Sony 24-240mm
E-Mount Full-Frame FE OSS
Sample Images Intro Format Compatibility
Specifications USA Version Performance
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 these links to my personally-approved sources 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 my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens. Get yours only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
August 2017 Sony Sony Lenses Minolta Lenses Zeiss Canon Nikon All Reviews
Sample Images
Top Sample Images Intro Format
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.
Introduction
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I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads 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 great images of everything. The extreme sensitivity of Sony's full-frame cameras lets me shoot anything in any light. This lens even focuses fast enough to let me track focus on my 9-year-old on a swing at the park — at night! 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 MTF charts 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 real pictures.
● 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.
Bad
● Manual focus ring is electronic, not direct mechanical.
Missing
● No focus-lock button.
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Format
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This is a full frame lens and I'm reviewing it as such.
It also works great on APS-C cameras, on which you may make the usual inferences.
Compatibility
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This works on all Sony E-mount cameras, full-frame and crop-sensor. This includes all the variations of NEX, A9-, A7-, A6xxx and A5xxx series cameras.
It will not work on any Sony A-mount DSLR or any Minolta MAXXUM 35mm SLR of any kind. Those use the old A mount which was actually the Minolta MAXXUM mount from 1987.
Specifications
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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.
It's also model number 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; the front extends as zoomed longer.
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.
Autofocus
Silent internal focus.
Linear autofocus motor.
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale
No.
Infinity Focus Stop
No.
Depth of Field Scale
No.
Infrared Focus Index
No.
Close Focus
1.65 ~ 2.6 feet (0.5 ~ 0.8 meters).
It focuses more closely at the wide end.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
1:3.7 (0.27 ×).
Filters
Plastic 72 mm filter thread.
Hood
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).
Quality
Made in China.
Announced
2015.
Included
Lens.
ALC-F72S front and ALC-R1EM rear cap.
Packaging
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Bubble-wrapped lens in corrugated cardboard box.
Sony's Model Number
SEL24240.
Price, USA
$998, August 2017.
Getting a Legal USA Version
(applies in USA only)
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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 personally approved sources. 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 same places I do 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.
Performance
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Overall Autofocus Manual Focus
Breathing Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics
Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts Frame Rates
Overall
The Sony 24-240mm is a great lens that works fast and gives great images of anything in any light.
It autofocuses silently and operates its diaphragm silently. Autofocus is essentially instantaneous on an A9.
Autofocus
Autofocus is fast and silent.
It's so fast and so good on my Sony A9 that I can track Katie on a swing — at night!
Katie swinging at 9 o'clock at night, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 46mm wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 25,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Autofocus is fast and flawless. The face-detection and phase detection sensors work across the entire frame of my Sony A9.
Manual Focus
Manual focus is with a small electronic ring towards the back of the lens.
It's relatively stiff; it takes a firm finger to move.
Focus Breathing
I don't see any focus breathing, making this ideal for cinematography.
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
Bokeh
Bokeh, the feel or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is beautiful. Nothing distracts:
Katie and banana split. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 77mm wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 640, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Katie and puppy, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 100mm wide-open at f/5.6 hand-held at 1/100 at Auto ISO 25,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Here are two shots at headshot distance:
Davis 6250 weather station, 09 August 2017. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolutions images properly).
Davis 6250 weather station, 09 August 2017. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolutions images properly).
Bokeh at 24mm is only fair, but at 240mm where it counts, it's very good.
Distortion
As shot on most Sony cameras that correct the distortion by default, this lens has no visible distortion.
In fact, on my Sony A9, I can't turn off the correction; it always corrects.
I haven't checked raw files; especially if you use non-Sony software, these probably won't correct the distortion and it's probably pretty healthy.
Ergonomics
|
|
Sony 24-240mm at 24mm. bigger. |
Sony 24-240mm at 240mm. bigger. |
This is an easy lens to love. Half of it is the zoom ring, and it zooms well. The zoom ring is relatively stiff; use two or three fingers to move it. It won't creep.
Focus holds as zoomed. Bravo!
Likewise, the manual focus ring is stiff.
Other than that, with excellent instant autofocus and close focussing, there really isn't anything that this lens can't shoot easily.
Falloff
There is no significant falloff, at least on most Sony cameras which correct it by default.
I've exaggerated it by shooting the blank sky wide open:
Palms, 31 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 139mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
It's even less as stopped down. This is a lens artifact that most digital cameras eliminate by default; it's not 1997 anymore.
Filters, use with
At 24mm on full-frame, you only can use one filter before you start getting vignetting.
Normal filters work great, but with thicker rotating polarizer and grad filters you might want to get a thinner version, or just zoom-in a little bit if you have a really thick rotating filter and there are problems.
Flare & Ghosts
The Sony 24 240 is quite resistant to ghosts. This is about as bad as you can get:
Sun behind palm, no filter, 09 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 100mm at f/16 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.
Of course if you use a dirty or single-coated filter, you will get more flare from the filter:
Sun behind palm as shot with a simple single-coated filter, 09 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 100mm at f/16 at 1/50 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.
The dark dot on the right is from Sony A9 sensor dirt.
Frame Rates
It easily shoots at 20 FPS on my Sony A9:
Ryan and his Zing bow, 02 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 77mm wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Lateral Color Fringes
There are no color fringes as shot on my Sony A9, which corrects them by default.
Macro
This lens gets very close at 240mm, and it's reasonably sharp, too:
Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 04 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 240mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/500 at close focus distance at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolution images properly).
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolution images properly).
The texture you're seeing is on the watch itself.
If this crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm). In this case, you're seeing the texture of the silver paint on the watch face.
If this crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Minimum & Maximum Apertures
Maximum Aperture |
Minimum Aperture |
|
24mm |
f/3.5 |
f/22 |
35mm |
f/4 |
f/25 |
50mm |
f/4.5 |
f/29 |
70mm |
f/5 |
f/32 |
100mm |
f/5.6 |
f/36 |
150mm |
f/6.3 |
f/40 |
240mm |
f/6.3 |
f/40 |
Mechanical Quality
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
It's mostly plastic on the inside covered in a plastic and metal shell. It's a typical consumer lens.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Front Barrels
(The two that collapse inside the zoom ring at wider settings): Plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered metal.
Mid Barrel
Metal.
Focus Ring
Plastic.
Rear Barrel
Plastic.
Identity
Painted inside filter ring, sticker on bottom and painted on top of middle barrel.
Internals
Plastic and metal.
Moisture Seal at Mount
No.
Mount
Dull chromed metal.
Markings
Paint.
Serial Number
Sticker glued on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found on lens, but it is marked on the box:
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
Noises When Shaken
Very mild clicking; this is a tight lens.
Made in
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS. bigger.
China.
Sharpness
Porta Potties, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 55mm at f/5.6 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file. The plastic potties are more distorted than any artifact in the lens!
The only limitation to picture sharpness will be your skill as a photographer. I have no problem making sharp images with this lens.
No, it's not as sharp as the 24-70/2.8 GM and 70-200/2.8 GM if you shoot wide-open and look in the corners of full-frame with a microscope, but people who do that almost never take good pictures.
It's very sharp where you need it, and sharp stopped down.
Here are Sony's MTF charts at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm: |
 |
MTF at 24mm at f/3.5. |
MTF at 240mm at f/6.3. |
Spherochromatism
Spherochromatism, also called "color bokeh" by laymen, can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds with fast, long lenses shot wide open. It's an advanced form of chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral color. Spherochromatism is most commonly seen in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
The Sony 24-240 has just a little spherochromatism, seen as cyan fringes on far side and amber fringes on the near side of focus on this watch face:
Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 04 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 240mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolution images properly).
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolution images properly).
The texture you're seeing is the watch itself.
If this crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm). In this case, you're seeing the texture of the silver paint on the watch face.
If this crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization
The stabilizer, along with my camera's sensor-shift stabilization, works great. I get a solid finder image as I compose, and I can shoot at 1/8 at night thusly:
Gazebo at night, 28 July 2017. Sony A9, Sony 24-240mm at 157mm wide-open at f/6.3 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 25,600, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Sunstars
The rounded blades only make sunstars at the smallest apertures. These are at 60mm. Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Compared
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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.
Recommendations
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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 these links to approved sources 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 my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, 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 approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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