The Sony FE 50-150 mm f/2 GM is a lens with unique parameters and that's why it doesn't have any direct rivals. In our chart we stacked it up with two 70-200 mm f/2.8 Sony models, the Tamron 35-150 mm and the Samyang with the same parameters.
The new lens is the most bulky of all – and small wonder as it is also the fastest aperture-wise. It means you have to employ filters with a diameter of 95 mm. It's an interesting thing that the new Sony is exactly as long as both 70-200 mm devices but its weighs lower at the same time than the first 70-200 mm Sony version.
In the photo below the Sony FE 50-150 mm f/2 GM is positioned between the Sony FE 50 mm f/1.4 GM and the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar 2/50.
The tested lens starts with a metal mount that surrounds the contacts and an inner tube above which you see a dark 34x26 mm frame made of plastic. Right below this frame you find an immobile rear element, over 30 mm in diameter. The fact that this element is positioned very shallowly inside the instrument means the Sony FE 50-150 mm f/2 GM doesn't cooperate with any of Sony teleconverters. It's a pity...
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The proper body of the lens starts with a white ring made of metal on which you can find the mount version (E-mount), a white dot, making an alignment with a camera easier, the serial number and the model number, and information that the lens was produced in Thailand.
A place to attach a rotary tripod adapter is next. It also features a silvery plate with the name and parameters of the lens. The adapter can be removed but it concerns only its shoe. What's interesting, after removing the shoe you can see a small protrusion where there is another tripod thread, an excellent solution. You can't take off the whole rotary ring on the body of the lens, an option often seen when it comes to newer constructions. It's a pity – if you could remove the whole adapter, the shoe along with the ring, the lens would become noticeably lighter. Of course it wouldn't present itself so nice but still.
Further on you find an immobile ring with the CLICK ON/OFF switch that allows you to choose between click and clickless mode of the aperture ring and the IRIS LOCK button used to block that ring. The ring itself is situated a bit higher, is as wide as 19 mm, and one part of it is covered by comfortable ribbing. Below you see aperture marks from f/2.0 to f/22 along with an A value allowing a camera to choose aperture values automatically. The ring, depending on the setting of the switch we've just mentioned, can move smoothly or every 1/3 EV step.
A zoom ring is as wide as 42 mm and its surface is almost completely covered by black, rubberized ribbing. Below you see focal length markings at 50, 70, 100, and 150 mm. The ring moves smoothly, evenly and fast. Covering the whole range needs a turn through an angle of about 80 degrees.
Then you see an immoble, white ring with the red G Master badge, meaning the series the tested lens belongs to, and three round focus lock buttons. Between them you get also switches that allow you to control the focusing mechanism mode AF/MF and the manual settings rings FULL TIME DMF ON/OFF.
Further on you get a manual focus ring as wide as 32 mm, completely covered by black, rubber ribbing. The ring doesn't have any markings and is a focus-by-wire construction. It moves smoothly and is properly damped. Running through the whole range needs a turn through an angle of about 130-150 degrees – the precise values depends about on the focal length and the speed of your turning. Still these value allow you very precise settings.
A black, metal, immoblie ring is the last part of the lens. It turns into a hood mount and non-rotating filter thread, 95 mm in diameter. On this ring you can find an inscription with information about the minimum focus distance - at 50 mm it amounts to 0.4m/1.32ft, and at 150 mm to 0.74m/2.43ft.
The front element is slightly convex, immobile, 47 mm in diameter. It is hidden inside a black, ribbed tube about 1 cm deep.
When it comes to the optical construction you deal here with 19 elements positioned in 17 groups. Among them you find as many as five elements made of low dispersion glass (two Super ED and three ED ones), two ordinary aspherical lenses and two XA aspherical. Along them you also find a round aperture with eleven blades that can be closed down to a value of f/22 at the maximum.
Buyers get in the box: two caps, a hood with a removable frame (it allows you to get a free access to an optional filter) and a black, quite solid case.
