Help Me Help You
I support my growing family through this website, as crazy as it might seem.
The biggest help is when you use any of when you get anything. It costs you nothing, and is this site’s, and thus my family’s, biggest source of support. These places always have the best prices and service, which is why I’ve used them since before this website existed. I recommend them all personally.
If you find this
page as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may
have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.
If you’ve gotten your gear through one of my or helped otherwise, you’re family. It’s great people like you who allow me to keep adding to this site full-time. Thanks!
If you haven’t helped yet, please do, and consider helping me with a gift of $5.00.
As this page is copyrighted and formally registered, it is unlawful to make copies, especially in the form of printouts for personal use. If you wish to make a printout for personal use, you are granted one-time permission only if you PayPal me $5.00 per printout or part thereof. Thank you!
Thanks for reading!
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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Sample Images
Kelly Fitzgerald, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 240mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 320, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
Shot from way back in the cheap seats.
Sunset at the Park, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 240mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
Katie gets a glow stick, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 24mm wide-open at f/3.5 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 25,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Easy to shoot hand-held outdoors at night, lit by a glowstick.
Katie and her glow stick at night, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 39mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 25,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Big Ice Cream Truck. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 35mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/20 at Auto ISO 3,200, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original file.
Burger Truck. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 24mm wide-open at f/3.5 at 1/15 at Auto ISO 500, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
Singer in the park at night, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 240mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 6,400, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
Shot from the cheap seats at night: no problem.
Fountain, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 24mm wide-open at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 6,400, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
OSS Image Stabilization means I don’t need no stinking tripods to shoot at night!
Palms in Pool, 31 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 33mm at f/8 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original file.
Compared
There isn’t anything similar from Sony or anyone else to fit Sony cameras.
Nikon’s excellent 28-300mm VR is the best of this breed, but it only fits Nikon and is bigger and heavier. It has a more useful zoom range and always has instant mechanical manual-focus override. You have to fiddle with settings with the Sony 24-240mm to get any sort of manual focus or override. Even if you found an adapter that worked to use the Nikon 28-300 on Sony, I seriously doubt that this Nikon lens would focus as fast or work as well as this Sony 24-240mm does on Sony cameras.
Canon has nothing similar for its cameras. Canon’s 28-300mm is a huge (58 oz./1,660g), exotic $2,400 lens that isn’t really saving you any weight over carrying two other zooms.
Introduction
B&H Photo — Video — Pro Audio I buy only from . I can’t vouch for below. |
The Sony 24-240mm is sharp, autofocuses over the entire frame, focuses silently and essentially instantly on my Sony A9, focuses super-close, operates its diaphragm silently and covers every focal length I need. While I can spend more on the heavier and much more expensive 24-70/2.8 GM and 70-200/2.8 GM, the pictures are the same 95% of the time and this 24-240mm is much easier and much more fun to carry all day — and this 24~240mm has 20% more telephoto range than those two lenses combined! If it’s less effort to carry, I’m more relaxed and make better pictures.
My 24-240mm works fast and gives . The extreme sensitivity of lets me shoot anything in any light. This lens even focuses fast enough to let me ! While we needed «fast» f/1.4 lenses back in the days of film, it’s not 1997 anymore. This lens is fast enough to shoot anything in any light on modern cameras, and my A9 cheerfully runs at 20 FPS all day with it.
It has a built-in optical stabilizer, and also works with any sensor-shift stabilization in your camera. Focus also holds as zoomed. Bravo!
While people who sit behind desks all day might have the luxury of browsing or have the time to notice that this lens might not be quite as sharp in the corners wide-open in a laboratory as the huge 24-70/2.8 GM and even bigger 70-200/2.8 GM, for those of us who have to shoot and to produce saleable photos every single day instead of just talking about it, this lens lets me do it all. I’ve had no problems licensing photos to major international pharmaceutical companies for thousands of dollars each — and those were shot with a kit lens! The only people who blame bad photos on their lenses are bad photographers, or people trying to sell you expensive lenses.
The Sony 24-240 is a freedom lens; the only lens you’ll probably need to shoot anything anywhere. It saves you from having to fumble with a bag of multiple lenses, and since this lens is always on your camera ready to shoot, you’ll get the shots that others miss while changing lenses.
Isn’t the whole reason you went mirrorless was to carry less? The less I carry, the faster and farther I go, the more I see, and the more and better pictures I take. The 24-70/2.8 GM and 70-200/2.8 GM are fantastic lenses, but if I wanted to carry that much or fiddle with fixed prime lenses, I’d shoot the LEICA, Nikon or Canon systems I already own.
Good
● Essentially instantaneous autofocus.
● Autofocuses over the entre frame on an A9.
● Silent autofocus.
● Silent diaphragm.
● Plenty sharp for .
● Covers every focal length.
● Focuses super-close, probably close enough to replace your macro lens.
● Smaller than either of the the 24-70/2.8 GM or 70-200/2.8 GM lenses it can replace for real-world shooting.
Recommendations
Get one! This lens does everything. Even better, get this lens and simply forget about any fixed-focal length lenses, macro lenses, or anything like the 24-70/2.8 GM or 70-200/2.8 GM; this lens replaces them all.
The only thing you might want to consider are a wider lens like the 12-24mm, but very few people know how to use ultrawide lenses. I’d stick to just this one lens and never worry about adding any more, unless you just like to spend money.
The very best protective filter is the 72mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the B+W 72mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
I got my 24~240 at B&H. I’d also get it at Adorama or at Amazon.
This all-content, junk-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use those or any of when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Sony does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on since you’ll have no way of knowing if you’re missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, , store demo or used lens. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
E-Mount Full-Frame FE OSS
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS (covers full-frame and APS-C, 72mm filters, 27.5 oz./780g, 2’/0.6m close focus, about $998) bigger. I got mine at B&H. I’d also get it at Adorama or at Amazon.
This all-content, junk-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use those or any of when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Sony does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on since you’ll have no way of knowing if you’re missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, , store demo or used lens. Get yours only from the for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
August 2017 Sony Zeiss Canon Nikon All Reviews
Getting a Legal USA Version
(applies in USA only)
In the USA, along with whatever else is in your box, be sure you get a folded USA Warranty slip like this that says «US Only» and has the (800) 222-SONY number:
Sony USA Warranty slip. bigger.
If not, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my . You just can’t take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the USA.
If a gray market version saves you $300 it may be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn’t risk having no warranty or support.
Always be sure to check your paperwork while you can still return it, or just don’t buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you’ll be able to have your lens serviced as needed.
US versions like mine may also include manuals in extra languages and extra foreign warranty cards; so long as you have an English manual and a US Only warranty card, you’re good.
Get yours from the and you won’t have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Specifications
Name
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Sony calls this the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS:
FE: Full-frame coverage, E-mount.
OSS: «Optical Steady Shot» Image Stabilization.
SEL24240
Optics
24-240 internal construction. Aspherical and ED elements. bigger.
17 elements in 12 groups.
1 ED extra-low dispersion element, which helps reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
5 aspherical elements.
Pumper zoom; .
Internal focus.
Diaphragm
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
7 rounded blades.
Stops down to f/22 ~ f/40.
Focal Length
24-240mm.
When used on APS-C, it sees the same angle of view as a 38-380mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angle of View
84º ~ 10º diagonal on full-frame.
61º ~ 6.8º diagonal on APS-C.
Silent internal focus.
Linear autofocus motor.
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
1.65 ~ 2.6 feet (0.5 ~ 0.8 meters).
It focuses more closely at the wide end.
Sony ALC-SH136 hood for FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Plastic bayonet ALC-SH136 hood included.
Size
3.17″ maximum diameter × 4.67″ extension from flange.
80.5 mm maximum diameter × 118.5 mm extension from flange.
Weight
27.5 oz. (780g).
Lens.
ALC-F72S front and ALC-R1EM rear cap.
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Bubble-wrapped lens in corrugated cardboard box.