I am a landscape photographer who likes to travel and photograph unique places, particularly with a strong naturalistic impact. The Dolomites are among my favourites, and I go there several times a year; it always offers me unique photographic experiences.

I've been shooting with Sony equipment for years, using various fixed lenses, but recently my preference has been leaning more to zoom lenses, both for convenience and for speed without sacrificing image quality. The two zooms I always take on the road with me are the fantastic 12-24mm f/2.8 GM and the 70 200mm f/2.8 GM II. As is the case with all G Master lenses, both zooms have incredible sharpness across the frame, even at full aperture, so I never feel like I'm compromising performance over versatility.

The new 70-200mm is 30% lighter than the previous model and this makes a huge difference when travelling. I don't know if this feeling of lightness is due to the fact that it is more balanced, but it is certainly possible to shoot all day without feeling its weight. The zoom ring is very short and close, therefore zooming is fast and going from 70 to 200mm is a breeze.

My favourite lens for landscape is the 12-24mm GM. Before its launch, a high-quality ultra-wideangle lens with a very wide aperture was missing, and Sony just came full circle this f/2.8 version. I was truly amazed when, at night, in front of the bright lights like those of the villages on the Amalfi coast, it did not produce the slightest flare… incredible! The flare is practically absent from f/11 to f/22, with solar and artificial lights you get a gorgeous star, with alternating long and short tips.

All in all, even the weight is not excessive, which is quite remarkable when you consider how fast this lens is. Another very positive note when you shoot with long exposures is that you are finally able to use rear filters (inexpensive 4 ND kits), without having to use bulky and expensive 150 cm plates.

Coming to the 70-200mm, one of its advantages is the excellent work Sony did to limit focus breathing. Same for the focus shift while zooming, which is very useful, allowing you to keep the subject in focus while you change the focal length.

Another useful addition is the Full-Time DMF switch, which, when ON, allows you to intervene with manual focus even if AF-C tracking is active. Finally, there is the new mode 3 which accentuates stabilisation, and it is designed for those situations where you are following a fast-moving object.