When Canon released the Canon EOS R back in 2018, it also released one of the most interesting lenses seen for quite some time: the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2, a lens that managed to cover the standard zoom range but with an aperture and quality to rival primes.
Since then, no manufacturer has tried to quite repeat the same feat – although that might be set to change with rumors suggesting that Sony is working on a similar project, but intends to go even further than Canon.
Sony's lens will apparently stretch from 24-70mm, which would beat Canon's lens by 4mm at the wide end. While this doesn't sound like a huge difference in a lens that covers a difference of 46mm from near to far, it matters a lot to landscape or interior photographers where every millimeter is crucial.
This will also bring the lens in line with the current accepted standard zoom length, which for years has been 24-70mm for professional workhorse lenses. This range allows for a decent range of varied shooting subjects and conditions, but not so much that picture quality became poorer at more extreme focal lengths.
There have been more varied zoom designs however in the last few years, with Sony themselves coming up with a plethora of focal length combinations that already cover this length. There is already a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8, 20-70mm f/4, and a new 24-50mm f/2.8. Tamron especially has tried to make its mark with some intriguing standard zooms, which are available in Sony E-mount.
Sony Rumors sources for the new lens suggest that the Sony 24-70mm f/2 would be "practical and not too heavy" – which I'll hold judgment on for now, as lenses are still ruled by physics, and large aperture professional lenses like this need to be pretty big. The source also claims that the determination to reach an f/2 aperture has had no compromise on image quality.
It also goes without saying that this lens will be expensive. Canon's 28-70mm f/2 lens is one of the most expensive lenses it has released, and well beyond the means of the average photographer. If Sony delivers everything that is promised in these rumors with this lens then it will surely be spectacular, but there will definitely be a spectacular price to match.
Find out more about Sony lenses in our guide to the best Sony lenses, or to find a camera to go with your Sony glass, check out our top picks for the best Sony camera.
