2024 Year in Review: Sony Cameras and Lenses

Over the past 12 months, Sony has had some massive camera announcements, along with a slew of important new lenses for their ever-expanding E-mount mirrorless system. Hot on the heels of late 2023’s announcement of the a9 III, Sony has ridden this wave of innovation throughout 2024, with a late year crescendo happening again via a new flagship and speedy new premier zoom. It’s been a year full of products for everyone, spanning their top and entry levels, with a healthy mixture of unique products for the rest of us.

A Version II Flagship is Born

Announced just at the end of 2024, Sony’s biggest splash of 2024 has to be the a1 II mirrorless camera. It’s their most versatile, most well-rounded model to date and a camera that merges a lot of tech from the original a1 with all of the features from the a7R V and a9 III platforms. Among the most important upgrades are the inclusion of an AI Processing Unit for better subject detection and tracking, continuous shooting assets from the a9 III, refined IBIS performance, some nice and needed video recording improvements, and an overhauled body design to match the a9 III.

Effectively, this is Sony’s camera to get if you don’t need the global shutter of the a9 III or the 61MP high resolution of the a7R V; it’s got everything else Sony has managed to fit into an Alpha camera. It’s among the fastest cameras available today, has stellar video capabilities, and highly sophisticated focusing capabilities that aid all kinds of shooters, ranging from birders to commercial shooters.

And a Lens to Go with It

The a1 II is great and will certainly have its followers, but, in my opinion, the real star of Sony’s late November announcement was for the FE 28-70mm f/2 GM lens—a fresh and faster take on what a standard zoom can be. The full stop jump from f/2.8 to f/2 is a big deal for photographers looking to replace a set of primes with a single lens; the f/2 speed is more effective in low-light conditions and will give a definite depth of field advantage for shooters looking to achieve selective focus effects.

Beyond just the speed, too, this lens is among Sony’s sharpest performers. The key compromise compared to the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is going to be the increase in weight and size—if it’s something you can live with, the benefits of the speed can be a real separator when you’re looking to achieve the visual effects of a prime lens with the versatility of a zoom.

The Other G Master Lens of the Year

In a year where Sony launched four separate “version II” products, the FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is my standout of the bunch. It answers a lot of shooters questions and brings a fresh, sleek, and modern take on what was a too-beefy portrait prime. The original 85mm f/1.4 GM was among the first G Master lenses Sony ever released (it debuted back in 2016); by 2024, that lens was beginning to feel long in the tooth—enter version II, this new 2024 edition is now 20% lighter, 13% smaller, and quite a bit faster and sharper. Sony also calls out that the new version also has improved image quality and smoother bokeh—two critical assets for the discerning portrait photographer.

In a year dominated by overly powerful, AI-integrated cameras, the subtle-but-important improvements to a staple portrait prime are the most exciting and point to the fact that Sony is still looking to improve and take care of their core group of image-makers.

Two Gs

Moving down one rung in Sony’s hierarchy of lenses, they also released a pair of compact-and-fast zooms that will be perfect travel companions and vlogger necessities: the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G and the FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G. Eschewing common zoom spacing, these unique focal length zooms suit a more modern audience that prioritizes wider fields of view and smaller physical designs without sacrificing on speed. Both lenses have tighter zoom ranges (compared to, say, a 16-35mm or a 24-70mm) but still keep the bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture design to help low-light shooting needs and offer more depth of field control.

Both of these lenses are great partners for some of Sony’s sleeker mirrorless bodies, including the a7CR/a7C II cameras as well as the ZV-series of vlogging-intended cameras. Also, their sleek stature makes them ideal lenses for travel if you don’t mind a relatively tighter focal length range.

Vlogging Version II

Sony’s mid-year camera release, the ZV-E10 II mirrorless camera, was an under-the-radar announcement that elevated this mid-tier camera to match their premium APS-C cameras in ability. The ZV series is all about vlogging and content creation; beginning with the ZV-1 point-and-shoot, which has now evolved into several mirrorless models, these cameras have been tuned to explicitly benefit the solo content creator.

In the case of the new ZV-E10 II, this camera gained the 26MP Exmor R CMOS sensor that’s also featured in the a6700 and FX30 cameras. This new sensor, plus upgraded BIONZ XR processing, makes for a very-improved camera that can hang with Sony’s best APS-C models. Also, possibly one of the most coveted upgrades, the new model now takes the larger capacity NP-FZ100 battery for longer shooting times.

Announced alongside the ZV-E10 II, Sony also finally released an upgrade to their APS-C kit zoom lens with the E PZ 16-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II. The former version had been around for more than a decade, so seeing a new housing and faster AF is a very welcomed change to this somewhat ubiquitous lens that nearly all Sony APS-C shooters have run into at some point in time. It’s an important lens despite not being an aspirational one—it’s also now something that more stylistically matches Sony’s latest cameras while still serving its job as being a highly versatile starting point.

Do you have a favorite Sony release from 2024? What product announcement were you most excited about? And what are you hoping to see from them in 2025? Let us know your thoughts on Sony in the Comments below.