Sony has officially announced its FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM lens, which is impressively wide, and offers a very fast aperture for such a wide-angle zoom.
While Sony did release a 12-24mm zoom back in 2017, it packed an f/4 maximum aperture, which just doesn’t offer the same low-light utility as a wide-angle f/2.8.
But now, with the new 12-24mm f/2.8, Sony shooters have the opportunity to work with an ultra-fast wide-angle lens, which is perfect for any sort of night photography, and astrophotography in particular.
In terms of the lens’s specs:
A lens offering a maximum f/2.8 aperture is bound to be somewhat large, but Sony has kept both the size and the weight fairly reasonable:
5.5 in (137mm) long, 29.9 oz (847 g) heavy.
This means that landscape photographers and travel shooters won’t have too much trouble carrying the 12-24mm f/2.8 around in their bag.
The lens comes with a permanent hood, and the front element is unsurprisingly big, which means you won’t be able to use standard filters. However, Sony has designed the lens with a rear filter mount, which allows photographers to work with cut gel filters.
As for the optics:
Given that this is a GM lens, you can expect quite a lot, and early reviews seem to bear this out. The Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 is incredibly sharp, in the centers to the corners, both wide-open and stopped down.
Now, if you’re in need of a fast wide-angle zoom, you have two main options:
The new Sony 12-24mm f/2.8.
Or the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, which is a very impressive lens in its own right.
Ultimately, picking between these lenses will come down to personal choice, but the extra 2 mm on the wide end can be pretty significant, especially for landscape and astrophotographers.
That said, while the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 is a truly excellent new piece of glass, the cost ensures that only the most serious of photographers will be able to add it to their bags.
It’ll ship in mid-August with a starting price of around $3000 USD.
Bottom line:
If you’re looking for a pro-level, fast, wide-angle lens for landscape photography, then this is going to be a good option, assuming you can afford the price.
