- As part of Sony's esteemed G Master series, this lens is designed to achieve notably high resolution and sharpness through the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations.
- Bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and also affords increased control over depth of field.
- Nano AR Coating II has been applied to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for increased contrast and color rendering in strong lighting conditions. This updated coating is better suited for larger, curved elements and is especially adept at minimizing internal reflections.
- Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when employing shallow depth of field techniques.
- Three XA (extreme aspherical) elements and one standard aspherical element are incorporated into the optical design, which features superior surface precision for effective control over astigmatism, field curvature, coma, distortion and other spherical aberrations for a high degree of sharpness and accurate rendering.
- Two Super ED elements and three ED elements are featured in the lens design and help to reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing for improved clarity and color neutrality.
- Floating focusing system divides the focus group into two separately controlled groups and helps to maintain consistently clear optical performance throughout the zoom and focus ranges.
- An XD Linear Motor system uses four separate motors—two per focusing group—along with an internal focusing design to provide quick, quiet, and precise autofocus and tracking performance.
- Linear Response manual focus control offers more natural handling and an AF/MF switch is located on the lens barrel for tactile control over this setting.
- A focus hold button is present on the lens barrel for intuitive tactile control and rapid access to select settings.
- Minimum focusing distance of 11" is available throughout the zoom range.
- Dust- and moisture-sealed design better permits working in inclement conditions and rubberized control rings benefit handling in colder temperatures.
- Fluorine-coated front element resists dust, moisture, and fingerprints and is easy to clean.
- Integrated petal-shaped lens hood helps to block stray light from causing lens flare and also affords some physical protection to the front element.
- Filter holder is incorporated at the rear of the lens, within the lens mount, and accepts cut gel filters and a filter cutting template is included.