Sony FE 20-70 F4 G Lens Review
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- čas přidán 16. 01. 2023
- Sony FE 20-70 F4 G Lens Review
This new Sony lens adds an ultra-wide 20mm angle of view to the standard zoom (normally 24-70).
In this review I seek to explore the full zoom range to see if this lens will be of interest to those photographers looking to travel light by ditching the need to take a 16-35 zoom or 20mm prime.
Album of images used in this lens review: www.flickr.com/gp/markgaler/1...
Album of images captured on location in India using the FE 20-70 F4 G:
www.flickr.com/gp/markgaler/2...
Mark Galer is a Sony Alpha Ambassador for Australia.
Join Mark Galer on Patreon for the best Alpha Support and Guidance. A single $10 Membership fee includes access to over twenty 1-hour member-only seminars, 'over 20 downloadable' eBooks + cameras setting (CAMSET) files (there is no contract or commitment beyond the first month). / markgaler
Mark's supporting website: www.markgaler.com
If you find Mark's work for the Alpha community helpful please consider making a donation to support the creation of new learning resources for Alpha users. Go the Donations link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/alpha...
#SonyAustralia #SonyAlpha #SonyAmbassador #SonyAlphaANZ
Join me on Patreon for the best Alpha Support and Guidance. A single $10 Membership fee includes access to my 600-page camera-specific eBooks + Over twenty 1-hour member-only seminars + cameras settings files + access to the Raw files from the lens and camera reviews (there is no contract or commitment beyond the first month). www.patreon.com/markgaler
Your reviews are the best! I really appreciate the quality of photography which really helps judge how lenses do in the hands of a talented photographer. Thanks Mark. Seems like a very unique lens that has its place.
Glad you like them!
Your hands on reviews are always fantastic
Glad you think so!
Really great review, thanks Mark. (Looks like a good lens for single lens and videography - type of stuff I make). Really wanted to drop a message to say how much I appreciate the Melbourne shots here, stunning stuff.
Thanks Julian - currently working in Rajasthan India with this lens if you want to see some super high-resolution images shot outside of Melbourne (see link in info section below the video).
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Great - will check it!
You are just brilliant, the flow and content is spot on 😊
Glad you think so! If you like my style of presentation you may want to check out my Sony Alpha Support channel - Patreon.com/markgaler
Great review and sample images in your Flickr. I have some European travel coming up this summer and wondering if I should keep my Tamron 28-200 or get this instead. I would greatly prefer to have the wider end of the spectrum of this 20-70 but I also own the 20mm 1.8 G lens that I could swap to from the Tamron when needed but it is nice to be able to go from 20-70. Decisions...
These can be difficult decisions- I have created a 2-hour lens choice video for my Patrons on Patreon.com/markgaler
Another thorough review. Excellent!
Glad you liked it!
Awesome review! this would pair nicely with my 70-200 F2.8 & the 85 F1.8.
...or even the Sony FE 70-200 F4 and Sigma 90mm F2.8
Great review and suggestion. I use the 24-105mm and the Zeiss Batis 18mm as my "pair".
Good choice!
I've been praying for this lens for a long time, I used the sigma 24-70 2.8 and returned it just for the weight alone. Looking forward to this !!
Just used it for a one-month location shoot in India - no regrets.
Thank for your video. Too detail, great photos and provide useful info for user who want to buy a new lens and new solution lens combining.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the great review. I am fairly new to the Sony brand. The 20-70mm will be my next purchase, replacing the 24-105. I think this pairs up nicely with the 70-200 f/4 and eliminates the 70-105 duplication.
Good choice!
Same here! Thinking about adding 35 mm f1.4 to the mix for low light/portraiture/astro.
Thank you for the in-depth review. The new lens is very tempting, however more than twice the price of the 24-70 f/4 Zeiss (in Europe), which I end up using most of the time for its compactness despite the average sharpness at the lower and wider end at low aperture numbers. Carrying the 2.8 is really annoying. That being said, the sharpness is good at 35-50 mm and above f/5.6 and therefore still not a bad choice to my opinion.
Hopefully the price in Europe will become closer to the US price over time
thanks for the review Mark, I am using more primes now, how do you think this new zoom compares to the 50mm 2.5 g at landscape apertures such as f5.6 or f8? I find that prime lens incredibly sharp, I can really see the potential of the A7rIII sensor now, can a zoom like this hold up?
The links to the image albums I have provided below the video have ultra high-definition photos that allow you to zoom in to check sharpness. I think this lens is very sharp so final choice will come down to size and maximum aperture. I don’t mind quickly changing lenses but many photographers do so this lens will suit those photographers.
Mark, As usual a great review , if you don’t mind asking a question, I am trying to decide between this lens and the new 24-50 G , I have the 24.35 and 50. 1.4 gm primes and I want to have something that I can travel with with minimum weight , in this case , would you chose this lens or the 24-50? I am leaning towards the 20-70 plus the 35 1.4 combo for travel
There is no right or wrong choice here - I help my Patrons on Patreon.com/markgaler make a more informed choice, but this is usually an extended conversation rather than a short question/answer type situation.
I have the 24-70 GMii, but this 20-70 is still tempting for its considerably lighter weight to carry on trips with my 70-200 GMii which of course will provide bokeh when I require
I spent a month in India with this lens if you want to check out some ultra high resolution images: flic.kr/s/aHBqjAoBoT
Very interesting! THANK YOU!
I have recently acquired the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G lens.
However, one thing is bothering me or rather I would like to clarify whether it is a general issue with this lens or whether it is a defect specifically with my lens. The lens makes a noise when focussing (with autofocus).
By the way, the volume of the noise varies depending on the aperture setting. At f/4 the noise is very minimal, almost inaudible. From f/4.5, however, it is clearly audible. And the higher the aperture number (for example f/13), the longer it takes to focus and the longer the noise lasts. However, these differences are small.
I am not yet familiar with focusing noises from lenses recently released by Sony. For example, the new Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G and the new Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II are 100% completely silent. The older Sony FE 18mm f/1.8 G, on the other hand, also makes the noise described above, if I remember correctly.
Does your lens also make this noise? Many thanks in advance!
I have to put my rear to this lens to hear the focusing in AF-C (it is very nearly silent). In AF-S it can be heard to make a little shuffling noise at it acquires focus. I shoot 99% of my photography in AF-C or MF so the vast majority of Sony lenses are near silent. I offer personal support and guidance on my Patreon.com/markgaler support channel. You will find all of my shooting settings on this support channel + a wealth of resources to download.
I bought the Zeiss 24-70 lens when it was fairly new and toted as the Sony 'flagship' lens. It cost an arm and a leg but I had chosen it for lightness. In that time I was still climbing mountains in old age. But it has proved disappointing and limiting and indeed the local photographic shop I bought it from became annoyed with my comments and also that it proved necessary to change the first one. They don't seem to have recovered! Once bitten twice shy. Whilst generally approving, your review is not glowing, though this lens does seem to have many improvements. My daughter's Leica lenses on Panasonic have seemed to me much better. Perhaps I might try again.
The FE 24-70 F4 ZA was one of Sony’s first three full frame e-mount lenses and was not designed by Sony. There was a bad batch of these lenses and performance would not win any awards. Since that time they have learnt how to make super-fast focussing lenses with excellent sharpness. I believe Sony makes better lenses now than any other company.
This was an awesome review.
Glad you liked it!
Another excellent review.
I appreciate that
Nice review. Now I'll finally be able to jump into some sort of wide to medium range zoom lens, I'll just need a Ultra wide prime and a longer range zoom and will be set with 3 instead of the 5 I have now. 🤣
I am often using the E 11mm F1.8 APS-C lens in APS-C mode on a full-frame camera
Torn between this lens and the F/2.8 16-55 for my A6700 kit. i carry the APS-C E 70-350 G OSS and this would "fill the gap", but the f/2.8 16-55 is so sweet.
My 6700 camera review and my A6700 eBook discuss lens options for these cameras. Individual support and guidance is offered on my Patreon.com/markgaler support channel (where you can also download a 600-page eBook and camera setup file for your camera).
Hi Mark, I see your fantastic images on Flickr and I would like to ask you how much time on average do you spend about on each image to present it here..... and what are some of the basic parameters/settings you're using I guess in Lightroom or so..... thx a lot!!!!
Just a minute or two for each image - Check out my Lightroom Classic 2-hour Masterclass which is my free Lightroom seminar
Thanks Mark for the review. Regarding the difference with the 24-105, which lens would you say has the best results in quality overall?
It may come down to pixel peeping but I am more impressed with the FE 20-70 F4 G. It's the ultra wide angle of view at 20mm and the close focusing distance that seals the deal (plus I always carry an 85 or 90mm prime). Check out this video as 90% of the images were captured with the 20-70 - czcams.com/video/BaJa9bMTeYc/video.html
@@AlphaCreativeSkills yes I have seen the video, the photos are indeed superbe. Thanks for your time & expertise on the topic.
The price of this lens in Europe is a scandal . 1600 euros which is VAT deducted 340 dollars more than in the USA ( 1440 dollars vs 1100 dollars).
It’s not good, but this is the wrong forum to air this grievance as Sony don’t read the comments on these lens reviews. Artisans and Ambassadors are also not paid employees of Sony and do not usually have an open communication channel back to Sony HQ. They should but sadly they don’t.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills i bet you can inform Sony Australia who can inform Sony….? Because it is a scandal….
@@AlphaCreativeSkills just there to plug Sonys products, got it.
… today I‘am fine with a price around 1.300 Euros - after 6 month it was an instantly buy. 👍🏻
Was able to buy it on Amazon for 1170 EUR
Mark, those photos from India... They are amazing! I wish I can get closer to your level someday...
May I ask for your opinion? I am about to get the Sony a7IV and I am really thinking of of this lens, because it would be wide and long enough for me (I want to do more even/cocnert/festival photos), but the F4 could be tricky in low light. However I think if I'll go with higher iso 10000+, It could be more than ok. What do you think?
The appearance of sophisticated AI noise suppression software means that shooting at ISO 6400 and 8000 is no longer the issue it once was. If even higher ISO values are required I would probably skip the f2.8 zoom and head straight to a 1.8 prime.
Best Review by far 👍👍👍
Glad you think so!
Great review again, Mark. When I first got the A7r OG model, there were few options. I bought the 24-70Z - and returned it the next day. For the price it was totally unacceptable. Now I need to go lighter, even the 24-105 is a bit much for more than an hour or so. I traded in 35/2.8, Batis 25, and Zony 16-35 f4 (and some old flashes) and got a Tamron 20-40/2.8 in exchange. I appreciate it's lightness, IQ at 40 / 2.8 is meh (the Zony was also at 35), but it's fun and light and you can also get crazy close at 20mm. I will probably pack that and the 85/1.8 (my fave) on my trip next month. Only problem is we'll be heading to some zoos, and the lack of a much longer telephoto might change my mind.
I use the APS-C E 70-350 G OSS when traveling light with an A7R
@@AlphaCreativeSkills I wound up bringing the 70-200 f4 for the zoo visits (2 of them), the Tamron and the 85f1.8 (didn't use it). I thought about renting a 100-400 at my destination, but decided against it. I do want to try this lens for zoo visits, possibly renting for my local zoo when the weather improves.
My newest challenge is I just switched to the A7rV from A7rIII. Fortunately, your youtube covering noise & resolution is going to help. I have to decide if I want to invest in Topaz ...
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Picked one up yesterday, I'll give it a little workout today.
subject separation is not only about bokeh. there's contrast and colors as well.
Fairly academic if you are a raw shooter who has created a custom profile for their sensor
20mm was quite distorted for me when I used it. And had hardcore vignetting on the edges at 20mm as well
The Raw Lens Profile has only just been made available for Raw shooters. This profile now corrects both distortion and vignetting.
Great review. I'm looking to buy this lens.
Next time, visit Dubai.
I have been using my own copy for several months now and if has become one of my favourite Sony lenses
Will the 20-70 and 70-200 GM II with A7RV fit in a Wotencraft 7L (landscape/travel)? How do you find the sharpness of the 70-200 f/4? I don’t really need the f/2.8, but I want the sharpness? I’m currently using the 16-35 GM + Tamron 28-200 in my Wotencraft (or the 16-35 GM, 24-105, and 100-400 GM in a backpack if I’m feeling younger) and considering the alternative. FYI: to your viewers, Mark’s Patreon subscription is worth every penny.
I have reviewed Pilot 7L, the FE 70-200 F4 and the 70-200 GM ll in separate reviews. The Pilot 7L will accommodate these lenses easily but the 70-200 GM is a very tight squeeze if the camera is still attached and stored vertically in the bag (best if the camera is removed from the lens or you move to using the 10L). Please use the Patreon Q& A forum for more detailed advice about gear choice to suit your own personal needs. Thanks.
Like always best review, most focus on charts and not real life examples. There is Panasonic 20-60 but it's not F4.
Thanks for the positive feedback
i got the 20-70. crazy price here in europe: 1599€ ! i love your vintage bmw airhead.
I've had that airhead since 1985!
Hows the distortion handling at 20mm? How would you compare it to shooting at 20mm on the 16-35?
There is some barrel distortion but the camera corrections (JPEG) or Lens profiles (Lightroom and Capture One) remove all of the distortion. Camera manufacturers are able to design much smaller, lighter and cheaper lenses if they don't have to be completely distortion free (prior to applying the lens corrections) - as is the case with many GM lenses.
Hi Mark, how do you compare this lens to 24-70 2.8 gm ii in terms of sharpness on a high megapixel body like a7r4?
I recommend viewing the ultra high definition images on a large 4K monitor - you can click to zoom in. In real-word terms both lenses are capable of capturing incredibly sharp images. My Patrons can download Raw files from my camera and lens reviews. Patreon.com/markgaler
I'm struggling to pick between this and the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 for travel photography. The Sigma is the better lens, but way bigger and heavier. Since they are both about the same price, if you had to pick between the two, which would you take?
I would choose the 20-70 or 3 small primes. If I took a 24-70 I would have to pack a 16-35 or an ultra wide angle prime. Your weight will then have effectively doubled or trebled and you might not be able to get everything into a small messenger bag.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks for your help/advice. I was leaning there already, but a lot of people think you need 2.8 these days. I was almost tempted to just pay for the 24-70 GM2 for the weight savings. I'll order the 20-70 lens as soon as B&H gets it in stock. That focal length should be great for my trip.
@@condioI went to Europe with just a 24-240 and two small primes for portraits etc. I simply did the stitching trick that eas shown here for wider shots and I only did that a couple times. 24 seems to be wide enough for the most part and stitching worked like a charm. Furthermore, the 240mm focal length was amazing for zooming in on landmarks. The hardest part about using that lens was having enough light and a fast enough shutter speed in combination. It was quite the balancing act and one that the camera didn't seem to do well on its own. You have to really think carefully with that lens in certain circumstances. It was actually rather fun to use but it was a bit heavy. I think it is almost as heavy as the 24-70 if not maybe more. The new Samyang 35-150mm f 2-2.8 paired with a 24mm f1.4 or a 20mm prime would be the perfect combination in my opinion to get killer shots of absolutely everything if you can handle the weight.
I don't understand why Sony didn't implement electronic zoom with a switch like they did on the PZ 16-35 f/4 G?
I had the same sentiments. I was hoping for an entire lens lineup refresh.
Fingers crossed they replace the 70-200 f4 with a smaller, lighter PZ version. Will be extremely handy for hiking/landscape photography.
Maybe there is a new PZ in development and this one was designed with primarily stills shooting in mind.
I tried 16-35 PZ at Sony Store, but didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. Because it’s electronic zoom with no extending of barrel, I can only rely on reading the meter on screen to know the specific focal length I’m at. This one has focal length on zoom ring, which is very easy when you are in a busy situation. 20 24 28 35 50 70 are all indicated on it. Checking the tiny meter on small screen while changing the focal length by e-ring or trigger is a pain. 16-35 might be easier because the focal range is less than 20-70.
Do not think that you can buy this lens and come up with Mark Galer-quality pictures.
The only way to do that is to sign in to his classes and worky-work.
A keen follower of Mark, I strongly recommend.
Thanks for the praise Martti - I offer ongoing support and guidance on my Patreon support channel - Patreon.com/markgaler
Having just bought the 24-70 GMii, I’m certain they made that lens bigger than they required to save space in their line up for this lens. I’m pretty sure the filter thread could have been 72mm on the GMii, 77mm at the least. It feels bigger than necessary, and seeing this new lens it makes more sense to me as a product differentiation strategy.
That’s sounds like a conspiracy theory
I heard they are coming out with a GM III series that will make the new f2.8 lenses smaller than f4 lenses because of a new scientific discovery that allows smaller lenses to let in more light than larger lenses but they are waiting until all the GM II series are sold first so that they can make more profits.
I think it has more due to the fact that first GM was 82mm, so if someone had filters for that they could still easily use them. Not using smaller filter size just to make another lens "different" isnt sensible.
Thank you for the review Mark. I wonder, if you bought and add this lens to your camera kit? Thanks for the answer 🙏
Yes I did
Check out my India video on my CZcams channel - the images were captured predominantly with this lens.
Thanks a lot. I ordered the lens. Now I have to find out that if I combine it with the Sony 85mm 1.8 or I should buy a Sigma 90 2.8 to save some weight and place in my bag? ☺️
Both are good lenses - you just have to decide on whether aperture or size and weight is the priority
I actually quite enjoy my 85mm 1.8. Some of the best photos I have taken is with this lens. I think I can deal with the size difference, until Sony hopefully produces some very compact telephoto G primes for their A7C series (like 24, 40 and 50G)
Do you think this lens is good enough for zve10 user?
You might like to consider the E 16-55 F2.8 G instead of this full frame lens
I'm trading my 24-105 and 12-24 for this new lens. I already own the 85mm f/1.8 and also the new AI masking in photoshop and lightroom lets me blur the background if the lens can't
Don’t forget you can blur the background by just stepping closer to your subject
HI MARK,. I USE MY A7IV NEARLY FOR ALL MY WEDDING VIDEO WORK. I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN USING FOCUS AREA WIDE WITH FACE/EYE PRIORITY ON ,THE VIDEOS LOOK GREAT, BUT PUT A LOT OF STRAIN ON EYES WHILE WATCHING THE VIDEOS. IF I SHOOT WITH A7III, IT NEVER GIVES THIS PROBLEM. I DONT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. IS IT THE LACK OF AA FILTER OR FACE EXPOSURE PRIORITY? GLAD IF YOU CAN HELP.. THANKS..
Try using different profiles such as PP11 or lower the sharpening in the Creative Look
@@AlphaCreativeSkills THANKS A LOT.. ONE OF MY FRIENDS ALSO SUGGESTED TO USE ZONE FOCUS AREA AND ENTIRE SCREEN AVERAGE METERING MODE WITH FACE PRIORITY OFF.. THAT IS HELPING TOO. THANKS AGAIN
Not typing in all-caps has been clinically proven to reduce eye strain.
Sony is heading in the right directions for all their new zoom lens....lighter, smaller and sharper....what more can you ask?
I have put my travel camera bag on a diet so heavy metal is no longer welcome
Cheaper.
I am a Nikon shooter. Why does the lens have an aperture ring ?
Many photographers like to set aperture without having the camera in shooting position, or even when it is off and they are preparing for a surprise shot. On the other end of the spectrum, the A7c only has two customizable dials. So the aperture ring allows for the exposure triangle to be readily available still.
The biggest one though is videographers. The aperture ring is declickable, allowing for smooth aperture changes during shots.
I grew up in an era where all lenses had aperture rings so was surprised when manufacturers first started removing them.
Aperture rings are 👍👍👍
This lens or the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8? 🤔
That's a tough one. Owning the 20-40, i can tell you it's a great little lens. Size and the 2.8 aperture are the reasons I would not trade it in for this lens. But as Mark explained, it could be a nice do it all lens for most, and paired with a faster prime it is probably all you need
One lens or two… that is the question
A 16-50mm f4 full frame would be amazing. Same optical architecture as a 16-55mm, just scaled up for full frame, at least that’s how imagine it is, as Tamron made the 35-150mm which is basically a 24-105mm in APSC mode, but they scaled up the crop mode focal range to full frame. If Sony could do that, I’d be happy.
That would be a very very difficult lens to engineer, but it would be great. Don't reckon any lens maker would attempt it, hope I'm wrong though!
Or how a backlit APS-C sensor to let the excellent Sony E 16-55 F2.8 G shine even more.
Tamron will produce a 17-50 F4 soon !!
Having used the lens for a month now I'd recommend just going for one of the many 24-70 E mount options. It just isn't worth going below 24mm with what I've been seeing. Price here is ridiculous for what it is too.
I don't know where 'Here' is but it is competitively priced in the USA, has the best close focusing distance of any Sony lens, is pin sharp across the focal range, is smaller than most other standard zooms and 20mm is an extremely popular focal length with landscape photographers - just check out how many 20mm primes are sold. If you think the lens is overpriced in your country can you please contact Sony in your country or respond on a Sony Alpha forum (this is no a Sony forum) so that Sony will consider pricing competitively in all countries rather than some countries. Thanks
to bad it has no OSS, a great focal lenght 20-70mm...thanks
OSS is really only needed when using longer focal length lenses or a camera without IBIS (SteadyShot inside)
Strange they did the PZ for 16 to 35 mm and no others since. As a videographer I would like more PZ lenses to get smooth zooms.
I am sure more PZ lenses will follow - this one was perhaps pitched more towards the stills shooters looking for a lightweight travel zoom.
Melbourne❤
Melbourne is my home :-)
@@AlphaCreativeSkills I've been studying there for 4 years. I love the city
Looks like a good travel lens when you don't need the sharpest lens in the bag.
It IS very sharp. Sharper than the 24-105.
@@__Mr.White__ Great. I used the 24-105mm G lens for years before replacing it with the 24-70mm GM II.
If you zoom in on the ultra high resolution files I have shared you must surely agree that it is sharp
@@AlphaCreativeSkills I'm sure it is sharp. I just meant that there are other Sony lenses in that focal range that might be sharper and that it would be a good travel lens. Looks like the new Sony 50mm 1.4 GM might be a good alternative if you don't need the range.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills FWIW, I just decided to buy the 20-70mm G to use for travel and grab and go. And I appreciate your reviews. If you say something is factual then I can count on it being true.
As for the combination:
The 24-105 has stabilization!!
I don't understand WHY, SONY'S MOST LENSES don't have stabilization ...👎
All full frame cameras now have In Body Image Stabilisation which can handle standard and wide angle zooms. This was not the case when the FE 24-105 F4 was released as I believe the first generation of E-Mount cameras could still be purchased.
These pictures look processed. No way to judge a lens.
All JPEGs are processed by all cameras. These are more sample images uploaded than most of the other reviewers combined. I upload the Raw images for my Patrons on Patreon.com.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills let me rephrase that, they look over processed to judge a lens. Of course they are processed how are we suppose to see them. But if you’re going to show how a lens performs there should be minimal processing.
With the Raw images you can choose to see them processed or unprocessed