Carolina | Testing the new FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II - 3 May 2022

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Carolina | Testing the new FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II

Susanna Kosa and Dennis Schmelz

Filmmakers Susanna Kosa and Dennis Schmelz were independently planning on taking a break from their busy schedules on the picturesque island of Sardinia. When we approached them to see if they would be kind enough to test the new FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master Mk II, they both agreed that the chance to be among the first to try the new lens was too appealing and took time out of their holiday schedules to craft the beautiful film, Carolina.

Susanna was the driving force behind the film itself and you can find her thoughts below. Dennis captured the shoot and provided all the behind the scenes imagery.

What was your first impression of the lens?

My existing 24-70mm G Master is probably my most used lens, because it can cover such a wide range - from landscape to close ups, so I was very excited to see how the Mk II fared. I was so happy when I first picked it up because it is considerably lighter and a bit smaller than the Mk I. The aperture ring can be de-clicked and thus operated silently and continuously and it can also be locked, so that you can't accidentally change the aperture, a very useful feature for a filmmaker. Being much lighter, I found the balance on my Alpha 7S III and FX3 to be much better - and not at all front-heavy. This makes a big difference when shooting on a gimbal, and I found it no problem operating the gimbal single-handedly.

susanna kosa on horseback filming another lady riding a horse

© Dennis Schmelz | Sony α1 + FE 24-105mm G OSS | 1/640s @ f/4.0, ISO 400

How did you find the performance of the new lens compared to your existing MK1 version?

I usually always work with manual focus and until recently I was a total autofocus opponent; that's something for beginners, I thought. Then about a year ago I did the first tests with the Alpha 7S III and my G Master lenses and was really impressed how well the AF worked. So I was already quite happy with the 24-70mm GM Mk I, but I did have occasional shots where the AF didn't work perfectly. But hallelujah, the autofocus with the new Mk II is out of this world. I used it a lot on this shoot, on the FX3 as the main camera and the Alpha 7S III as the gimbal camera. Around 80% of the movie is shot in AF mode. And that's me, the biggest AF critic and advocate of manual focus, but honestly, a human focus puller definitely can't keep up with this technology anymore. It's a pleasure to view the shots, because in the three days of shooting I actually didn't have a single shot where the autofocus wasn't spot on - not a single one! Unbelievable! But now the agony of choice in post-production is even worse because most shots are usable :-)

susanna kosa framing a shot on her sony alpha 7sm3

© Dennis Schmelz | Sony α1 + FE 24-105mm G OSS | 1/125s @ f/4.0, ISO 100

During the shoot, I used eye autofocus a lot, either human eye or animal eye, as well as the tracking feature. It's silent and absolutely precise and I'm so thankful that it worked flawlessly, because it's super hard to shoot with animals and children, especially if they are not trained actors.

You basically follow their natural actions and that can get quite chaotic and very hard to get good shots. On top of that, if you work alone, it is a huge relief if you can fully rely on your equipment to support your work. After the first day's shooting, I had complete trust in my setup and I could focus more on the feel of the film, on directing and on keeping everyone entertained.

close up of a sony fx3 with fe 24-70mm gm II

© Dennis Schmelz | Sony α1 + FE 24-105mm G OSS | 1/500s @ f/4.0, ISO 100

As a filmmaker, did you find any of the new features particularly useful?

The focus breathing suppression was a big positive for me and I didn't notice any focus breathing at all, despite switching focus points from foreground to background on a number of occasions.

The manual aperture ring is very convenient for me as a filmmaker, especially because it works both with haptic feedback (click) or continuously. I quickly got used to it and only set the aperture via the ring on the lens. I also liked the fact that you can lock the ring so that you cannot accidentally change the aperture while filming.

susanna kosa walking alongside 2 ladies on horseback while filming them

© Dennis Schmelz | Sony α1 + FE 24-105mm G OSS | 1/500s @ f/4.0, ISO 400

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

I have been using G Master lenses for years and am absolutely delighted with them; with each new release they only get better. Since I mainly work with the FX6, FX3 and the Alpha 7S III, the genuine Sony lenses are the perfect combination and I can make the most of the cameras' features, especially the incredible autofocus! But what I love most is that my equipment now gives me so much creative freedom as a solo filmmaker. I can do shots that were unthinkable on my own not too long ago, shots for which I would always have needed an assistant. For example, the Reveal Shot in the film, where I start quite close on the mother's face, walk 180° around her and then open the frame on her and her daughter as a wide shot. It gives me incredible joy that I can now think and work even more freely and creatively.