Sony 20-70mm F4 G Review - Better Than The 24-70 GM II?
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- Опубліковано 16 січ 2023
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The Sony 20-70mm F4 G seems like an odd lens,. It trades an f/stop for a wider field of view than the traditional 24-70mm format. But this small lens comes with a small price and big features.
In this review I'll go over all the pros and cons of this lens, talk about who it is for, and discuss the places where it beats even the 24-70mm GM II.
If you watched the video and are looking for that number, it's 8459069064.
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I like your real-experience style of reviews. Thank you. I use a 16-35 GM, 24-105 G, and 100-400 GM, mostly for landscape, architecture (not real estate), and occasional wildlife. I’m considering the 20-70 and 70-200 combination as a lighter weight alternative. Wondering how the 20-70 corner sharpness compares to the 24-105, and I’m not sure how sharp the 70-200 f/4 is or whether I should go for the GM II? As a third alternative, I have the Tamron 28-200 I use for travel, and may just pair that with a 16-35 PZ. It’s so nice, and so maddening, to have so many good choices.
Thank you very much David I appreciate that! Those are all great lens choices. Is there somewhere to see your work?
@@davetriesthis RIP no reply back
:(
Might be old vid.but is this 20-70 better than sigma 24-70 f2.8? Quality and sharpness wise?
Thank you for the video. Before this FE 20-70/4 G was rumored or released I picked up the Sigma 16-28/2.8 and 28-70/2.8 DG DN Contemporary lenses to use for travel or my A7C instead of taking my FE 24-70/2.8 GM II or FE 16-35/2.8 GM and wonder if you did any comparison to lenses like those? They are still f/2.8 and no bigger or heavier and the 16-28 is a fixed size as well. Sure it’s two lenses instead of one but you still get to 16mm. You should try them out. Take care.
I had a lot of footage of me going back and forth between the 24-70 GMII and the 20-70mm F4 at the demonstration in Las Vegas but I cut it from the video because it was running long. Essentially the 2.8 gave nicer background defoucs, but wasn't nearly as obvious as if it were an f/1.8 or wider. There was less flaring in the 24-70 but not by a bunch. And the focus felt almost identical.
@@davetriesthisand what about the sharpness? Is it same or even better than the 24-70 2.8 GM II?
Thank you for your review Dave. I only have primes (24G, 40G, 20G, 35GM , 135GM and Sigma 65mm) they are all amazing lenses and I'm not sure if the 20-70mm can replace any of them. (maybe 24G) I compared the 20-70 sharpness with 24-74 GM II and the results were surprisingly good. Actually I can almost say that, Sony made an F4 version of 24-70 GM II lens with this one. Extremely sharp through almost all focal lengths and very versatile. What do you think? I'm considering to shrink my travel bag with only A7CII and 20-70mm and maybe a fast prime 40mm G or Sigma 65mm F2. Thanks :)
It's hard for me to say because I have the GM II of the 24-70 and love it to death, but if i didn't, I'd take a 20-70 with me. Although I might take the Tamron 28-75 instead, though it's not as optically good as the 20-70 G.
Hello! I am struggling between 24-70GM II and 20-70G. I am using the 1.4GM 24mm right now and love not seeing any distorsion. How does the 24-70GMII and the 20-70G compare? Should i turn on tge body lens correction? I am using the FX3 for filming. Greetings from Switzerland
Greetings Switzerland! Great questions. If you're using the 24mm and love its look you'll likely prefer the GM || unless you specifically want this extra few mm. But that's hard a bit to answer without knowing your subjects. What do you film primarily? Personally if I'm shooting video I use lens correction as I'm not editing it in a photo raw editor but running it in Final Cut or whatever app. Most lenses and cameras these days communicate so the camera can do a lot of lens correction and no one know what correction is needed like the manufacturer.
If you'd like to discuss this one-on-one I offer video-call sessions to go over what gear would be the best fit for you. You can sign up if you want at dtt.as.me
I have a few different cameras from Panasonic, Olympus Fujifilm, Pentax, Nikon and lastly one Sony, the A7II. Before I closed my collection of the above camera bodies I wanted to add at least one Sony ,I purchased the A7II and the 28-70 f3.5-5.6 kit lens, the camera and lens came as a open box unit from a well known NYC STORE . price was roughly 860 dollars with shipping and tax. I picked up the of the small G prime lenses in 24 and 40mm as they are part of a three lens series, I also purchased a 20mm f1.8. I should have the 20-70 mm f4 tomorrow and it will be my landscape and every day lens, I don't mind the f4 as I have a few f2.8 zoom lenses in the 24-70mm range, l choose the f4 to keep the camera and lens more compact than the 2.8 models.
Do you think they will come out with a motorized zoom version for this lens similar to the 16-35mm F4 PZ? That would be groundbreaking for video production on a gimbal!
It feels unlikely. They really stressed the size and weight of this lens. A power zoom in this range would be amazing though.
@@davetriesthis Yeah frustrating. Though I mean it was suspected to be unlikely they were going to make a motorized lens for the 16-35mm F4, but they did.
That is a very good point
It sounds like the distortion issue you were having could be because the automatic in camera correction wasn't working. That could be from shooting in RAW vs. JPG. A lens correction profile should be able to correct this. The distortion on this lens is bad all the time without correction from my understanding.
The focusing issue seems like it could be related to the focus type the camera was set to? At 20mm if it were set to wide it would have a lot more in the frame as potential focusing areas which could confuse the camera. Even so, I would think that if it were set to continuous auto focus that it would do better.
I had compared my results with a few other reviewers and we both got the same issues occasionally, and we were shooting raw+JPEG. I suspect you're right about the compensation features but wonder if it's a firmware or communication issue that didn't communicate correctly between lens and body. That's firmware fixable and since this isn't a high end lens I'm unlikely to go back and re-test. But you're right about the likely cause thanks for mentioning that.
AF issues were in a variety of focus zones but this was on the a7rv with its new af system so 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
Thanks for watching and for ether feedback.
Hi Dave, awesome video but I still would love your feedback. I video mostly for UA-cam but occasionally do some other side work for friends and family. I solo film fly fishing and outdoor adventures on my A7s3 with the 24- 105,1st ever lens, and I’m trying to create a more versatile light weight lens kit that would suit all my needs. I need a better lens for vlogging and b roll so I went with the new 16-35 pz. I’m thinking on selling my 24-105 and getting the 20-70 or the 24-70 mark II and the new 70-200 macro f4. I feel this would cover everything from vlogging to on the stream fishing to capturing fish rising and wildlife. Thoughts? Would you go with the 20-70 or 24-70? Would you change anything in that kit or recommend something else? Thanks again!
Thanks for the compliment on the video! The 24-105 is one of Sony's hidden gems so I'm glad you started with that.
The second you started talking about what you shoot with, I thought of the 24-70 II and the 70-200 macro 4. Both great choices.
The 24-70 might end up a bit tight for vlogging work if you're hand holding, and it'll be heavy, even though it's really light. I assume you'll be keeping the 16-35 which will give you a nice rounded collection.
I offer one-on-one consulting on camera gear (and other topics) so if you'd like to talk through this in depth, feel free to book something. But it sounds like you already know what you'd like to get.
www.davetriesthis.com/withyou is the booking page.
How would this zoom compare to say the 24mm f2.8G and 40mm f2.5, 50mm f2.5? Really want a small high quality lens or lens combo.
It's hard to make direct comparisons to prime lenses. That said this lens is on par optically with any of Sony's G glass, so you can use that as a comparison.
Considering the 20-70 but I don’t like the idea of that f4. I’m still just trying to find out what lens I need though. I’m upgrading from my iPhone 13 Pro Max and I think I want an a7iv but I just need to figure out the lens to complete my purchase. iPhone is about a 28mm 1.5 I believe. And I don’t want to change up my shot but the min focus distance of the iPhone is so good and there’s no distortion. I’m assuming it’s correcting the lens in real time but maybe not. Can the a7iv do that too? Just as flawlessly and unnoticed? I edit with Final Cut.
Any lens suggestions? As you can see, my videos involve pretty close footage product reviews in decent makeshift studio lighting. All my shots are static. Will also be used for talking head/streaming with lower light moody shot. My problem is I tried out the 35 1.8 in a shop but it looked too tight compared to what my audience is used to. But I could get the product nice and close. I tried a 28mm lens and while it looked closer to the shot we are used to, I couldn’t bring objects as close. Grrrr. I guess good thing is I could crop in with no problem in Final Cut if needed. But downgrading to such a tiny pathetic screen I’m honestly worried I won’t even be able to see if my object is in focus. Unless the a7c brightness was just turned down at the shop. I mean it was awful. I could barely see the shot. It’s really going to be depressing coming from the bright and clear OLED on my 13 pro max. But that’s one reason why I’m going for a7iv. For the improved screen and touch sensitivity. I know it’s still going to be a massive downgrade though. Maybe I need a monitor.
AnyWho, to save on price, I was wanting to get a prime lens. Especially because that’s what I’m used to right now. All these years and I have been fine without a zoom lens. Yet people keep recommending me a zoom lens for what I do. Not sure why.
Anyway, if getting a zoom lens could help the anxiety by allowing me to figure out whatever mm I want to do once I get the lens, maybe that’s the way to go.
I just watched a bunch of your videos to get a feeling for what you're currently doing in studio (and subscribed!- great video style btw) and I have a few thoughts.
What about the Sony ZV-1. Not the ZV-F or ZV-E10, though the E10 might be a good choice depending on the lens.
Here's why, and if you'd like to go over more details, I have a one-on-one service where we can go through all your needs and talk about what gear will be good for now and into the future. www.davetriesthis.com/withyou
Your main shot, as an unboxing channel, is at about arm's length. The phone is pretty ideal at this because it's got a wide aperture lens and a relatively wide focal length lens as the main lens (the 1x).
With full frame cameras you're definitely getting a better sensor, but that doesn't mean a better final image per-se because a lot of the quality of a full frame image is lost on UA-cam compression and the way people are viewing your videos.
The ZV-1 is designed for "vlog" style production, and has an emphasis on product videos. There's a Product Showcase setting that'll jump from a person to any item held up in front of the camera, no more hiding your eyes behind a product box to get the focus to change.
The lens is wide enough for casual first-person vlogging and absolutely perfect for unboxing .It also auto-senses orientation so you don't have to rotate video to make it vertical.
The image quality is superb, the 4K is great, it checks off all the boxes for an unboxing channel.
My ZV-1 was used for 100% of my unboxing until I left it outside overnight in a rain storm. It's not quite as...um..reliable now as it was before that.
I assume you're using a separate mic, which is good. the zv-1 has an excellent three-capsule mic but it's oriented to pick up audio from in front of the camera, which would be boxes in your case.
I put the Rode Video Micro 2 on the camera pointing backwards when I want to do an unboxing.
My review of that mic: ua-cam.com/video/QUwpbBa1YqA/v-deo.html
@@davetriesthis Better question would by WHY Zv-1 instead of a7iv lol. Product showcase is a neat feature but as you can see my face is never in the shot so that doesn’t matter. ZV-1 would be good if I didn’t have a smartphone but otherwise I’m not a fan. Just looking for lens suggestions.
@@switchunboxing The Sony ZV-1 is $748 and its built in lens is a 24-70mm equivalent in full frame.
The Sony a7IV is on average $2300. With no lens. The Tamron 28-75, the closest focal length that isn't very expensive is $600
The $2000+ difference would be reason enough.
To start with, the 1" sensor in the ZV-1 is massively larger than the sensor in a cell phone, which means better dynamic range (performance in low light).
The ZV-1 has excellent eye-detect and object-detect focus, image-stabilization, HLG high dynamic range video, S-Log3, 4K 60, a digital mic shoe, mic and headphone jacks, hdmi, power over USB.
What you get with the a7iv in your use case is interchangable lens use and a full frame sensor. .
You don't need a full frame sensor to record unboxing video. I don't think you need longer than a 70mm lens for that either.
So, ZV-1 is similar video features to the a7iv, smaller body, built-in-lens, sensor about 5x larger than the phone sensor you're using, and thousands cheaper.
@@davetriesthis I know all about the camera, I just don't think it's better than the A7IV and you don't have me convinced.
@@switchunboxing I'm not sure what you'd like me to convince you about? You asked about cameras for your channel and I looked at your channel and don't think $3000 of camera gear would make it 4x better than $750 of gear.
The a7iv is wonderful. It's overkill for your current main camera use but it's wonderful.
I just got the 24-70mm GMII and the 20-70mm seems like it is sharper wide open. Anyone else have a similar experience? Is this normal because it is f4 vs f2.8? Maybe my GMII is a bad copy? The 20-70mm is wicked sharp.
Definitely sounds like it's because it's f/4. Stop the 24-70 down to f4 and give it another try. The GM should be sharper than the 20-70. If not maybe you have a bad copy but it's hard to compare two lenses like this at all points. Also make sure you're testing this on a tripod and the lens element parallel to what you're photographing (camera perpendicular) because even slight differences in angle to subject can cause differences at the edge.
@@davetriesthis I actually did stop it down to f4 and it seems to be on par with the sharpness of the 20-70mm but i still wasn't blown away like I was with the 20-70mm. The GM also chromatic aberration wide open. These are both issues that are absent on the 20-70mm wide open at f4. I do have a used copy from B&H and I noticed a speck under the front element and a small piece of something that looked like a leaf between the lens barrels which I was able to remove but I think I will be returning it and just paying slightly more for a new one which would also have a warranty or going a different direction such as a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 and a wide angle lens like the 16-35mm F4 PZ since if I'm shooting wide I won't need as fast of a lens. The 16-35mm f4 PZ is supposedly sharper than the GM version which I believe would be true when seeing these results. I just got it yesterday and I've only had 5 minutes with it. I'll be testing it on a trip I am doing in the next fre days and have a better opinion on it but the 20-70mm f4 is definitely no slouch. It just has limitations in low light. But if the 24-70mm has to be stopped down to compete with the 20-70mm anyway the value factor is diminished to me at least.
@@davetriesthishey, I thought I'd share the mistake I made. I simply needed to increase the shutter speed. I was holding it one handed and the weight didn't help with this either. I must say, giving up the weight and the wide angle of the 20-70mm f4 is very hard to do.
Ahhh. that makes sense. Thanks for letting me know. I just shot the Sigma 60-600 and am familiar with weight throwing off a shot. :)
@@benldr
@@davetriesthis that's a nice focal range but that is a beast. I think I'll get the 70-200 f4 version II and it should be good enough for my needs.
I use Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 as a walk around lens, which I think is an excellent alternative lens to Sony 20-70mm F4. 40mm reach with my Sony A7R IV croppability does pretty much everything. I carry one other lens either Tamron 35-150mm or Tamron 50-400mm just in case I need to reach further. I mostly do either landscape or street photography..
Yup I have the 20-40 as a walk around lens too. I love it.
Love the 20-40 as a walk-around lens! I recently traded my 35-150mm and 85mm 1.4 for the 70-200mm gm II used for 2300. With the 20-40 and 70-200 in aps-c mode, I effectively have 20-60 and 70-300. I'd like to pick up a teleconverter instead of another lens for that extra reach on the 70-200mm.
@@justinhatch279 It's now my main studio lens, I use it for almost everything. Love this lens.
This or the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8?
Tell me more about the kind of shooting you do.
@@davetriesthis usually, either landscape or people in large landscapes on hikes/ backpacking trips; also street photography in cities with a mix of portraits or action or architecture. Lens will be for an A7c for a light setup.
Sorry it took me so long to reply, I didn't see that you had written back. Definitely would go with the 20 to 40 mm for those uses, in fact, I use it for those things all the time if you've got the money in the space I'll get both of them but if you can only get one of them, I would go with a 20 to 40.
Great.
I have recently acquired the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G lens.
However, one thing is bothering me or rather I would like to clarify whether it is a general issue with this lens or whether it is a defect specifically with my lens. The lens makes a noise when focussing (with autofocus).
By the way, the volume of the noise varies depending on the aperture setting. At f/4 the noise is very minimal, almost inaudible. From f/4.5, however, it is clearly audible. And the higher the aperture number (for example f/13), the longer it takes to focus and the longer the noise lasts. However, these differences are small.
I am not yet familiar with focusing noises from lenses recently released by Sony. For example, the new Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G and the new Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II are 100% completely silent. The older Sony FE 18mm f/1.8 G, on the other hand, also makes the noise described above, if I remember correctly.
Does your lens also make this noise? Many thanks in advance!
It should be totally silent. If it is not then contact support or return it. When you shoot the lens doesn't stop down until you are focusing. So if you set it to f/4 it only has to close the iris a little. If you stop down to f/13 the iris motor has to work longer. I think that's what you're hearing. But it's not supposed to make that noise.
it should be the kit lens
Right? It's a great lens.
Bro...after all these years we still speak the same language.
English is awesome like that!!!!
Big like 7
OMG I'm not sure what you're talking about with your posts but you've got my attention.
You tell me, but er, probably not.
I do tell you. Don't you watch these things. Troll. :)
Sign up for Mint mobile already.
@@BikeHugger much as I like Ryan Reynolds, I'm not sure they operate outside your continent.
@@davetriesthis I've already made my mind up
@@cameralabs Burner phone. How else do you expect David to pay for a 650GB CFexpress card?
Good content but can speak a little slower…
Certainly, this was one of my earlier videos where people have asked me to slow down afterwards. Now I talk slower and people can speed it up if they want. Thanks for the compliment and the feedback.
Nothing special about this new lens. Waaaaay too much $$ if you ask me, esp since no OSS. My 24-105 with OSS is working INCREDIBLE with stabilization on the A7RV for both video and stills. I just throw the 20/f1.8 in the bag if I’m going to need something a bit wider. If it were 20-70/f2, we’d have something new and interesting. Im def going to pass on this one.
That's cool. The 24-105 is my favorite of Sony's all-around lens. I've taken it so many places. Optics and af in this lens are better though.
@@davetriesthis The only real issue with the 24-105 is the size - it's a bit big, but that kinda comes with the focal range. I haven't done any test charts or anything like that, but it's plenty sharp for my needs and is great for handheld video.
@@davetriesthis Can you elaborate on the optics comparison? Thanks
Sorry I never got the notification you asked a question. The 24 to 105 Sony is one of my favorite lenses, but it was from very early on, and Sony is affordable zoom lens lineup. So, it feels less durable to me than this lens, and this lens has gotten multiple years more optical design engineering behind it than the 24 to 105. It's not a Badlands by any stretch, I've taken it on many, many trips with me and photographed everything from portrait to landscape's to tell a photo out of moving helicopters. I love the lens, but I love this new ones more.
The 20-70mm f4 would definitely be my choice too simply be the of the weight savings being so significant. Not to mention that it is sharper cropped in to 105mm that the 24-105. Also, the 24-70mm GMII is the same weight as the 24-105 and OSS really isn't needed at these focal ranges with IBIS. Active stabilization at 20mm is also doable while it isn't so much at 24mm. The 20-70mm f4 has so much going for it I'm tempted to get one again in addition to my 24-70mm GMII or simple get it instead. It's that good! The only thing is that my 24-70mm GMII is useful in the number one most important way, family photos. If I did landscapes only I'd take the 20-70mm f4 in a heartbeat.
I’ll pass on this one.
Sounds good.
Thanks for sharing 🙄
shetty examples. really bad. incompetent.
Thanks for your comment. It might seem odd to thank you for being rude and insulting, but the two chief metrics of success on UA-cam are views and engagement. By watching part of my video and then coming to the chat section to spew anger at me you've told UA-cam that my channel is valuable.
Any replies to this or other videos of this channel will further elevate the channel in the UA-cam algorithms.
Thank you for increasing the success of this channel!
@@davetriesthis actually I know the algorithm and I only slide the sscroller through first to know what im going to see. I skimmed through a few part, without playing. so it doesnt register. still your pictures are horrible examples. still, theres always the option of blocking channels. I got no beneift from your channel and if anything I cant respect you because your work isnt good.
Thank you! UA-cam didn't tell me you replied or I'd have thanked you for your compliment sooner. Cheers.
To be fair, this guy doesnt own the lens and was shooting in a hurry. To make a 12 minute review of something that wasnt properly planned is very silly, but we got it for free. But that is all over YT.
I'll move onto someone who can review it only after buying it and putting the correct amount of thought into his content.
Thanks to Dave for your time (not too rude was I?)
I didn’t realise this was an advert for WiFi 🛜 turned it off after 25% of it .
And still took the time to comment! You're a trooper.