throughout this range.

Wide apertures are useful for stopping action, both that of the subject and that of the camera, in low light levels while keeping ISO settings low. They also benefit AF systems, enabling better performance in low-light environments.

Even when photographing under bright light conditions, wide apertures are useful for creating a strong background blur that clearly isolates a subject from even highly distracting backgrounds. Here is an example of the maximum background blur this lens can produce at the specified focal lengths:

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While 28mm does not provide enough background blur magnification to render the scene unrecognizable, even at f/2, the blur is strong enough to make a close subject stand out. At 70mm, the background blur becomes strong.

A wide aperture's disadvantages are related to (often significantly) increased lens element size, including larger overall size, heavier weight, and higher cost, and this lens has those attributes, but in moderation.

Sony continues to make manual aperture rings standard on their full-frame E-mount zoom lenses, and the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens features an aperture ring, permitting a manually selected opening. With the ring in the A (Auto) position, the camera controls the aperture setting. All other settings electronically force the aperture to the chosen opening. A 2-position rotationally oriented switch on the bottom right side of the lens toggles the aperture ring between 1/3 stop clicks and smooth, quiet, non-clicked adjustments, ideal for video recording.

Aside from a slightly more complicated design, I find inadvertent aperture changes, especially while mounting a lens, the primary disadvantage of an aperture ring (especially when photographing in the dark). In earlier reviews, I mentioned that a lock for the ring would eliminate that issue, and like most recent FE lenses, this one gets an iris lock switch. Perfect.

Image Stabilization

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The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens does not feature image stabilization. Omitting the optical stabilization system reduces the size, weight, complexity, and cost (and perhaps increases the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure)). However, image stabilization is a useful feature.

Sony addresses that omission with Steady Shot IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) in their Alpha cameras. In addition to reducing camera shake, the stabilized imaging sensor provides a still viewfinder image, enabling careful composition. Furthermore, sensor-based AF systems use the stabilized view for improved accuracy.

With no IS switch on the lens, the camera menu must be used to enable or disable IBIS or check the current settings. This extra step is a slight impediment to working quickly, moving from tripod mounted to handholding, for example.

Image Quality

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When manufacturers push the boundaries, the f/2 max aperture in the 28-70mm zoom range in this case, concern for the image quality in the surpassed boundary may rise, as historically it has at times been compromised. That concern was quickly put to rest when this lens arrived.

In the center of the frame, the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens images are super sharp wide-open at f/2 throughout the entire focal length range. Stopping down produces little improvement, and none is needed, and iIncreased depth of field needs are the primary reason to use a narrower aperture with this lens.

Often, subjects are not placed in the center of a composition, and lenses typically produce decreased sharpness in the periphery of the image circle, where light rays are refracted to a stronger angle than in the center. However, the center-of-the-frame description impressively mostly holds up for this lens's peripheral performance. Primarily, lateral CA and peripheral shading are noticed in the corners, and stopping down mainly reduces the latter.

The resolution chart is merciless on image quality, so let's take the testing outdoors, next looking at a series of center-of-the-frame 100% resolution crop examples. These images were captured in RAW format using a Sony Alpha 1 and processed in Capture One using the Natural Clarity method. The sharpening amount was set to only "30" on a 0-1000 scale. Note that images from most cameras require some level of sharpening, but too-high sharpness settings are destructive to image details and hide the deficiencies of a lens.

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These results show impressive performance.

Next, we'll look at a series of comparisons showing 100% resolution extreme top left corner crops captured and processed identically to the above center-of-the-frame images. The lens was manually focused in the corner of the frame to capture these images.

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Count on samples taken from the outer extreme of the image circle, full-frame corners, to show a lens's weakest performance. Especially for a lens in this class, these results are excellent. As mentioned, lateral CA, primarily at the wide end, and peripheral shading modestly impact corner performance.

This lens does not exhibit focus shift, the plane of sharp focus moving forward or backward as the aperture is narrowed (residual spherical aberration or RSA). Many modern lenses automatically correct for focus shift, though focus breathing (more later) can create slight angle of view changes.

When used on a camera that utilizes its full image circle, a lens is expected to show peripheral shading at the widest aperture settings. Expect about 2.5 stops of shading from this lens throughout the focal length range at f/2, a relatively low amount.

Want less corner shading? Stopping down is the near-universal solution, and f/2.8 takes the shading down to about 1.5 stops. At f/4, about a stop of slightly less remains. Further shading reductions at narrower apertures are minor, with just under 1 stop through just under 1/2 stop present at f/16.

APS-C format cameras using lenses projecting a full-frame-sized image circle avoid most vignetting problems. In this case, the about 1/2 stop of corner shading showing at f/2 will seldom be visible.

One-stop of shading is often considered the number of visibility, though subject details provide a widely varying amount of vignetting discernibility. Vignetting is correctable during post-processing, with increased noise in the brightened areas the penalty, or it can be embraced, using the effect to draw the viewer's eye to the center of the frame. Study the pattern shown in our vignetting test tool to determine how your images will be affected.

Lateral (or transverse) CA (Chromatic Aberration) refers to the unequal magnification of all colors in the spectrum. Lateral CA shows as color fringing along lines of strong contrast running tangential (meridional, right angles to radii), with the mid and especially the periphery of the image circle showing the most significant amount as this is where the most significant difference in the magnification of wavelengths typically exists.

With the right lens profile and software, lateral CA is often easily correctable (often in the camera) by radially shifting the colors to coincide. However, it is always better to avoid this aberration in the first place.

Color misalignment can be seen in the site's image quality tool, but let's also look at a set of worst-case examples. The images below are 100% crops from the extreme top left corner of Sony a1 frames showing diagonal black and white lines.

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These images should only contain black and white colors, with the additional colors indicating lateral CA presence ranging from moderate at 28mm to slight at 70mm.

A relatively common lens aberration is axial (longitudinal, bokeh) CA, which causes non-coinciding focal planes of the various wavelengths of light. More simply, different colors of light are focused to different depths. Spherical aberration, along with spherochromatism, or a change in the amount of spherical aberration with respect to color (looks quite similar to axial chromatic aberration but is hazier) are other common lens aberrations to observe. Axial CA remains somewhat persistent when stopping down, with the color misalignment effect increasing with defocusing. The spherical aberration color halo shows little size change as the lens is defocused, and stopping down one to two stops generally removes this aberration.

In the real world, lens defects do not exist in isolation, with spherical aberration and spherochromatism generally found, at least to some degree, along with axial CA. These combine to create a less sharp, hazy-appearing image quality at the widest apertures.

The wide-open aperture examples below compare the fringing colors of the defocused specular highlights in the foreground to the background. The lens has introduced any differences from the neutrally colored subjects.

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These results show moderate color blur throughout the focal length range.

Bright light reflecting off lens elements' surfaces may cause flare and ghosting, resulting in reduced contrast and sometimes interesting, usually objectionable visual artifacts. The shape, intensity, and position of the flare and ghosting effects in an image are variable, dependent on the position and nature of the light source (or sources), selected aperture, shape of the aperture blades, and quantity and quality of the lens elements and their coatings. Additionally, flare and ghosting can impact AF performance.

This lens features Sony's Nano AR Coating II to suppress flare and ghosting, though the high 20-element count increases that challenge. At the wide end, this lens produced practically no flare effects, even at narrow apertures in our standard sun in the corner of the frame flare test. Long-end wide aperture flare test results also showed little or no flare effects, but narrow apertures produced relatively strong results in this range.

Flare effects can be embraced or avoided, or removal can be attempted, though that process is sometimes challenging.

Two lens aberrations are particularly evident in images of stars, mainly because bright points of light against a dark background make them easier to see. Coma occurs when light rays from a point of light spread out from that point instead of being refocused as a point on the sensor. Coma is absent in the center of the frame, gets worse toward the edges/corners, and generally appears as a comet-like or triangular tail of light that can be oriented either away from the center of the frame (external coma) or toward the center of the frame (internal coma). The coma clears as the aperture is narrowed. Astigmatism is seen as points of light spreading into a line, either sagittal (radiating from the center of the image) or meridional (tangential, perpendicular to sagittal). This aberration can produce stars appearing to have wings. Remember that Lateral CA is another aberration that is apparent in the corners.

The images below are 100% crops taken from the top-left corner of Sony a1 images captured at f/2.

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While these results do not show unusual performance, the stars are relatively misshapen.

This lens has moderate barrel distortion at the wide end. The geometric distortion reverses to moderate pincushion distortion at 70mm, with the near-distortion-free focal length found just short of 35mm. This distortion can be corrected, with stretching or cropping required to true the geometry.

As seen earlier in the review, it is easy to illustrate the strongest blur a lens can create. Due to the infinite number of variables present among available scenes, assessing the blur quality, bokeh, is considerably more challenging. Here are some f/11 (for diaphragm blade interaction) examples.

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The first set of 100% crop examples shows defocused highlights nicely rounded for being closed down 5 stops to f/11, and they are relatively smoothly filled.

In the second set of examples, the 28mm result is a 100% crop (ignore the ISO noise), and the other results are full images reduced in size and looking good.

Except for a small number of specialty lenses, the wide aperture bokeh in the frame's corner does not show round defocused highlights, instead showing cat's eye shapes due to a form of mechanical vignetting. If you look through a tube at an angle, similar to the light reaching the frame's corner, the shape is not round. That is the shape we're looking at here.

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These results show the shape truncation limited to the corners. As the aperture narrows, the entrance pupil size is reduced, and the mechanical vignetting diminishes, making the corner shapes rounder.

When the diaphragm is narrowed, point light sources will show a sunstar effect of some form. Each blade is responsible, via diffraction, for creating two points of the star effect. If the blades are arranged opposite of each other (an even blade count), the points on the stars will equal the blade count as two blades share in creating a single pair of points. The blades of an odd blade count aperture are not opposing, and the result is that each blade creates its own two points. This lens's eleven-blade count times two points means 22-point star effects.

Wide aperture lenses usually produce the strongest sunstar effects and this lens's 11-blade aperture produces nice 22-point stars, especially at 28mm.

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The examples above were captured at f/16.

The design of this lens is illustrated above.

"Optics featuring large elements manufactured using advanced techniques, including three XA (extreme aspherical) elements, ensure high corner-to-corner resolution at F2 throughout the zoom range. One ED (extra-low dispersion) and three Super ED elements reduce chromatic aberration." [Sony]

The impressive image quality the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens delivers at f/2 may incline you to use no other aperture (and no other standard zoom lens). Still, it is not perfect, with color blur and corner star rendition being two of the primary deficits.

Focusing

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Accurate focus is critical for most images, and most of us rely on autofocus for that task. Quad XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors, as found in the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, drive AF for the FE 28-70mm F2 GM.

Dual XD motors are assigned to each of the front and rear floating focus groups, driving accurate and fast AF, with smoothness and quietness optimized for video needs.

This lens is optimized for low-light photography, and AF locks on contrast in dim conditions, supporting this use. As usual, AF becomes slow when light levels drop.

Non-cinema lenses usually require refocusing after a focal length change, and as illustrated in the 100% crops below, the reviewed lens does not exhibit parfocal-like characteristics. When focused at 70mm, zooming to wider focal lengths results in focus blur.

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If you adjust the focal length, re-establish focus, as usual.

A pair of customizable AF hold buttons are provided in locations ideal for horizontal and vertical shooting orientations. With the camera set to continuous focus mode, press an AF hold button to lock focus at the currently selected focus distance, permitting a focus and recompose technique. These buttons also act as custom buttons, programmable to other functions via the camera's menu.

FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is supported via Sony's DMF (Direct Manual Focus) AF mode with the shutter release half-pressed or the AF-ON button pressed. This lens has an AF/MF switch, allowing this frequently used camera setting to be changed without accessing the menu system.

The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens has a ribbed rubberized focus ring ideally positioned forward of the zoom ring. This ring is significant in size and raised slightly from the lens barrel behind it, making it easy to find.

The focus ring turns smoothly, has a light amount of resistance with no play, and the 140° of MF rotation adjusts focusing at a comfortable rate, allowing precise manual focusing even at close distances. This is a linear response MF ring, with marks able to be established and repeatedly hit.

Overall, this lens provides a high-quality manual focus experience.

It is normal for the scene to change size in the frame as the focus is pulled from one extent to the other. This effect is focus breathing, a change in focal length resulting from a change in focus distance. Focus breathing impacts photographers intending to use focus stacking techniques, videographers pulling focus (without movement to camouflage the effect), and anyone critically framing while adjusting focus.

This lens produces a modest change in subject size through a full-extent (worst-case) focus distance adjustment.

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This lens has a minimum focus distance of 15.0" (380mm), and at 70mm, it generates a good 0.23x maximum magnification spec.

Model	Min Focus Distance		Max Magnification
Canon RF 28-70mm F2 L USM Lens	15.4"	(390mm)	0.18x
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art Lens	6.7"	(170mm)	0.37x
Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art Lens	11.8"	(300mm)	0.25x
Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens	7.5"	(190mm)	0.22x
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens	8.3"	(210mm)	0.32x
Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens	15.0"	(380mm)	0.23x
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Lens	7.1"	(180mm)	0.37x
Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD Lens	13.0"	(330mm)	0.18x

At 28mm, a subject measuring approximately 10.5" x 7" (267 x 178mm) fills a full-frame imaging sensor at this lens's minimum MF distance. At 70mm, a 5.8 x 3.9" (147 x 98mm) subject does the same.

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The individual USPS love stamps measure 1.19 x 0.91" (30 x 23mm).

As is often the case, this lens produces sharp center-of-the-frame details at minimum focus distance with a wide-open aperture, but expect the image periphery, especially at 70mm, to be soft due to field curvature. Increased depth of field at narrower apertures significantly improves corner image quality, with 24mm f/11 and 70mm f/16 corners looking great.

An extension tube enables a decreased minimum focus distance, which significantly increases the maximum magnification from this lens. As of review time, Sony does not publish extension tube specs or manufacture these items, but third-party Sony-compatible extension tubes are available.

This lens is not compatible with Sony teleconverters.

Design & Features

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The "GM" in the moniker reflects this lens's membership in the Grand Master lens series, representing Sony's best-available lenses. They feature professional grade build quality, ready for the abuse of daily use.

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The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens features hybrid metal and engineering plastic construction for high durability, high precision, and light weight.

As seen on the FE 24-70 F2.8 II, a rotationally oriented two-position Zoom Smoothness switch offers the choice of Smooth or Tight zoom ring resistance settings. In the smooth setting, the zoom ring turns easily, YET the lens does not gravity extend. The tight setting requires considerably more effort to turn, but this setting remains usable while ensuring that gravity extension or retraction does not occur.

Raised from the barrel behind it, the large rubber-ribbed zoom ring is easy to find, and especially with a short rotation, it is fast to use. This lens extends modestly (0.57", 14.6mm) as the focal length is increased to 70mm.

The AF/MF switch is ideally located for left thumb access, but its recessed design makes it challenging to use with gloves. The other switches are similarly designed and nicely integrated. All switches assuredly click into their positions.

This lens features a dust and moisture-resistant design, providing extra reliability for outdoor use.

All seams are sealed, the buttons and switches have silicone rubber gaskets, and a rubber ring seals the lens mount.

The front lens element has a fluorine coating that repels fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants and makes cleaning considerably easier.

Though obviously larger and heavier than its f/2.8 counterpart, the FE 28-70mm F2 GM lens remains easy to carry and use for even relatively long periods.

Model	Weight oz(g)		Dimensions w/o Hood "(mm)		Filter	Year
Canon RF 28-70mm F2 L USM Lens	50.5	(1430)	4.1 x 5.5	(103.8 x 139.8)	95	2018
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art Lens	26.3	(745)	3.5 x 4.7	(87.8 x 120.2)	82	2024
Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art Lens	33.5	(950)	3.5 x 6.0	(87.8 x 153.4)	82	2024
Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens	16.6	(470)	2.8 x 4.0	(72.2 x 101.5)	67	2021
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens	24.5	(695)	3.5 x 4.7	(87.8 x 119.9)	82	2022
Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens	32.4	(918)	3.7 x 5.5	(92.9 x 139.8)	86	2024
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Lens	19.1	(540)	3.0 x 4.6	(75.8 x 117.6)	67	2021
Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD Lens	41.1	(1165)	3.5 x 6.2	(89.2 x 158.0)	82	2021

View and compare the complete Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens Specifications in the site's lens specifications tool.

Here is a visual ultra-wide aperture standard zoom lens comparison:

Positioned above from left to right are the following lenses:

Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens
Canon RF 28-70mm F2 L USM Lens
Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art Lens

The same lenses are shown below with their hoods in place.

Use the site's product image comparison tool to visually compare the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens to other lenses.

The 86mm filter thread size is relatively large, making these filters expensive, and they are not commonly used. I have a lot of filters, but I minimally need to add an 86mm circular polarizer filter for this lens. Still, this size is reasonable for the lens's focal length range and max aperture.

A tripod ring is not provided, and the weight of this lens will cause low-quality tripod heads to sag after lock-down.

The Sony ALC-SH182 Lens Hood is included in the box. A recently new for Sony feature for this lens class is this hood's operable window, facilitating circular polarizer and variable ND filter adjustment.

As usual, I find it difficult to rotate a filter through the small window.

The ALC-SH182's petal shape is optimized to block as much light outside the utilized image circle as possible. As zoom lens hoods must be tuned for the wide end of the zoom range, less than optimal protection is afforded at the long end. Still, this hood offers reasonable front element protection from dust, water, fingers, limbs, etc., and from flare-inducing bright light.

The petal shape also looks cool, and an advantage of this hood shape is easier installation alignment (align the small petal to the top), though a round-shaped hood enables the lens to stand on its hood better. The interior has a matte finish for reduced internal reflections.

The ALC-SH182's semi-rigid plastic build absorbs some impact, adding a layer of physical protection to the camera and lens.

Sony provides a zippered padded nylon soft case in the box.

As always, the caps are included.

Price, Value, Compatibility

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Extreme optics usually include a high price, and this lens also has that feature. Still, professionals and serious amateurs will find the value of this lens far exceeding its price.

As an "FE" lens, the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens is compatible with all Sony E-mount cameras, including full-frame and APS-C sensor format models. Sony provides a 1-year limited warranty.

The reviewed Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens was retail sourced.

Alternatives

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The perfect lens does not exist. However, the best lens for your needs does. Determining that answer requires a look at the alternatives.

The first lens I wanted to compare was my current Sony standard zoom lens, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens. Visually enlarge the f/2.8 lens to accommodate the 1-stop (2x difference) aperture, and you get the f/2 lens.

In the wide-open aperture image quality comparison, the 28-70 f/2 results are at least as sharp as the 24-70 f/2.8 results. The 28-70mm lens has slightly stronger peripheral shading at f/2 vs. f/2.8, but it has considerably less shading in equalized wide aperture comparisons. The 28-70 shows less narrow aperture flare effects at the wide end but more at the long end, and while the 24-70 has less geometric distortion at the wide end, it has more in the mid through long range. Overall, these lenses are similar from an image quality perspective.

The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM vs. FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens comparison (and the image above) makes the size and weight differences apparent. The f/2 lens weighs 7.9 oz (223g) less and is especially wider. The f/2.8 lens uses 82mm filters vs. 86mm, has a higher maximum magnification spec, 0.32x vs. 0.23x, includes the useful 24-27mm range, and has a considerably lower price. The bottom line is that the 24-70mm lens is the better choice for most photographers that don't need f/2, but f/2 is game-changing for many uses.

The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art Lens's focal length range falls short of that of the Sony lens, but with a 1/3 stop wider aperture, it holds the widest aperture title for its zoom range. The wide-open image quality comparison shows the two lenses performing similarly. The Sony lens has less peripheral shading and shows slightly less narrow aperture flare effects at the wide end, but slightly more at the long end. While the Sigma lens has less geometric distortion at the wide end, it has more in the mid-range and considerably more at its long end.

The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM vs. Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art Lens comparison shows the two lenses weighing practically the same amount. This Sigma lens is longer and narrower, with the latter facilitating 82mm filter threads vs. 86mm. The Sony lens has a considerably more useful focal length range, but the Sigma lens costs about 40% as much.

Use the site's tools to create additional comparisons.

Summary

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The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 G Master Lens covers the needs previously met only by a kit of prime lenses — with no lens changes required. Not only does it provide an ultra-wide aperture over its entire standard zoom focal length range, but the FE 28-70 is optically impressive, delivering extremely sharp f/2 images that rival or surpass those from the prime lenses, and the Quad XD Linear ensures that this lens's image quality is fully realized.

The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM is an overall exceptionally high-performing general-purpose zoom lens that should, minimally, be in serious portrait, wedding, and event photographers' kits.