FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II | Capture brilliant dramatic shots | Review by Ian Nieuwenhuizen
Ian is a multi-faceted creative professional who showcases his talents as a videographer, editor, digital marketer, and video marketer. He founded the company White Motion in 2010 and drives the visual and creative aspects of the business. Ian has been a Sony Alpha Ambassador since 2020.
Capturing the drama of a tennis match
Over the past year, I've developed a passion for tennis. It's a sport that is admittedly a lot more difficult than it looks – something I learnt after picking up a racket for the first time and attempting a few ill-timed swings and misplaced shots. It is also a game where I can find myself playing both at my best, and at my worst, on the same day – with no plausible explanation for the difference.
It's a truly fascinating sport.
So, when I was given the opportunity to shoot a video with the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens, I immediately thought about creating a story about tennis. I was excited to create a dramatic video while working with this second-generation G Master lens, especially with its reputation for being the smallest and lightest of its kind.
Setting the scene
We conceptualised a short story about a boy who would develop a fascination with the game, after a tennis ball flew over a fence and bounced in front of him. Thereafter, we would follow the boy on his journey as his interest grew into a passion – and a drive that would eventually flourish into a professional tennis career.
Casting
We needed three actors to play the part of our protagonist as he grew up – first as a young boy, then a teen, and finally, an adult. Being in the tennis community, it wasn't difficult to find real tennis players to be our actors. In fact, the two younger versions of the protagonist are played by two brothers, while my tennis coach took on the role of the adult protagonist – the tennis professional.
Lighting. Lens. Mood.
We wanted to test the capabilities of the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens, so we included a "moody" scene set in a pawn shop. This is where our protagonist buys his first tennis racket. It's a definitive moment in his journey, so we wanted this scene to be especially captivating – with bright and dark areas across various parts of the scene.
I also tested the lens with close-ups – especially in dark spaces – and wondered if I would push the lens past its limits. The verdict: The FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens performed exceedingly well, capturing images that were brilliant and sharp.
Tennis time
Next, it was time to shoot on-court footage of our protagonist in action. With these tennis scenes, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens truly shined. Or rather, it allowed the sun to shine – directly into the lens (which is a technique I love using) – thanks to a Nano AR coating on the glass that helped significantly with flare control.
For the on-court action, we didn't really have lighting, so I used some diffusion to soften faces and capture the raw emotion of a competitive tennis match. I also managed to get some nice sun flares for added effect.
The two zoom modes – smooth and tight – are excellent. When using a gimbal, it was especially nice having the smooth zoom function, as it allowed me to change the focal length softly.
Autofocus artistry
The autofocus performance was exactly what I expected from it – fast and spot on, every time. In one specific scene, I placed a subject behind a wire fence, then shot from the front of the wire fence. I kept my focus on the subject as I moved backwards – and away from the wire fence – slowly.
The result was perfect, with the focus staying locked in on the subject's face throughout the entire shot and capturing his emotions.
My zoom lens recommendation
If you are in the market for a 24-70mm zoom lens, look no further than the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II. This is truly a game changer, and the fact that it is smaller, lighter, and has a faster autofocus, means only one thing……
GAME ON!
