Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G + a7C R = The New BENCHMARK Kit for Street, Travel and Event Photography

Certainly a very interesting lens for my use cases, but it depends on where the price will be here in the far north. These zooms are just getting better and better, so much so that in many cases there is no need for primes at all unless you shoot in very low light conditions etc. The lighter you can travel is always better, too. Have to keep this one in mind for sure, but I will not part with the 24GM very easily ;).

Tell it like it is, and how you really feel, LOL.

I just want to say this, Hugh. Listening to your beautifully constructed, stylistically elegant, yet unfailingly perspicuous prose is a pure treat. I don't shoot street. I'm a landscape/nature guy. But I look forward to your podcasts like those of few others, not just for your insights, but for the pleasure of listening to you deliver, with the craft of a trained actor, such wonderful copy!

oh baby!

Yeah, great summary...for what it is, it's the best at what it does. For me and my primary Leica M for street, I still think MOST E-mount lenses are too big and would not work for how I like to shoot. My goto on my A7 is the Samyang 35mm f/2.8, and IF, (I know I'm making a crazy wish), they would have made this the size of the 45mm f/2.5 G at the collapsed end, and made it f/2.5, and maybe just 28-50 or 24-40, it MIGHT get my attention on an A7 as the perfect zoom trinity. BUT, 100% agree that for what it is and the market, I don't know why anyone shooting Sony (even the APS-C crowd) wouldn't consider this lens. Well done Sony.

Thanks for another great video. Since you saved me money on your last reply to hold of on the Fuji X100VI in favor of the A7CR I already have I now see why. I heard rumors of this lens but wasn’t really sure where it fit in since I already own the 24-70/2.8 GM II. Now seeing its light weight and flexibility and its bag weight that is less than the trio of small G primes (thanks to Mark Galen) and the admiration you and Claudia have for it is on my radar. Will definitely give it a try. Also since I believe it won’t actually ship till April it will give me some time to get my kit in order. I currently have a lot of glass between 24-50mm that needs to be thinned out that I’ve been trying for the A7CR to keep the kit small and light. My larger GM glass with fast apertures still has a home on my full size A1 and A7RV for the time being assuming I am at home. Otherwise the A7CR and FE 24-50/2.8 make a great travel companion either a 20/1.8 and 85/1.8. Take care. Keep those videos coming.

Thanks for a fine review. I have the 7CR and among other lenses the 20-70 which is about the same size/weight as the 24-50. I wonder if there is a significant IQ difference- probably not.

Rube Goldberesque menus, Hugh you nailed it!😂

This 24-50 2.8 G is priced at $1,098 here in the US. Less than half the price of the 24-70 2.8 GM II. And it seems only to give up size, weight, and a bit of focal length to its GM cousin per your review. While not as wide as the Tamron 17-50 f4 you mentioned, it's not a huge price jump over that to gain a full stop of light, an aperture ring, and a first party lens with no high speed burst restriction. G-Whiz indeed.

Tamron 20-40 has been awesome on my A7C for the last 18 months or so … I imagine the 24-50 with the A7CR is even better … but for me not worth the upgrade atm

Thanks for the great analysis as always.

The 24-120 F4 Nikon is the unique outlier in my opinion (I went for the trinity so I sold it, but I miss it), but ok, it is a 2.8.

And….. sold

You have me nearly convinced that i could use this for event work though my ideal would be a 28-50 f2!

Interesting lens, which would you choose this or the 20-70F4?

The one review channel that actually has incredible photos, I see so many uninspired photos on review channels and it makes me wonder why they are even doing the review

How does it compare to the sigma 24-70 2.8 in sharpness?

Thanks!

I want the a7CR to use with my series of Zeiss Batis lenses.

I’ve loved the sharpness of my 20-70 this past year. Eagerly looking forward to testing this one out. 2.8 😍

Has anyone ever told you, you kinda sound like Jeff Goldblum? In a good way. Love the videos by the way! Picking up a Fujifilm X100VI as a travel cam after watching your review. Cheers!

Hi, could you please tell me if you're going to review the new Laowa 10mm F2.8 AF lens for street photography?

It would have been better if you could have shared few more images with comparison to other one or two lenses . Thanks .

Would have considered this small f2.8 zoom if i did not own the 24-70gm ii. The tamron 20-40mm f2.8 is similar and was a joy to own but ultimately lacked the AF precision of native lenses. Glad sony are releasing these f2.8 zooms to match the compactness of the 7c systems.

thank you, i will stick to my 7Cm1+40mmG though

I wish Sony would stop mucking about. 24-50mm is a useless range for video work. Meanwhile, the 24-70mm GM II isn't parfocal so is useless for filming actuality or observationally. The 20-70mm is parfocal but it's f4 so harder to match up in multi camera set ups with f2.8 lenses and being able to reduce the depth or field as much as possible is really helpful. So, come on Sony, please give us a full frame zoom with a good range like 20-70...20-100 (ish) would be better... that is F2.8, or F2.0 and parfocal!

You bring up not having to switch out primes. In 2017 I had the a6000 with the 24mm F1.8 and the 55mm F1.8. For the events I went too I had to switch often. If this lenses was out in 2017 then I would have gotten it. It's price alone is less then what I would have paid for the primes I listed. To me it almost a gateway lenses to full frame as it's cheaper then sony 16-55mm F2.8. Plus smaller then tamron 17-70mm F2.8. Making it a valid option as a stepping stone to move into a full frame body.

Love the idea of you being Claudia's photography caddy, setting up cameras and handing them over to Claudia to take the shot

Hi Hugh, could you please review the new Laowa 10mm F2.8 AF lens?

There is a Tamron 20-40 f2.8 which is competitive and offers the 20mm which is more useful than the 40-50 range which is a really minor crop and is cheaper.

Hello Hugh, I have enjoyed your channel and coverage of your camera and lens reviews. I was born and raised in Maspeth Queens and reside in the Hudson valley just north of West Point military academy. I just purchased a Sony A7II from Adorama, l purchased a open box unit that was on sale below 8oo dollars before shipping and tax. It was packaged with the 28-70, f3.5-6. I'm looking for a fixed aperture lens for general photography and landscapes, trying to decide between the 20-70f4 or the 24-50 f2.8 Sony. I have the Panasonic S5 and S5 MKII with the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 and several other prime and zoom lenses so I want to keep the Sony A7II as a compact set up as the camera body is on the small side, any advice on which lens to choose. Thanks James Mlodynia.

thanks for making me smile, as allways ...😋

I bought the A7cr because it works so well on my Airpeak S1 Drone. I have the 16-35mm mark 2 and the 12-24 f2.8 and all the primes... including the small ones covered by this lens. I had never even considered picking this one up but for travel... this might really make my wife happy. She is typically using the A7r5 with the 24-105 or the 24-70 2.8 mark 2... And this, for size sake... I think you sold me.

You forgot one thing though... this lens is OPTICALLY INFERIOR (albeit not by much) to the 20-70/4 @ F4 across it's entire zoom range. So, what you are sacrificing 20mm, 70mm and a tiny bit of optical superiority for is the ability to go to F2.8. As you have said, the one stop of light gathering for low light is largely irrelevant with today's sensors and 2.8 is largely irrelevant at the 24end. Hence, you are basically sacrificing it all for F2.8 at 50mm when you need that extra background blur. That's it!

Just a follow up since it looks like it will be May before this FE 24-50/2.8 G is available for my compact C bodies I’m still using the very light Sigma 16-28/2.8 and 28-70/2.8 DG DN Contemporary pair on my A7CR at only 450 and 470 grams. Have you looked at these and do you have any experience or opinion with these? The 16-28/2.8 is internal zoom so it stays really small. Used the two are less money than the one Sony. Take care.

Looking good
A7CR and 16-25/2.8 looks like a good option plus if you switch to APSC mode you have the 24-40/2.8 at 26 mp
Two for the price & weight of One, what a deal 🤩

People poopooed on this when it was first announced but i preordered it. I already own the Tamron 20-40 and its one of my favorite. Sure 20-50 would have crushed everything out there in this range but 24 is still really good. Looking forward to receiving this lens.

Thank you for that review. I updated to the A7 iv recently, which is a bit larger than the A7C ii and the best compromise between size and weight, when you have bigger male hands. What annoyed me on my last trips was the combination of the A7 iv and my Sigma 24-70 Art lens. Too heavy and bulky in many situations and I tended more often to leave the camera at home on spontaneous walks in cities, only with my iPhone 14 Pro in the pocket. The new FE 24-50/2.8 seems to be my relief from that and I ordered it and will sell my 24-70.

love this lens

Now, did I make a mistake by ordering a Q3?

Such a shame. Sony should’ve made this a 20-50 instead.

Really, really well said. So many reviewers seem to miss the point of this lens. You've made such excellent points. I'd only emphasize that 24-50 is generally the "bread and butter" of most photographic genres (though you do allude to this). Yes, a match for the a7c series for sure, but any a7 is a good match. By the way, who are these blind men and where is the elephant? Excellent work Hugh!

Tx for this video: application, camera & lens all pretty accurately spot on w/ my needs ;) might start off with a 2ndH a7C though..

👍🏼✅

Very nice wrap of a value/price-point combination that would suit many, many people. I just wondered if this combo is weathersealed and to what degree. I'm looking at trading my much loved Oly EM1-3 gear in on a FF travel competent camera and lens/es to take on our first trip from Australia to the UK and The Continent, and I'm considering Sony despite their ergo deficiencies. Looking forward to making photographs on our cruise to Iceland. PS I'm an addicted cropper and love low light scenes, hence why I'm looking at cameras beyond 22MP. I also wouldn't mind a camera that's video capable. I'm a big fan of IBIS now I'm getting a bit older.

Great video as usual, so Hugh, for all around use. I would like your pick , 20 70 f4 or 24 50 2.8 respectfully.

You are a great speaker. For NYC street travel on A7cii or A7CR would you use either that and 85 1.8 or would you take Sony 24mm f/2.8 G, 40mm f/2.5 G or 35 2.8 with 85 1.8 with you, for street do you prefer ligher/smaller on camera or to switch lenses?
Also would you wait for the A7V instead because the A7Cii sensor is a 2021 sensor left over from the A7IV?

Its always interesting to hear more philosophic toughts than just listing out the technical specs. Thank you.