Sony Vario-Sonnar T* 24–70mm F2.8 ZA SSM vs Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyVario-Sonnar T* 24–70mm F2.8 ZA SSM | SonyFE 24-70mm F2.8 GM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | February 2008 | March 2016 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 24–70 mm | 24–70 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | 17 elements in 13 groups | Eighteen elements in thirteen groups |
| Special elements | Two aspherical elements and two ED elements | Three aspherical elements in total including one XA element; one ED and one Super ED element |
| Coatings | Zeiss T* coating | Sony Nano AR coating |
| Diaphragm | Nine rounded blades | Nine rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 84°–34° full-frame; 61°–23° APS-C | 84°–34° full frame; 61°–23° APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony A | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame A-mount coverage; 36–105 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 36–105 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | Sony 1.4× and 2× teleconverters unsupported | Not compatible with Sony E-mount teleconverters |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.34 m | 0.38 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25× | 0.24× |
| Optical stabilisation | – | No |
| Autofocus detail | In-lens Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) | Direct-drive SSM |
| Focus distance detail | 0.34 m minimum focus; distance scale and internal focusing | 0.38 m minimum focus distance |
| Magnification detail | – | 0.24× maximum magnification |
| Stabilisation detail | – | No optical stabilisation; compatible camera body stabilisation can be used |
| Video features | – | Constant F2.8 maximum aperture and quiet direct-drive SSM focusing |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | – | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 77 mm | 82 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 83 mm | 87.6 mm |
| Length | 111 mm | 136 mm |
| Weight | 955 g | 886 g (better) |
| Controls | Focus-mode switch and focus-hold button | Manual-focus and zoom rings, AF/MF switch, focus-hold button, zoom lock switch and hood release button |
| Filter detail | – | 82 mm front filter thread |
| Weather resistance | – | Dust and moisture resistant design with rubber mount ring; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress |
| Dimensions detail | – | 87.6 mm maximum diameter × 136 mm maker length; extends at longer zoom settings (Photography Blog and Digital Camera World) |
| Weight detail | – | Approximately 886 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded |
| Zoom design | Extending zoom barrel; front element does not rotate during zooming or focusing (OpticalLimits) | – |
| Lens hood | Petal-shaped bayonet hood | ALC-SH141 petal bayonet hood, supplied |
| In the box | Hood and lens case | ALC-SH141 hood, ALC-F82S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft carrying case |
| Release detail | Sony’s 1 February 2008 announcement specifies 15 February sale in Japan. | Sony Canada announcement dated 3 February 2016 specifies March availability; Sony Japan later confirms 28 April 2016. Main date retains earliest maker month; exact first global sale day unconfirmed. Two full independent reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein Alpha 7R II and Digital Camera World Matthew Richards, which does not state test camera. Differing35mm sharpness findings retained. Blog countsXA in addition to three asphericals, callsDDSSM linear and hoodround; maker three total includingXA, directdriveSSM and petalhood used. No inferred predecessor link |
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