Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS

Reviewers rate it as a strong general-purpose zoom: the centre is sharp from f/4 at every focal length, borders are good at 24mm and 105mm, and lateral colour fringing is well controlled. Most testers found it better than the older ZEISS 24-70mm F4 and competitive with the Canon and Nikon 24-105/24-120 f/4 equivalents.

The weak points show up in uncorrected files. Barrel distortion at 24mm is heavy and vignetting at the wide end is severe, so Sony locks distortion correction on. The 40-50mm range is softer at the edges wide open and improves by f/5.6. AF is fast enough for events and travel but is not a sports lens, and the f/4 aperture limits background blur.

Owners treat it as the lens that stays on the camera for travel, weddings, family events and video. The 105mm reach, effective OSS and close focus get the most praise, and many say they sold a 24-70 after buying it.

Common complaints are the weight compared with compact bodies, zoom creep when pointed down on some copies, and a price that has barely fallen since launch. Some users wish for an aperture ring or a lock switch, and a few report copy variation in corner sharpness.