Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Lens Officially Announced

Sony has officially introduced its latest addition to the lineup of full-frame mirrorless camera lenses: the compact FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Lens. Priced at $1,098 in the US, it is now open for pre-orders through reputable retailers like B&H and Adorama, with shipping slated to commence in May 2024.

Weighing in at a mere 440 grams, or just under 1 pound, this lens offers coverage across the most sought-after focal lengths for everyday photography, all packed into a compact 92mm (3.6″) frame. With its bright, wide maximum aperture, the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Lens combines portability with versatility, catering to the needs of on-the-go photographers. Its exceptional image quality serves both stills and video creators, delivering sharpness and creamy bokeh.

Sony emphasizes that they have spared no effort in ensuring the lens’s performance. Boasting an 11-blade circular aperture, along with ED and aspherical elements, coupled with twin linear motors for swift and silent autofocus, Sony asserts that this lens is capable of keeping pace with the 120 fps burst mode of its flagship a9 III camera.

Functionality-wise, the lens features dedicated focus, zoom, and aperture rings, with the aperture ring offering the option to be “de-clicked” for smoother adjustments during video capture. Additionally, a customizable focus hold button adds to the lens’s convenience. While Sony highlights the lens’s dust and moisture-resistant construction, they note that it’s not completely impervious. Furthermore, a fluorine coating on the front element helps fend off water and oil, enhancing the lens’s durability in various shooting conditions.

Press Release:

Sony Electronics Announces a New Compact FE 24-50mm F2.8 G Standard Zoom Lens Designed for High Performance and Portability

A large-aperture, constant F2.8 standard zoom full-frame E-mount lens that delivers outstanding end-to-end image quality in a compact and lightweight form factor

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 21, 2024 – Sony Electronics is pleased to announce the release of the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G standard zoom lens (SEL2450G), which is compatible with Sony’s α™ (Alpha™) cameras. The 72nd addition to the full-frame E-mount lens lineup is extremely compact and lightweight yet maintains high-resolution performance synonymous with Sony’s G lens series. With a constant F2.8 maximum aperture, it produces stunning bokeh and enables creative flexibility across the entire zoom range. The versatile 24mm to 50mm focal range, coupled with its compact form, enables users to capture a myriad of scenes including portraits, everyday snapshots, landscapes, and video.

“The demand for light and compact standard zoom lenses is increasing, and our new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G lens offers a F2.8 standard zoom option for creators seeking portability, without a sacrifice. It is a lens option ready to go anywhere,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is our first-ever full-frame F2.8 standard zoom lens in the G series lens lineup. Bringing the ever-popular F2.8 aperture from our G Master series into the G series is yet another example of our dedication to building lens options for every level of creator.”

Outstanding Optical Performance in a Compact Form Factor

The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s design is compact with a filter diameter of φ67 mm, maximum diameter of 74.8 mm (about 2.94 in), length of 92.3 mm (about 3.63 in), and weight of approximately 440 g (about 15.52 oz). Despite its compact size, the lens maintains exceptional image quality throughout all focal lengths. This is made possible by the incorporation of four aspherical lenses and two elements of Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass. These advanced elements effectively minimize chromatic aberrations, resulting in high-resolution performance that remains consistent from the center to the corners of the frame.

The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s 11-blade circular aperture and well-controlled spherical aberration creates the beautiful, smooth bokeh known to the G lens series. Painstaking optical optimization has achieved impressive close-up performance at all focal lengths. It has a minimum shooting distance of 0.19 m (AF) at the wide end, and a maximum magnification of 0.30 x (AF) for detailed shooting.

Fast and Precise Autofocus Capabilities for Both Stills and Video

The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is equipped with two linear motors to achieve extremely fast, precise, and quiet focusing with AF (autofocus). It also supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to 120 frames per second, a feature offered on Sony’s newest full-frame mirrorless camera, the Alpha 9 IIIⁱ.

The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s AF capabilities make it advantageous for video production, especially when shooting in high frame rates like 4K 120p or FHD 240p movie recordingⁱⁱ . It supports in-camera Active Mode Image Stabilizationⁱⁱⁱ for fast paced shooting and is compatible with the Focus Breathing Compensation feature native to select Sony Alpha cameras^iv. In addition, the Linear Response MF offers intuitive and precise manual focus adjustments, a feature beneficial for filmmaking^v.

Enhanced Controllability and Reliability

The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is equipped with intuitive controls designed to offer ultimate operability. These features include a customizable focus hold button, aperture ring, aperture click ON/OFF switch, and focus mode switch.

Additionally, the lens’ front element is fluorine coated, which effectively repels and effortlessly eliminates fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants. This dust and moisture resistant design makes it a reliable option for any environment.

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G will be available in May 2024 for approximately $1,099.99 USD and $1,499.99 CAD. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

A product video on the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/pC0shkwJ7b0

For more information about FE 24-50mm F2.8 G, please visit: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/all-e-mount/p/sel2450g

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony α – Alpha brand.

Notes:

ⁱ Sony test conditions. Maximum continuous frame rate may be lower in some shooting conditions. Continuous shooting speed may vary depending on the lens used in AF-C focus modes. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information.

ⁱⁱ Depending on camera used.

ⁱⁱⁱ Compatible models only.

^iv See camera compatibility info at: https://www.sony.net/dics/breathing/ Angle of view and image quality may change slightly when this function is [ON]. Effective compensation may not be achieved in all situations.

^v Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.