It’s not terribly often that I get to test something that’s unlike any other piece of equipment I’ve used before, but from the moment I laid hands on it, I knew the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM would provide one of those rare occasions. I’d used both Sony’s and Canon’s 28-70mm F2s before, but was excited to have that same speed and level of versatility in a telephoto zoom. All the lens had to do was have decent image quality, and I’d have been delighted.

Given that this is a Gear of the Year article, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that it surpassed that benchmark. Even wide-open, I was impressed by how sharp it was, capturing as much detail as I wanted (at least, in the razor-thin silver of the scene that was in focus). I was also impressed at how well it handled chromatic aberration, even in relatively harsh conditions. Sure, there’s a touch of color fringing in this image, but given that it was taken with a zoom, wide open in direct sunlight, it’s more than acceptable in my book.

Beyond any technical aspects, though, there was just something about this lens that I really enjoyed. Perhaps I simply really enjoy this focal range. Or maybe it was the amount of subject separation I could achieve at the long end, the quality of the bokeh at F2, or the fact that I could be taking environmental portraits at one moment, spot an animal in the distance, and get a decent picture of it without having to change lenses or get too close to it.

Realistically, I suspect it’s actually that this lens offers all of that, without being impossible to lug around and shoot with. Make no mistake, this lens is definitely a commitment to take with you; it’s just not an undue one. In fact, it weighs less than Sony’s original 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS, though the newer version of that lens is 30% lighter than the 50-150. I’m not exactly known for packing light, so take this assessment with a grain of salt, but I never hesitated to take it out with me on a photo walk while I was testing it, which hasn’t always been the case with other F2 telephotos I’ve tested (not that those lenses are particularly comparable).

The elephant in the room is the price. At $4000, most of the people buying this lens are likely to be professional sports or wedding photographers, rather than enthusiasts. But having had the opportunity to use it as the latter, I find myself envying those who can justify getting one. While I’ll always preach the gospel of finding ways to be creative with what you already have, I’ll also acknowledge that sometimes a piece of gear – especially lenses – can just catch you in a certain way, meshing with your creative instinct in a way that others don’t.

I got that feeling shooting with the 50-150mm F2; if I had the means, I would definitely be picking one up. The engaging experience of using it made it my favorite example from what’s been an impressive run of lenses from Sony: the 16mm F1.8, 100mm F2.8 Macro GM and the 28-70mm F2 from late last year. I’m left wondering what their optical division will come out with next… and impatiently waiting to get to shoot with it.

Sample gallery

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