Sony AF 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II A-mount lens review by QuietOC
 QuietOC#44125 date: Aug-25-2018 | |
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| sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 28-300 XR Di Tamron 28-300 XR Sony DT 55-300 SAM Sony FE 70-300 G OSS Canon EF 70-300 IS II USM Tamron 70-300 USD Tamron 70-300 RXD Nikon DX AF-P 70-300 non-VR & VR Sony A 70-400 G SSM Canon EF 75-300 III USM Minolta AF 75-300 "Big Beercan" & D Minolta AF 100-300 APO & D Minolta AF 100-400 APO Sigma 100-400 DG HSM OS |
| price paid: | 343 USD (used) |
| positive: | Flat focus plane Internal, rear focus Minimum breathing Non-rotating focus grip in AF Non-rotating filter threads Always available DMF Large petal hood "Dust and moisture resistant" |
| negative: | Chubby size and weight Limited range Extending zoom Heavy and uneven zoom action Zoom creep Heavy/vague focus clutch mechanism Slow, noisy AF |
| comment: | I purchased two of these from eBay auctions by individuals. This lens is listed new for $1150, $50 cheaper than the newer, stabilized Sony FE 70-300 G OSS. As of April 2021 it is still missing from the lens listing at sony.com while the older version is listed. It doesn't feel any better made than the Tamron USD or even the Sony DT 55-300 SAM. Unlike those lenses it is "Made in JAPAN." It's control grips are in the same arrangement as the Tamron zooms, but it actually employs a rear focus design unlike the Tamron USD. This means there is less weight at the front of the lens and less shifting of the center of mass with focus action. It shows very little breathing meaning it loses focal length at close focus. The long end is close to 240 mm at minimum focus. The 55-300, 75-300, 100-300, and Tamron 70-300 USD zooms all maintain their focal length with focus. The front barrel and front lens element extend with zoom the same amount as the Tamron. The zoom action is also quite heavy and a bit uneven much like the Tamron. The 55-300, 75-300 D, and Tamron 70-300 RXD zooms have nicer zoom actions. Despite the rear focus design and SSM II designation it doesn't seem to focus any faster than the old screw-drive x-300 zooms. The II designation means it supports the faster communication rates introduced with the A77 and DT 16-50 F2.8 SSM. It also means that like with the 55-300, the Kenko teleconverters will not adjust the focal length and aperture values on the recent SLT bodies. It does allow 2 extra FPS of AF-C tracking on the Sony A9 with the LA-EA3 and 4x better tracking on the recent SLT bodies according to Sony. The Tamron USD zoom does not support this faster communication speed. The second copy was misaligned mostly in the mid range and wide end. It may have been damaged due to inadequate packaging. The first copy didn't quite match the central sharpness of the 55-300 but had less chromatic aberrations. The focus breathing arguable makes it a downgrade compared to the Tamron 70-300 USD. Image quality is worse than the non-L Canon 70-300 IS II USM. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 2
- sharpness: 4.00
- color: 5.00
- build: 3.50
- distortion: 4.00
- flare control: 5.00
- overall: 4.30