So I had an opportunity to test the killer Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens a few months back with the Sony A6500 mirrorless camera. I chose this combo specifically for sports testing, and I really wanted to get my hands on the lens. I will test the lens again using a full frame e-mount camera like the New A9 or A7r II, and then the full review will come out. In the meantime, I wanted to show you guys what kind of lab results I got with this unit.
If your looking for some real world sample photos from the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens , check out this article where I show off some Snow mobile racing and more: Life Updates and Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM Lens plus FE 2x Teleconverter Sample Photos
So testing the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens on the Sony A6500 will yield a focal a 105-300mm equivalent focal length range. This range is pretty awesome for field sports style distance shooting and many other mid-telephoto requirements.
All the images in this lab testing were shot in raw quality….
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens – In the Lab
So here is an aperture run at the minimum focus distance to illustrate the separation that can be achieved, and to show off the butter smooth bokeh produced by the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens @ 200mm (effective 300mm w/ A6500)
200mm
Please Click Photos for ~1200px versions and the more crisp view
100% Crop
100% Crop
And here is another view showing off the Bokeh Balls from the LED style lights in the background which is about 12-15 feet from the train for reference.
And here is a sharpness test @ 200mm
100% Crop
100% Crop
Here is a quick focus swap test from foreground to background.
70mm
So here is what the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens looks like in the lab @ 70mm (effective 105mm w/ A6500)
I focused on the train for this first image to show maximum out of focus area in the background.
Please Click Photos for ~1200px versions and the more crisp view
For the rest of this set, I focused on the dollar bill for sharpness testing…
100% Crop
100% Crop
Closing Remarks
As you can clearly see from these lab test photos using the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens, the sharpness and buttery bokeh are both exceptional. I do see some blue fringing when shooting wide open at f/2.8, 200mm in the high contrast black to white area of the train smoke stack. Note the 100% crop at the top of the article…
Overall sharpness is excellent in my opinion based on this testing. The color and clarity is also excellent in my opinion. The bokeh is creamy, smooth, and very pleasing to the eye. The bokeh balls render round and predictable across the aperture range as well.
As I said in the beginning of this article, I still need to test the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens on a full frame e-mount camera, before I can do the full review. However, based on all the testing I did with the A6500, I would say it’s a gem of a lens so far!!
That is about it for this article, but please stay tuned for the Sony A9 and FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens which is currently in transit according to the UPS tracking 😉 That should be a lot of fun to test!! Article with breakdowns on that gear here >>
If you are interested in seeing all the available Sony E-Mount lenses, be sure to check out my New and Improved Fully Updated Sony E-Mount Lens Guide Here >>
If you are interested in seeing more about the Sony A6500, be sure to check out My A6500 Review on youtube Here >>
Thanks again for checking in everybody!
Jay
