Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II is World’s Lightest 70-200mm Lens

Sony have just unveiled the 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, the World’s lightest 70-200mm F2.8 zoom lens.

Weighing in at a whopping 29% / 435g lighter than the original Mark 1 version, the Sony 70-200mm Mark II represents a significant upgrade of the 5-year-old original, including next generation auto-focusing and a range of advanced features.

It has no less than 4 XD linear motors, making it 4x faster than the original version, whilst focus tracking while zooming is 30% better.

The optical construction is 17 elements in 14 groups including one XA lens, two Super ED lenses, and two ED lenses, and one ED aspherical lens.

Weighing just 1045g and measuring 88 x 200mm, the 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II uses 77mm filters and is dust and moisture resistant.

It has a Nano AR Coating II, 11 blade aperture, 0.4-0.8m minimum focusing distance and 0.3x maximum magnification, and it’s also teleconverter compatible.

This lens has a veritable plethora of external controls, including new aperture ring and click switches, an iris lock switch and a new Mode 3 on OIS, which is a hybrid mode similar to that found on the FE 400/600mm lenses.

The new Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II will be available from the end of October priced at £2,600 in the UK and $2,800 in the US.

Sony Press Release

Sony Continues to Redefine Excellence in Imaging with the Introduction of the new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II

• Constant aperture F2.8 70-200mm telephoto zoom
• Fast, precise quiet AF (autofocus) and continuous AF tracking capabilities
• Advanced features for video creators
• World’s lightesti 200mm large-aperture telephoto zoom lens, approximately 29% lighter than the previous model
• Up to approximately 4 times[i] faster AF, with focus tracking while zooming improved by approximately 30% when compared to the previous modelii
• Professional-level control and reliability

Sony announced the newest lens in their G Master lineup – the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​, which delivers an extraordinary combination of resolution and bokeh as well as unequalled AF (autofocus) performance known to Sony’s G Master design.

“Listening to our customers around the world, we decided to develop a new, improved version of our 70-200mm F2.8: the G-Master FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director, Product Marketing, Sony Europe BV. “The improvements in weight and focusing speed with this new lens are immense and will make a huge difference for both photographers and videographers. When used in conjunction with our compact and lightweight full frame bodies, Sony is providing an ideally balanced and extremely portable combination.”

Designed to perfectly pair with Sony’s E-mount camera bodies, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ not only offers outstanding optical quality and advanced AF performance, but it is the lightesti F2.8 70-200mm zoom in the world and allows for unprecedented shooting freedom and flexibility. Sony continues to strengthen the Alpha system with this newest addition to the broadest selection of mirrorless lenses on the market as the 65th lens in its E-mount lens lineup.

New Levels of Performance

The new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ delivers outstanding image quality with high resolution and clarity. Users can expect a clean and clear image from corner-to-corner throughout the entire zoom range, even when the aperture is wide open. Thanks to the two aspherical lens elements, including one XA (extreme aspherical) element manufactured to 0.01-micron surface precision, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ effectively controls distance-related aberration variations to ensure outstanding resolution throughout the image area.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also employs two ED (extra-low dispersion) spherical glass elements and two Super ED spherical glass elements to significantly reduce chromatic aberration without colour bleeding. This lens also includes an ED aspherical element for the first time in an Alpha system lens, which simultaneously suppresses chromatic and spherical aberration, common issues in other telephoto lenses.

Smooth, beautiful bokeh is made possible by a large F2.8 maximum aperture and a newly developed 11-blade circular aperture unit. In addition, the lens’ advanced optical design including an XA element thoroughly suppresses the unwanted ‘onion ring’ effect, further enhancing the bokeh. The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also offers excellent close-up performance with deep bokeh. The minimum focusing distance is just 15.7 inches (0.4 meters) at 70mm and 32.3 inches (0.82 meters) at 200mm, with a maximum magnification of 0.3x.　Moreover, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ can be easily paired with Sony’s high-performance 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter[ii] to extend the lens’ focal length to 400mm[iii] at an F5.6 aperture, all while maintaining its G Master quality.

To avoid any unwanted flare and ghosting in challenging lighting conditions, Sony’s original Nano AR Coating II produces a uniform anti-reflection coating on the surface of the lens. In addition, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​’s optical design also effectively suppresses internal reflections to improve clarity.

Industry-leading Autofocus

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​’s state-of-the-art lens technology brings out the best in the advanced camera body it is paired with. The new lens uses four Sony-original XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors for extraordinary fast and precise AF, making it up to approximately 4 times fasterii and with focus tracking improved by 30% when compared to the previous modelii. When paired with Sony’s flagship Alpha 1, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is capable of high-speed continuous shooting at up to 30 fps[iv]. Superb AF tracking is also available even when using a teleconverter. For video, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ offers smooth and quiet AF to reliably lock in focus and track fast moving subjects, even while zooming so the user can leave the focusing to the camera.

​Advanced Features for Video

With its constant F2.8 maximum aperture, astounding AF performance, versatile control, and solid reliability, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is a perfect choice for video. The new lens was designed to dramatically reduce focus breathing, focus shift, and axis shift when zooming so that there is minimal unwanted image movement and angle of view variations.

For easy video-use operation, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ features independent control rings for focus, zoom, and aperture (iris), allowing precise manual operation. The aperture ring also has a click ON/OFF switch. Additionally, Sony’s Linear Response MF ensures responsive, low-lag manual focus control. The supplied lens hood also features an opening that allows convenient operation of circular polarising filters or variable ND filters for more creative flexibility.

Designed for Professionals

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is the world’s lightesti F2.8 telephoto zoom lens and is approximately 29% lighter than previous model, weighing just under 37 oz (1,045g). In addition to its light weight, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ was designed for professionals to offer an ideal balance without front-heaviness, ensuring that the lens’ centre of gravity falls directly above the tripod mount. It also features internal zoom to keep the centre of gravity constant.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ has been specifically designed for professionals based on their direct feedback. The new lens includes focus functions to support the user’s professional needs such as Full-time DMF, natural and linear manual focus response, and a focus-range limiter switch. The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ also includes three customizable focus hold buttons that are provided 90° apart for easy access and convenient control when shooting in horizontal or vertical orientation, and just about any angle.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ features both a click ON/OFF switch and an iris lock switch for quick, flexible aperture control. The aperture ring click stops can be turned ON to provide tactile feedback when shooting stills, or OFF for smooth, silent aperture control when shooting movies. In addition, the zoom ring torque is optimised and now includes image stabilisation with MODE 3[v] for moving subjects.

The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​ is designed to be reliable in even the most challenging environments. It features dust and moisture resistance[vi], equal to the FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS and FE 600mm F4 GM OSS, based on feedback from professionals. The front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and other contaminants, while making it easier to wipe off any contaminants or fingerprints that do become attached to the lens surface.

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II will be available in November 2021 at a variety of Sony’s authorised dealers, for an estimated retail price of €3,000/£2,600.

For detailed product information on FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II​, please click here.

A variety of exclusive stories, videos and exciting new content shot with the newest cameras and other Sony products can be found here. Sony’s European photography hub is available in 22 languages and details product news, competitions and an up-to-date list of Sony events in each country.

[i] When attached to the Alpha 1, compared to SEL70200GM. Sony test conditions.

[ii] Maximum aperture with the 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters is F4 and F5.6, respectively.

[iii] 2.0x teleconverter can realise 400mm focal length. 1.4x teleconverter can realise 280mm focal length.

[iv] Sony test conditions.

[v] A software update may be required. See Sony’s support page on the web for camera compatibility info.

[vi] Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.

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