Six Months with the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II

I started out with the 24-70mm range. It’s a brilliant all-rounder, especially the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, which rarely left my camera. But over time, I kept finding myself up against the limits of that reach—whether it was catching distant wildlife, candid street shots, or freezing a blisteringly fast MotoGP bike mid-turn.

So about six months ago, after plenty of hesitation (and a timely discount), I finally added the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II to my kit. It wasn’t a cheap decision, but it felt like the logical next step in my photography setup. I wanted clarity. I wanted compression. I wanted that creamy bokeh you just can’t fake. And now, with half a year of shooting under my belt, I can safely say: this lens delivers—though not without a few compromises.

On paper, this lens is an absolute monster. It’s the second generation of Sony’s already legendary 70-200 f/2.8, and it shows. Sony trimmed down the weight by about 29% compared to the first version (still a hefty 1,045g, though) and tightened up the optical performance across the board. You get:

• Constant f/2.8 aperture

• Fluorite and ED glass elements for insane clarity

• Four XD Linear Motors for autofocus

• Weather sealing

• A minimum focus distance of 0.4m at 70mm

But spec sheets only tell you so much. What’s impressed me most isn’t the numbers—it’s how this lens performs in the real world. Since adding this lens to my bag, I’ve used it across almost every genre I shoot:

Marquez taking Martin at Lukey Heights at the Australian MotoGP 2024.

The MotoGP late last year was where this lens really earned its keep. The autofocus is blisteringly fast—so fast, in fact, that I found myself trusting the camera more than ever before. Tracking bikes slicing through corners at 200+ km/h felt effortless. Paired with my A7c II, it locked on like glue, even in chaotic, high-speed environments.

Cockatoo in a random tree in Sydney

It’s also become my go-to lens when I’m out wandering. In the wild, it gives me enough distance to capture shy animals without disturbing them, while in the city, it lets me isolate subjects cleanly from the chaos around them. That f/2.8 aperture works wonders in busy scenes, pulling your subject forward with a beautifully shallow depth of field.

Hobbiton… Actually this is a Golf course in the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

You wouldn’t think of a 70-200mm as a landscape lens, but it’s actually a brilliant tool when you want to compress distant layers—mountains stacked on mountains, or isolating a single tree in an endless field. It's not always about the wide shot.

The real headline here though is sharpness. This lens is sharp across the entire frame, wide open at f/2.8, at any focal length. There’s no visible softness in the corners, no colour fringing worth mentioning. The clarity feels almost clinical, but in a good way—every detail, every texture, captured without fuss.

And then there’s the bokeh. That f/2.8 aperture paired with 200mm focal length melts backgrounds into creamy, painterly blurs. It’s not the wild swirly bokeh of a vintage lens—it’s clean, smooth, and consistent.

Down the barrell with a Meerkat at Dubbo Zoo

In almost every lighting condition, this lens excels. That said, low light is its Achilles' heel. The f/2.8 helps, but at 200mm, even at wide open, you'll sometimes struggle without bumping ISO or dragging shutter speeds.

I also picked up the Sony 2x Teleconverter to squeeze even more reach out of this lens. It effectively turns the 70-200mm into a 140-400mm f/5.6. Sounds great in theory—but there are trade-offs.

The biggest is autofocus speed. With the Teleconverter attached, autofocus slows noticeably. It’s still usable for slower subjects, but forget about high-speed action. You also lose two stops of light, which can be painful in anything but bright daylight.

And while image quality remains solid, it’s just not as crisp. You’re sacrificing some of that glorious clarity and punch the lens is known for. Still, for wildlife or distant landscape shots, it’s a useful tool. I don't regret buying it—but I wouldn't call it essential.

There’s no way around it—this is an expensive lens. Even discounted, it’s a big financial commitment. And while Sony did shave some weight off in this second generation, it’s still a heavy lens to carry around all day. You’ll feel it after a few hours, especially if you’re used to lighter primes or zooms.

Some photographers will find it overkill. If you rarely shoot action, wildlife, or need that compression and depth separation, you’re probably better served by something lighter and cheaper.

So was it worth it? For me, absolutely. The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II has opened up creative options I couldn’t access with the 24-70mm. It’s a tool I trust implicitly now, whether I’m trackside at MotoGP or chasing light in the city. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s heavy. But it’s also one of the most versatile, reliable, and downright fun lenses I’ve ever used.

If you’re a serious hobbyist or pro who values image quality and fast autofocus above all, this lens will make you very, very happy.