With an ambitious goal guiding its design, the groundbreaking Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master Lens is the newest (and lightest) telephoto prime to be added to the acclaimed lineup of Sony G Master lenses. Let’s take a look at the ways that Sony has raised the bar with this class-leading 300mm f2.8 G Master telephoto prime — the 75th lens in its venerable E-Mount lens lineup.
Key Features of Sony 300mm f2.8 Lens
- World’s lightest large-aperture telephoto prime
- 4.88 x 10.4 inches
- Dust and moisture resistant design
- 11 circular aperture blades for beautiful bokeh rendering
- Support for 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
- 3x Super ED and 1x ED elements
- Nano AR Coating II
- 2 XD linear motors paired with focus algorithms
- Autofocus tracking, speed, and precision
- 50% lighter than 400mm f2.8 G Master, making it more convenient for travel
- Focus ring with linear response
- Built-in Optical SteadyShot
- Function Ring can be assigned to control Power Focus, or to toggle between APS-C and Full-Frame format
What’s New About the Sony 300mm f2.8 Lens?
Size & Weight
The Sony 300mm f2.8 telephoto prime lens is the lightest lens in its class. Designed with portability in mind, its compact size and weight, combined with its stunning speed and optical quality, make it highly beneficial for a wide variety of photographers and filmmakers. Sports photographers can shoot handheld for longer periods of time thanks to the lightweight design of the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master, which isn’t top or back heavy. It offers a balanced form factor that can rest in the palm of your hand, and is well suited to extended periods of handheld photography.
Function Ring
For sports and wildlife shooters that capture fast-moving subjects, having the ability to assign custom functions to physical controls is essential. In addition to the four customizable focus hold buttons on the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master, there is an all-new Function Ring that can be assigned to control one of two settings.
Power Focus initiates constant speed focusing in whichever direction you turn the Function Ring. Sports shooters will be able to adapt to the erratic movements of athletes during a game by simply panning their camera, and use Power Focus to direct the focusing system to track forward or backwards with the movement of the action.
The Function Ring can also be assigned to control the APS-C mode of Sony Alpha cameras, providing the versatility of having fast access to 300mm and 450mm focal lengths with a quick turn.
Build Quality and Ergonomics
Ease of maneuverability and comfortable handling are two of the beneficial design aspects of the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master Lens. Photographers and filmmakers can change camera settings easily using physical controls on the lens. Things like focus modes, DMF, focus range limits, Optical SteadyShot modes, and more are all quickly accessible through manual controls on the lens.
In addition to its contaminant resistant Flourine coated front element, the 300mm G Master also features a dust and moisture resistant build, with seals around all of its rings and buttons. It can deliver images comfortably, and is weather-sealed against the most inclement weather conditions.
Image Quality
With 20 lens elements in 16 groups, the lens’ optical formula features three Super ED (extra-low dispersion) and one ED element, minimizing axial and lateral chromatic aberration for class-leading image quality. It also features Sony’s Nano AR Coating II, which minimizes flares and ghosting for corner-to-corner sharpness.
The image quality of the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master Lens serves as the foundation for the excellent teleconverter performance it offers with the Sony 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. Photographers and filmmakers can increase the effective reach of the 300mm f2.8 G Master with minimal loss of contrast or sharpness when using teleconverters.
Autofocus Performance
To keep up with subjects that rapidly change distance and direction, you need focus motors that can move a lot of glass elements with speed. The Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master Lens delivers best-in-class autofocus performance, featuring two of Sony’s latest XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors.
The motors are designed to deliver fast and precise autofocus performance, while also being very quiet. Wildlife photographers can track subjects from a distance without any audible noise, while capturing high frame rate bursts with amazing focus accuracy. Autofocus performance is maintained even when combined with teleconverters, and in conjunction with high-speed AF/AE calculations.
Who Should Try the Sony 300mm f2.8 Lens?
The Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master is an essential lens for professional photographers and filmmakers who cover sports, wildlife, and other fast-moving subjects.
Sports photographers can pair the 300mm f2.8 G Master with Sony’s 600mm f4 G Master as a complimentary focal length in their sports photography telephoto prime lens kit. It’s also a great lens for indoor sports photography, like gymnastics, to provide just enough focal range to get decisive images without being too long in tight gymnasiums or arenas.
Sports photographers can take advantage of having a 300mm telephoto prime with a wide f2.8 aperture, which is a coveted combination of reach and aperture. It allows sports photographers to maintain low noise when using fast shutter speeds in low-light conditions.
Wildlife photographers should strongly consider adding the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master Lens to their kit. If you explore beautiful landscapes with temperate climates and difficult terrain, having a telephoto prime of this caliber — weather-sealed and lightweight — would be highly beneficial. Also, the silent autofocusing motors are ideal for shooting sensitive wildlife that react to loud noises.
Comparable Sony Lenses
There are a few other comparable lenses in Sony’s lineup that offer the 300mm focal length, but only a few of them can offer image quality and performance similar to the 300mm f2.8 G Master.
The Sony 100-400mm G Master Lens is an amazing telephoto zoom lens for photographers and filmmakers who want versatility and access to the 300mm focal length. It features G Master optics with outstanding resolution and sharpness, and would be a great lens for sports, wildlife, or action.
Another great option is the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Zoom Lens. Built with a highly resourceful focal range and fully internal zoom, it offers maximum versatility to cover a diverse range of subjects. Everything from sports, to wildlife, to action, and events can all be captured within the 200-600mm focal range.
There are also two other telephoto prime lenses that sit alongside the Sony 300mm f2.8 G Master:
- The Sony 135mm f1.8 G Master is a telephoto prime with a wide aperture. This makes it an amazing option for shooting sports at somewhat closer distances. It offers incredible image quality and resolution, and linear motors that can keep up with fast action.
- The Sony 400mm f2.8 G Master is the next telephoto prime lens with a bit more reach than the 300mm G Master, but with the same amazing optics, build quality, and fast f2.8 aperture.
Conclusion
Sony 75th lens in it’s venerable E-Mount lens lineup has raised the bar and set several standards for telephoto prime lenses. It offers class-leading performance in build, optics, autofocus, handling, and image quality. When combined with Sony’s amazing lineup of high-performing Alpha cameras, the 300mm f2.8 G Master can deliver incredible images with stunning detail, resolution, and focus accuracy. Sports, wildlife, and many other types of photographers and filmmakers now have another compelling telephoto prime option to elevate their work.
