Wedding Shoot: Jonny Gios Tests the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II

When resident Sony guru Jonny Gios offered to put one of our lenses through its paces and report back on his findings, at a wedding in a beautiful church no less, the answer was an immediate YES. Jonny has delivered some spectacular photography over the years, these days being featured everywhere from The Times to The Telegraph.

Over to Jonny now to take us through his experiences with Sony's premium telephoto zoom:

Sony’s FE 70–200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II performed to a very high standard at Samaria and Marshall’s wedding at Kendal Parish Church. The autofocus remained fast and accurate throughout the ceremony, locking on confidently during processions, exchanges of vows, and candid guest moments. In the mixed, often subdued lighting of the church interior, Eye-AF stayed reliable with no noticeable hunting, even at f/2.8.

A significant challenge on the day was that I wasn’t permitted to move close to the front of the church. This meant I needed a lens that could handle low light, deliver strong reach, and still offer enough flexibility to capture wider context from a distance. The 70–200 GM Mark II met those requirements effectively. Its optical sharpness held up across the frame, maintaining clarity and detail even in low-contrast areas near the pews and side aisles. Colour remained neutral, and window backlighting was handled with minimal fringing.

The lens’s reduced weight compared with the original GM helped during longer static moments such as readings and prayers, and the smooth zoom and focus rings supported quick composition changes from a fixed position. Image stabilisation allowed slower, steadier handheld shots during the quieter parts of the service. The reception venue was magnificent and Sony’s 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS II performed again with challenging light but using the lens to its best ability – it was great to capture wedding speeches and reactions at a distance.

I paired the lens with the Sony A1 (Mark I), which proved to be the ideal match for tracking, speed, and low-light performance. For wider contextual frames, I used the Sony A7R V, but the 70–200 on the A1 remained the core tool for the ceremony. This lens was hired from Hireacamera. When you don’t have the right kit in your own bag and need an occasional specialist lens, HAC is consistently reliable. Their stock levels, availability, and delivery speed make it straightforward to get the exact gear you need on time for client shoots.

Overall, given the movement restrictions at Kendal Parish Church, the Sony 70–200 GM Mark II delivered the reach, flexibility, and low-light performance required for discreet, high-quality ceremony coverage.

Here are a couple of shots Jonny captured with other lenses in his kitbag:

A big thank you to Jonny for his thoughts and shots. You can find his best work over on his website jgios.com. The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II is available now, so BOOK TODAY and see what you can capture with this precision lens.

We also have the Sony A1 and the A1 II if you'd like to give either a try.