Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS E-mount lens reviews
reviews found: 13
 Phil Wood#46966 date: Nov-11-2023 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | A-mount: Minolta AF 24-105 Sony CZ 24-70mm f2.8 G SSM many other A mount zooms |
| price paid: | 600GBP |
| positive: | Great multi-purpose lens. |
| negative: | Difficult to find any negatives - could be a tad sharper and one could always do with another stop of light or more range. |
| comment: | Reading the previous reviews I have to agree with Wetapunga that it could be that little bit sharper, but it's a very fine lens with a really useful focal range. Unlike Travelshots I cannot say it is better than the A-mount 24-70/2.8, my 24-70 is a little sharper and, of course, there are times when the extra stop comes in useful. However, the 24-105 is noticeably lighter than the 24-70 + LA-EA5 - much easier to carry around. As an inveterate A-mount user I have to say that the really impressive thing about this lens is the flare control - impressively better than my older glass. |
| Wētāpunga#46965 date: Nov-11-2023 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | A-mount CZ16-80 and 16-50/2.8 SSM Zeiss Loxia 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm Zeiss Batis 85mm, 135mm. |
| price paid: | NZD 1800 new |
| positive: | Useful range, good image quality. Excellent option for events and travel. |
| negative: | Some vignetting at 24mm. |
| comment: | I haven't actually used it on a 61MP sensor, but that's the closest I could see to the ɑ1's 50MP sensor. In overall terms, I like this as a walkabout lens and for events and travel. It's useful having the longer reach of 105mm. It works well in combination with my cameras to shoot events. I've not been really bothered by the f4 aperture as that suffices for the subjects I photograph with it. The sharpness is very good, rather than say excellent. I can get sharper images from my Zeiss or GM lenses. This sharpness is however, very good over the entire range. It's not softer at say, one end of the range. So it seems to work best as a general purpose lens, if you'd prefer more range to a wider aperture. |
| travelshots#45706 date: May-16-2021 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony Zeiss 24-70mm f2.8 A-Mount Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 A-Mount Sony SEL FE 20mm f1.8 Various A-Mount primes |
| price paid: | 650 € (in bundle) |
| positive: | Very sharp, good sharpness even in the corners Light weight Compact Versatile zoom range Affordable price |
| negative: | Nothing when using lens profiles |
| comment: | This is the lens I have been waiting for! Sold my A-Mount Zeiss 24-70mm, which was the best standard zoom I previously had (selected smple). When it comes to image borders and corners, sharpness of the 24-105 is visibly better (much better is the corners). I shoot mainly landscape and f4 is fast enough. The lens feels very well built and doesn't disappoint in any aspect. Damn close to a good prime. Of course, I apply the lens profile in the RAW converter if required. Hence, in practice there are not problems with distortion or vignetting, which in theory are on the stronger side. In bundle with cameras and other lenses and Sony cash back, this lens was a steal. My walk arunf lens that barely comes off of my A7rIII (have an A7rIV for Tele). This lens and the Sony 200-600 are main reasons for me to be in E-Mount. |
| QuietOC#45615 date: Nov-30-2020 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 3 distortion: 3 flare control: 4 overall: 3.9 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Canon EF 22-55 F4-5.6 USM Sigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art Canon EF 24-85 F3.5-4.5 USM Minolta AF 24-85 F3.5-4.5 & RS Minolta AF 24-105 F3.5-4.5 D Tamron SP 24-135 F3.5-5.6 Minolta AF 24-50 F4 Sony 24-70 F4 ZA OSS Sigma 28-70 F2.8 DG DN C Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD Sony 28-75 F2.8 SAM Tamron SP 28-75mm F2.8 XR Di Tokina 28-80 F2.8 AT-X Pro Sigma AF 28-105 F2.8-4 Sony FE 28-70 F3.5-5.6 OSS Minolta AF 28-80 F3.5-5.6 D Minolta AF 28-85 F3.5-4.5 Minolta AF 28-100 F3.5-5.6 D Canon EF 28-105 F3.5-4.5 USM II Minolta AF 28-105 F3.5-4.5 & RS & Xi Tamron 28-300 F3.5-6.3 XR & Di Tamron 28-200 F3.8-5.6 LD Minolta AF 28-135 F4-4.5 Minolta AF 35-105 F3.5-4.5/New Sigma AF 35-135 F3.5-4.5 Minolta AF 35-70 F4 Minolta AF 35-80 F4-5.6 II Tokina AF 35-200 F4-5.6 SD Minolta AF 35-200 F4.5-5.6 Xi |
| price paid: | 1100 USD (new) |
| positive: | Rubber grips Fairly Parfocal Minimal breathing Very quiet focusing Stabilization Dust and moisture-resistant Lens Compensation |
| negative: | Price Size & weight Heavy extending zoom MF and OSS switches Variation Corner and midfield issues Lateral CA Forced distortion compensation |
| comment: | I wanted a good normal zoom wider than 28 mm. This seems to be the most often recommended one. It is currently the best standard zoom recommendation at DPReview and also their alternative travel zoom recommendation. Sony announced this lens in 2017 for $1300. It has been on sale for $1100 for about a month now. My Greentoe offer for $1000 was not accepted. They sent me an email warning that "items are selling out quicker than usual." A local camera shop had no copies in stock. The sales person recommended adapting the Sigma 24-105 F4 Art lens instead. This was the most up-to-date FE normal zoom until the compact 28-60 was released. Unlike that lens it does not support the Aperture Drive feature, but it does support 30 FPS burst tracking which all third-party lenses and the older Sony 28-70 OSS and 24-70 ZA OSS do not support. It looks and feels cheaper than Sony's A-mount zooms or Minolta's mid-range zooms. The rear plastic barrel flexes under moderate pressure like the FE 50 F1.8 and Tamron OSD primes. I appreciate the rubber control grips and absence of alloy veneer. The end trim of the lens and filter threads are alloy. "Made in Thailand" The optics performs closer to the old film zooms than I expected. It is generally sharper outside the center of the frame, but it does have edge issues in the middle of its range. This copy has a minor issue with the right side being softer. The wide end is not as wide as the old 24-x zooms, but it is wider than the FE 2/28. The long end of the zoom is significantly longer at close focus than the old internal focus x-105mm zooms but wider than the original 35-105. There is basically zero focus breathing. Corners are somewhat worse than the 28-70 OSS and 24-70 ZA in the middle of their shared ranges. Sony seems to have optimized this zoom for the zoom ends. Those do tend to the only range used by most people. The corners at the wide end of the middle range clean up stopped down but the corners at 50 to 70mm remain soft. It is not competitive with the cheap primes. Like the 2/28, 24-70 ZA, and 28-70 Sony doesn't allow the Distortion Compensation to be disabled when this lens is mounted. And live-view also gets the correction applied. My rating reflects the raw optical distortion not the digital corrections. It has a bit less distortion than the 24-70 ZA. The worst part of the body design are the switches. These feel as cheaply made as possible. Hopefully they are sealed. There is no way to disable either switch from unintentionally overriding the desired camera settings. The kit zooms and older 24-70 F4 ZA OSS lack these liabilities. Overall a bulky, compromised, but decent standard zoom. It works really well for social events. The extended range and constant aperture are the main advantages over the 28-70 OSS for the tradeoffs of cost and handling. It is probably more consistent than the older 24-70 F4 ZA. I prefer the materials of the 24-105, but I prefer the size and weight of the ZA. Maybe there will be a smaller FE G OSS normal zoom eventually. |
| Tricky01#45579 date: Sep-8-2020 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | 24-70 f4 (FE) 24-70cz f2.8 (A mount) |
| price paid: | 689 second hand |
| positive: | Great focal range Constant aperture Pretty compact |
| negative: | I prefer primes in this range |
| comment: | I don’t really feel qualified to review the lens. I owned it for just under a year but I sold it as I found I just didn’t use it enough. It’s a great lens and a really good range, but I found when I took it out I always wished I had something faster than f4. So I’d rather carry a 35 and 85 1.8, plus possibly the 135 1.8 too. For travel I’d rather have a wider and longer zoom pairing (16-35 f4 and 100-400 are a great pair), so again the 24-105 got left behind. It performs very well for what it is, but it fills a hole that I just don’t find I need filling. If you need compact and cannot swap lenses in the field then this is the one lens to go for, but I’d generally turn to the primes I’ve mentioned above or possibly even the 100-400. Compared to the two 24-70 Zoom’s I’ve owned, this does outperform the 24-70 f4, though the compactness of that lens is definitely a string to its bow. Versus the 24-70cz on alpha, it’s been a while since I used that lens, but aside from the wider aperture that I do prefer, I’d say the performance is pretty similar. |
| nandbytes#44535 date: Jun-17-2020 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Sony Zeiss 24-70mm f4 Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 RXD |
| price paid: | £900 (used) |
| positive: | The lens is sharp from f4 across the entire focal range. Obviously doesn't match primes but its more than sharp even on my A7RIV. It's turned out to be one of my all time favourite travel and landscape lenses. The rending and the bokeh isn't bad especially when shooting at 105mm. The AF is great, its light and ergonomics is also good. Lastly it gives 0.31x magnification which can come in handy. |
| negative: | Vignetting - even with corrections its not completely gone at 24mm. Sometimes it works fine but generally speaking annoying and you will need good expensive slim ND filters to avoid further vignetting. But you cannot stack filters as that'll once again vignett. Annoying! |
| comment: | Apart from the really annoying vignetting its a great lens. Stopped down makes nice sun-stars too. |
| ganchoo#44408 date: Nov-5-2019 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | A lot of Sony A and Minolta lenses as well as Viltrox 85mm 1.8 AF, Samyang 35mm 2.8, TTartisan 11mm 2.8 and Samyang 14mm 2.8 UPC, Sony 28-70mm, Sony 90mm 2.8 macro, Sony 55mm 1.8, Samyang 24mm 1.8, Minolta AF 500mm f8. |
| price paid: | 799 |
| positive: | Good range, Versatile lens, Relatively light lens. Sharp images. The most important part is that is optically stabilised lens. It is G lens and even it has no G Master is one that deserved it. |
| negative: | F4 only, expensive, can not reach the aperture of prime lenses |
| comment: | Nice and versatile lens to have with Original A7 or A7RII. If you have the newer Sony cameras out there it will be fine. The best travel lens out there. As it is constant aperture and image stabilised it is pleasure to use for video. |
| Snegren#44076 date: Jun-3-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 2.8/24-70 SSM ZA it replaces |
| price paid: | RRP The Netherlands |
| positive: | 24-105 range suits me well, f4 compactness, sharpness, well built (effective lens hood). |
| negative: | Electronic focussing, no mechanical focus scale. Very difficult to set up for night shots, it becomes a guessing game. |
| comment: | Bought it as the main lens of a hiking kit, to replace the bulky 24-70 ZA (that had to be used with A->E converter). It is not f2.8 but that doesn't matter to me. Took it to the USA for a 5 week vacation and put it through desert dust, mountain pass snow and frost, Pacific coast rain and salt and it never protested. Stopped down sharpness is very good across the frame, use it at f/8 always and it delivers reliably. Corners at 24 mm wide open not stellar but useable. The 105 mm side is, like with most zooms, not the strongest side but way better than the 70 mm side of my 24-70 ZA. But at MFD (which is extremely short) wide open resolution is more than adequate and bokeh is smooth. Vignetting wide open and distortion at the wide side are considerable but this is typical for modern zooms and is adequately corrected by profile in post, but you will loose a couple of mm at the wide side. Lens produces high contrast and well saturated images with realistic colors. AF works very well on the A7Rii, fast and reliable, but can hunt a bit at wide angles depending on settings. OSS works very well. |
| Collingsandheal#44073 date: Jun-2-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony E 10-18mm. Voigtlander FE 15mm. Batis 18mm. Batis 25mm. Zeiss 16-35mm f4. 16-35mm GM. Sony FE 28mm. Zeiss FE 35mm. Batis 40mm. Samyang FE AF 45mm. Sony FE 50mm. Sony FE 50mm macro. Zeiss FE 55. Sony FE 85. Sigma A FE 135mm. Sony 70-200 GM. Sony 100-400mm GM. |
| price paid: | £1168.00 |
| positive: | Amazingly consistent throughout the entire zoom range. Amazingly consistent across the photographic frame. Great colours. Really silent focusing. Form factor. as Sharp as many primes including "G glass" & Zeiss even at f4 |
| negative: | Remembering what this lens is and what it is intended to do I cannot find a fault. Even the lens hood is good. |
| comment: | This lens can be left on f4 at all focal lengths. It's sharp everywhere, it's colourful, it's silent and it's really fast to focus. Yes I know it isn't an f2.8 lens.... But I really don't care. I have the Gm 16-35 f2.8 at the wide end and the GM 70-200 f2.8 at the moderate-tele end. If I need fast glass in between I throw on the Zeiss 55mm f1.8. I bought this lens as a walk around gunning lens and to use when travelling along with the 15mm Voigtlander for the really wide shots. A two lens travel system, happy days. This is the best all rounder lens that I have ever owned on any camera system. |
| EbolaRO#44053 date: May-2-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | SEL2470GM, SEL24240, SEL2870 |
| price paid: | 1330 euro new |
| positive: | Good performance, very versatile Sharp from f.4 OSS works great Small and light vs 2470GM, SEL24240 |
| negative: | f.4 and price Some distortions and CA at the long end |
| comment: | Fast, superb colors and contrast, optical stabilization works impeccably. Although it is only f4 has a decent bokeh (portraits between 70-90 mm are superb). Compared to SEL2870 or SEL24240 is much better all around. Compared to the 2470GM is a hard choice, I'm clearly giving up to GM during the day, its heavier, smaller zoom , at night the f2.8 is better but the lack of OSS makes me miss some shots at speeds lower then 1/50, wit 24105G I made clear pictures at speeds of 1/20-1/15. In conclusion, if you buy your first lens and dont want to spend a lot of money this is the choice, also if you travel light this lens can be all you need. |
| Cekari#43025 date: Mar-3-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Other Sony, Sony CZ lenses around the same focal length. |
| price paid: | SEK 13490 ($1636) |
| positive: | Great performance. Sharp all over, esp. below 105mm. OSS + IBIS really works on this lens. Relativt small and light. |
| negative: | Not 100% skarp at 105mm at f4 Little distortion at 24mm, but easy fixed in PP. Dark corners at 24mm, has to be cropped away, but not by much. Very little CA, but it's there. |
| comment: | Perfect lens to bring along for almost everything. Pairs perfectly together with the Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G. Need to test with extension tubes but I believe it will work nice with them. Did a quickest with 26mm (10+16mm) extension tubes and it works from 35-105mm though below 50mm it gets very close to the front element. |
| maewpa#43008 date: Feb-8-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Lots of different Sony, Sony Zeiss and Canon L lenses. I never specifically covered this focal length before with a zoom. |
| price paid: | MRP in Thailand |
| positive: | Incredibly versatile Good throughout the range Exceptional quality for such a lens Sharp and contrasty Performance wide open |
| negative: | A little weaker at the long end Distortion at wide end (but really it is very good) |
| comment: | Initial distortion and vignetting at 24mm cleats up beautifully in Lightroom or similar but it might leave you with 25-26mm or something. Nevertheless it is a very nice landscape lens in a pinch. Likewise it's not exciting as a portrait lens at 105 (but nice enough around 70) but will do a good job when you need it. For everything else it really is great and 28-70mm or so I would only take primes on a trip for speed, weight or the challenge. Not super light but light enough and balances nicely on A7R3. Fine for a long day out. |
| Frangie2127#42980 date: Jan-12-2018 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 24-105 D lens : f3.5 - f4.5 |
| price paid: | £1200 |
| positive: | Build quality Focal length / constant F4 Contrast 38cm minimum focus distance Sharpness Weight Custom function for lens button |
| negative: | Better balance with battery grip accessory. Pricey |
| comment: | Bought this lens immediately upon release because of the perfect focal length for travel.I have tested the lens for portrait, landscape and close ups. All these situations reveal that this is a highly versatile lens. It’s a solid feeling lens and whilst pretty well balanced on the A7II Body, it does benefit from using in conjunction with a battery grip, especially if using on day trips for prolonged shooting. What is a surprise is the minimal focus distance of 38cm which means great close ups that are super sharp. The contrast on this lens is at least as good as my two Zeiss Batis prime lenses (and they are great lenses too). At the time of writing this review this lens is considered the best around for this focal length.All I can do is confirm the pleasure of owning one irrespective of the high price tag of being an early adopter. |
reviews found: 13
rating summary
- total reviews: 13
- sharpness: 4.69
- color: 4.85
- build: 4.69
- distortion: 4.15
- flare control: 4.62
- overall: 4.60
to add your review
you need to login
you need to login