Spur of the moment purchase - Sony FE 70-300 f4.5-5.6 G OSS
Weight: 854g
Size: 144mm x 84mm
Aperture: f4.5-5.6 - f22-f29
MFD: 90mm
Filter: 72
Price: €1250
Let me just say out front that this was a spur of the moment purchase. Do I need it? No. I just wanted it and for the following reasons.
Some time ago I purchased the FE 24-240 f3.5-6.3 OSS because I needed a longish lens and Sony doesn't really have a lot of choices. When I bought that lens the FE 70-300 f4.5-5.6 G OSS wasn't on the market and I didn't know Sony was planning on such a lens. If I had known I would have waited.
The 24-240 is an ok lens but not that great at the long end; being a 10x zoom. A compromise must be made somewhere. I have seen some outstanding images from the 70-300 and it allows me use the lens on both APS-C and FF cameras for enough reach on both systems. It's not a 10x zoom but gets me the reach that I'm after. I personally think the lens is a better all round lens with a bit of reach than the 24-240.
The purchase was a pure GAS purchase (which I allow for myself from time to time). I don't do this too often these days as I seem to have my GAS under control. Apart from that, my pockets aren't that deep to purchase everything on my list.
This lens will be perfect for my old A7r. As you know it doesn’t have IBIS but the lens has OSS which will help to stabilize the system. The image quality from that camera is phenomenal, even though it has been superceded by at least two models. It’s drawbacks are of course no IBIS and it is rather loud; not a camera to take indoors or churches.
I think the lens could do with a tripod collar, shame it doesn’t because it is quite a heavy system and for a landscape photographer pretty much essential. I just hope the mounting ring on the camera holds. What I do like though is the lock so you don’t get lens creep. All these longish lenses should have one of those.
Images to follow once time allows.
