Sony Announces Development of New 300mm F2.8 G Master Lens

[Tim Mayo]

If you’ve been waiting for a 300 F2.8 E-mount lens then you won’t have too much longer to wait.

Here’s the press text.

Sony Announces Development of New G Master™ 300mm F2.8 Telephoto Full-Frame E-mount Lens, targeting to launch in early 2024​

Sony today announced the development of the long-awaited FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Telephoto lens, with a target launch date in early 2024.
Large-aperture super-telephoto lenses like the FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS and FE 600mm F4 GM OSS are highly acclaimed by sports and wildlife photographers around the world for their outstanding resolution and AF performance, as well as being remarkably lightweight. As such, the new lens will feature the incredible high-resolution and spectacularly beautiful bokeh of Sony’s acclaimed line of flagship G Master™ series lenses, whilst also offering a far-reaching 300 mm focal length and F2.8 large aperture. This combination will deliver a new elevated shooting experience for all professional sports, news and event photographers and videographers looking to capture decisive moments with higher image quality.
Sony will continue to expand its attractive lens line-up in order to meet the demands and maximize the creative possibilities for all types of creators, including professionals, and expand the possibilities of artistic expression.
Additional details and specifications on the new FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS Telephoto Lens will be released at a later date.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Not before time, however, it's going to cost at least 6k, and thus will just be a dream for most of us.

 

[Brownie]

Not before time, however, it's going to cost at least 6k, and thus will just be a dream for most of us.

Exactly. $6,000 later...

Lots of A-Mounts out there for far less.

 

[spudhead]

Good to hear but I have used the a-mount 300 2.8 mk1 g since 2017 on a-mount and then on e-mount on lea-3 and then lea-5 on the a7iii and a9 and I can tell you its as quick in use as any e-mount lens I own and delivers for me, only plus would be no adaptor and if it played nice with 1.4 and 2x converters, and if it was lighter. I still have the 300 Minolta 2.8 and was playing with it the other day on the lea-4 since I do not get screw drive on the lea-5 on the a9 and a7iii and the crazy thing is its as sharp as the sony version and even tracks well. As Tim says still some a-mount versions around in fact my mate offered me a mk1 he took in part ex for 1.5k a couple of weeks ago, if it had been the mk2 even at more money it would have been a done deal

 

[MrFotoFool]

I have wondered why none of the current mirrorless mounts have a 300 f2.8 available. Sony is on a roll and this announcement will be good news to some. It would be a real winner if they could add a built-in teleconverter (like Nikon 400 f2.8 and 600 f4), but that would add size and weight. If they can pull this off to be significantly lighter than conventional 300 2.8 lenses, it's a hit.

 

[iain clyne]

I have wondered why none of the current mirrorless mounts have a 300 f2.8 available. Sony is on a roll and this announcement will be good news to some. It would be a real winner if they could add a built-in teleconverter (like Nikon 400 f2.8 and 600 f4), but that would add size and weight. If they can pull this off to be significantly lighter than conventional 300 2.8 lenses, it's a hit.

The problem with the 300 f2.8 is it’s not used so much by pros now as they tend to use the 400 f2.8.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I wouldn’t call “early 2024” not too much longer to wait - that’s at least a year!

Still, at least they are working on it. I shall have to start saving my pennies. Maybe that’s the reason for the pre-announce, to encourage us to start saving!

 

[AlphaWorld]

The problem with the 300 f2.8 is it’s not used so much by pros now as they tend to use the 400 f2.8.

I’d suggest that the main reason that they are not using the 300mm f/2.8 is its non-existence

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

Maybe that’s the reason for the pre-announce, to encourage us to start saving!

Bingo! ️

 

[AlphaWorld]

Good to hear but I have used the a-mount 300 2.8 mk1 g since 2017 on a-mount and then on e-mount on lea-3 and then lea-5 on the a7iii and a9 and I can tell you its as quick in use as any e-mount lens I own and delivers for me, only plus would be no adaptor and if it played nice with 1.4 and 2x converters, and if it was lighter. I still have the 300 Minolta 2.8 and was playing with it the other day on the lea-4 since I do not get screw drive on the lea-5 on the a9 and a7iii and the crazy thing is its as sharp as the sony version and even tracks well. As Tim says still some a-mount versions around in fact my mate offered me a mk1 he took in part ex for 1.5k a couple of weeks ago, if it had been the mk2 even at more money it would have been a done deal

I own both teleconverters, and I don't own an A-mount converter. Plus I have hopes a native E mount 300mm f/2.8 can be lighter.

So I'm holding out for an SEL300f28GM, and now I have hopes it will arrive before the heat death of the universe!

 

[Brownie]

Good to hear but I have used the a-mount 300 2.8 mk1 g since 2017 on a-mount and then on e-mount on lea-3 and then lea-5 on the a7iii and a9 and I can tell you its as quick in use as any e-mount lens I own and delivers for me, only plus would be no adaptor and if it played nice with 1.4 and 2x converters, and if it was lighter. I still have the 300 Minolta 2.8 and was playing with it the other day on the lea-4 since I do not get screw drive on the lea-5 on the a9 and a7iii and the crazy thing is its as sharp as the sony version and even tracks well. As Tim says still some a-mount versions around in fact my mate offered me a mk1 he took in part ex for 1.5k a couple of weeks ago, if it had been the mk2 even at more money it would have been a done deal

No no no. Third party lenses aren't trustworthy, nothing is as good as Sony, A-Mount can't hold up to modern sensor resolution.

Have you learned NOTHING from this place?

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

With a 70-200 f2.8 GM ii and a 400mm f2.8 and TC x1.4 you can cover 300mm(near enough) as
well as 560mm f4 before even considering additional magnification with your camera switched
to ASC mode when absolutely necessary.

My experience with 300mm lenses, after the initial excitement in stepping up to 300mm, its
charm will soon become old and in my opinion will soon start gathering dust, as i experienced
in following Nikon down this same road in the past.....more reach(perceived or real) is a constant draw
for birders and action photographers.

If Sony come up with a real game changer with a 300mm with additional functionality including a
built in TC and much reduced weight a case could be made for such a 300mm lens but for my money
if you own the 70-200mm GM II it is better in my opinion to save up the extra funds to secure the TC x1.4
and ultimately the 400mm f2.8...

My experience is that a 300mm for field photography is an intermediate step at best, unless "field" in
this instance used primarily for garden or backyard photography.

 

[MrFotoFool]

If Sony come up with a real game changer with a 300mm with additional functionality including a
built in TC and much reduced weight a case could be made for such a 300mm lens but for my money
if you own the 70-200mm GM II it is better in my opinion to save up the extra funds to secure the TC x1.4
and ultimately the 400mm f2.8...

You make some good points. When I shot Canon DSLR I bought a used 300 2.8 because the price was too good to pass up. After about a year I sold it because it was too heavy to travel along with my other gear and I realized using my 70-200 with 1.4x for an aperture of f4 at almost 300mm was good enough. (I do the same with my current Nikon D850 setup). Of course the 400 2.8 is a dream lens, but for most people (including myself) both the weight and price make it only a dream and nothing that will ever become reality.

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

Agreed Fred, ultimately budget availability, or not, will generally win the day....

 

[AlphaWorld]

With a 70-200 f2.8 GM ii and a 400mm f2.8 and TC x1.4 you can cover 300mm(near enough) as
well as 560mm f4 before even considering additional magnification with your camera switched
to ASC mode when absolutely necessary.

My experience with 300mm lenses, after the initial excitement in stepping up to 300mm, its
charm will soon become old and in my opinion will soon start gathering dust, as i experienced
in following Nikon down this same road in the past.....more reach(perceived or real) is a constant draw
for birders and action photographers.

If Sony come up with a real game changer with a 300mm with additional functionality including a
built in TC and much reduced weight a case could be made for such a 300mm lens but for my money
if you own the 70-200mm GM II it is better in my opinion to save up the extra funds to secure the TC x1.4
and ultimately the 400mm f2.8...

My experience is that a 300mm for field photography is an intermediate step at best, unless "field" in
this instance used primarily for garden or backyard photography.

I suspect the reason this lens is planned for early 2024, and has already been "pre-announced" is so Olympic photographers know it's coming, and will be out before the 2024 Olympics. This lens may be too short for your bird shots, but when you are working in an indoor sports arena, it's a practical choice - that's where I'd expect to see them.

I wonder if there will be a shortage of supply before the Olympics, a lot of shelves full of them at the Olympics, and a whole bunch of refurbished copies available around the end of 2024 (after the people like me have bought theirs at near-full price!).

 

[spudhead]

ok so a couple from today first image un cropped with 300 2.8 on adaptor a9 from today shot much slower than I ever would normally and the second 1.5 mb crop

• ILCE-9
• 300mm F2.8 G
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 3200

• ILCE-9
• 300mm F2.8 G
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 3200

 

[iain clyne]

I’d suggest that the main reason that they are not using the 300mm f/2.8 is its non-existence

The change to 400mm took place when FF like the Nikon D3 came out as we needed the extra reach that we had lost from crop sensor. Most of us that did sport for a living changed if we or our agency/paper could afford it. At that time the 300mm was still readily available.

 

[MrFotoFool]

The change to 400mm took place when FF like the Nikon D3 came out as we needed the extra reach that we had lost from crop sensor. Most of us that did sport for a living changed if we or our agency/paper could afford it. At that time the 300mm was still readily available.

300mm f2.8 was a staple lens for years before digital, when people were using 35mm film, which is "full frame" so to speak. Therefore I am not sure your argument holds weight. You may have a point though as to why mirrorless manufacturers decided to make a 400 2.8 first and hold off on a 300 2.8 (because there would be a greater demand for 400).

 

[iain clyne]

300mm f2.8 was a staple lens for years before digital, when people were using 35mm film, which is "full frame" so to speak. Therefore I am not sure your argument holds weight. You may have a point though as to why mirrorless manufacturers decided to make a 400 2.8 first and hold off on a 300 2.8 (because there would be a greater demand for 400).

You are entitled to your opinion but I worked for 30 years as a professional sports/press photographer here in the UK for agencies and freelance. The reason most people moved to 400mm was when FF digital bodies came out. We had been working for some time with crop sensors getting a fov equivalent of 450mm then all of a sudden we went back to 300mm. We wanted that extra reach. The 400mm became the lens of choice.

 

[AlphaWorld]

You are entitled to your opinion but I worked for 30 years as a professional sports/press photographer here in the UK for agencies and freelance. The reason most people moved to 400mm was when FF digital bodies came out. We had been working for some time with crop sensors getting a fov equivalent of 450mm then all of a sudden we went back to 300mm. We wanted that extra reach. The 400mm became the lens of choice.

On Nikon, I see your point. On Canon the sports body was the 1D, with that weird APS-H 1.3x factor all the way up to the 1DIV (before the 1D-X).

Amusingly, 300 -> 400 addresses the 1.3x better than it addresses 1.5x

 

[Brownie]

@MrFotoFool and @iain clyne, I think there's a detail that ties your arguments together, and you're both correct. The 300 was indeed a staple for years amongst the general public. Most were of reasonable enough size to fit it a bag, relatively affordable, and offered decent reach. For sports/wildlife enthusiasts and pros, the 400s, 500s, etc. were more popular.

 

[MrFotoFool]

What would be really interesting is if a mirrorless manufacturer created a 120-300 f2.8 zoom that is lighter than the current SLR offerings from Sigma and Nikon.

 

[MrFotoFool]

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the specs of the existing Sony 400 f2.8 and compared it to the Nikon (F mount) 300 f2.8 . I was shocked to discover they weigh exactly the same! Even the Nikon Z mount 400 2.8 is almost the same - just 50 grams heavier, but it includes a built-in extender. If this is the case, I wonder how light the upcoming Sony 300 2.8 will be?

 

[spudhead]

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the specs of the existing Sony 400 f2.8 and compared it to the Nikon (F mount) 300 f2.8 . I was shocked to discover they weigh exactly the same! Even the Nikon Z mount 400 2.8 is almost the same - just 50 grams heavier, but it includes a built-in extender. If this is the case, I wonder how light the upcoming Sony 300 2.8 will be?

Hopefully lighter than the a-mount 300 2.8 which I believe 2.3 kg which with my aches and pains is enough

 

[Paul stuart]

you can bet it will be sonys most advanced lens when released ,it would be a nice lens for sure but if 6k priced i would probably save the extra for a used 400mm f2.8 you can get like new used for like 8k ,although the 300 will be uber light ,and maybe come with built in t/c ,but by then perhaps sigma will announce a 500mm f4 fe mount with the new af motors like in the 60-600mm and around a kilo lighter than the dslr variant that is really quite good in iq department .interesting days i hope sony has some interesting designs for long tele photo work a lightweight prime with 600mm f5.6 would be cool or even a 200-500mm f4.5 zooms are still the way if you want the ultimate choice

 

[Brownie]

Here you go @spudhead and anyone else who fancies an A-Mount. I'd go this route if I were in the market. Which I'm not. Much. No, really...

From B&H

A new FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens from Sony is under development and will feature the incredible high-resolution and spectacularly beautiful bokeh true to Sony’s acclaimed line of flagship G Master lenses. Made for the Sony E-mount, this lens will deliver an elevated shooting experience for professional sports, news and event photographers, and videographers looking to capture decisive moments with higher image quality. The lens will expand on the design of the 600mm f/4 and the 400mm f/2.8 Grand Master OSS lenses.

Imaging Resource speculated about the possible specs of the lens:

Considering Sony’s impressive work on its most recent G Master zoom lenses, it seems reasonable to think the company can undercut 2,000g (4.4 lbs) with its upcoming 300mm F2.8 GM lens for mirrorless cameras. So far, we expect the 300mm F2.8 GM lens to be light, deliver fast AF thanks to XD Linear Motor technology, and promise superb image quality using Sony’s impressive XA lens elements.
What about handling? This has been an area of focus with the latest F2.8 zoom lens revisions. Each lens added dedicated aperture control rings (with a switch to smooth the aperture control ring) and Linear Response MF. The lenses have also added more programmable focus hold buttons while maintaining a weather-sealed design. It’s safe to assume similar features will make their way to the 300mm F2.8 GM lens when it launches next year.

I am wondering why Sony made such a development announcement for a lens that will be released at best one year from now. My only guess is that they want to reassure sport photographers that they can count on getting a 300mm f/2.8 GM lens right in time for the 2024 summer Olympics.

Uh huh. Along with the A1M2, I'd reckon.

Sony’s odd strategy with the new 300mm GM – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com

 

[spudhead]

Here you go @spudhead and anyone else who fancies an A-Mount. I'd go this route if I were in the market. Which I'm not. Much. No, really...

Uh huh. Along with the A1M2, I'd reckon.

Sony’s odd strategy with the new 300mm GM – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com

yep that is my baby a monster of a lens even on e-mount just as fast as the e-mount lenses I have

 

[MrFotoFool]

The A Mount (used) is a viable option if price is an issue (which it is for a lot of us). However the weight is also an issue as the upcoming E Mount will weigh substantially less (plus it won't need the mount adaptor which also adds length and weight). For me, I would rather do without and save up three years for the E Mount than settle for the A Mount. That is not to say it's not a viable option for some, just not for me.

 

[Brownie]

The A Mount (used) is a viable option if price is an issue (which it is for a lot of us). However the weight is also an issue as the upcoming E Mount will weigh substantially less (plus it won't need the mount adaptor which also adds length and weight). For me, I would rather do without and save up three years for the E Mount than settle for the A Mount. That is not to say it's not a viable option for some, just not for me.

Agreed, I just don't see the need for my use, anyway. If the 600 costs $12k, and the 400 $10k, then this will probably be $8k. Since I already have the 200-600, I ask myself if this is worth $8k. Answer is a resounding 'no'. An $8k lens budget gets a selection of lenses that I'd use regularly.

 

[AlphaWorld]

The existing 300mm lenses sit at around $6k, rather than $8k - I'm guessing the 300 GM will sit around there, too. I may be deluded, but I'm happy in my delusion for now

Still waiting for the "in development announcement for a 200mm f/2, too.