Sony Upgrades Its Compact 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom to Shoot at 120 FPS

Dec 02, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A close-up view of a black Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS camera lens, showing its textured zoom and focus rings, white focal length markings, and a glass front element with a slight reflection.

Alongside the exciting new a7 V camera, which introduces Sony’s first partially stacked image sensor and powerful processor with built-in AI capabilities, Sony unveiled an updated FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II compact full-frame zoom lens.

The new lightweight lens doesn’t change much compared to its predecessor, but it is faster and better able to keep up with Sony’s latest and greatest cameras. For example, while an unlikely match for a Sony a9 III flagship camera, the new FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II supports AF/AE tracking at up to 120 frames per second.

Buy the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II new on B&H

Optically, nothing has changed with the new lens. It still features nine elements arranged across eight groups, including a single ED element and a trio of aspherical lenses. The lens still has the same seven-bladed aperture diaphragm as well.

A Sony Alpha 7 mirrorless digital camera with a large detachable lens, featuring a textured grip, control dials, and the Sony logo on the body.

Top-down view of a Sony digital camera with a mounted FE 28-70mm zoom lens, showing control dials, buttons, and the on/off switch.

From a physical standpoint, the new FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II is functionally identical to its predecessor. It weighs about the same — 293 versus 295 grams (10.3 versus 10.4 ounces) — and is the same length — 83 millimeters (3.27 inches). The lens still accepts a relatively narrow 55mm front filter. The lens also employs a dust and moisture-resistant design, albeit not one quite as robust as the sealing on Sony’s G Master lenses.

The Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II promises to be a versatile choice for many photographers and creators, able to work well for landscapes, travel, snapshots, and even some portraits, albeit not with the same bokeh and shallow depth of field as a faster f/2.8 zoom or even faster prime lens.

A person wearing a green jacket crouches while taking a photo with a Sony camera, looking through the viewfinder. The background shows a paved surface with a grid-like pattern.

A person outdoors holds a camera with a microphone attached, looking at the screen. They wear an olive green shirt and have a light-colored bag over their shoulder. The background is grassy and blurred.

A person holding a camera lens with their right hand, the lens facing toward the viewer. The text on the lens reads "FE 3.5-5.6/28-70." The background is blurred.

Although not a macro lens, the zoom can focus reasonably closely, down to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches). This results in a maximum magnification of 0.19x, or a 1:5.26 macro reproduction ratio.

Sony promises strong image quality, swift autofocus, and competent optical image stabilization that works alongside in-body Active Mode stabilization modes.

Sample Images

A man wearing a black tank top and bucket hat makes large soap bubbles with sticks and string in a sunny city square, with blue sky and historic buildings in the background.

A lush, green mountainside with scattered conifer trees, rocky outcrops, and patches of sunlight highlighting the varied terrain. The slope features layers of vegetation and exposed stone cliffs.

Sunlight filters through dense evergreen forest in a mountain valley, casting shadows and illuminating patches of green foliage, with rugged slopes rising in the background.

A person standing on a balcony holds a large blue umbrella above their head. Colorful clothes hang on a railing, and sunlight casts shadows on the building's tiled wall. The sky is clear and blue.

A woman with curly hair poses confidently outdoors, wearing a black dress and leather jacket, with a modern building and blue sky in the background.

A woman with curly hair wearing a black leather jacket, a brown dress, and boots stands confidently on a modern pedestrian bridge, with tall glass buildings in the background.

A woman with curly hair wearing a black leather jacket and brown dress stands outdoors under a modern glass canopy, with a tall building and blue sky in the background.

A young woman with curly hair stands outdoors under a glass canopy, wearing a black leather jacket and a gold chain necklace, looking thoughtfully into the distance with sunlight on her face.

Close-up of autumn leaves with shades of orange, yellow, and green. Some leaves are sharply focused while others are blurred, creating a soft, layered effect.

A colorful ceramic rooster figurine with red, yellow, blue, and green patterns stands on a patterned surface, with another blurred rooster in the foreground and soft lights in the background.

A scruffy, brown and tan dog stands on green grass in a sunlit park, looking toward the camera with trees and blurred people in the background.

A man with a shaved head and beard reaches up to grab a bar on an outdoor monkey bars obstacle course, surrounded by trees and greenery.

A woman with long brown hair stands in a narrow alleyway holding a camera, looking up and to the side. Behind her, stone steps lead upward into bright daylight. She wears a beige cardigan and a white shirt.

An older woman squats and smiles beside a black dog on a leash in a narrow, sunlit stone alleyway lined with old buildings and plants.

Close-up, top-down view of a red fire hydrant with a black, polygonal-shaped cap, set against a blurred, light-colored pavement background.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II lens will be available in February for $449 in the United States and $599 in Canada. The new lens will also be sold in a kit with the brand-new Sony a7 V camera for $3,099 in the U.S., $3,899 in Canada. The kit will be available in February as well. The lens adds $200 to the a7 V’s cost, representing a $250 savings compared to buying the camera and lens separately.

Buy the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II new on B&H

Image credits: Sony