Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870 review

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Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870 review

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870 review

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870 is one of the first 5 lenses in the Sony-EF series (full-frame lenses for Sony 'E' mount cameras) introduced in October 2013 along with Sony a7 and a7R cameras. While the lens is only bundled with the Sony a7, although, in the near future, it will be possible to buy it separately from the camera. I was fortunate to try it out on a thirty-six-megapixel Sony a7R, where it showed itself not from the worst side.

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

In this lens, I was confused by the small zoom ratio - only 2.5X. Usually the 'dark' full-size full-time zoom lenses have a wider range of focal lengths, of the order of 28-80, 28-85, 24-85 mm, and indeed, in our time, the use of F / 3.5-4.5 aperture, instead of F / 3.5-5.6.

Somewhat weak aperture the lens is compensated by the built-in image stabilizer OSS (Optical Steady Shot). The stabilizer works fine.

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Like most modern standard (usually called 'kit') lenses, Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 lacks all kinds of labels and switches. Only the focal length values ​​and the lens and hood attachment marks can be found on the body. The focus and zoom rings are rubberized and rotate very smoothly. When the focal length is changed, the front lens only moves forward slightly, and does it in a wave-like manner - it moves forward at 70 and 28 mm, and hides as much as possible at the 40 mm focal length. I'm even a little surprised why the zoom was not made completely internal, this would add a significant plus to the lens.

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

The lens has an electronic focusing ring. Due to the fact that there is no focus switch on the lens barrel, it is possible to switch to manual focus mode only using the camera menu or the 'AF / MF' switches. The lens supports DMF (DDirectly Mannual Focus - direct manual focus), but the trouble is that the focusing ring is listened to only if the focusing mode is DMF (Direct RF) or MF (Manual focus), and in modes AF-A (Single AF) and AF-C (Continuous AF) the lens ignores the rotation of the focus ring and it is not possible to instantly fine-tune or adjust the focus :(.

Due to the lack of a stabilizer mode switch, to turn it on or off, you need to delve into the camera menu and find the SteadyShot item. In general, it is rather difficult to find anything in the Sony a7r menu on the first try;)

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Auto focusing fast, internal type. MDF is 30-45 cm, depending on the focal length, while you can get the maximum magnification for macro 1: 5.3. The rear lens remains stationary while zooming. Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 uses an aperture with 7 rounded blades, thanks to the rounding on closed apertures there are no 'nuts' in the bokeh at all :).

In the kit, the lens comes with a Sony ALC-SH132 plastic hood, for transportation, the hood can be installed in the opposite position (as shown in the photo below).

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 made in Thailand, to the touch everything is pretty reliable and pretty. Due to the large amount of plastic in the design of the lens, its weight is only 295 grams. The lens uses small diameter filters on 55 mm. In addition, the lens has dust and moisture protectionwhich is rarely seen in whale lenses.

The lens can also be used on Sony Nex cameras, due to crop factor his EGF will be equal to 42-105mm.

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

There are already 3 aspherical elements and 1 low dispersion element in the optical circuit of the lens. Moreover, the lens has only 9 lenses in 8 groups (not at all by modern standards).

I was very pleased that the lens tolerates backlight well and is not sensitive to backlight. It also showed good contrast and overall good image quality. Even at thirty-six megapixels Sony a7R the lens feels pretty confident - good sharpness in the center, especially at slightly closed apertures. Distortion and vignetting can be easily corrected or simply used on-camera for JPEG. Chromatic aberrations low (it's still not a fast lens).

Here link to the archive with the originals - 1.31 GB, 38 photos in .ARW format (RAW) More examples of photos from this lens can be found in the review of Sony a7 and Sony a7r.

Prices for the lens Sony SEL-2870 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS in popular stores can look at this link.

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Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870 is a good kit for every day :)

A list of all Sone FE lenses (full-format lenses with Sony E mount) can be found here.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: sergey

 

 

Comments: 53, on the topic: Review of Sony FE 3.5-5.6 / 28-70 OSS SEL2870

  • The F

    Pretty nice lens.
    Arkady, will you have a review of this camera? I would like to see how he will behave with 44 gelik.

  • THE

    Indeed, at aperture 7 - the bokeh is perfectly even - cool :)

  • sergey

    Thank you for your work, but in this lens I did not see anything special

    • Arkady Shapoval

      And what was to be expected from the dark zoom?

    • THE

      And didn’t you think the perfectly flat boke on the covered diaphragm was special?

  • Jury

    The review is good, thanks, Arkady :). I downloaded the archive of images, looked, then looked at the price of the camera on the Rosette. And again the question - for what such money ?! I recently photographed different flowers on S5Pro + Tair 11A (they cost me a total of 450 American rubles) - I got a lot of satisfaction, for a few pennies + RAW files weigh 25MB instead of 36 :)

    • Arkady Shapoval

      You can get a lot of pleasure for less money, this is not the point.

  • Dmitriy

    Thank you for the review, your personal impressions of the lens, this time, are more than modest. People who have known you for a long time, including myself, trust your opinion and impression. Many people make their choice based on your tests, so objectivity (regardless of who provided the camera / lens / flash, etc.) is still the main thing.
    From the viewed images, it seemed to me the following: at f 5,6 - not sharp enough (I would say, not expressive, in terms of sharpness), at f 8-11 - already very good; at the wide-angle zoom position - very strong distortions (I have Nikon AF 18-35 \ 3,5-4,5D ED on the crop, at 18mm it gives the same, for which they scold him).
    Total of the pros: dust and moisture protection; filter size 55mm. and the stabilizer (with such focal) is in doubt.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      RAW says a lot for itself)

  • Dmitriy

    The program I use was not able to open RAWs. Apparently you need to update.
    RAW will say a lot to those who "ate the dog" on this. Your site can be positioned as “for amateurs”, I hope that it will not offend you, in any case, there is nothing wrong with that. Most of your readers are amateurs (like me) or amateur beginners. For us, your detailed and detailed written opinion is more important, i.e. - WORDS, not RAW. Lack of sharpness and geometric distortion are visible in the preview. And given the cost of this lens (about $ 500), it's hard for me to call it good.
    I noticed that the last 3 reviews were technically, and possibly somehow financially, provided by Sony Ukraine. I am not a prude and I understand everything, everyone needs money, I am also no exception. But impartiality must be maintained. From the bottom of my heart I wish you this.

    Sorry if I offended you in any way, honestly - I didn't want to.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Yes, I have a regular blog :) If you are talking about what kind of reviews they do me with, then you are deeply, very deeply mistaken :) about the lens - what to write about the dark pants zoom? Actually, in the review, I call it that)

      • Jury

        To you, Arkady, for the blog - a special thank you, everything that I learned about photography and photographic equipment, 95% learned from you :)

    • Jury

      Dmitry, the files are opened by Lightroom 5, there is a good course of Lightroom video tutorials — the Platinum, in this course the capabilities of the program are well disclosed. I am an amateur, I photograph only for myself, but exclusively in RAW and Lightroom it helps a lot to quickly process a lot of photos, unlike native Nikon software, for example :)

  • Dmitriy

    "If you are about the fact that for the reviews they are doing something to me, then you are deeply, very deeply mistaken."

    I didn’t mean to offend you, please excuse me.

  • Dmitriy

    Your reviews are very simple, informative and accessible (just for understanding, written in “human” language), in addition, your site can be called “popular” (you run it on a “voluntary basis”, ie without the help and funding of organizations , photographic equipment is provided by individuals), this is why your site is unique, stands out among others (of which there are many). I have always been interested in your detailed, but easy-to-understand opinion (despite the fact that I have been fond of photography for many years).
    I would like to wish that in the future it would be interesting for you, so that desire is not lost and time is found.

  • alexey_laa

    In the photo in the frame is the sun. But when aiming at infinity, the sun focuses on the matrix and should burn it like an ordinary lens burns through a tree. How then does nothing burn out? Does the lens set a very closed aperture?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      with a "dark" lens for a short time it will not do anything. And if it were also a DSLR with focusing through the OVI, then the matrix there would be closed by the shutter and it didn’t care at all, and during the exposure the shutter speed is thousandths of a second, during this time nothing will happen to it, the more the aperture can be closed ...

      • alexey_laa

        Yes. And this is a mirrorless, by the way. I also have a mirrorless, Lumix G3. With manual lenses you have to be careful, I guess. There, the camera itself cannot cover the diaphragm if you accidentally point it at the sun. And about the shutter, I still remember that the curtains can suffer so (I was explained by the FED). The shutter, by the way, is not quite in focus, but if the lens is advanced (aiming at 1 m, for example), then the sun can focus on the curtain.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          the shutter lamellas of modern cameras are metal, nothing will happen to them. Everything must be done wisely.

  • Balu73

    Very strong distortion. Walls fall on any Fr. Fuji doesn't have that way

  • Sergei

    For my money (the real cost in a whale is about 8000 rubles), an excellent lens, for $ 500 no one will take it. The counter holds well, the stub on the A7m2 is excellent! Well, for the picture there are fixes, family and manual. I am pleased with this glass, but I will change it to 24-70 / 4, over time.

  • Edward

    good lens
    but not good)
    reminiscent of 18-55 whale crops - there is also a stub, also light, also quiet, also plastic, also dark

    it is clear that Sony is proving - and very successfully that they can make a lightweight and compact ff kit
    24-85 from ff whales - will be better with a small difference in weight (300g vs 450g)

    in general - I would prefer that the whale was 150 grams more, but lighter and 24

  • AlexXx

    Great reviews! I wanted to ask if you would be observing the A7III? And how do you feel about mirrorless full-frame systems. The future is theirs?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Wait and see.

  • Nikolay Moscow

    I'll tell you right away for now Nikon. The article does not indicate the main point of Sonya - and this is their policy. To get sharpness like Sonya - on Nikon the same, Canon, Pentax and my beloved Fuji there - you need to buy a lens of a thousand that way for at least $ 2, and this applies not to Nikon's D series, for example, but to the full frame. But this Sonya can be bought for $ 600. already get, theoretically, if you try, then for 350 it will be close to Nikon = a lens for $ 2k. Well, the picture, SUBJECTIVELY, Sonya automates more pleasantly by default, for example, on D-shkah with white balance problems. But the main thing is the pricing policy, that for less money the quality is higher. Well, as they say in one of my areas of work - if there is no sharpness, you will not return it.
    This thesis should be the main one in the article, but it is not here.

    • B. R. P.

      ... sharpness like Sonya's ... theoretically, if you try ... a picture, SUBJECTIVE, Sonya automates more pleasantly by default ... the main pricing policy is that for less money the quality is higher ... These are the theses!

  • Sergei

    Tell me, will such a lens be sharper on APS-C than a good crop (for example, Sigma 35 1.8)? Maybe the comparison is incorrect, but it interests in principle.
    Thank you.

  • Olegovich

    I regularly read your reviews and recommend that newcomers read something from you. I think you understand and correctly give your assessments of the technique. Health and good luck to you!

  • Alexander

    At what focal length does the background blur?

    • B. R. P.

      Best on a long end (70mm) and a fully open diaphragm.

      • Alexander

        Thanks for the answer. I am looking for a portrait for a child. There is only fifty dollars, but it is dark and unreasonably expensive. Now I use SEL 18-200. Soaps only 200. And this is not convenient.

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    I use this lens for video filming, sometimes for a photo, of course fr is too small, 24-105 is an ideal solution, but it costs more than 1k euro. The lens is not bad, at 70 mm and 5.6 aperture, just right for portraits, a little soapy 😀. But for a year of use, I started having problems, at 28-30 mm when shooting video when zooming, you can see how the vignetting correction disappears, and the picture on the sides dances on the edge, and only at a wide angle. I suspect that the problem is in the train, there are two of them, which one I don’t know, but I know that one is responsible for sharpness, the other for aperture. I will change both, the price of the issue from ebay is about 30 bucks.

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    As an amateur, I would like to add that this lens has very good color rendering. I got the lens in winter and haven't used it on the street yet. Only at home on cats in low light. At the same time, when processing in Lightroom, I stopped adjusting the white balance and other color settings. For me, so the color rendition is perfect. Also, when shooting at ISO 2000, I apply very little noise reduction. Low noise at this ISO is simply gorgeous. Sharpness is also enough. I use the lens with a Sony A5100 camera, I am very pleased after the standard 16-50, although its 16 mm is a little lacking. In general, I would safely recommend this lens to replace the stock one.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Aperture f / 5, shutter speed 1/40 sec., ISO-2000, focal length 57 mm.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Aperture f / 5,6, exposure 1/15 sec., ISO-2000, focal length 70 mm.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Aperture f / 5,6, exposure 1/40 sec., ISO-2000, focal length 70 mm.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Aperture f / 5,6, exposure 1/30 sec., ISO-2000, focal length 70 mm.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Almost a year after the cats, I want to add that the stabilization works very well for the lens. Forgot to write earlier. But this is the only plus that I wanted to add. With the onset of a warm period and access to nature, the first joys began to fade. The lens disappointed with low detail when shooting objects from a distance of more than two meters. I tried both from a tripod and covered the aperture - nothing helped. Already at aperture 8, noise appeared, despite daylight and fast shutter speeds. I think this is a good portrait lens, or a lens for taking close-ups of subjects, but no more.

      • Human

        I suspect that the noise appeared due to autoISO. From a tripod, you can try to set ISO 100 and a lower shutter speed, there is 1-10 seconds, even to compare detail at apertures greater than 8

        • Human

          excerpt *more authentic

        • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

          I never use autoISO. As I wrote above, I also used a tripod.

      • B. R. P.

        I suspect that this is diffraction on strongly closed ones.

        • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

          Apparently. But from a tripod and open at ISO100, the detail was poor.

  • Igor Chugay.

    Arkady Shapoval many thanks for your work! To be honest, I buy everything only after your reviews and have never regretted it. Everything is clear and understandable. Thank you!

  • Anatoly

    I don’t know why this lens is so praised, as for me, it’s an ordinary plug for the first time, although it’s made quite well and is relatively good for video. Today there are a lot of high-quality analogues (tamrom 28-75 rxd and g2, sigma 24-70) that are many times better in all respects.

    • B. R. P.

      Does anyone praise him? A typical staffer, without raisins.

    • Human

      Dear, have you seen the price of what you offer? I took this lens for a little more than 100 bucks, and the lenses offered are 10 times more expensive, of course they are worse, there are no questions at all

    • Human

      However, this opinion is very beneficial to ordinary guys who do not have a thousand bucks for a lens. They will buy themselves a new whale kit and immediately put this lens in a new form at a flea market for pennies. After all, this lens with a normal, fast, QUIET autofocus, and besides, with a stabilizer, it has no competitors at all at this price, you can’t buy a similar zoom from any manufacturer.

  • Alexander

    I agree with the author's assessment. I’ve been using it with a Sony M7 ii camera for 5 years already - I bought it separately before that I used fixes FE 28.F2 and MACRO FE 50 F2.8. km – long and expensive. if you really need to. which can be versatile and save financial investment.

  • Human

    28 1 / 60 3.5

  • Human

    1/160 5.6 1000 67mm

  • Alex

    I just started learning the A7II and I like it so far. I ordered an adapter and will attach Nikon lenses.

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