FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

Released September 2016

A full-frame E-mount constant-F2.8 telephoto zoom with Optical SteadyShot, floating focus groups and a removable tripod mount.

Mount: Sony E
Focal length: 70–200 mm
Max aperture: f/2.8
Stabilisation: Yes
Weight: 1,480 g

What reviewers say

Both praise construction, central detail and background blur while noting price, bulk and weaker wide-open corners. Photography Blog reports very fast reliable focusing on Alpha 7R II. OpticalLimits, also using Alpha 7R II, finds slower focusing and occasional close-focus failures, with an imperfectly centred sample. Their stabilisation measurements differ, and Photography Blog combines lens and body stabilisation.

From photographyblog.com, photographyblog.com and opticallimits.com

Specifications

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Optics

Lens type: Zoom
Focal length: 70–200 mm
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f/22
Optical construction: Twenty-three elements in eighteen groups
Special elements: Includes XA extreme aspherical, ED and Super ED elements
Coatings: Sony Nano AR coating and front fluorine coating
Diaphragm: Eleven rounded blades
Angle of view: 34°–12°30′ full frame; 23°–8° APS-C

Mount and compatibility

Mounts: Sony E
Image circle: Full frame
Image circle detail: 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

Focus and stabilisation

Autofocus: Yes
Minimum focus distance: 0.96 m
Maximum magnification: 0.25×
Optical stabilisation: Yes
Autofocus detail: Ring-drive SSM for front focus group and two linear motors for rear group; floating focus mechanism
Focus distance detail: 0.96 m minimum focus distance
Magnification detail: 0.25× 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
Video features: Constant overall lens length during zoom and focus; quiet autofocus

Design

Dust and moisture resistant: Yes
Filter diameter: 77 mm
Maximum diameter: 88 mm
Length: 200 mm
Weight: 1,480 g
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
Filter detail: 77 mm front filter thread; supplied hood has filter-access window
Weather resistance: Dust and moisture resistant design with mount rubber ring; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress
Dimensions detail: 88 mm maximum diameter × 200 mm length
Weight detail: Approximately 1480 g, explicitly excluding separate tripod mount; hood and caps excluded
Tripod mount: Rotating collar with detachable tripod foot and safety locking mechanism, supplied
Lens hood: ALC-SH145 petal bayonet hood with lock and opening filter-access window, supplied
In the box: ALC-SH145 hood, ALC-F77S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft carrying 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

Pros and cons

Pros

Constant F2.8 maximum aperture
Sony 1.4× and 2× teleconverter support
Internal zoom and focusing

Cons

1480 g excluding tripod mount
No aperture ring

Closest rivals

Model	Mount	Focal length	Max aperture	Stabilisation	Weight	Released
SonyFE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS II	Sony E	70–200 mm	f/2.8	Yes	1,045 g	Nov 2021
SonyFE 70-200mm F4 G OSS	Sony E	70–200 mm	f/4	Yes	840 g	Mar 2014
SonyFE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II	Sony E	70–200 mm	f/4	Yes	794 g	Jul 2023

Newer model: FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS II.

Sources

Photo: sony.jp

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