If a camera company could make one lens, what would get your vote? It's a question floated around on camera forums with all kinds of wild responses that put physics aside considering what is and isn't possible. However, if rumors are true, Sony could soon announce the kind of lens that we'd put in the wishful thinking category – the world's first 24-70mm f/2 full-frame lens. Mama mia.
Let's be clear, this is a rumor, but it's also possible. Canon wowed us with the first full-frame zoom lens with constant f/2 aperture, its RF 28-70mm F2 L USM pro lens. However, the rumored Sony lens is tipped to go wider while also offering a constant f/2 aperture, being 24-70mm, and becoming one of the best Sony lenses ever.
My one lens for wedding and event photography is a trusty 24-70mm f/2.8 (see below). It's a classic pro lens that's extremely versatile. However, there are plenty of occasions that I'd like a wider aperture, for instance; to gain a shallower depth of field portraits with the lens set somewhere between 50mm and 70mm, and for lowlight indoor spaces where events are often hosted. The rumored Sony lens – story courtesy of Sony Alpha Rumors – could be just the ticket.
If it's true, what can we expect?
A 24-70mm f/2 lens would do the job of several prime lenses, covering 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 70mm, and could be the one lens you need, especially for landscape photography, portrait, events, and weddings. Sticking to a single lens rather than constantly swapping is a godsend for pressured photo and video jobs. However, such convenience will come at a cost in more ways than one.
If Canon's cutting-edge 28-70mm f/2 lens is anything to go by, we can expect Sony's lens to be hefty. It'll surely be larger and heavier than the Sony FE 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II, which weighs 1.53lb / 695g. Rumors sensibly suggest it'll have similar proportions to the gargantuan Canon RF 28-70mm which measures 4.08 x 5.5 in / 103.8 x 139.8mm and weighs a whopping 3.15lb / 1,430g. I've used that lens, and it is a beast.
We can also expect Sony's rumored lens to cost more than the Sony FE 24-70mm F/2.8, and that one already retails for around $2,000 / £2,300. I'd expect a f/2 aperture version to go for at least $3,000 / £3,300. So it'll be a heavier and pricier lens, but it'll also be a pro 'GM' lens which means that image quality should be excellent throughout the entire zoom and aperture range.
I can see the appeal of such a lens because keeping a single lens attached to the camera all day during a shoot, even if it is heavier, is a dream for pros. And if the lens materializes, it's the kind of design showboating that we love.
