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FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question

  
 
bwcolor
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p.1 #1 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


My wife wanted to use a camera for our last vacation. This was a first after decades together, so I didn’t think that she would actually use the camera. Well, I was wrong. After a day she progressed from program mode to Aperture Priority, Auto-ISO and Exposure Compensation. I was thinking small, so gave her an A7CR and 40mm G lens. She enjoyed shooting, but didn’t like the single focal length vs iPhone. So, remembering Guy’s positive review, I ordered the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G zoom. Size/weight is similar to the 24GM, so seems like a good compromise. My copy seems to be well centered, but at 24mm, the lens must be stopped down to sharpen the periphery. Only my best prime lenses are sharp peripherally wide open, but I expected a performance more like what I found at 50mm. The periphery is substantially degraded compared to 50mm, even when factoring in the difference in magnification between focal lengths. I assume that this is part of the compromise, with vignetting and focal plane curvature. Does your copy also suffer peripherally at f/2.8 & 24mm?

Japan 2005Pan-1659 by gary, on Flickr

A7CR Sony 40mm f/2.5G



Jun 14, 2025 at 11:33 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #2 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


I tested two copies at work (our drone team was interested in it and the 16-25). Both those copies were weakest at the wide end. The 16-25 was a better performer at that focal length.


Jun 14, 2025 at 02:51 PM
NJPhotographer
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p.1 #3 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


I wouldn't say this one "suffers" from any big weakness. It's not sharp like a 24mm GM prime, but it's sharp enough for vacations and people pictures. I think it's a wonderfully useful lens. I don't expect ultimate sharpness in the periphery of the frame.


Jun 14, 2025 at 05:57 PM
3catsinky
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p.1 #4 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


It's a tough choice, but, ultimately, the 20-70 is the more useful lens. Super sharp, better range wide and long.


Jun 17, 2025 at 08:12 AM
Jeffrey
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p.1 #5 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


Or the 28-70 f2.


Jun 17, 2025 at 09:11 AM
Kevner
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p.1 #6 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


Your experience matches mine. The 24-50 G is a good travel lens. I recently purchased one expressly for a trip to Ireland. It's a good lens, but as you've seen the wide end can be a little soft. I also have the 24-70 GMII which is a superior lens, but also heavier and more intrusive. I wanted a lens that didn't scream "tourist photographer" and since this trip was really for my wife wouldn't be a burden when traveling around.


Jun 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Viramati
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p.1 #7 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


I recently sold my 20-70 for a used copy of the 24-50 as I wanted f2.8 to be able to shoot at all times. The 20-70 has a more useful range for hiking and street work but I found it to have a lot of field curvature in the mid range that could make focussing an issue something I don't find with the 24-50. mine is sharp enough for what I want it for (street photography mostly) at all focal lengths


Jun 17, 2025 at 10:41 AM
chiron
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p.1 #8 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


bwcolor wrote:

My wife wanted to use a camera for our last vacation. This was a first after decades together, so I didn’t think that she would actually use the camera. Well, I was wrong. After a day she progressed from program mode to Aperture Priority, Auto-ISO and Exposure Compensation. I was thinking small, so gave her an A7CR and 40mm G lens. She enjoyed shooting, but didn’t like the single focal length vs iPhone. So, remembering Guy’s positive review, I ordered the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G zoom. Size/weight is similar to the 24GM, so seems like a good compromise. My copy
...Show more

I have been very happy with my copy of the 24-50 f2.8 G. I have used it extensively for travel and also for shooting candids, street, landscape, and family pictures. It covers the fov range I am most drawn to photographically.

What I most value it for is its size and rendering, which I think is excellent--smooth and not distracting, much better than neutral. A very useful and appealing lens.

I am never that attentive to how sharp a lens is. Except for a decentered lens (I always test my lenses carefully) or something like the Voigtlander 40mm 1.2 when used wide-open at MFD, virtually all lenses seem sharp enough to me. Some lenses, like the Voigtlander 50mm f2 APO actually seem too sharp, so that the image sometimes has an artificial sharpness that creates an unnatural and distracting appearance, calling attention to itself rather than to the image. I much prefer what Zeiss describes in its Batis and Loxia lenses as a "rounded sharpness." One of my favorite lenses, the Sigma i series 45mm f2.8, is not especially noted for sharpness because residual flaws were designed-in in order to obtain its superb rendering.

I don't think people looking at a photograph, including those who are sophisticated about visual art and images, ever really notice whether an image is a tad less sharp in the corners. Some photographers no doubt do notice this, but I think they are then more focused on technical characteristics than they are on the image itself.

As always, it is the quality of what is imaged that matters most, and this lens is very helpful in getting to good images.




Edited on Jun 19, 2025 at 04:05 PM · View previous versions



Jun 17, 2025 at 10:47 AM
motiwala
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p.1 #9 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


There appears to be some copy variation. I have a 24-70/f4 and was tempted to pick up the 24-50 based on reviews, but somehow the copy I tested was weaker at 24mm, especially in the corners, though all reviews say otherwise.


Jun 18, 2025 at 04:25 AM
rob_ww
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p.1 #10 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


chiron wrote:
I have been very happy with my copy of the 24-50 f2.8 G. I have used it extensively for travel and also for shooting candids, street, landscape, and family pictures. It covers the fov range I am most drawn to photographically.

What I most value it for is its size and rendering, which I think is excellent--smooth and not distracting, much better than neutral. A very useful and appealing lens.

I am never that attentive to how sharp a lens is. Except for a decentered lens (I always test my lenses carefully) or something like the Voigtlander 40mm 1.2 when used wide-open
...Show more

Another happy 24-50 user here. Chiron said it all in this post, as far as I am concerned. I don't take many pictures where wall to wall sharpness is critically important. This thread made me look again at some of my images which may be relevant, and I cannot see any weaknesses at all. For me the clincher was getting f2.8 for lower light situations primarily. I would find an f4.0 lens too limiting.



Jun 18, 2025 at 10:29 AM
 


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milend
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p.1 #11 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


As an amateur photographer, the 24-50mm is my favourite lens of all time because it covers the focal length of 99% of my photos, it's relatively compact and it's relatively fast. It's the main reason for staying in the Sony ecosystem.

My previous favourite lens was the Canon EF 35mm F2 IS USM (I used that lens on both digital bodies and the EOS 1V).



Jun 19, 2025 at 04:03 PM
bwcolor
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p.1 #12 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


My copy seems to be sharp and well centered. With the advent of the A7Rvi, I think it will balance better on this body vs the A7CR and it provides a respectable 75mm in APSc mode, which can be conveniently set to trigger when pushing the lens’ programmable button. I was going back and forth between this and the 24mm f/1.4 GM lens, which is the same size. I concluded that the zoom was a better travel lens. Should I want a bit more background blur than 50mm @ f/2.8, there is always AI bokeh, which can be hard to detect, but of course a great moral misstep, when used sparingly.


May 25, 2026 at 04:26 PM
tuomkok
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p.1 #13 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


3catsinky wrote:
It's a tough choice, but, ultimately, the 20-70 is the more useful lens. Super sharp, better range wide and long.


24-50 G is tempting because it is @50mm when collapsed. Ready for many types of photography without zooming (much).

20-70G is @20mm when collapsed. Ok if you shoot wide en all the time, but at least for me the 40-50mm range is much more used.

Regarding sharpness, I would not care too much as long as the lens is well centered. Pixel level corner sharpness is a bold ask when using high resolution camera. If the lens has a problem, it usually manifests also in CA, which can be really annoying at times.



May 28, 2026 at 08:03 AM
zeitlos
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p.1 #14 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


Viramati wrote:
I recently sold my 20-70 for a used copy of the 24-50 as I wanted f2.8 to be able to shoot at all times. The 20-70 has a more useful range for hiking and street work but I found it to have a lot of field curvature in the mid range that could make focussing an issue something I don't find with the 24-50. mine is sharp enough for what I want it for (street photography mostly) at all focal lengths


I just checked your Flickr hoping for a 24-50 gallery But I couldn't find one. Any chance to see your work shot with the 24-50?



May 28, 2026 at 08:25 AM
zeitlos
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p.1 #15 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


I went ahead and bought a copy for myself today, too. Let's see.


May 29, 2026 at 05:44 PM
Viramati
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p.1 #16 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


zeitlos wrote:
I just checked your Flickr hoping for a 24-50 gallery But I couldn't find one. Any chance to see your work shot with the 24-50?

no specific gallery I'm afraid and very little on flickr with it.




Jun 03, 2026 at 02:32 AM
Alan Parker
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p.1 #17 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


zeitlos wrote:
I went ahead and bought a copy for myself today, too. Let's see.


You won't be disappointed! The lens packs a bunch for it's small size.



Jun 03, 2026 at 02:58 AM
zeitlos
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p.1 #18 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


Alan Parker wrote:
You won't be disappointed! The lens packs a bunch for it's small size.


I am currently in France for three days. What I can say that it is really a joy to use in terms of size and weight. Everything else will be evaluated when I finally see the picture when I am at home

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

Edit: Oh yes, what was also very important to me is that it doesn't have a different rotation direction when zooming (like the Sigma lenses, for example). I wasn't sure about that at first, since it starts at 50 mm when retracted.



Jun 03, 2026 at 08:55 AM
Viramati
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p.1 #19 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


For a compact kit I have this lens paired with the CV15/f4.5 and Sony FE 85/f1.8


Jun 03, 2026 at 09:39 AM
aCuria
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p.1 #20 · FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Question


The 24-50G is a good lens, from reviews its equal or better than the 24-70 ART in sharpness. In person the autofocus, weight and feel is good. What I dont like is that its not an internal zoom lens

However, one thought I have is that if we use the 24/1.4GM and make a crop, we will get an image with the background blur of 48mm f/2.8 equivalent

So, for the photographer who shoots at 24mm more often than 50mm, maybe he can shoot everything with the 24GM prime? Accept sharper images on the wide end, plus access to f/1.4 in exchange for sacrificing some sharpness at 50mm due to cropping.



Jun 04, 2026 at 12:27 AM
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