Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Telephoto Zoom lens with Optical Image stabilization and 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
E Mount cameras.
Sony replaced the older Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II vs Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
What type of photography is the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
Lenses in Sony E Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is a member of Sony's GM series of lenses. GM stands for G Master and represents the top of the line lenses on the Sony E mount line-up. Below you can see the latest lenses in this series.
GM Series Lenses in Sony E Mount
Reasons to Buy Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
Optical Image Stabilization (up to 5.5 stops) |
Weather-sealed |
Autofocus |
AF/MF Switch on Lens |
Aperture Ring |
Stabilization On/Off Switch on Lens |
Focus Range Limiter |
Focus Hold Button |
Iris Lock |
Breathing Correction with Supported Cameras |
De-click Switch |
Compatible with Sony Teleconverters |
Hood supplied |
Filter Adjustment Window on the hood |
Tripod Collar |
Full-time Manual Focusing |
Focus Distance Limiter |
Internal Focusing |
Fast Aperture at Wide end |
Fast Aperture at Tele end |
Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range |
Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
11 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh |
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Lens Mount
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is compatible with cameras that have a Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7C Mark II, Sony A7CR and Sony A6700.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II has a maximum diameter of 88mm and total length of 200mm. It weighs 1045g / 36.9 oz.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II and Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM (Sony E mount) to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life. Check the detailed comparison of these two lenses here.
Comparison image of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II and the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM Size and Weight
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Size
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II has a filter thread of 77mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II:
Focal Range
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II has a focal range of 70-200mm and 2.9X zoom ratio. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 300mm.
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Lens Controls
Teleconverter Compatibility
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is compatible with the Teleconverters below. With the use of these TC/extenders, you can find how the total focal reach and effective aperture of your Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II changes below:
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Focal Range and Aperture Change with Teleconverter
Weather Sealings
Weather Sealings of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II
The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II with a weather-sealed camera body such as the Sony A7C Mark II, Sony A7CR and Sony A6700.
Optical Image Stabilization
The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II features an optical image stabilization system which helps to reduce the blur that occurs due to shaking during hand-held shooting. Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II's stabilization system is effective up to 5.5 stops.
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II also has a Stabilization On/Off switch on the lens body so you don't need to delve into your cameras menu to disable or enable the IS.
Lens Breathing Correction Compatibility
The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is compatible with Sony cameras that features Breathing Compensation/Correction. This feature adjusts the size of the frame dynamically in-camera during video recording by applying a certain percentage of crop in order to minimize change in framing.
Sony cameras that has the Breathing Compensation/Correction feature are:
Tripod Collar
With a total length of 200mm and a weight of 1045g, the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is a large lens. Fortunately, it comes with a tripod collar which you can use to attach the lens directly to a tripod or monopod instead of attaching the camera. This connection helps to better balance the lens/kit combination.
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Tripod Collar
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II MTF Charts
Below you can find the MTF chart of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II which would give an idea of the its contrast and resolution from the center to its edges.
MTF Chart of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II
Focusing Mechanism of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II
Zoom Method
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II features Rotary (internal) zoom method where the length of the lens doesn't change while you are zooming in or out. Even though this design has a size disadvantage in general compared to extending designs, it has the benefits of better sealing against dust and moisture, no zoom creep and no weight balance shift while zooming.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.3x and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.4m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.3x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Telephoto Zoom type Sony E mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f2.8 from 70mm all the way to the 200mm .
Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
70mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
200mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
Optical Formula
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II's optical formula consists of 17 elements in 14 groups . Following special elements are used in this design:
- 1 XD extreme aspheric
- 1 ED aspheric
- 1 aspheric
- 2 Super ED
- 2 ED elements
Optical Construction of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II
Lens Hood
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II comes with a removable cylindrical shaped lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is ALC-SH167.
A practical feature found on Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II's lens hood is the Filter Adjustment Window which lets you adjust rotating filters such as Polarizers and Variable NDs filters without needing to remove hood.
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Lens Hood
What's in the Box of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II:
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens Sony Lens Hood for FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens Sony ALC-F77S 77mm Front Lens Cap Sony ALC-R1EM Rear Lens Cap Removable Tripod Mount Soft Case Limited 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
Body Colour
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II is available in White color.
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Attached to a camera
Popular Comparisons of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II Lens
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