Sony has announced the addition of a new FE 20-70mm F4 G zoom lens to their family of E-mount lenses.
By starting at 20mm instead of 24mm you’ll gain an additional ten degrees of diagonal angle-of-view. This will help you to maintain a wide angle of view even if you make use of digital stabilization in video that applies a small crop.
This is an unstabilized lens so you’ll need to rely on IBIS in your camera for stabilization or a gimbal.
The lens features a dedicated aperture ring, as well as zoom and focus rings. There’s also a lock switch on the aperture ring to keep it out of the ‘A’ setting, that shifts aperture control to the camera. There’s also a de-click switch on the aperture ring for much smoother changes when shooting video.
The autofocus is driven by twin ‘XD’ linear motors which Sony claim is 60% faster than the FE 24-70mm F4 ZA lens.
When in manual focus mode the minimum focus distance is just 0.25m (9.8″) and the maximum magnification is 0.39x when shooting at 70mm.
The lens weighs in at around 488g / 17.3 oz (including the hood), is 78.7mm (3.1″) wide and 99mm (3.9″) contracted or 139mm (5.5″) extended. There’s a 72mm front filter thread.
The lens does have a dust and moisture resistant design and the front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants.
The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G will start shipping in February 2023 for a recommended retail price of $1098 in the US, £1399 in the UK and €1600 in Europe.
Early Reviews
Here’s a collection of early reviews worth watching.
Jason Vong
Gerald Undone
DPReview
Gordon Laing
Tony and Chelsea
Christopher Frost
Julia Trotti
Taylor Jackson
Manny Ortiz
Key Specifications
| Lens type | Zoom lens |
|---|---|
| Max Format size | 35mm FF |
| Focal length | 20-70mm |
| Image stabilization | No (Camera IBIS) |
| Lens mount | Sony FE |
| Maximum aperture | F4 |
| Minimum aperture | F22 |
| Aperture ring | Yes |
| Number of diaphragm blades | 9 |
| Elements | 16 |
| Groups | 13 |
| Minimum focus | Wide: 0.30 m / Tele: 0.25 m (AF), 0.25 m (MF) (Wide: 0.99 ft / Tele: 0.82 ft (AF), 0.82 ft (MF)) |
| Maximum magnification | 0.39x |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Motor type | Twin ‘XD’ linear |
| Full time manual | Yes |
| Weight | 488g / 17.3 oz |
| Diameter | 78.7mm (3.1″) |
| Length | 99mm (3.9″) to 139mm (5.5″) |
| Weather Sealing | Yes |
| Colour | Black |
| Hood supplied | Yes |
Further details and sample images can be found on Sony’s website.
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