Hands On: Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G, standard or premium?
A new 24-50mm, yes, that's right: 24-50 with f/2.8 aperture: We feel you! To be honest, we didn't expect Sony to launch such a lens on the market
Nevertheless, we naturally took a look at the new lens. You can find out what it can do compared to the many other standard zooms from Sony in this blog post with video.
Table of contents
Size and weight
A 24-50mm only makes sense if it is lighter, smaller and, above all, more compact than the many very good Sony standard zooms already on the market. And this is exactly where the lens comes into its own: As part of the compact and lightweight G series, it only weighs 440g - and that with a continuous aperture of f/2.8. The SEL 20-70mm f/4 G only weighs around 50g more, but only has a maximum aperture of f/4.
However, if you wanted a continuous aperture of f/2.8, you always had to reach for the 24-70mm GM II. For GM lenses, however, you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket.
Of course, the smallest and lightest lens is useless if you can't take good pictures with it. That's why we not only grabbed the new Sony 24-50mm G, but also took a look at how it compares to Sony's own standard zoom competition.
Sharpness
In terms of sharpness, the 24-50mm almost comes close to Sony's ultra-sharp 20-70mm - and even in direct comparison with Sony's top standard zoom, the 24-70mm GM II, the new G Standard performs extremely well, as you can see in our comparison images below.
The difference in sharpness to the G-Master is visible, but really not that great and even in the peripheral areas it can reproduce the high resolution of the a7c R well.
The lens is also extremely well corrected for chromatic aberrations, allowing it to be used flexibly in any situation.
The bokeh is buttery smooth thanks to the 11 aperture blades and in case you're wondering: yes, the difference between f/4 and f/2.8 is really big, as you can see in our comparison images in the video.
Sharpness comparison 24-50mm f 2.8 at 50mm f4 
Sharpness comparison 20-70mm f 4 at 50mm f4 
Sharpness comparison 24-70mm GM II f 2.8 at 50mm f4 
- Premium G-series full-frame standard zoom lens from Sony
- suitable for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras
- Standard zoom lens from Sony
- Luminous intensity F2.8
- fast, precise autofocus
- particularly soft background blur (bokeh)
- ideal for content creation, photo and video recording
- dust and water-repellent design
Autofocus
In addition to the lenses, the autofocus is also state of the art. Two XD linear motors ensure that the lens can easily keep up with the speed of an Alpha 9 Mark III. So there is no need to worry about the future-proofing of the lens.
Close focusing distance
The new lens also impresses with its close focusing distance. Because it really is brutal. At 24mm it is 19cm and at 50mm focal length it is still 30cm. This is really super close, but it gets even closer in manual focus. This makes the new lens better than the 20-70mm, for example, especially at wide angle, and even a tad better than the 24-70 GM II.
Conclusion:
At first glance, the 24-50mm has plenty of in-house competition with a significantly larger focal length range. So why did you need this one now?
Well: If aperture 4 is enough for you, the 20-70mm or the SEL 24-105mm f/4 are good standard zooms, but they are also larger and heavier in comparison. However, if you wanted a constant aperture of f/2.8, you had to go for the 24-70 GM II. This is of course without question a top lens, but it also has its price.
The 24-50mm is therefore a great solution for all those who are looking for a small, compact and, above all, fast "always on" lens with a smaller focal length range.
Even with Sony's compact full-frame cameras, such as the 7c II, this is a good combination for street, travel and portrait photography. Because even with 24-50mm you can do a lot.
