Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G vs Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G

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FE 20-70mm F4 G compared with FE 24-50mm F2.8 G

	SonyFE 20-70mm F4 G	SonyFE 24-50mm F2.8 G
Overview
Released
Released	February 2023	May 2024
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	20–70 mm	24–50 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/4	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/22	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	16 elements in 13 groups	16 elements in 13 groups
Special elements
Special elements	Two AA advanced-aspherical elements, one aspherical element, three ED glass elements and one ED aspherical element	Four aspherical elements and two ED glass elements
Coatings
Coatings	Fluorine coating on the front element; optimised antireflection coatings without a maker Nano AR designation	Fluorine coating on the front element
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine rounded blades	11 rounded blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	94°–34° full frame; 70°–23° APS-C	84–47° full frame; 61–32° APS-C
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Sony E	Sony E
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Image circle detail
Image circle detail	Full-frame coverage; 30–105 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C	Full-frame coverage; 36–75 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC	Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.25 m	0.18 m (manual focus)
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.39×	0.33× (manual focus)
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	No	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Two XD linear motors; internal focusing; compatible Alpha 1 30 fps bursts require maker-specified shutter-speed and AF conditions	Two linear motors; supports Alpha 9 III AF/AE tracking up to 120 fps under Sony test conditions; actual speed depends on shooting conditions and focus mode
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Autofocus minimum 0.30 m at 20 mm or0.25 m at 70 mm; manual focus minimum 0.25 m throughout the zoom range; Linear Response MF	Autofocus minimum 0.19 m at 24 mm and 0.30 m at 50 mm; manual focus minimum 0.18 m at 24 mm and 0.29 m at 50 mm; Linear Response MF
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	Maximum magnification 0.39×	Maximum magnification 0.30× with autofocus or 0.33× with manual focus
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation	No lens stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation
Video features
Video features	Reduced focus breathing and focus/axis shifts during zooming; compatible-body breathing compensation may alter field of view and quality. Body Active Mode requires compatibility and slightly narrows the field of view	Breathing compensation on compatible bodies may alter angle of view and image quality, with compensation not guaranteed in every situation. Supports compatible-body Active Mode stabilisation with a narrower angle of view; 4K120p/FHD240p tracking depends on the camera
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	72 mm	67 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	78.7 mm	74.8 mm
Length
Length	99 mm	92.3 mm
Weight
Weight	488 g	440 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Aperture ring with click on/off and Iris Lock switch, AF/MF switch and two customisable focus-hold buttons	Aperture ring with click on/off, AF/MF switch and one customisable focus-hold button
Zoom design
Zoom design	Extending zoom barrel; 99 mm main length at the wide-angle setting	Short extending zoom barrel; Sony qualifies its small centre-of-gravity shift for gimbal use
Filter detail
Filter detail	72 mm front filter thread does not rotate during focusing	–
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof	Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 488 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded	Approximately 440 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded
Lens hood
Lens hood	ALC-SH174 petal bayonet hood	ALC-SH178 petal bayonet hood
In the box
In the box	ALC-SH174 hood, ALC-F72S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case	ALC-SH178 hood, ALC-F67S front cap and ALC-R1EM rear cap; no case
Release detail
Release detail	Sony Europe specified February 2023 availability; Sony North America specified March, as did Photography Blog. Main date retains earliest maker regional month. Sony confirms F4 maximum aperture and two focus-hold buttons; Photography Blog’s F2.8 aperture-ring line and sibling 24–70 model reference are not imported	Sony UK and North America specify May 2024 availability. Sony Japan revised its original 19 April date to 17 May in an update dated 5 April. Photography Blog gives April; the revised maker sale evidence takes priority. Maker dimensions, 67 mm filter and 36–75 mm APS-C equivalent take priority over typographic mistakes in review text