Sony FE 24-105mm bokeh

DenImage · Apr 13, 2018

I'm considering buying the 24-105mm but just read this review:

Sony's Best Lens Isn't a G Master

Before anything else, this is the one lens every Sony mirrorless shooter should own. And no, it’s not part of their premium and pricey G Master line. The Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS was announced as the “most lightweight design of its class.” While that appears to be true, the marketing jab...

fstoppers.com

Most of the sample images look great, except for this:

Sony FE 24-105mm bokeh ball example

The onion ring bokeh looks terrible and distracting IMO.

Have other 24-105mm users noticed this, and does it bother them?

Den

Arcimboldo · Apr 13, 2018

DenImage said:
I'm considering buying the 24-105mm but just read this review:

https://fstoppers.com/originals/sonys-best-lens-isnt-g-master-237242

Most of the sample images look great, except for this:

Sony FE 24-105mm bokeh ball example

The onion ring bokeh looks terrible and distracting IMO.

Have other 24-105mm users noticed this, and does it bother them?

Den

IMHO, the 24-105 is a general purpose walkaround lens, not a bokeh master, and it's very good at that. How about get it and the 85 GM together? (I personally like the 85 GM bokeh better than the sometimes rather artifical-looking STF.)

Ron Poelman · Apr 13, 2018

in comparison to overall background so the balls are far too obvious.
If that's the worst this lens can do, I may have to buy one.
Other Bokeh (non-ball type) looks great for a zoom

Nick46 · Apr 13, 2018

The link you directed us to has nothing but praise for this lens. So what's your problem with it?

DenImage · Apr 13, 2018

Nick46 said:
The link you directed us to has nothing but praise for this lens. So what's your problem with it?

Read the comments:

"What about the HORRIBLE bokeh balls in the 5th sample?"

"Pretty distracting in my opinion too"

"Nine Blade Onion Balls, if you use a lot of bokeh in your shots people will notice it"

"I love bokeh balls, I'm all over it but those bokeh balls look very odd. Like onion rings. Something funky going on inside those bokeh balls and it doesnt look pleasant"

:

I posted the review link here, to see what other DPReview members think.

Den

jor23 · Apr 13, 2018

Better than 55 1.8?

DenImage · Apr 13, 2018

jor23 said:
Better than 55 1.8?

Looks similar doesn't it.

Den

MikeTakesPix · Apr 13, 2018

I wouldn’t call it a bokeh monster (for that, get a fast 50 or 85), but for walk around general purpose shooting and informal portraiture at the 105 end, it does quite well. Also it’s much easier to handle the f/4 focal plane than those at f/1.x on full frame.

woodyggg · Apr 13, 2018

You never stated your intended use, so it's hard to really provide much input. If you're going to nix the purchase based on it's bokeh, what are your other options for your needs?

biza43 · Apr 13, 2018

It would not bother me, because I would never expect a general purpose zoom to be a bokeh master.

If it bothers you and you find it horrible, whether it matters to others is pointless.

DenImage · Apr 13, 2018

woodyggg said:
You never stated your intended use, so it's hard to really provide much input. If you're going to nix the purchase based on it's bokeh, what are your other options for your needs?

My intended use for the 24-105mm is pretty much for what it's designed for, "all in one" general use. I just didn't expect such bad onion ring bokeh.

I just sold my 24-240mm, and it didn't have anywhere near as much onion ring bokeh.

Den

Stflbn · Apr 13, 2018

Zooms are imperfect.

Sony 24-105 is fantastic for what it is.

If you expect better you should look at prime lenses that perform for your specific needs, and spend much more in the process.

--
A7rii | RX10 iv | RX100 v | 28 f2 | 85 1.8 | Godox tt685s (x3) & X1T-S | Zhiyun Crane
------------------------
http://501concepts.com

vett93 · Apr 13, 2018

DenImage said:
Nick46 said:

The link you directed us to has nothing but praise for this lens. So what's your problem with it?

Click to expand...

Read the comments:

"What about the HORRIBLE bokeh balls in the 5th sample?"

"Pretty distracting in my opinion too"

"Nine Blade Onion Balls, if you use a lot of bokeh in your shots people will notice it"

"I love bokeh balls, I'm all over it but those bokeh balls look very odd. Like onion rings. Something funky going on inside those bokeh balls and it doesnt look pleasant"

:

I posted the review link here, to see what other DPReview members think.

Den

My Zeiss Batis 25mm F2 has bokeh balls just like that....

Rol Lei Nut · Apr 13, 2018

IMO, there is some sample variation in the bokeh.

My first copy of the lens was soft on one side and had pretty rough bokeh, especially in areas such as just out of focus grass and foliage (very different from what the OP is showing).

My second sample was sharp all over and the bokeh also really seemed to have improved. I wouldn't call it a bokeh monster, but in the great majority of cases I find it acceptable. Again, I don't often shoot situations such as the OP pointed out, so results there could vary.

chrisno · Apr 13, 2018

Arcimboldo said:
IMHO, the 24-105 is a general purpose walkaround lens, not a bokeh master, and it's very good at that. How about get it and the 85 GM together? (I personally like the 85 GM bokeh better than the sometimes rather artifical-looking STF.)

get the 85GM, 85.8 or 70-200GM if you want the absolute best bokeh

24-105 is not a lens for this category and the bokeh is pretty bad

I would not recommend STF for most situations because it's so smooth like smartphone defocus

CarlitosM · Apr 13, 2018

It's not a terribly insightful review, and I wonder what took them so long to write it. I think the images were all from the time when the lens was originally presented, and there is no proper evaluation of the lens. You could get the same info by looking at the very first press releases.

d3xmeister · Apr 13, 2018

Bokeh can be manipulated a lot by choosing the background, the angle, the focal length, the aperture, the distance to subject. It can make a big difference.

I had lenses stamped with the ,,bad bokeh,, seal and I've been very pleased with them. And I had ,,bokeh masters,, lenses that gave be pretty ugly bokeh in some situations.

There is no lens that gives beautiful bokeh no matter what other factors.

Getting beautiful images is more a matter of the photographer than the camera+lens, as usual, but for some reasons these days we expect to just point a camera at anything and get Pulitzer winning images straight up. Ain't gonna happen.

chrisno · Apr 13, 2018

d3xmeister said:
Bokeh can be manipulated a lot by choosing the background, the angle, the focal length, the aperture, the distance to subject. It can make a big difference.

I had lenses stamped with the ,,bad bokeh,, seal and I've been very pleased with them. And I had ,,bokeh masters,, lenses that gave be pretty ugly bokeh in some situations.

There is no lens that gives beautiful bokeh no matter what other factors.

Getting beautiful images is more a matter of the photographer than the camera+lens, as usual, but for some reasons these days we expect to just point a camera at anything and get Pulitzer winning images straight up. Ain't gonna happen.

there is no way you can manipulate the background look of your 24-105mm F4 to look like a 85 GM, 70-200 GM

it's just not possible unless your background is a total blank lol

Stefan Zeiger · Apr 13, 2018

I've only really noticed this onion ring effect in one shot so far:

In most shots I find the bokeh quite pleasant for a zoom.

d3xmeister · Apr 13, 2018

chrisno said:
d3xmeister said:

Bokeh can be manipulated a lot by choosing the background, the angle, the focal length, the aperture, the distance to subject. It can make a big difference.

I had lenses stamped with the ,,bad bokeh,, seal and I've been very pleased with them. And I had ,,bokeh masters,, lenses that gave be pretty ugly bokeh in some situations.

There is no lens that gives beautiful bokeh no matter what other factors.

Getting beautiful images is more a matter of the photographer than the camera+lens, as usual, but for some reasons these days we expect to just point a camera at anything and get Pulitzer winning images straight up. Ain't gonna happen.

Click to expand...

there is no way you can manipulate the background look of your 24-105mm F4 to look like a 85 GM, 70-200 GM

it's just not possible unless your background is a total blank lol

Where did I said that ?

Sony FE 24-105mm bokeh

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