Sony Introduces The FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master Ultra-Wide Zoom

Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master

Sony today announced the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM, the world’s widest zoom with a constant ƒ/2.8 maximum aperture. The lens includes several noteworthy advances in optical design and is an ideal choice for landscape and astrophotography work.

Sony’s current G Master lens range

The 12-24mm F2.8 GM is the eleventh in Sony’s G Master premium lens range, which now covers focal lengths from 12mm to 600mm. To achieve a zoom as wide as 12mm with a constant ƒ/2.8 maximum aperture, the lens incorporates three XA lens elements, one of which is the largest ever made for a Sony Alpha lens. The size and curvature of that element required Sony to develop a new lens coating, Nano AR Coating II, to control internal reflections, flare and ghosting.

Though its remarkable speed necessitated the use of very large lens elements, the overall design of the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM is still relatively compact.

The optical design features two independent focusing groups that make it possible to focus on objects as close as 11 inches throughout the zoom range. The lens also incorporates extensive weather sealing.

Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM weather sealing.

Availability is expected in August with a list price of $2,999. For more information, see the press release below.

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Sony Electronics Grows Lens Line-up with Launch of 12-24mm G Master, the World’s Widest Full-frame Zoom with a Constant F2.8 Aperture[i]

SAN DIEGO – July 7, 2020 – Sony Electronics Inc. today announced an exciting new addition to its full-frame lens line-up with the introduction of the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM (model SEL1224GM) Large-aperture Ultra-wide Zoom lens. This compact and versatile lens is ideal for shooting landscapes, astrophotography and architecture while providing extra mobility for active sports shooters who want to capture ultra-wide perspectives. As part of Sony’s flagship G Master series lenses, users can be completely confident that it delivers outstanding image quality up to an ultra-wide 12mm angle of view with F2.8 constant aperture and beautiful bokeh effects.

The introduction of the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM now extends the F2.8 range of Sony’s G Master series zoom lenses all the way from 12mm to 200mm[ii] and at 12mm, offers the world’s widest range of zoom at F2.8. At this focal length, it is possible to emphasize distance and create dynamic perspectives that are beyond the scope of the human eye, opening the door to new avenues of creative expression.

“We are excited to introduce the new FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM as the 57^th lens in Sony’s E-mount line-up”, said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics.  “It is important for us to continue to push boundaries in the industry to develop the best tools for our customers. By extending our range of G Master constant F2.8 zoom lenses out to 12mm, we are excited to see how these new innovations will help our customers create like never before.”

The FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM benefits from innovative construction that delivers outstanding corner-to-corner image quality throughout the entire zoom range. It features three precise XA (extreme aspherical) elements including the largest XA element ever made for an α – Alpha brand lens. These XA elements, with an additional aspherical element, effectively suppress astigmatism, coma and field curvature right out to the image edges. Furthermore, three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements plus two Super ED glass elements, powerfully control chromatic aberration and combine to deliver corner-to-corner clarity while minimizing color fringing.

An extremely effective floating focus mechanism divides the lens’s focus group into two independently controllable groups, ensuring both outstanding close-up performance and maximum sharpness at any distance. The two independently controlled groups help realize a constant 11” (28 cm) minimum focusing distance throughout the zoom range, and because it is an internal focus lens, its length remains constant, so its center of gravity varies very little and is always optimally balanced in the hand.

The signature bokeh effects of Sony’s G Master series lens are achieved through the fine tuning of the lens’s spherical aberration characteristics during both the design and manufacturing process. At the same time, the extremely high surface precision of the lens’s XA elements effectively suppresses spherical aberration and, in combination with a 9-blade circular aperture, further enhances its exquisite bokeh.

The FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM employs four original high-speed, high-thrust XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors to ensure that it is compatible with the speed performance of both current and future camera bodies. With two XD Linear Motors for each of the lens’s focus groups, autofocus is fast and precise. New control algorithms maximize the response of the system while achieving flawless synchronization between the two focus groups. Further benefits include extremely quiet operation with minimal vibration and lower power consumption.

A brand-new Nano AR Coating II that can be evenly applied to large lens elements or highly curved element surfaces has been used for the first time on the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM. It suppresses internal reflections, minimizes flare and ghosting for clear, crisp imagery and despite the lens’s wide angle of view, Nano AR Coating II maintains high clarity and contrast throughout the entire image, even in difficult light.

Moviemaking

The constant F2.8 maximum aperture at all focal lengths ensures that exposure is stable when zooming. As a result, this means that shutter speed and ISO sensitivity can remain constant while shooting movies. The creative opportunities afforded by shooting movies at a 12mm angle of view with F2.8 constant aperture in full-frame are boundless, and when used on an APS-C or Super 35 camera, the wide end of the zoom range becomes equivalent to 18mm, providing a useful zoom range for moviemaking.

Professional Control

Weighing only 1.87 lbs (847 g), the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM offers numerous features for full professional control of shots. These include a customizable focus-hold button, focus-mode switch, zooming ring and focusing ring that are positioned for easy operation while shooting. The Linear Response MF ensures that the focus ring responds directly to the most subtle adjustments when focusing manually so control feels immediate and precise. It is dust and moisture resistant[iii] and the front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and other contaminants, making it easier to wipe off any fingerprints from the lens surface. The rear filter holder accommodates standard sheet-type ND, color correction and other filters for expanded expressive capability. A cutting template for sheet filters is supplied.

Pricing and Availability

The FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM is available in in August 2020 for a suggested retail price of $2,999.99 USD and $3,999.99 CAD.

[i] Compared to interchangeable constant F2.8 zoom lenses for 35mm full-frame format digital cameras. As of July 2020. Sony survey.

[ii] SEL1224GM, SEL1635GM, SEL2470GM, SEL70200GM

[iii] Not guaranteed to be fully dust and moisture resistant

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