SEL-70200G

This is the best lens in my arsenal of photo lens. for portrait photography. The images are so so sharp even when used in manual mode. Although this lens may look heavy; it did not tire my arms/hands during an all day wedding recently. Yes, it is at the upper price point for entry level pro photographers however; you will be glad you purchased this lens and if you are a wedding/event photographer or portrait photographer: you will quickly appreciate using this lens even at the end of its' range (200mm): the pictures are still great.

I ended up returning it, as the switch to Sony full frame was going to cost me upwards of $4,000....:(It's a very beautiful lens however and has THREE "Focus hold" buttons, all of which can be customized...For various purposes..It's LONG!! Longer than say a 70-200 F/2.8 from Canon....Doesn't balance well on the A7III, even with a battery grip...And it's not that heavy, but most of the weight seems to be out towards the front....Comes with an aluminum hood (not plastic!) and a tripod collar/foot...Best part is, it makes you APPEAR as if you know what you are doing...Seems very well built, although not as tank-like as a Canon F/2.8 but probably the equivalent of their F/4 70-200...The optics are quite amazing, esp on the A7III and rates near the top of DXOMark's lens rating tables, esp for sharpness...IF you can afford it, I'd maybe get this and the Tamron 28-75 2.8 and forget the kit lens...Also, this did not fit in my large-ish Ape Case bag, neither vertically, nor laying down..It's just that long!IF someone gave me $4000, I'd buy this in an instant, but I'd wait to see if the A7IV will have a "real" grip..

Awesome lens for action shots. Used this at my Sons Track events and it captured movement very well. I got more money shots with this lens than any other lens ever. It performs very well and it easy to use. It is heavy on the Sony body and you really need to hold onto hard or use a mini pod. The 4.0 disappointed me for indoor light at a distance of 50 yards or more. Closer shots were good with light. Makes me want to buy the 2.8 lens now. If I had to do it again I would spend the $2500 on the upgraded 2.8 lens.Real disappointment was my fault but I dropped the hood cap while walking and it cracked in half and is. It repairable. Cost me $60to replace it.Another bonus was the look of the lens and the white color. It looks like a Pro or a Reporter at events. I had students at the Track Meet asking me to take their picture thinking I was with a newspaper. This look actually got my Son a side job taking pictures of an athlete who plays Basketball at the HS level. His Mom wants photos from all of his games and pays my Son $60 a game now for taking his pictures. This is giving him money opportunities because he looks professional.

Very solid, high-performance lens, very sharp, great stabilizer. Slightly heavier than I'd hoped considering it's for a mirrorless, but learning to live with that. Seems almost identically sharp to my Canon 70-200 f4, and slightly smaller. Good included tripod mount, though sometimes a little awkward clamping it back on the barrel--nothing serious and will probably get easier once I understand where the resistance is coming from. Very happy with this lens--this and the 24-70, used interchangeably on a full frame (A7) and an A6000, gives me 24-300mm in two lenses that are both pro quality (even the 28-70 is fine if you don't need the extra width). Add a 10-18mm (already had that one--or spend another thou on the great new 16-35mm) and also a fixed, fast 28/f2 (or a 35, or the spectacular 55), and you have a full setup in a fairly compact package. The future is here, and it don't need no stinkin' mirrors...although...I do also keep a Canon setup (6D and 70D), mainly for bird and wildlife images (400mm), macro (100/2.8 IS--made easy with fully articulating 70D LCD), and 16-35 f/4 for landscapes, to supplement the 10-18 and at times to use with adapter on the Sony FF. But I'll be selling several of my Canon lenses, including the 70-200, 300, and 35, as wonderful as they are, because the Sonys cover all that while keeping weight down and allowing for legacy-lens use, like the great Pentax 50/f1.4 I just found the other day for $4.99 at Goodwill...wait...is this too much? Sorry. I do that sometimes. My wife's eyes have been known to glaze over. She tells me, "You don't have to say everything you think." Probably true. But I hope this helped.