Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Review

Sony continues to expand its full-frame FE lens series, this time adding the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS ($1,299.99).

The 24-105mm is a zoom lens that has a more ample range than Sony's similarly pricey Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS, but isn't quite an all-in-one superzoom like the 24-240mm.

It's a strong performer, though you'll pay a premium for it.

Design

The 24-105mm ($1,118.73 at Amazon) is the smallest zoom of its type currently available.

It measures 4.5 by 3.3 inches (HD) at its shortest position, weighs 1.5 pounds, and supports 77mm front filters.

Canon's latest EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM is a bit larger (4.7 by 3.3 inches) and heavier at 1.8 pounds.

And while the two lenses may not be world's apart in size, Sony's mirrorless cameras are typically smaller and lighter than a full-frame SLR, making the benefit more palpable.

The important part is how well the lens balances on the body.

I've used the FE 24-105mm with the a7R III and the a7 III, and both combinations handle very well.

Like Sony's entire full-frame camera line, the lens is protected from dust and splashes, so you can comfortably use it in inclement conditions.

A lens hood is included.

The lens sports a polycarbonate barrel, with textured rubber covering both the zoom and manual focus rings.

Zoom positions are marked at 24, 35, 50, 70, and 105mm, and the lens extends as you move to longer focal lengths.

Physical controls include toggles to switch focus modes and enable or disable the stabilization system, and there's also a button that pauses the autofocus system by default; its function can be reassigned via the camera body.

Manual focus is an electronic affair, but the focus motor is speedy and responsive.

You don't get the tactile feedback of a mechanical focus system, but for still imaging the manual focus experience is absolutely fine.

And while it wouldn't be my first choice for manual focus video, the focus ring does allow for smooth adjustments.

The flip side to a less than perfect manual focus experience is autofocus that is very fast, even when racking from close-up to infinity.

Minimum focus is 15 inches (0.38-meter), which gives the lens a solid 1:3.2 magnification power at 105mm.

Some lens makers would consider that good enough to call the zoom a macro (although Sony doesn't).

It adds a bit of versatility, especially since the zoom's coverage range is perfect for times when you don't want to pack additional lenses in your bag.

Image Quality

I performed resolution tests when paired with the 42MP a7R III ($2,798.00 at Amazon) , our preferred camera for FE lenses.

At 24mm f/4, the lens scores 3,357 lines on a center-weighted Imatest sharpness test.

That's solidly in the very good performance range, and that level of quality holds up through most of the frame.

The edges are an exception, however.

They shows about 2,220 lines, which is on the soft side for a 42MP image sensor.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

The problems at the edges go away at f/5.6.

The overall sharpness score improves to 3,678 lines and the edges show 3,523 lines.

Resolution creeps into the excellent range at f/8 (3,856 lines) and f/11 (3,923 lines), before coming back down to earth at f/16 (3,531 lines) and f/22 (2,661 lines).

The latter is a just-okay result.

It's a good rule of thumb to keep your f-stop at f/16 or wider when shooting with a modern full-frame digital camera.

Zooming to 35mm does impact performance.

At f/4 the lens takes a step back in overall resolution, showing about 3,075 lines, with an extremely crisp center area, but mid parts (2,699 lines) and edges (2,582 lines) that are good, but not outstanding.

Tides rise at f/5.6; the average jumps to a very strong 3,879 lines, with edges that are just as strong as the average score.

Resolution peaks at f/8 (4,076 lines) and f/11 (4,088 lines), before dropping a bit at f/16 (3,739 lines) and more significantly at f/22 (2,886 lines).

At 50mm f/4 the average score is 3,172 lines, but all concerns about edge performance are gone—the periphery is just as crisp as the center area.

You get more resolution as you stop down—3,374 lines at f/5.6, 3,511 lines at f/8, 3,686 lines at f/11, and 3,617 lines at f/16.

Again, shooting at f/22 (2,836 lines) isn't your best option.

Image quality remains strong at f/4—the average is 3,192 lines with even performance from center to edge.

At f/5.6 there's the expected bump (3,530 lines), and image quality is still strong at f/8 (3,414 lines), f/11, (3,728 lines), and f/16 (3,625 lines).

We see 2,833 lines at f/22.

Some 24-105mm designs falter at the 105mm focal length.

The FE 24-105mm doesn't.

It scores an excellent 3,759 lines at 105mm f/4, again with edges that are just a bit behind the average in resolution, at 3,404 lines.

There's a modest uptick at f/5.6 (3,803 lines), but we do see a slight dip in quality at f/8 (3,595 lines), f/11 (3,567 lines), and f/16 (3,545 lines).

Again, skip f/22, as the resolution drops to 2,756 lines when the iris is at its smallest.

Sony bakes in distortion control, both for JPG image and Raw photos.

If you use a Raw converter that applies distortion correction, like Lightroom Classic, you'll only contend with some barrel distortion at 24mm (3.2 percent).

This gives straight lines an outwardly curved appearance.

Lightroom can perform additional corrections using a lens profile.

You can turn peripheral illumination correction on or off for this lens.

When enabled it brightens the corners of JPG images to match the center.

But if you turn it off, or shoot in Raw format, you'll see that corners are noticeably dimmed when compared with the center of the frame when shooting evenly lit subjects.

At 24mm f/4 the corners lag by -3.6EV, and while the effect is lessened as you narrow the aperture—it's -2.4EV at f/5.6 and about -1.5EV at f/8 and smaller settings—it's still there.

Results are less pronounced as you zoom in.

At 35mm f/4 the edges lag by -1.9EV and show a -1.3EV drop at f/5.6, but are less than -1EV (not a concern for most images) at smaller settings.

At 50mm we're only concerned about the -1.6EV at f/4, as the problem corrects itself by f/5.6.

But it's a bit stronger at 70mm, -2.3EV at f/4, -1.2EV at f/5.6, and negligble beyond that.

We see identical results at 105mm.

For some images, such as landscape shots, the vignette isn't typically desired.

But for portraits you may prefer darkened edges to better isolate your subject.

Thankfully JPG shooters can toggle the correction in-camera, and Raw photographers have the option to correct vignetting with a single click in Lightroom, or even add to the effect if desired.

Conclusions

I've shot quite a bit with the 24-105mm, in varied locations and with different Sony camera bodies.

Lab tests back up what I've seen in the field: It's a solid performer throughout its zoom range.

And while the range doesn't match the all-purpose FE 24-240mm, the lighter build and stronger optical quality you get from the 24-105mm make it a more attractive option for hikes, day-to-day imaging, and travel.

Like other FE lenses the zoom is protected from dust and splashes, and it has an optical stabilization system that works in conjunction with the in-body stabilization used by the last two generations of Sony full-frame cameras to keep images crisp and video steady.

Event photographers will want an f/2.8 zoom, in which case the shorter, pricier FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM is a better option.

But if you typically work with more available light than you get at a wedding reception and want a travel zoom for your a7 or a9 series camea, the 24-105mm delivers solid results.

It's on the pricey side, especially when you consider that Sigma has a similar lens for $900, Canon has one for $1,100, and Nikon sells an $1,100 24-120mm.

But none of those will work on a Sony camera without an adapter.

Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina are all now making native FE lenses, so we'll see if one steps up in the future with a less expensive 24-105mm that rivals Sony's.

Thankfully, the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS backs up its asking price with strong image quality.