24-70mm f/4 Vario-Tessar T FE OSS Interchangeable Full Frame Zoom Lens

I'm not a pixel peeper, so I can't speak to the technical aspects of the lens. What I can tell you, is that it's a VERY useful lens for the A7s when recording video. I can't tell you anything about autofocus other than it works, because we are strictly manual focusing people. What I can tell you, is the footage from this lens is VERY clear and the color rendition is very nice. For years, I've shot with nothing but prime lenses. This lens changed that. Mostly because it's really handy in live situations (I do weddings) to change focal length on the fly. Probably the best thing about this lens is it has the OSS which is an absolute life saver when you are forced to shoot handheld. The other thing is with a few button presses (hopefully only one after sony issues a firmware update)...on the A7s anyway, you can also shoot in crop mode which makes this lens effectively more like a 35mm-100mm or so. This is a great option again for those of us who shoot live events like weddings. But the bottom line is this: It's better than the available kit lens, it has OSS that works and works very well with the Sony equipment. It doesn't require an adapter, and there's not really a lot of choice out there right now.... I don't think you can go wrong with the lens if you're shooting with an A7s, A7r, or A7. I'll also note that it's a nice touch that it does still work the crop cameras too...which is nice as our backup camera is a NEX-6. ONE thing to note for video: If you're planning to use a follow focus. Forget it. You can't. The focus ring on this lens and most sony lenses is "drive by wire" for lack of a better word (there's probably a real term for it). What I mean by that is, the faster you turn it, the faster it changes focus. The slower, the slower it changes. Therefore, you can't repeat focus pulls like you can on a cinema lens. Of course, I'll note that I can pretty easily perform a smooth focus pull with my finger while hand holding, and the zoom is INCREDIBLY smooth for what I was expecting. Good luck.

This is a great lens. The Zeiss coating gives it a saturated, contrasty look and the images can tolerate superfine sharpening. This is also one of the smallest full frame normal zooms out there. At F11, everything is more than acceptable except for a prime shooter. The lens is silent and focusses fast in all but the darkest light. The centers are always sharp. The best pro lenses are sharp across the field wide open for shallow DOF. Everything else is good at F8/F11. This lens is good enough for casual to serious amateur use. Because the A7r files can tolerate sharpening, landscapes should be fine at F8/F11. Wide open in low light, most subjects are not even at the same plane, so edge sharpness is not critical anyway. What this lens is notable for is the saturated colors and perfect contrast that catches our eyes. It's like a signature look. I seriously doubt that most people are printing big enough to complain about this lens vs. a prime. I can see it in the RX100 and other lenses. My only complaint is that we have returned to the larger sizes and weights of full metal bodies and mid size lenses. I'm getting to the point where I think equipment doesn't matter that much anymore. I have shot a wedding for fun with my RX100 with both photos and videos and it was extremely fun. Sure, the results may not be pro, but the results can be great. To do the same thing, with a full frame A7r I would need to bring a flash, more batteries, possibly a tripod, a camera bag and possible 1 low light lens. With the RX100, it all fit in my jacket pocket. I wonder what people do with these huge image files. I hope they're printing them because why else do people need so may megapixels?

I got this lens because I wanted an everyday zoom lens for my a7, but I did not want to go with the kit lens. So I decided to step-it-up to this newly released Zeiss. Like some of my other reviews on photography equipment, I'll try to provide a different perspective on my experience with this lens, rather than give you the typical review of its technical pro's and con's. I've always had a special admiration for Zeiss lenses, I owned a couple of them before and there is something different about the way photographs are reproduced by a Zeiss. They just look special, unique, different. I wish I could better explain it, but after years of doing photography, and owning A LOT of lenses and cameras, I can honestly say that Zeiss lenses stand out when it comes to build, feel, look, and image quality. Having said that, I don't particularly think that this Zeiss lens is one of the best ones I've used. Nope, this is perhaps my least favorite Zeiss lens. Why? well, it has all the ingredients that make a Zeiss, except there are a couple of things that do not allow me to give this lens a 5 star rating. Here are MY reasons why I like and dislike this lens: But wait, before I begin I want to caveat something: as you read these, keep in mind that these are MY reasons and MY opinion, and you are likely reading this as part of your research to help you make a purchase decision. I've been doing photography for a very long time and I like to know technical details, but I think of photography as an art rather than than a science. Keep that in mind if you plan to comment and/or disagree with what I say... Why I like it: +Awesome build, feel, and look +Smooth and responsive zoom ring as well as focus ring +Perfect walk-around range for a full-frame +Great image quality, color reproduction, (that "Zeiss" look) very little chromatic aberration, even in extreme back-light situations +Nice Bokeh Why it did not get 5 stars: -Rather too big/heavy for a compact-size a7/r. I wish the lens was smaller/lighter to better balance and match the small body of the a7/r -Not as sharp as I expected for a high-end Zeiss. I have other zoom lenses for different cameras at the same price range, and the sharpness of this lens is NOT up-to-par -Focus speed greatly degrades when shooting in low light. Understand that I did not do extensive technical tests, this review is based on my experience with the lens over the past 30 days or so (as of 18-APR-2041) though I do consider my self a pixel-peeper, and I pay great attention to detail when it comes to image quality. Overall I think the lens is a good lens, but I wish it was faster (f2.8 would have been awesome) and sharp throughout the entire frame, not just the center; and throughout the entire range. I know lens copies vary, I believe I got a cood copy, and I will keep it. However, when comparing it to other lenses of the same focal range, and same price point, I would say this lens falls short in sharpness and speed. I have NOT used the kit lens, so I cannot compare it. But I do have the cannon 24-105 f4L, and the AMAZING Panasonic G Vario 12-35mm F2.8 for M43 cameras, and both of those lenses are superior in sharpness and focus speed. So wait, does this mean that this is a bad deal? NO! I actually like this lens because it produces special images that may not be a sharp as others, but have a special look and feel that only Zeiss lenses have. Again, I wish I could explain. That's the reason why I cannot give this product any less than a 4 star rating. Despite of its shortcomings, I think this lens is good value at this price point for its built and overall image quality. Like any piece of photography equipment, if used properly, and creatively, this lens is capable of producing some amazing photographs when paired with my a7. I hope this helps you make a more informed purchase decision. Happy shooting!

I primarily use this lens for event photography on a Sony A7S. The material quality is nice. It's a class act on a Sony A7 series camera. I would not say this lens is built like a tank, but rather built to a reasonably high quality while trying to be a small, light lens. In terms of size, this lens is very nicely sized for a Sony a7 series camera. It feels well balanced in hand. When I rest the camera and lens on my chest (when I'm writing down info about people I've just photo'd), and a flash attached, it has a little tendency to flop forward. I have an inexpensive 2 battery grip I might attach to remedy this, or I might not, it's not much of an issue. In comparison to a full frame mirror'd lens, this lens is small and light. I think the price on it is reasonable considering it's a 24-70 lens with stabilization. Some people worry about the image quality or the f/4 max aperture. I would say the image quality is "very adequate". When I use this lens for semi professional purposes, I don't feel like I'm wanting more. Does it compare to a $2,000 f/2.8 full frame lens? I would say no, the colors and contrast aren't quite there, but not off by much, certainly not enough to pay twice the price for a small gain in image quality or one extra stop of light. But then again, the price, weight and size of this lens is half. So, you get what you pay for. Is the f/4 a problem? Not really. F2.8 is nice to have, but the depth of field can be so narrow it can cause problems with group shots. So I shoot this lens wide open at f/4 without running into focusing or depth of field problems. Some people might wonder if this lens has distortion problems. I haven't noticed any, and seldom correct the lens for distortion in lightroom. Using this lens and the Sony A7S, I have found that I don't need to correct the photos at all in lightroom. With my previous Canon setup, I was always having to tweek the white balance, move several sliders around, minimize noise etc. With this camera / lens combo, I crop a little and that's it. Everything is perfect coming off this sensor. When I'm using flash, about 1 in 10 shots I might have to tweek the exposure level a little, to compensate for the flash. I have heard other reviewers say that same thing, but until I experienced it with the A7S and this lens combo, I would not have believed it . Great job Sony! In terms of lens stabilization, I don't really notice it lol (it is enabled). Maybe that's a good thing. So, I think this is a very good lens, and works well. Is it worth the extra $$$'s to buy the f/2.8 heavier lens? For me, no. Would I purchase this lens new or used? Yes, I would recommend it. It's fits the A7r series well and does a very adequate job for amateur, semi-professional and some professional use. Don't be worried, this lens is a good one to buy. You don't need to succumb to needless f/2.8 envy. lol.

I'm giving this lens a 1 star review for two reasons. First, it failed to operate properly and developed a rattling sound within about 3 months of my purchasing the lens. The second reason is Sony customer service. I took the lens to a local Sony store to see if I could get an exchange given the lens was nearly new, and if not at least have them get it serviced and repaired. They directed me to call the Sony customer service number and they would direct me on where to ship it. Note that they won't even take the lens in and take care of the service for you but make you handle it all your self via phone and Internet. They then have you ship it to Precision Camera to be repaired, which I did. I quickly received an email saying they had my lens and a job number. After a couple of week and hearing nothing, I called Precision Camera to inquire on the status of my repair. I was told it is in repair and give them more time. After two more weeks, I called again and was told they could not repair the lens and that it had been sent to Sony and that they were waiting for Sony. I waited another week and called again and Precision said that Sony was supposed to be contacting me and that it was out of their hands. I was given the E number for reference and given the Sony CS number to call. I finally got a hold of someone and they said I now needed to send them a copy of my sales invoice as they could not fix the lens and would refund my money. I immediately faxed them the invoice and then called to make sure they had received it. Several weeks went by and no check and no lens. I called Sony CS again and asked where my check was. I was told it was waiting for management approval. Another two weeks and still no check. By this time it has been over 3 months with no refund. I called again and was informed that it was finally approved on May 22 and it would take 4 to 6 weeks to get my refund. I asked to speak with someone that could accelerate this process and was told that no one could and that I could not speak with anyone that could. Today, June 1st I am still waiting for a refund check. This is an expensive lens and not one that should have failed so soon. Why it was unrepairable I have no idea but at every step in the process it was up to me to establish communications. Not once did Sony initiate a call or conversation to resolve the issue. While I have had good luck with other Sony products, this is my first experience with their customer service that is located in the Philippines or India so they can't really do anything. It will probably be my last as I am not likely to buy another Sony product as a result.

I ordered this lens as soon as announced. Before it arrived I had read on line some very mixed reviews from the usual technical sites and was disappointed to see the negative assessments. I thought of canceling my order but decided instead to get the lens and test it for myself. As soon as the lens arrived, I went to my usual landscape test site(somewhat limited since infinity is only 100 yards from my shooting position), and found the lens to be superb from 28mm to 55mm at most apertures from center to edge. I own fixed Zeiss ZF lenses in this range and the zoom was very competitive with my fixed Zeiss lenses at comparable apertures. At 24mm I noticed softness in the very extreme corner, but overall not a bad performance. At 70mm I found the lens to be very sharp by f5.6, but somewhat less contrasty. Just about perfect for portraits at 70mm. I did my usual picture of the midday sun flare test and the lens did not disappoint. BTW, most Zeiss lenses I own do very well in controlling flare with aggressive light sources in the frame. I have now had the lens for two months and am just about to finish a two week trip to Las Vegas, Zion N.P., Bryce N.P., Arches N.P. and Canyonlands N.P. The lens has performed admirably and the results speak for themselves. Please search my flickr gallery and you can judge the results. I have changed my mind since my initial assessment and highly recommend this lens at ALL FOCAL LENGTHS! Contrast, sharpness, flare control and convenience are all there. This lens delivers the signature Zeiss look in a very convenient way and will easily deliver professional quality results. The image stabilization is a real plus and a feature my fixed Zeiss lenses do not have. Overall a fantastic lens.

After sending two (2) Sony 24-70mm lens back because of focus issues, I still had a big hole in my basic Sony lens lineup even though I purchased the 55mm prime to try to fill the gap between the 16-35mm zoom and the 70-200mm. That really didn't fit the bill, so after considering every possible third party lens hook up, I took a chance and ordered a third lens (all those good reviews can't be wrong), and this time I got a sweet little peach of a lens. I have run it through my personal lens tests and it is impressive enough. Of course it is not as sharp as the 90mm macro or the 55mm prime, but for a light mid range walk around zoom it is just fine. Now all Sony has to do to make me really happy is to come out with a super sharp F2.4-2.8 midrange zoom E mount so that I can have a tack sharp 24-70mm lens to match the 70-200mm and give us some first class E mount long lenses. But for now, I am very glad that I took the chance of ordering a third lens as I finally got a good mid-range zoom that now understandably matches up with DxO's positive review. I like it. After 2 more months of further extensive shooting with this lens, I am more and more impressed with it. I really like it and am giving it a 5. It has exceeded my expectations.

Good lens , semi professional and sharp .