If you’re excited about the new Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II, then gear up! It will work best on these cameras. We asked Sony during our briefing about this. During our review, we also tested it on the older Sony a7r III. It still worked just great. But we’ll discuss that more in-depth in this roundup. Here are the best cameras to be used with the new Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II.
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Why the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II Works So Great With These Cameras
Here’s a rundown of the best cameras to be used with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II as of this publishing and why we chose them:
- The Phoblographer finished our review of the new Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II. And you can catch our full review right here.
- When we were briefed on the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II, we asked about what cameras would be best with it. The Sony a9 II didn’t have a processor that could quite keep up. And the Sony a7r IV is great for sharpness, but otherwise, it’s not going to hold up. We chose to review it with the Sony a1. But the other cameras here have a processor that really makes this lens shine.
- For what it’s worth, we also tested the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II on the Sony a7r III. It worked just fine, but we’re trained to notice the differences. Most folks won’t.
- All of these cameras are from the newer generation of Sony cameras. That means that they’re also much better weather-sealed. Less time spent having to clean your sensor is great!
- The Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II is lighter and smaller than the predecessor. We genuinely enjoyed using it.
- We’re only recommending the cameras that we’ve tested. In reality, we’ve tested all of Sony’s cameras targeted at photographers. But these are the best for the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II.
Sony a1
Pros
- Sony’s a1 shows that stacked sensors are the future
- Detail rich images with great dynamic range
- Excellent ergonomics (the best Sony camera to date)
- The a1 features the new touchscreen menu system
- Fantastic overall autofocus performance
- 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter with virtually no rolling shutter or banding issues
- 1/400th mechanical shutter speed with compatible TTL flashes and triggers
- Sony’s 9.44 million dot EVF is a work of art
- Excellent build quality
- Good battery life
- 8K video
- Excellent performance with CFexpress A cards
Cons
- It has the same old 1.44 million dot LCD
- The LCD is not fully articulating
- Bird AF is a work in progress
- Multi Shot mode is inconsistent
- Autofocus suffers a little in very low light situations
- It’s $6,499
How’s the Autofocus?
In our review, we state:
“In low light situations, the autofocus remains accurate. However, the speed at which it finds and locks on to your target takes a hit. Indoors in decent lighting, performance will be more than adequate. However, in a dimly lit room is where you’ll begin to see some slow down. For its intended audience (professional sports, wildlife photographers, and photojournalists), you’ll have no issues to worry about overall.”
Sony a7 IV
Pros
- Face detection and tracking
- Animal face detection and tracking
- Bird face and eye detection
- Metering
- Updated OLED screen and menu
- Comfortable grip
- Suitable for a variety of applications
- Weather-sealed and sensor dust issue is improved
- Fast autofocus
- Impressive Dynamic Range
- Sharp – almost too sharp for some womens’ portraits
- In-camera skin softening to combat incredibly sharp skin pores
Cons
- High ISO performance could be better
- Color noise in out-of-focus areas at lower ISOs
- Shutter freezes and the camera becomes unresponsive at times when shooting bracketed
- High burst mode currently only works if shooting compressed RAW
How’s the Autofocus?
In our review, we state:
“What was surprising after this new technology was the number of frames where a face wasn’t always detected. The camera didn’t miss focus. It just didn’t always detect the face. This happened for less than 15% of the images. The autofocus capabilities of the a7 IV further cements the camera as a true hybrid. It’s an excellent option for wedding, portrait, pet, street, travel, and real estate photographers as well as photojournalists.”
Sony a7s III
Pros
- Nice feel in the hand
- Good build quality
- Weather sealing
- Fantastic autofocus
- The 9.44 million dot EVF is simply gorgeous
- A new touch menu system! Hallelujah!
- Despite only having a 12MP sensor, the image quality is great
- Sony finally added a tilty, flippy screen
- Decent battery life when being used for stills
- Not a bad price ($3,498)
Cons
- The LCD is on the small side, and it hinders the new menu system
- The EVF can lag in low light situations, even when on its highest refresh rate settings
- Colors take on rather strange tones at very high ISOs
How’s the Autofocus?
In our review, we state:
“The autofocus performance of the Sony a7s III is what you’d expect from a modern Sony camera. It’s pretty darned excellent. The Sony a7s III feels just like the a7r IV when in use. Autofocus is snappy and accurate thanks to the 759 phase-detection points and the various modes make capturing any subject easy.”
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.