Sony SEL24240 FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Zoom Lens for Mirrorless Cameras

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I have had this lens for a few months now and have used it in a variety of situations. This review will be a breakdown of questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing this lens, as well as the pros and cons that I have found while using it. Brace yourself, it will be long but necessary if you dont want to waste hundreds of dollars. Questions: Do you have a full frame or crop sensor camera? What is your environment or the environment in which you will be shooting? What will be your subject? If you have a camera with the capability to use different lens, is this lens right for you? Will you be taking video as well? The answers to these questions will vary based upon you. However, things to keep in mind; If you have a Sony a5000-6500 series or an A7r II, the 18mm-200mm is a better choice because it is made for a crop sensor. You get wide shots and telephoto capabilities in one because the crop factor for this full frame lens increases its focal length by 1.5x, effectively making it a 36mm-360mm instead of a 24mm - 240mm. If you are looking for a longer focal length though, there are better solutions than this lens for about 70 dollars more at your local camera/electronics store (70-300mm G lens is my recommendation). This lens (24mm-240mm) works best in bright environments. If you will be taking photos in a arid environment, it prevents you from having to swap lens, which is a plus for saving your sensor from being exposed to dirt and debris. It does poorly in low light if you are trying to keep your ISO down or use a higher shutter speed. It hunts for focus in those situations as well. Works great in a city, does pretty well in backcountry. Backpackers or traveling photographers keep in mind that it is a heavy lens. This will cause sloping on a tripod, so youll have to angle it higher to compensate for the tilt. Additionally for the cinematographers/videographers or anyone looking to shoot video, it can not be used on a gimbal effectively. Handheld video is also affected by adding too much camera shake when zooming in, even with OSS and in body camera image stabilization (IBIS). Those looking to use this lens to take close up shots or use it as a secondary macro lens, be aware that the Minimum Focal Distances (MFD) is 1.6 feet but increases to 3 feet at the end of the focal length. That means at 300mm you will need to be at least 3 feet away from your subject to get it to focus. Autofocus Time (AFT) and Manual Focus Time (MFT) are not very fast. Additionally, this lens has one of the lower resale values on the market because it is so frequently returned; since it covers a broad focal range, it does not capture the best of the best when it comes to portraits, landscapes, macros, etc. This is why the prime lens market still exists. A rough resell estimate has been between 50 - 70% off of its market value. So although it is a very well made and a great multipurpose lens, it does have a niche market and that applies to usage as well. Pros: - Large focal length coverage! - Quality build - Rigid zoom ring - Prevents censor exposure in windy, debris filled environments - Prevents continuous swapping of lens - Takes a great quality image (great not excellent) - OSS - Dust and Moisture Resistant (Not debris resistant!) Cons: - Expensive - Heavy - Poor resale value - Not particularly good at one thing - Poor AFT/MFT - Poor MFD (as per other options within its price range) - Not weather sealed Lens Recommendations: For Sony ASP-C users; the 18mm-200mm is better at covering the focal lengths youll need if this lens is for you. For Video; the 18mm - 105mm G lens. Internal focusing with power zoom for $600 USD. Maintains video integrity and balance on a gimbal. For Telephoto - Close-ups; Sony 70mm - 300mm F4 G lens. This can be picked up for $925 USD if you shop around, buy used, or price match. Much better AFT/MFT and reduced MFD at the end of the focal length. For Macro - Portait; Sony 90mm F2.8 Macro Lens. Quality, quality, quality. Superb close-ups and better portraits. For Ultrawide Landscape/Architecture/Interior; Rokinon 12mm F2. Sharp, manual, cheap, great build quality (FOR PHOTOS ONLY). For video ultra wide, Sony 12-24mm F4. Very expensive. Try to buy used. Best of the best. For kit lens replacement; Vario-Tessar T* 16mm-70mm F4. Great overall lens that is incredibly sharp and produces accurate color reproduction. Although has an external zoom, the zoom ring is very smooth for an easy transition. Tips: If you want to increase the focal length even further, you can do it digitally within your camera by using the Clear Image Zoom function. This Maintains image integrity while providing a more up-close shot. You will lose the ability to shoot RAW by using it, however by using an S-LOG Picture Profile, with the Cont. Braket, HDR, or DRO Bracket modes, image quality reduction is at a minimum. Sony recommends that you use the Neutral Creative Style for photos if you will be post-editing, however I have found the Picture Profile Setting (which is recommended for video), specifically PP7-PP9 to be more effective for post processing. If you have a Sony a6000 or lower, you will have to resort to using the Creative Style Neutral as your camera does not have the Picture Profile Function. I hope this helped! Take care!

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very heavy lens, i was thinking about the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens also, but glad i didnt get the GM lens - its even heavier than this one. very versatile. good for scenery, portrait or zoom. im not a pro user, just a dad wants to take good photos of kids. not very sharp you say, its sharp enough for me, fast enough. im not doing any extreme sports, so not weather sealed is ok. low resale value? no problem, im planning to use this for a long time. i dont think i will need another lens. 3 sample images for portrait/zoom, in door and outdoor scenery. i didnot spend very much time taking these photos, just point and click.

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The best super zoom Ive ever used. I tested the lens the day I received it and then shared about a dozen images from a photowalk. Others were impressed as well. Lens is bright and focuses fairly quickly locking on to subject with no hunting. IQ is quite impressive. The lens is sharp, contrasty and has excellent color. The range is perfect for a day outing or travel. In a 2-3 hour photowalk I rarely found myself needing or wanting anything wider or longer. One exception was at a local pond where I could have used a 500mm to capture a fisherman on the far bank. But thats not a carry-around lens. The zoom ring is a bit stiff out of the box but I think that will break-in over time. Ive seen that before with new lenses. Either way, its fine as you wont find this lens creeping much. Packaging is minimal but the plus side is that its quick to unpack. Unlike some other Sony lenses and particularly the Zeiss, the box just barely fits the lens. Inside you find the typical literature and the lens itself wrapped in a small bubble wrap bag. No additional cardboard bracing, no lens bag, no extra protection. This is true minimalist packaging. Thankfully mine came from Amazon packed in a larger box with some other items (soft items). Ive used super zooms from Canon, Tamron, Sigma and several others and have never felt that I was getting this level of performance. Of course, this lens costs a good deal more than the others but it shows in build quality and image quality. Strengths: Outstanding Image Quality Excellent Build Quality Excellent Range Ideal Carry Lens for All Day Outing Cons: A bit on the heavy side can leave a small body feeling unbalanced Packing was minimal. Thin cardboard box and some bubble wrap Zoom is stiff right out of the box, hoping it breaks in

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Switching from all-Nikon shop to Sony mirrorless, and tired of manual focus with the Nikon F to Sony E adapter, I bought this lens as a travel lens. It is OK, not as sharp and more distortion at the edge. My biggest complaint is the slow focus and sometimes no focus. I was so used to Nikon lens performance and this lens is definitely not at the same level.

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I bought my Sony 24-240mm lens a little over a year ago and recently took it with me to a shoot in Yosemite National Park. Id had no problems with the lens and even though I brought two camera bodies, I didnt bring two of every lens. I hand carried the camera bag with me on the airline so there was no physical damage but I had total lens failure when I got to Yosemite. The camera would not focus even manually and the zoom ring would only work between 50 & 100 mm. The lens was out of warranty so Ive sent it to the Sony designated repair facility where it is costing me $380 to fix. On top of that, parts are backordered for a month, so now Im waiting until sometime in February to have it returned. This is evidently a common problem. So just advising you to get the extended warranty for this lens if you buy it at all. Its a great travel lens but only if it works. Just a word to the wise!

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Wonderful lens. I truly light the range this lens offers, and while I have seen some complain about the weight of the lens, it doesnt seem to phase me. The focus and zoom are rather stiff, but that doesnt seem to bother me either. Ive enjoyed the 4K and 1080p 120fps this lens has helped delivered, and while I have noticed it is difficult to avoid a soft focus from a distance at times, overall it hasnt been bad at all as some claim. I think the overall focusing on the Sony A7Sii is imperfect and needs improvement, and when testing it with autofocus on, I had minor issues with it keeping up. Ive also used this lens on several photography sessions, and I have truly enjoyed the range it offers. Overall I truly have enjoyed this lens, and my only regret is not purchasing it earlier!

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This is actually a very nice lens with sharp optics for a zoom with this range. As always there are compromises with a lens covering such a large range but Ive been pleasantly surprised by the overall sharpness that this lens provides. While, of course, not an equal to prime lenses or even the much more expensive shorter zooms for the Sony, it does a very good job and one has to carry considerably fewer lenses. I traveled with this lens and a Leica 50mm f2 prime. At lot less than I usually carry.

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No its not the sharpest nor the fastest but for convenience and for a do-it-all travel lens I think its perfect. I have zero complaints regarding image quality for this lens. Focus speed on my A6300 is fast and predictable. I highly recommend this lens if you need the ability to go wide or far and cannot change lenses or only want to deal with one lens. It is a little heavy but I really dont mind it. Ive walked around all day before and never felt the lens was too much to carry even at the end of the day.

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Great lens for my purposes. I bought it mainly to film figure skating, where you need both wide angle have to zoom in and out pretty fast, and the lens proved to be perfect for the task. Besides, this lens turned out to be a great main lens, I ended up using it a lot for photo as well.

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I returned mine after testing. None of the photographs shot at 240mm were sharp even in tropical sunshine. Less than 100mm it was very good but I already own the 24-105mm f/4 which is even sharper. So, I am now torn between the 75-200 f/4 G or the 100-400mm GM. If I can sell some of my Canon gear (including the 100-400mm L) Ill go for the 100-400mm GM. I just cant go back to Canon after the Sony A7 iii.

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