It’s 20 percent lighter and 18 percent shorter than its predecessor. Sony

Sony first introduced its high-end G Master lens line back in 2016. In October 2021, the company unveiled a version “II” of the 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom that was faster and lighter than the previous model. Today, Sony continues that trend, unveiling the new FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, which promises faster performance and maximum sharpness in a body that’s both smaller and lighter than the version that came before it.

This is a big announcement for Sony since the 24-70mm standard zoom is an essential piece of kit for many professional photographers who want a super-versatile lens that can cover a wide variety of situations. The new version of the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM weighs 24.6 ounces, which is 20 percent lighter than its predecessor. It’s also 18 percent shorter than the previous model. Those reductions can really make a big difference on a lens like this that might end up on a photographer’s camera for an entire day when shooting an event or a wedding.

Small wonder

Despite the bulk reduction, Sony claims its new standard zoom still provides the high-end features and image quality it promised with the original G Master lenses. That includes the exceptional bokeh quality. The totally new optical path includes five aspherical elements, two of which fall into the category of extreme aspherical. The formula also includes a pair of extra-low dispersion elements and two super extra-low dispersion elements. Along with Sony’s new floating element design, the company claims that this new lens will outperform the older model in just about every way, including reductions in common distortions and issues like chromatic aberration (purple and green fringing in high-contrast areas) and coma (points of light appear oddly-shaped as …