Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've been shooting this on a Sony A7 V for a while now, and it's become the lens I reach for most. The headline for me is the weight. At roughly 1045g it's noticeably lighter than the original 70-200 GM, and on the A7 V the balance is good enough that I'll hand-hold it for an entire session without my arm complaining. The white finish isn't just looks. It runs cooler in direct sun, which matters if you're parked somewhere shooting for hours. For portraits, f/2.8 across the whole range is the whole point. At 135 to 200mm wide open you get that clean subject separation and smooth, rounded bokeh, and the eye-AF on the A7 V locks and tracks without hunting, even on people moving toward the camera. Skin tones render naturally and it's sharp wide open, so you're not stopping down to f/4 just to get critical sharpness on the eyes. The faster close-focus (down to about 0.4m at 70mm) also makes it surprisingly usable for tight detail shots without swapping to a macro. For landscapes, this is where people underrate a 70-200. Stopped down to f/5.6 to f/8 it's tack sharp corner to corner, and the compression at 200mm does things a wide lens never can: stacking ridgelines, pulling a distant peak forward, isolating a patch of light on a hillside. Paired with the A7 V's resolution and IBIS working alongside the lens OSS, I get clean hand-held frames in conditions where I'd normally need a tripod. It's also weather-sealed, which I've leaned on in marine layer and light rain without issue. A couple of honest notes. It's still a premium-priced lens, and if you only shoot static subjects in good light a slower zoom would save money. The internal zoom (length doesn't change) is a plus for balance, but the barrel is chunky. Focus breathing is well controlled if you do any video. Bottom line: versatile enough that one lens covers portraits, landscapes, and most everything in between, and light enough that I actually bring it. On the A7 V it's a great match.

Gotta say this is hands-down my all time favorite and most used lenses. Short review: great quality, fast linear auto focus, superb weather sealed, and lightweight. From my experience, this lens handles everything easily, it catches focus in a snap, making sure that you won't be missing out on anything. It also has an extra aperture ring, and if you're a videographer, I think this will be a great addition, and it is my personal favorite add-on. Moreover, it has great bokeh and fast aperture that goes all the way down to f/2.8, so you can get your creamy background. Chromatic abberation control is extremely good, almost unnoticable. Sharpness is great across the focal lengths, unless you use 2x teleconverter, then you might notice slight chromatic abberation and sharpness reduction compared to 100-400 GM. Other than that, you'll get GM lens weather sealed quality, means that if you find yourself shooting in extreme weather like heavy rain or blowing sand, this will withstand it without any hassle. On top of that, it has no external zoom, so sand won't be able to get in as easily as other lenses on the market. I've been through all of that and so far, it still functions like a champ, no problems whatsoever. Another big factor for me is the weight, and it was also GM1's biggest problem. It was almost 4lbs heavy, and it gets to the point that you wouldn't want to bring it anywhere and since I got this lens, it weighted only 2.3 lbs, I started using 70-200 more than I would normally. Therefore, if you travel or handheld cameras a lot, then GM 2 would be a clear winner. TL, DR: Must have GM lens if you want to level up your photography. Fixed most of the problems from its predecessor. Worth the money.

There is no question that if you have the money, are in the Sony system, and looking for a high-quality telephoto zoom lens, this is the lens to get. Sharp at f/2.8 and even sharper stopped down to f/4 and f/5.6. I love that it has internal zooming, so there is less chance for dust to enter the lens and less weight shifting when zooming in or out. This second version is also lighter, which I appreciate when shooting hand-held. The only problem is the length, but I can just fit this lens attached to a camera, a second camera with a 24-70mm lens, and 1-2 prime lenses into my Atlas Athlete backpack. The backpack is full and heavy, but it will fit. Even though I mostly shoot landscape, seascape, Milky Way nightscape, and flower/macro photography, this lens adds to my range of lenses (Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM, Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM, Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS) along with my Sony a7R III and a7 III for different perspectives and purposes. I purchased this lens and received it in December 2022, before my trip to Death Valley National Park. I was glad I had a telephoto zoom as I captured some photos I would not have gotten with my other lenses. Since then, I’ve taken it with me and looked for reasons to use it to give a different perspective compared to wider lenses. After about five months, I’ve had no issues or complaints about this lens. It has been worth it for me, even with the steep price. I now prefer to wait to save up for native glass if it offers high image quality and fast focusing.

The best and lightest 70200 f2.8 lens, great image quality, fast af speed and amazing color out from it. The best of best. If you compare this to any third-party lens like new sigma 70-200 dndg, this is $1000 more, that's true. But you will get 300g less weight, which is almost 30% weight reduction. Better IBIS with sony body, better position of focus ring and zoom ring, and quick removable collar. I would say it is way worth it with the extra money.

First, I live and work out of my van traveling the country. I'm a full time photographer that has set the standard for shooting the sport of axe throwing under my brand Throvv. I've been tracking this lense from Oregon to Tennessee and all points between. On one occasion outside Kansas City I got close, but the open box was actually a First Generation Sony GM 70 - 200mm. Side note if you're reading this and are responsible for that theft, it was me that exposed your fraud to the staff at that location. The Best Buy Staff, I can't speak highly enough of the the individuals that helped me accross the country as i pursued this lens. While i didn't have it in time to shoot alongside ESPN for the World Axe Throwing U.S. Open Championship, I did have it on my Sony A9 ii when I worked Murfreesboro Axe Throwing's tournament this past weekend. I published thousands of images to my social media platforns from my First Gen Sony GM 70 - 200mm lens. I know the weight, feel, and how it responds inside and out. Upgrading to the Second Gen Sony GM 70 - 200mm lens was a solid choice and investment. The weight is considerably noticed on days I am shooting 12 plus hours. The response on the focus and manual mechanics is noticeable and critically better when I needed it. Image quality might not be as noticeable to some, but shooting indoors I can see eyes that look even more glassy than what My First Gen could do. The minimum auto focus was a big shift and there seems to be a moment of hesitation before it comes through and grabs a subject, but it is a huge improvement from the first gen lens. The most noticeable difference though was in it's overall performance when shootung a burst. It is so smooth and seamless on full burst, that i wasn't certain if I landed the shots until I reviewed the card. If you are on the fence about upgrading and your First Gen Sony GM 70 - 200mm lens is your primary I strongly recommend the investment. I also recommend buying from Best Buy, their staff are experts in customer care, and with the Totatech membership you get two year protection automatically. When you are buying professional equipment, it quickly pays for itself.

No brainer with this lens. Yes it’s expensive, but “buy nice or buy twice” is real when it comes to camera gear. If you’re looking for the best and most reliable 70-200 this is the one. Been shooting a lot of sports recently and it’s been absolutely fantastic for me. Lighter weight than its older version and auto focus is top quality.

The lens it’s the best of its kind! It is super fast, sharp and light weight when compared to the original 70-200mm and other zoom lens. I love it and I’m having a grat time using it!! Pros: fast, sharp, light weight, new linear quad motors. cons: costly, a bit large

2 months in and I am already impressed, this lens is a game changer! Fantastic sharpness and fast auto focus gave me exactly what I needed in a telephoto lens for my Sony A7RV. The Bokeh it provides is amazing as well. Yes this lens is on the high end cost wise but you will not be disappointed with the results!

This thing is amazing. Much lighter than the MKI, fast autofocus, crisp, crystal clear images. Couldnt ask for more. If youre on the fence about it, just do it!

I use this lens mainly for sports photography but I’ve also used it in portraits. It’s absolutely AMAZING. The autofocus doesn’t miss, the pictures are crisp, and it’s light enough than I can hand hold it the entire game. There are great lenses in this focal length range that are third party but if you are primarily a sports photographer, this lens is a MUST.

This lens is phenomenal. It’s great for portrait, landscape, wildlife, etc. It lives in my A7RV most of the time, it’s lightweight, and worth every penny you can save for this lens. My experience has been positive with the cost being the only drawback I can think of.

Great lens for a different variety of shots. Compression and sharpness is unmatched. Speed of the AF and how accurate it is is just surprising. A bit heavy, but I'd say it's worth the investment.

Next level, no other lens like it. I don't know why I waited this long to get a telephoto lens. For the size, lightweight. Photos are phenomenal

One of the best lenses out there at the specs. Crispy photos and very clean bokeh. Not too much noise from golden hour shoots. Price mark is up there but worth it. Lighter than the mark I so do yourself a favor and drop the extra for this one because it really is worth it.

This is an absolutely stellar lens. It is lightweight for its size. Extremely fast focusing and gives some of the best bokeh shots around with hardly any effort! It is definitely worth the weight savings from the older model. This is going to by my workhorse lens for my photography business!

Went with the OSSII for the weight difference over the OSS. Still adds some strain on the hands if you are handling it a lot. I needed a faster lens for situations when I can't control the lighting and it really made a difference. It's hard to share just how well it does in low light without context so I am just sharing some photos that exhibit the bokeh quality.

Absolutely the second best purchase to date ! I love this second to the 1635 GM lens. It’s very lightweight and sharp. I held of from the Mk1 because it received 50-50 reviews. When this was announced i knew i had to get it.

The most striking feature is the exceptional sharpness, which is evident across the entire zoom range, even at f/2.8. Center sharpness is outstanding on high-resolution sensors, and while there is slight softness at the edges when wide open, it’s minimal and easily overlooked in most images.

I’m blown away at the performance of this lens! The bokeh is beautiful, the autofocus is quick! I use this lens for sports photography and was nervous about the lights we would be under at night time. This lens did not disappoint! And of course, Topaz saves the day with any grain. I will never buy less than a gmaster lens. They’re my go-to lens and they NEVER disappoint!

Absolutely a game-changer. I love the bokeh, the sharpness, and how quickly it locks focus. Great for weddings, headshots, and events.