Conclusion

The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS II is the latest telephoto lens that Sony have decided to refresh, and while the original version from 2014 was itself no slouch, it's clear that this new Mark II edition is a step above its predecessor in almost every regard.

Offering faster auto-focusing, much closer focusing distance and half-size magnification, more external controls, full tele-converter compatibility and a lighter and shorter construction (at least at 70mm), this is a great alternative to Sony's larger, heavier and more expensive F2.8 optic.

Other than some apparent barrel and pincushion distortion in the RAW images which is auto-corrected in the JPEGs, there's almost nothing to complain about and lots to like when it comes to image quality.

It delivers outstanding sharpness in the centre of the frame almost throughout its entire aperture and zoom range, even performing well wide-open at f/4, although you'll need to stop down slightly to f/5.6 to get similar quality at the edges of the frame.

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens offers very fast and quiet auto-focusing on the latest A7R V camera that we tested it with, plus very intuitive manual focusing, even more effective built-in image stabilization and excellent build quality - it's even usefully weather-tight too.

The only real downsides are the much higher price on launch than the 2014 original, although the Mark II version offers so many improvements that the price hike will be justified for many, and the constant f/4 aperture rather than f/2.8, which may put some people off who only want the fastest possible aperture.

For everybody else, the Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS II is a more affordable yet still high-quality telephoto zoom that is perfectly suited to travel, sports and even nature photography thanks to its new macro capabilities.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4