Sony FE 100mm f2.8 STF GM OSS Lens DxOMark Review: Excellent Optical Quality

Sony-FE-100mm-f2.8-STF-GM-OSS-Lens

DxOMark published their Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens test results: Tested on the 42MP Sony a7RII, the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens achieves an outstanding overall score of 34 points, with a combination of 40 P-Mpix Sharpness, 5.6 TStop Transmission, 0.4% Distortion, -0.5 EV Vignetting and 7μm Chr.aberration – “Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS has interesting specs and excellent optical quality.”

Sony-100mm-f2.8-gm-lens

Specifications

  • 14 elements arranged in 11 groups
  • F2.8 (T5.6) maximum aperture
  • Apodization (APD) element
  • One Low Dispersion (ED) element
  • Optical image stabilization (OSS)
  • Direct Drive SSM AF motor
  • Minimum focus distance 57 cm
  • Nano AR coating

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS vs Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM vs Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

Sony-FE-100mm-f2.8-STF-GM-OSS-Lens-DxOMark-Review

Sony isn’t the only lens maker to use apodization filters, but this lens is the only one with a large enough image circle to cover a full-frame (35mm) sensor. As a lens intended primarily for portraiture, it’s fairly limited in use, and at around $1500, it’s quite an investment. Anyone spending that sort of money would also likely consider the 85mm F1.4 GM, even though that lens carries a $300 premium over the STF.

Macro lenses like the 90mm F2.8 are often used instead of the more typical high-speed 85mm, due to their useful close focusing ability. The 90mm Macro have slightly higher peak sharpness, slightly lower distortion and lateral chromatic aberration.

Conclusion from DxOMark:

While the use of apodization elements or filters in lenses is no longer a unique proposition, the introduction of this lens for full-frame Sony mirrorless cameras is bound to be treated with some excitement.

Even though the lens is somewhat limited by the T5.6 maximum aperture, the inclusion of optical stabilization goes some way toward offsetting that in daylight. Although we can’t comment on the quality of the lens’s most intriguing quality (the blurring in the out of focus planes), there’s no denying that the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS has interesting specs and excellent optical quality.

Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens: $1,498 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM Lens: $1,798 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens: $1,098 at Amazon, B&H and Adorama

Read the full review at DxOMark.