Reviewed: Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
I took the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS with me on a trip to the mountains recently. I shot it exclusively on the Sony A7R II since I wanted to see the limits of its resolving power. Before leaving, I updated the lens firmware to the just-released version (late May 2017).
I am not happy with the results. Sony has a lot of work to do before it can be considered a suitable 'pro' system.
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Examples: Sharpness in the Field, Focusing, Lens Quality Issues
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Aperture Series @ 70mm: Ellery Lake
Includes images up to full resolution.
As for focusing problems (severe), I do not know if Sony A7R II firmware version 4.00 helps with the 70-200; it was released the day after I returned from my trip.
I am so disgusted with the results that I do not intend to pursue the Sony 70-200 any further. The two pages above show an ample amount of material that should give even diehard Sony fanboys pause.
On the same trip, I took along the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, which I shot on the Nikon D810. My goal was not direct comparison, but just to get a sense of both as a byproduct of shooting both for different goals. Yet the comparative results were striking: the Nikon 70-200 delivered imagery in line with the best prime lenses I have used, and the D810 nailed the focus reliably, every time. So impressive, so reliable, the Real Deal as to what any pro could wish for, whether with conventional autofocus or magnified Live View.