SAN DIEGO—Sony Electronics has introduced the 28-70mm F2 G Master, its first zoom lens with a constant F2 aperture and the 77th lens in the Sony E-Mount lineup. This full-frame lens offers a versatile focal range from 28 to 70 millimeters while delivering prime-like bokeh with its constant F2 aperture.
Despite its wide aperture and zoom range, the 28-70 mm F2 G Master remains compact, lightweight and well-balanced, Sony said, making it well-suited for both photography and video applications. This combination of zoom range, large aperture and compact design makes this an innovative and versatile lens for portrait, sports, wedding, event and video professionals, it said.
“Our goal with the 28-70 mm F2 G Master was to create a high-performing zoom lens that could be a strong single lens alternative to multiple primes,” Yang Cheng, vice president of imaging solutions at Sony, said.
The new lens produces extremely sharp corner-to-corner results throughout the entire zoom range, even while shooting wide open at F2. The high-resolution output is made possible by the three XA (extreme aspherical) elements and three aspherical elements built within the lens to minimize aberrations. The lens also features a floating focusing system that helps maintain internal stability. This focusing mechanism enables a minimum focusing distance of up to 14.8 inches (0.38 meters) throughout the entire zoom range, the company said.
The lens’ aperture up to F2 produces extraordinary bokeh, well-suited to creating images that showcase a shallow depth of field. The 28-70 mm F2 amplifies the G Master bokeh standards through a newly designed 11-blade circular aperture unit. Chromatic aberrations, which cause color fringing within photos, are effectively minimized with three Super ED (extra low dispersion) elements and one ED element built within the lens. Additionally, Sony’s Nano AR Coating II reduces flare and internal reflections, ensuring clear images, even when strong light sources are present in the frame, the company said.
The advanced mirrorless camera lens relies on 20 different lens elements arranged within 14 internal groups. Despite the advanced optical design, it remains compact at 3.6 inches by 5.5 inches (92.9 millimeters by 139.8 mm) and lightweight at about 32.3 ounces (918 grams), it said.
Reliable and responsive autofocus is delivered through the lens’ four XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors powered by advanced control algorithms. This smooth performance system provides accurate and quick focus tracking, often essential in many professional use cases. This lens is fully compatible with Sony’s Alpha 9 III‘s high-speed continuous shooting capabilities of up to 120 frames per second with AF/AE (autofocus/autoexposure) tracking, even while zooming.
Along with its F2 aperture, the zoom range of the 28-70 mm G Master provides a versatile video option that can cover standard field-of-view shots and tighter compositions up to 70 mm. This lens minimizes focus breathing through its build and compatibility with the Breathing Compensation feature on various Alpha bodies. Its high autofocus performance ensures reliable focus even when recording in high frame rates up to 4K 120p/FHD 240p.. Additionally, the XD linear motors and newly developed aperture unit operate silently, preventing any lens noise from being captured during filming, Sony said.
The lens is well-suited for gimbal use with a minimal zoom extension of about .68 inches. The compact form factor and short external zoom helps maintain gimbal balance, even at varying focal lengths, it said.
The 28-70mm F2 G Master will be available next month and is priced at $2,899.99 (U.S.) and $3,999.99 (Canadian).
More information is available on the company’s website.
