Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G
Full-Frame Ultrawide (2024 ~ today)
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
Sony: A9 III A1 II A1 A9 II A7R V A7R IV A7 V A7 IV A7 III A7S III A7CR A7C II A7c FX3 FX2 ZV-E1 A6700 A6600 A6400 ZV-E10 II ZV-E10 ZV-1 II RX1R III RX10/4 RX100/7 Flash Lenses
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G (67mm filters, 15.5 oz./440g, 0.8'/0.25m close focus, 0.3× macro ratio, $1,298). bigger.
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Sony does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
January 2026 Better Pictures Sony Sony Lenses Canon Nikon Fuji LEICA Zeiss All Reviews
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Macro and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as LIGHT JPGs; no tripods, no STANDARD, FINE or EXTRA FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed.
Bentley Interior, San Diego, California, 10:05 AM, Saturday, 20 December 2025. Cropped from horizontal Sony A7 V shot, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 50mm at f/11 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10.8), Radiant Photo software to fill in the shadows. bigger.
Benihana, Carlsbad, California, 4:05 PM, Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sony A7 V, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 24mm at f/8 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 1,000 (LV 5⅔), minor perspective correction in Photoshop CC, otherwise exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This FE 24-50mm f/2.8 is a great little wide zoom.
It's smaller and lighter than you think. It's sturdy, compact and fast. If you can do without the 50-70mm range, this is a fraction of the size, weight and expense of a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom. The less you ask a lens to do, the smaller, lighter and less expensive it becomes for the same level of optical performance.
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
New intro top
Sony's first 24-50mm full-frame lens.
Good intro top
Small.
Light.
Reasonably tough.
Real solid-alloy aperture ring.
AF/MF switch.
Focus lock button.
Aperture ring click/no click switch.
Bad intro top
Production dumped to Vietnam, not made domestically in Japan.
Soft plastic filter threads are easy to cross thread, typical of consumer lenses in 2026.
Missing intro top
Mounting index dot is the same white as everything else, so it doesn't stand out when you need to find it to mount your lens.
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
Will not work with any teleconverters.
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Compatibility specifications top
This works on all Sony E-mount cameras, both full-frame and crop-sensor APS-C. This includes all the variations of A1, A7, A9, A6xxx, A5xxx, FX, ZV and NEX series cameras.
This is a full frame lens and I'm reviewing it as such.
While it works fine on Sony's APS-C cameras, you're paying a premium price for the privilege of covering full frame. Using it on an APS-C camera throws away more than half of the image from this lens. Ideally use this lens on full-frame cameras (the A1, A9x and A7x series) for the results you deserve. (See also Crop Factor.)
It will not work on any Sony A-mount DSLR or any Minolta MAXXUM 35mm SLR of any kind. Those use the old A mount which was actually the Minolta MAXXUM mount from 1987.
Name specifications top
Sony calls this the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G:
F: Full-frame coverage.
E: Sony "E" lens mount.
G: "Good," meaning Sony's nearly best, but not quite as physically tough and good as Sony's GM "Good Master" lenses.
Sony's model number: SEL2450G.
Optics specifications top
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical and ED elements.
16 elements in 13 groups.
4 Aspherical elements.
2 regular ED elements: magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced axial secondary chromatic aberration.
Internal focusing with 2 XD (Extreme Dynamic) linear voice-coil motors. Nothing holds these focus groups still when the lens isn't attached to a camera actively controlling focus, so the internal focus groups will flop around and sound like there is something floating around loose inside.
It's a "pumper" zoom. It changes length as zoomed.
Diaphragm specifications top
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. bigger.
11 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22.
Filters specifications top
Plastic 67mm filter thread.
Focal Length specifications top
24-50mm.
When used on an APS-C camera, it sees the same angle of view as a 35-75mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angle of View specifications top
84-47º diagonal on full-frame.
61-32º diagonal on APS-C.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
AF: 0.62~1.0 feet (0.19~0.30 meters), wide-to-tele.
MF: 0.59~0.95 feet (0.18~0.29 meters), wide-to-tele.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
AF: 0.30×.
MF: 0.33×.
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
NONE.
Caps specifications top
ALC-F67S front and ALC-R1EM rear caps, included.
Hood specifications top
ALC-SH178 hood, included.
Case specifications top
None included.
Size specifications top
2.94" ø maximum diameter × 3.63" extension from flange.
74.8 mm ø maximum diameter × 92.3 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
15.5 oz. (440 g).
Quality specifications top
Made in Vietnam.
Announced specifications top
March 2024.
Promised for specifications top
End of April 2024.
Included specifications top
Lens.
ALC-F67S front and ALC-R1EM rear cap.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
January 2026
$1,298 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $897 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Bokeh Distortion
Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections
Macro Mechanics Sharpness Sunstars
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Overall performance top
The 24-50mm f/2.8 is a sharp, sturdy little lightweight lens, albeit with a very limited, but useful, zoom range.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is fast, as we expect from relatively wide lenses.
As soon as the camera's AF system wakes up, it's just about instantaneous.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is excellent.
Sony stands alone here; its trade-secret ultra-precision Advanced Aspherical process makes aspherical elements which are free from causing the usual "onion ring" effects seen with other aspherical lenses.
Here's a photo from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 10:40 AM, Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sony A7 V, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 24mm at f/2.8 at 1/3,200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 10:40 AM, Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sony A7 V, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 50mm at f/2.8 at 1/2,500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.3). bigger or camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/2.8 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
The FE 24-50mm f/2.8 has no visible geometric distortion (straight lines stay straight). It always shoots with electronic distortion correction active — it can't be turned off — because electronic distortion correction is part of its optical design. By correcting this electronically it allows the lens to be smaller, lighter and sharper than if it also had to correct distortion optically.
For more critical scientific use, use these correction factors in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images. Yes, with correction ON the distortion is invisible, but there is still tiny bit left if you're holding rulers up to images. This is typical today.
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in A7 V |
24mm |
+0.50 |
28mm |
+0.50 |
35mm |
+0.35 |
50mm |
+0.50 |
© 2026 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Ergonomics performance top
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At 24mm. bigger. |
At 50mm. bigger. |
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At 24mm. bigger. |
At 50mm. bigger. |
The little mechanical zoom ring feels great. This little lens is swell, it's much smaller than you think and reasonable tough. It handles just fine.
I love having a dedicated, solid-alloy aperture ring, which puts this above most other brands in letting us set apertures directly. Sadly the clicks are equally strong at every third of a stop; I'd prefer that they were much deeper at the full stops which would make setting by feel much easier.
There is an aperture ring CLICK ON/OFF switch on the back.
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. bigger.
Thank goodness it has an AF/MF switch.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
Flare and ghosts seem very well controlled.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are nearly no lateral color fringes as shot with the default automatic correction ON. If I look way too closely at 300%, there is an essentially invisible amount of cyan/red at all zoom settings.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or if you shoot raw data rather than JPG images and whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data doesn't correct the distortion as is done in-camera, there are some minor green/magenta fringes at 24mm and 35mm, and nearly none at 50mm.
This is excellent. performance.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Lens Corrections performance top
My Sony A7 V corrects for any or all of Falloff ("Shading Comp."), Lateral Color ("Chromatic Aberration Comp.") and Distortion.
By default these are all ON.
Falloff ("Shading Comp.") and Lateral Color ("Chromatic Aberration Comp.") may be turned OFF if you like.
Distortion correction is always ON; it's part of this lens' design to correct it electronically rather than optically. This gives the designers more freedom to make the lens smaller, sharper, faster and less expensive.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data may or may not correct this as is done in-camera with JPGs. You're on your own with raw; I don't bother with raw data.
Macro Performance performance top
It gets reasonably close, with an 0.3× macro ratio at 50mm:
At f/2.8
It's sharp enough wide-open at f/2.8. It's biggest limitation is the fact that there is no depth of field with any 50mm lens at f/2.8 this close, and spherochromatism, which is what causes magenta or green fringes on things not perfectly in focus:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 10:33 AM, Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sony A7 V, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 50mm at f/2.8 at 1/2,500 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.3). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5.84× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (8cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 12 × 18" (30 × 45 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 23 × 35" (59 × 89 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 47 × 70" (119 × 178 cm).
At f/8
As with all lenses, it's super sharp at f/8:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 10:33 AM, Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sony A7 V, FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G at 50mm at f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.3). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5.84× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (8cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 12 × 18" (30 × 45 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 23 × 35" (59 × 89 cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 47 × 70" (119 × 178 cm).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. bigger.
It's a sturdy lens with a plastic exterior and a metal mount.
Exterior Finish
Black plastic.
Front Bumper
None.
Identity Ring between Front Element and Filter Threads
Plastic.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Vanity Trim Ring just behind Hood Mount
Anodized aluminum.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Aperture Ring
Metal.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Slide Switches & Button
Plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens, also a debossed metal-like plate on the top of the barrel.
Internals
Seem like mostly plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved.
Serial Number
Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G. bigger.
Laser engraved in warm black on black on the bottom of the barrel.
Noises When Shaken
Strong klunking from the focus groups flopping around unless the camera is turned on.
It's normal for it to feel like something is flopping around loose inside, because something is.
Truth & Ethics
Offshored to Vietnam, not made in Japan.
This is never disclosed in any advertising, marketing or online offers for sale.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is sharp, limited of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures.
One gotcha is to be sure to buy yours new from B&H, new from Adorama, new from Amazon or new from Crutchfield because Sony does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do.
I usually buy my gear new from B&H for review and have never had problems. I borrowed this sample from Sony for review, and as a loaner it's been around and touched by a lot of people. Oddly the only time I've gotten flakey or broken products for review is when manufacturers have loaned them to me; I've realized years ago that loaners aren't cherry-picked; if anything, they've arrived broken compared to buying new!
The sample I've reviewed here was soft on the right side wide-open at f/2.8. Softness on one side isn't from the design of the lens; it's from someone having dropped it along the way or having been shipped around too much and things getting knocked out of alignment. As you can see from the MTF curves (if you have Ph. D. in physics), this lens is ultra-sharp as deigned, and my loaner was certainly super-sharp right out to the corners on the left side:
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MTF at 24mm at f/2.8. |
MTF at 24mm at f/8. |
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MTF at 50mm at f/2.8. |
MTF at 50mm at f/8. |
Sony's MTF at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm. Sagittal (radial) shown as solid lines. Meridional (tangential) shown as dashed lines.
While it's usually valid to compare rated MTFs between different lenses of similar vintage from the same maker, every maker measures or simply calculates MTF very differently, and therefore one cannot compare these curves between brands. For instance, Sony seems to ignore diffraction and simply calculate overly optimistic MTFs that hug 100%, which no real lens can do at f/8, while other brands are more realistic and include diffraction. Only Canon offers any insight on how they arrive at their curves.
See also my article on MTF and Canon's article on MTFs.
Sunstars performance top
With a 11-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get superb 22-point sunstars on brilliant points of light, but only at the smallest apertures.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
This is a great lens if you want fast, small, light and reasonably tough at a reasonable price, but with a limited zoom range in exchange for the small size.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the nearly indestructible Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the Nikon 67mm NC (No Color/Neutral Clear), Hoya 67mm NXT Plus UV and Hoya 67mm UV MC are all excellent filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
The least expensive coated filter is the Chiaro 67mm 95-UVAT UV, which I haven't tried but ought to be swell.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
Nikon's 67mm Circular Polarizer II is excellent.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 50 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s! The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, and you'll be using it long after you've thrown this lens away in 50 years.
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Sony does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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