Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM Review: Performance & Features

By Ambar Jimenez | 2025-04-26 09:11:29

Uncover the capabilities of the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens. Read our comprehensive review to see how it enhances your photography experience.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM Review

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens, priced at a premium $3,899.99, emerges as a groundbreaking optic, uniquely positioned as a full-frame telephoto zoom lens boasting a constant, bright f/2 aperture throughout its versatile focal range. This exceptional characteristic sets it apart in a market often dominated by f/2.8 zooms at these telephoto lengths. This comprehensive review and specification breakdown is meticulously crafted for photographers and videographers seeking in-depth information, empowering them to make informed decisions about their gear.The 50-150mm focal length offers a sweet spot, providing significantly more reach than standard 24-70mm or 28-70mm zooms, making it an invaluable tool for a diverse range of photographic scenarios. The constant f/2 aperture is a game-changer, particularly for those operating in challenging low-light conditions. This lens is almost purpose-built for Sony E-mount shooters who frequently work in dimly lit environments and require that extra reach without sacrificing crucial light-gathering capabilities. Its flexible angle of view makes it exceptionally well-suited for capturing indoor sports like basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball, where fast action and limited illumination are common. Furthermore, it excels in documenting concerts and the intimate moments of weddings, seamlessly complementing wider lenses like the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II or the mentioned FE 28-70mm F2 GM. For content creators who consistently face difficult lighting scenarios and find the 50-150mm range strategically useful, this zoom lens has the potential to become a revenue-generating asset over time.While the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM presents a compelling package, the review acknowledges the formidable presence of Sony's own FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, which currently holds our Editors' Choice award in the premium telephoto zoom category for both professional and serious hobbyist photographers. This comparison highlights the competitive landscape and the specific strengths each lens brings to the table.Despite the expectation that an f/2 telephoto zoom might be cumbersome, the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM strikes a surprisingly manageable balance in terms of dimensions (7.8 by 4.0 inches - Height x Diameter) and weight (2.9 lb). This thoughtful design ensures that it's not an oversized burden for extended shooting sessions. A significant advantage is its internal zoom mechanism, meaning the lens maintains its physical length throughout the entire 50-150mm range. This is in contrast to many other telephoto zooms, including the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di-III VXD (6.2 by 3.5 inches, 2.6 pounds), which extends as you zoom to longer focal lengths. The relatively compact and internally zooming design of the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM should allow most creators to comfortably carry it throughout the day without significant strain.Sony has adopted its signature eye-catching white barrel finish for the FE 50-150mm F2 GM, aligning it visually with many of its other high-end telephoto offerings. There's a practical rationale behind this design choice: the lighter color reflects sunlight more effectively than black, preventing the lens from overheating during prolonged outdoor shoots under intense sun – a common challenge for sports photographers. However, given the FE 50-150mm F2 GM's suitability for indoor sports and events, the white finish may also serve as a strategic marketing decision. In the photographic community, a white lens is often associated with professional-grade and, consequently, expensive equipment. This perception might subtly influence buyers and make the substantial price tag somewhat easier to accept. The reviewer's anecdote of using the Sony lens alongside a black Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z in a dugout, where the team manager immediately perceived the Canon as "expensive" and the Sony as "really expensive" solely based on color, underscores this very perception.

Exploring Similar Products: A Niche Offering

The 50-150mm focal length represents a less common zoom range compared to the more ubiquitous70-200mm, particularly when paired with a bright f/2.8 aperture. Thetechnical challenges of combining longer focal lengths and wideapertures with full-frame sensor coverage result in significantly larger and heavier lenses. While any lens and camera combination can be usedacross various photographic genres, the primary and most obviousapplications for the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM's specific combination ofshort to moderate telephoto coverage and bright f/2 optics lie incapturing indoor sports such as basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball, as well as weddings and other indoor events. Many churches, for instance, often prohibit flash photography duringceremonies, making the FE 50-150mm F2 a compelling alternative orreplacement for a 70-200mm F2.8 lens in such scenarios. Furthermore, its focal range and bright aperture make it an excellent choice for formal portraits and capturing candid moments during receptions.

Within Sony's own lens ecosystem, the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 presents a conceptually similar option. The Tamron offers a wider angle of view at its short end and starts with an even brighter f/2 aperture. However, it's crucial to note that the Tamron's aperture is notconstant; it quickly narrows as you zoom in, reaching f/2.8 byapproximately 80mm. Despite this optical difference, some photographersmay find the Tamron's wider coverage and significantly lower $1,900 asking price compelling enough reasons to forgo the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM's moreambitious optical design, which maintains its f/2 aperture throughoutits entire zoom range.

Build Quality and Handling: A G Master Standard

In terms of construction, the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM proudly belongs to Sony's prestigious G Master series, representing the pinnacle of their lens engineering. As such,its build quality is exceptional, rivaling that of anyprofessional-grade camera lens. The metal barrel provides a robust and durable feel, and the lens is fully weather-sealed, offering peace of mind when shooting in challenging environmental conditions. The front element features an anti-smudge fluorine coating, which repels dust, fingerprints, and water droplets, making cleaningeasier and protecting the delicate glass surface. The lens also supports 95mm protective and creative filters, allowing photographers to further safeguard the front element or introduce various optical effects. A reversible lens hood is included in the package. Its design is intentionally shallower thantypical hoods, minimizing added bulk to the zoom lens. A thoughtfulfeature is the sliding cut-out window on the hood,which allows for convenient adjustment of variable ND or polarizingfilters without the need to remove the entire hood.

A rotating tripod collar is seamlessly integrated into the lens's design, a crucial feature formaintaining balance when using a tripod, especially with heavier camerabodies. The collar rotates smoothly and features a thumb screw for secure locking. Paint markings at 90-degree increments facilitate precise leveling for both landscape and portrait orientations. The tripod foot is detachable without requiring any tools, offering the option to leave it behind when not planning on tripod use, further reducing weight. Both the foot and the collar include astandard 1/4-inch 20-thread, allowing for direct attachment of quick-release plates. However, a notable omission is the lack of dovetail cuts on the edges of the foot, meaning users will still need to attach aseparate plate to mount it on Arca-Swiss tripod heads, a widely adoptedstandard. Other lens manufacturers, such as Sigma with its 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN Sports, have done a better job of embracing the Arca standard byincluding this feature in many of their longer lenses.

Teleconverter Incompatibility and Stabilization

A significant limitation of the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM is its incompatibility with rear teleconverters. The rear glass element is positioned very close to the lens mount,physically preventing the attachment of teleconverters. In contrast, the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II remains the brightest zoom lens in Sony's lineup that fully supports their 1.4x and 2.0x rearconverters, extending its reach while maintaining a relatively brightaperture. Sony has not officially commented on the reason for thisomission in the 50-150mm, but the reviewer speculates that designing alens of this type with teleconverter support while maintaining areasonable size and weight might have proven too challenging. Lensesdesigned for teleconverters typically require additional internal spaceto accommodate the converter's optical elements, a design constraintthat may have led to a significantly larger FE 50-150mm F2 ifimplemented. The reviewer draws a comparison to the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art, an APS-C lens with a slightly brighter aperture and shorter range but a substantial 3.5-pound weight, hinting at the potential size and weightimplications of incorporating teleconverter support in a full-frame f/2zoom.

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM also omits another common feature found in many telephoto zooms: optical image stabilization (OSS), which is present in Sony's FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II and FE 70-200mmF4 Macro G OSS II. However, the lens's exceptionally bright f/2 aperture helps to mitigate this absence by allowing for significantly fastershutter speeds in comparable lighting conditions compared to lenses setat f/2.8 or f/4 with the same ISO sensitivity. Furthermore, the majority of Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras feature stabilized image sensors (IBIS), which effectively compensates for camera shake even when usingunstabilized lenses. This in-body stabilization makes it entirelypossible to achieve sharp results with longer shutter speeds whenhandholding the camera with the FE 50-150mm F2 GM.

On-Barrel Controls: A Photographer's Toolkit

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM boasts a comprehensive array of on-barrel controls, providing photographers with direct and tactile access to essential settings. These controls include discrete rings for manual focus, zoom control, and aperture. Additionally, the lens features a few toggle switches for various functions and three identical copies of the programmable Focus Hold button. These Focus Hold buttons can be custom-mapped to a wide range offunctions via the camera's menu, allowing for personalized control. Thestrategic placement of three identical buttons ensures that one isalways readily accessible, regardless of whether the camera is held inlandscape or portrait orientation.

The lens incorporates two switches dedicated to controlling the focus mode. The standard AF/MF (auto focus/manual focus) toggle is self-explanatory. The second switch controls Full Time DMF (Direct Manual Focus), a Sony-exclusive feature. When DMF is enabled, the manual focus ringacts as a constant override to the autofocus system, allowing forimmediate fine-tuning of focus even when the lens is set to AF. When DMF is turned off, manual focus is only active when the lens is explicitlyset to MF. The reviewer expresses a personal preference for having DMFenabled for quick focus adjustments but acknowledges that photographersconcerned about accidentally nudging the focus ring and disrupting focus might choose to disable it.

The aperture ring operates as expected, offering a manual range from f/2 to f/22. A dedicated Click On/Off toggle switch allows users to switch between smooth, silent aperture adjustments(ideal for video) and tactile detent clicks at each third-stop increment (preferred by many still photographers). The ring also features an "A" (Automatic) position, which relinquishes aperture control to the camera body's settings. An Iris Lock switch, when engaged, securely locks the aperture ring either in the"A" position or within its manual range, preventing accidental changesduring shooting.

Focus Performance: Speed and Precision

The manual focus experience with the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM is described as excellent. The focus ring exhibits a linear response curve, providing a direct and predictable relationship between the amount the ring is turned and the degree of focus adjustment. The long focus throw (approximately 140 degrees of rotation from the closest focus distance to infinity) allows for fine and precise manual focusing. The linear response isparticularly beneficial for video shooters, enabling more easilyrepeatable focus racks across multiple takes. When comparing imagesfocused at close distances versus infinity, the lens demonstrates almost no shift in the angle of view, a phenomenon known as focus breathing. This makes it highly suitable for video shots where focus transitions between subjects are used for narrative effect.

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM utilizes four high-performance linear XD (Extreme Dynamic) focus motors to deliver autofocus performance that is, for all practical purposes, instantaneous. This autofocus system operates silently and with the precision required to maintain focus on fast-moving subjects in every frame whenpaired with high-speed cameras like the Sony a9 III, which can tracksubjects at up to 120 frames per second. This robust support for focusat rapid drive rates distinguishes the FE 50-150mm F2 GM fromthird-party alternatives like the Tamron 35-150mm, which is reportedlyrestricted to a 15fps focus drive speed with Sony's a1 and a9 seriescameras. The reviewer notes that Sony often enforces these speedlimitations on third-party lenses, at least partially to provide its own lenses with a competitive advantage over more affordable options.

The reviewer conducted real-world testing of the lens's autofocus speed and accuracy by photographing college baseball using the Sony a7R V as thecamera body. The combination performed admirably, consistently andaccurately tracking runners advancing down the baseline. While the50-150mm focal range proved too short for capturing distant outfieldaction (for which a longer zoom like the FE 100-400mm GM would be abetter fit), it proved ideal for gym sports, where its range is well-suited for shots taken from the courtside or baseline. The bright f/2 optics are a significant advantage in such indoor environments, allowing forthe use of faster shutter speeds and lower ISO settings even in arenaswith less-than-ideal lighting.

Close-Up Performance and Macro Capabilities

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM demonstrates commendable performance for close-up work. It achieves a minimum focusing distance of 15.8 inches (0.4m) at 50mm and 29.1 inches (0.74m) at 150mm, resulting in a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:5. While this falls slightly short of a true 1:1 macro magnification, thelens still allows for capturing detailed close-up shots. The reviewerreports achieving good results photographing spring blooms at abotanical garden. However, if true macro capabilities are a higherpriority than a bright f/2 aperture, the FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II, which covers a similar focal range but offers a closer focusingdistance for half-size (1:2) magnification, might be a more suitablealternative.

Image Quality and Sharpness: Resolving Power

The reviewer paired the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM with the high-resolution Sony a7R V (60MP sensor) for both field testing and studio evaluations using an Imatest SFRPlus chart. The lens demonstrably delivers the resolving power necessary to achieve excellent results with the a7R V's demandingsensor, which requires high-quality glass to maximize its potential. At 50mm and 100mm at f/2, the lens scores in the very good range (around 4,150 lines). The sharpness improves to excellent at 150mm at f/2 (4,600 lines). Stopping down the aperture to f/2.8 further enhances the resolving power, with excellent results at 50mm (4,800 lines) and outstanding numbers at both 100mm and 150mm (5,400 lines). Across the f/4 to f/11 aperture range, the lens consistently scores in the outstanding range at every tested focal length.

While the aperture can be further reduced to f/22, using the lens at settings narrower than f/11 results in a decrease in resolving power due to optical diffraction, a physical phenomenon that causes light particles to scatter as theypass through a narrow diaphragm. This effect leads to softening ofimages at f/16 (3,800-4,000 lines) and more significantly at f/22 (around 2,350 lines). Despite this softening, some photographers might still choose to use f/22 for its ability to render small points of light as 22-point starbursts. However, the reviewer found the sunstars produced by this particularlens to be less defined than those from some other optics. Typically,wide-angle lenses are generally better suited for capturing prominentsunstar effects compared to standard or telephoto lenses.

Flare and Distortion Control

Flare is a potential concern when photographing directly into the sun orother strong light sources. The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM performs well inmaintaining contrast in such scenarios but can exhibit some false color caused by internal light reflections within the lens. Ghosts (secondary reflections) are most clearly defined at smaller aperturesettings but can still appear in photos taken at wider apertures. Thisissue primarily arose when the sun was a prominent element within thescene.

The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM relies on digital corrections applied by the camera body (for JPG/HEIF and video) or in post-processing software (for Raw files) to compensate for minor optical distortion and vignetting. The lens exhibits slight outward-curving barrel distortion at 50mm and inward-curving pincushion distortion at 100mm and 150mm. In terms of vignetting, the corners and edges of evenly lit scenes appear slightly darker than the center at the widest apertures (f/2-f/2)

Mode:

▶