p.2 #1 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
Loving the 50-150. Recent acquisition - nothing amazing to share unfortunately. Suffice to say it delivers.
For me it's an adjunct to, not a replacement for the 70-200GM II 2.8. That one is indispensable to me as a travel lens along with the 2x TC. I wouldn't bring the 50-150 as a vacation lens unless I had some specific people shooting / speedy midrange plans for it.
Will be selling the 135 1.8 and Tamron 35-150 to offset the addition of the 50-150. The Tamron is great for events but I like having something wider than 35 without changing lenses so I'd always having something wider than the Tamron mounted up anyway.
The 50-150 is a better tool for that job (for me at least)
The OP stated that budget considerations weren't exactly paramount and I got the impression that going longer wasn't a big priority so the 50-150 would be a rather elegant solution.
p.2 #2 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
If I were shooting events with the Zony 24-70/2.8 and the Mony 70-200/2.8 SSM, the 70-200 isn't the first lens I'd look to upgrade. The 24-70GMII will save you some weight and bulk, and is a significantly better all-arounder. I know the Vario-Sonnar has its charms, but it is a tank. To me, the 24-70's the critical lens that does most of the heavy lifting in those situations, so that's where my focus would be.
p.2 #3 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
tsdevine wrote:
B&H prices as of 3/24/2026 (chooses the cheapest of the options I believe you were proposing)
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens - $3,148 (or were you thinking the original GM?)
Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 FE Lens - $549
Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE Lens - $599 (currently $200 off)
Total - $4298
Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM Lens - $3948 (currently a $50 rebate when registering)
Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter - $598 (was that the half? I left that out of the comparison)
Where am I going wrong here?
I said "new or used" and you can easily find the 70-200 GM II in the used for <$2500 and the TC for $500.
p.2 #5 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
I said I didn’t count it, listed it separately from the total. And the person I replied to said 3 1/2 lenses…so I was confused too. But the tally I showed didn’t include the TC.
q-w-z wrote:
There is no ability to use TC with 50-150, why did you count it?
p.2 #8 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
jeffbuzz wrote:
I said "new or used" and you can easily find the 70-200 GM II in the used for <$2500 and the TC for $500.
Ah. I took new or used as new.....or used. Buying used will generally save you money.....and if you buy a more beat up one, it will save you even more money than one that is in good shape.
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens - ~$2400 used (maybe less...maybe more)
Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 FE Lens - $549 new
Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE Lens - $599 new (currently $200 off)
So I guess you buy the Viltrox/Samyang lenses used, since they would definitely bring the price down as I suspect they don't hold their value as well as the Sony's do. So yes, if you buy everything used, it will be less than the 50-150mm used, mostly due to the 50-150mm being pretty new and probably holding its value a bit better.
p.2 #11 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
tsdevine wrote:
B&H prices as of 3/24/2026 (choosing the cheapest of the options I believe you were proposing)
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens - $3,148 (or were you thinking the original GM?)
Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 FE Lens - $549
Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE Lens - $599 (currently $200 off)
Total - $4298
Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM Lens - $3948 (currently a $50 rebate when registering)
Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter - $598 (was that the half? I left that out of the comparison)
Where am I going wrong here?
Sorry for interrupting your inner voice but that unselective quote can supposedly be read only following way (top to bottom):
Bottom line for 70-200 + 1.4/50 + 1.8/135 VS 50-150 + TC1.4x...
p.2 #12 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
q-w-z wrote:
Sorry for interrupting your inner voice but that unselective quote can supposedly be read only following way (top to bottom):
Bottom line for 70-200 + 1.4/50 + 1.8/135 VS 50-150 + TC1.4x...
It's okay.... I just tried to be careful to separate out the TC, since that didn't make sense to me either in the comparison, but the person I was replying to had 3 1/2 lenses and included it. I was careful to not include it in the total. I showed the multi-lens total, then the 50-150mm total...and then below mentioned the cost of the TC. But I definitely agree with you, it doesn't really make sense in the comparison being proposed.
p.2 #13 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
Newenglandrocks wrote:
If your primary purpose is to shoot events, have you looked at the Tamron 35-150? I shoot 4-5 non-profit events per year, and used to carry a 24-70 in addition to the 70-200 with two bodies. With the Tamron, I can just use one body. You’re not on a high FPS body, and shooting relatively static subjects, so the Tamron might do the trick for you.
I did look into the 50-150, but the starting focal length of 50mm was a no-go for tight spaces for me personally.
100% this
I am a wedding photographer and this is my go-to lens. Near prime quality
p.2 #14 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
This thread definitely peaked my interest in the FE 50-150/2 GM. So I did some research and was surprised mostly by the weight of the lens. At 1340 grams it’s actually lighter than the original Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM which is 1480 grams. I used to own that lens before upgrading to the GM II.
Price wise it looks like it may come to an about even swap, give or take ~$300 for the Sony FE 70-200/2.8 GM II + FE 135mm f/1.8 GM + FE 50mm f/1.4 GM using a conservative Excellent rating on MPB.com just as a start. Weight wise it slightly less than carrying the 70-200/2.8 GMII + 50/1.4 GM which I often do.
Will have to think on this and other combinations some more for sure.
p.2 #15 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
It's okay.... I just tried to be careful to separate out the TC, since that didn't make sense to me either in the comparison, but the person I was replying to had 3 1/2 lenses and included it. I was careful to not include it in the total. I showed the multi-lens total, then the 50-150mm total...and then below mentioned the cost of the TC. But I definitely agree with you, it doesn't really make sense in the comparison being proposed.
I apologise too for a little too energy in the answer.
p.2 #17 · Buying advice request: Sony 50-150 or 70-200 f2.8?
The Sony 70-200 2.8 II is the best 70-200 I've ever used. When I picked it up for the first time I wasn't convinced it was a real lens lol. It's so light it's almost concerning.
Samyang coming out with a 28 - 135 this year hopefully as well. Something to consider.
...