Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS vs Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyFE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS | SonyFE 70-200mm F4 G OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | September 2016 | March 2014 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 70–200 mm | 70–200 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | Twenty-three elements in eighteen groups | Twenty-one elements in fifteen groups |
| Special elements | Includes XA extreme aspherical, ED and Super ED elements | Includes two AA advanced aspherical elements and Super ED glass |
| Coatings | Sony Nano AR coating and front fluorine coating | Sony Nano AR coating |
| Diaphragm | Eleven rounded blades | Nine rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 34°–12°30′ full frame; 23°–8° APS-C | 34°–12° full frame; 22°–8° APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame coverage; 105–300 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 105–300 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | Compatible with Sony SEL14TC 1.4× and SEL20TC 2× teleconverters | Not compatible with Sony E-mount teleconverters |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.96 m | 1 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25× | 0.13× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | Ring-drive SSM for front focus group and two linear motors for rear group; floating focus mechanism | Two linear motors with internal focusing |
| Focus distance detail | 0.96 m minimum focus distance | Minimum focus distance AF 1.0–1.5 m across zoom range; MF 1.0–1.35 m |
| Magnification detail | 0.25× maximum magnification | 0.13× maximum magnification |
| Stabilisation detail | Built-in Optical SteadyShot; compatible body stabilisation can combine for five-axis correction. Mode 1 normal and mode 2 panning (Photography Blog and OpticalLimits); no maker stop rating in read pages | Built-in Optical SteadyShot; mode 1 normal and mode 2 panning (Photography Blog); no maker stop rating in read pages |
| Video features | Constant overall lens length during zoom and focus; quiet autofocus | Quiet linear-motor focusing; constant overall barrel length during focus and zoom |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 77 mm | 72 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 88 mm | 80 mm |
| Length | 200 mm | 175 mm |
| Weight | 1,480 g | 840 g (better) |
| Controls | Focus and zoom rings, AF/MF switch, focus-hold buttons, focus-range limiter and stabilisation controls | Focus and zoom rings, AF/MF switch, focus-hold buttons, focus-range limiter and stabilisation controls |
| Zoom design | Internal zoom and focusing; overall length remains constant | Internal zoom and focusing; overall length remains constant |
| Filter detail | 77 mm front filter thread; supplied hood has filter-access window | 72 mm front filter thread |
| Weather resistance | Dust and moisture resistant design with mount rubber ring; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress | Dust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress |
| Dimensions detail | 88 mm maximum diameter × 200 mm length | 80 mm maximum diameter × 175 mm length |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1480 g, explicitly excluding separate tripod mount; hood and caps excluded | Approximately 840 g, explicitly excluding separate tripod mount; hood and caps excluded |
| Tripod mount | Rotating collar with detachable tripod foot and safety locking mechanism, supplied | Removable tripod mount supplied |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH145 petal bayonet hood with lock and opening filter-access window, supplied | ALC-SH133 round bayonet hood, supplied |
| In the box | ALC-SH145 hood, ALC-F77S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft carrying case and tripod mount | ALC-SH133 hood, front and rear caps, soft case and tripod mount |
| Release detail | Sony Canada G Master announcement dated 3 February 2016; final Sony Japan notice dated 26 September confirms sale on 30 September after launch delay. Main release September, exact first global sale day unconfirmed. Two full independent exact reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein and OpticalLimits Klaus Schroiff, both Alpha 7R II. Conflicting AF reliability and measured stabilisation preserved; OL sample centring imperfect. Blog five-axis wording describes combination with body rather than lens alone, corrected. Main1480g explicitly excludes tripod mount. No inferred predecessor link | Sony original full-frame E-mount announcement dated 16 October 2013; Sony Japan final notice dated 7 March 2014 confirms local sale on 20 March. Main release retains March month because exact first global sale day unconfirmed. Two full independent reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein Alpha 7R II and OpticalLimits Klaus Schroiff original Alpha 7R. Different body stabilisation, shutter vibration, AF capability and mediocre OL sample centring qualified. OL erroneous fourteen-group count and petal-hood description corrected to maker fifteen groups and round SH133. Blog erroneous 0.3m limiter corrected by exact photo infinity–3m; review measurements are not maker stop claims. No inferred predecessor link |
More comparisons
- Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS vs Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II
- Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS vs Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II
- Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS vs Sony FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
- Sony FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS II vs Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
- Sony 70–200mm F2.8 G vs Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
- Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS vs Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS
- Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS vs Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS

