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City officials say they're unaware of Tesla's plans to roll out self-driving taxis in Texas, according to reports.

The new One UI 8 software will debut on Samsung's newest foldables this summer, but you can give it a whirl now with some S25 devices.

Thanks to intensified activity on the part of law enforcement agencies worldwide – resulting in the shutdown of highly profitable and destructive ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups such as LockBit – we’ve seen some encouraging signs within the ongoing fight against ransomware threats. Annual ransomware payment totals fell from $1.25 billion in 2023 to $813.55 million last year.

Meanwhile, the global year-to-year rise in the rate of these attacks is on the decline, with 5,289 incidents in 2024, up 15 percent from 4,591 in 2023. But, that percentage increase is significantly lower than the 77 percent increase seen in 2023 (2,593 attacks in 2022). So, the overall incident growth rate appears to be leveling off somewhat.

However, it’s no time to get complacent. In our own research, we’ve found that ransomware variants grew to 101 in 2024, up from 70 in 2023. This rise in variants remains a foreboding indicator of accelerated attacks to come, signifying rebranding efforts on the part of cybercriminals. They’re responding to law enforcement activity with craftier variants and more precisely targeted campaigns aimed at victims with deep pockets. As a result, they’re boosting their efficiency and efficacy.

Ransomware-as-a-service

With the rise of RaaS over the years, cybercriminals now work much like a business, leveraging a subscription-based market in which customers (most commonly referred to as affiliates) pay for software created by ransomware operators, for the purpose of launching attacks.

By its very nature, RaaS has lowered the barrier to entry because customers no longer need to be experts in coding. They can simply pay for the product to launch their ransomware campaigns, and their subscriptions typically entail full-service offerings of software support, malware and infrastructure. Such a model created a strong incentive for more cyber actors, who are perhaps less skilled or experienced, to join the ransomware landscape, as long as they agreed to share a cut of the ransom with the RaaS operator, of course.

Key trends

If this sounds like a high-level, enterprise approach to crime, well, that’s because it is. Subsequently, we’re seeing the following key trends reshaping the very essence of the ransomware experience in 2025 – trends that can help victims make better decisions as they assess whether to proceed with payment negotiations or not:

(Dis)honor among thieves

Among cyber attack techniques, ransomware stands out because there are inevitably person-to-person interchanges, those which often touch upon human emotions and elements of trust. Or mistrust.

Victims, already rattled by the reality of the situation, find themselves in dialogue with the ransomware operator and must evaluate whether the operator will make good on terms if the ransom is paid. “What do we know about this group?” victim organizational leaders will ask. “Do they seem too aggressive? Are they pressuring us without any intention of deleting the data they stole, or never bothering us again? Or do they have a track record of respecting negotiated agreements?”

The weaponization of data

RaaS groups aren’t just stealing victims’ data. They’re weaponizing it as a means to increase the pressure to pay. They will now go through financial records, cyber liability limits and additional information to determine whether a victim is positioned to pay – and how much.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools enable them to explore further at a larger scale, such as the exploitation of human resources (HR) records to reach employees and/or senior executives and tell them that their records have been compromised. With this, the RaaS operator tries to apply pressure on employees and executives to convince their organization to pay the ransom.

Outsourcing and automation

RaaS operators are fully capable of using the same tech and personnel management tools as legitimate companies. Outsourcing allows them to rebrand quickly if they feel the heat around the corner. They can put people and resources in place with a spinoff group and then migrate to the new brand when they have to make the current one “disappear” to avoid getting arrested.

Automation will enhance efficiencies and expand the scale of victim targeting and payments. Instead of communicating with targeted organizations person-to-person, a chatbot instantly will direct organization members to a log-in page, and they’ll use a transaction number to process payment and secure the stolen information.

Deal or no deal?

Ultimately for victims, ransomware comes down to one simple proposition: Deal or no deal? This is a highly individualized decision, based upon the size of the organization, industry, and the potential consequences of taking a “no payment” position.

But the more companies know about the RaaS operator, the better informed their choices. If they know the background of the operator and how adept they are at deploying AI and additional resources to “go deep” within their environment – then they’ll have a stronger sense of likely outcomes of paying or not paying. If they’re aware that the “new” group which compromised them is actually a spinoff of an old one, then they can research the reputational history of the former brand.

Given that AI and automation should only dramatically expand the capabilities of the RaaS underworld as a collective whole, organizations will need to stay on top of these trends to make the best decision for their teams.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• The Order: 1886 creative director Ru Weerasuriya has revealed that the game was supposed to be the first game in a trilogy
• The Order 1891 and The Order 1899 were planned, and the second game was in the early stages of development before it was canceled
• The sequel would have featured bigger fight sequences and a multiplayer mode that was cut from the first game

The PlayStation 4 exclusive The Order: 1886 was originally supposed to be the first game in a trilogy.

That's according to The Order: 1886 creative director Ru Weerasuriya, who revealed in a new French-language interview with YouTuber Julien Chieze that two more games were planned: The Order 1891 and The Order 1899 (via VGC).

Weerasuriya said the second game was in the early stages of development before it was canceled and that he wrote a 10-page pitch for the sequel, which would have featured bigger fight sequences, as well as a multiplayer mode.

It was also revealed that a multiplayer mode was in development for the first game, but it was shelved for the sequel.

Although the third game never made it to development, Weerasuriya said that he planned for where the story would go if developer Ready at Dawn had been able to complete the trilogy, and that other installments in the series would have taken the franchise to the 20th century.

While it's never been revealed why The Order: 1886's sequel was canceled, Weerasuriya suggested that the first game's mixed critical response was a factor.

The Order: 1886 was released in 2015 and is set in an alternate version of Victorian London, "where science and myth collide". It's been more than 10 years since the game made its PS4 debut, and although it's playable on PS5 through backward compatibility, The Order: 1886 is still exclusive to PlayStation.

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We may not think much about it, but businesses need to rely on digital and physical documents every day. Decisions, purchases, and deals worth millions hinge on information in official documents being trustworthy. In the new world that AI has brought about, forged or altered documents are becoming not only very convincing, but also available to anyone with basic AI tools.

The news cycle has been replete with cases of AI being used to fake crucial documents like IDs – and these only scratch the surface. AI has given fraudsters the tools for fabricating invoices, tax forms, investment contracts, risk assessments, financial audits, and procurement documents among others.

A report on AI-assisted fraud found that digital document forgeries increased 244% between 2023 and 2024 making it one of the fastest growing categories of business-related fraud going into 2025. For businesses operating into the next decade, the possibility that they cannot trust their own internal documents is becoming a problem that is impossible to ignore.

Faked documents do real harm to businesses

While cases of significant fraud will be rare given the layers of internal security and regulations that prevent decision making being centered on one person or one document, the real damage this will do will be to trust. Without a reliable and quick way to authenticate documents businesses may have to add hours into processes of checking and re-verifying documents, even when they are perfectly legitimate.

At best, this will add a significant inefficiency to many businesses, wasting time and effort – but at worst, it can grind operations almost to a standstill – costing businesses the critical advantage of time against their competitors.

This creates a need to counter this by creating systems that distinguish authentic documents from tampered ones.

How tech restores trust

Responding to this critical problem, new technologies focused on document verification have developed quickly. Principally, the solutions that exist fall into four main categories blockchain-based solutions, AI detection, Identity Verification Technology (IDVT), and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Here’s what you need to know about them:

Blockchain

While Blockchain started as a means for facilitating cryptocurrencies, it’s since become a legitimate platform for business applications, where the immutability of blockchains present significant security benefits when integrated into business software and processes.

Blockchain authentication solutions create tamper-proof documents by matching them with cryptographic hashes - meaning that a document can always be checked against its hash. Fundamentally, blockchain’s decentralized nature makes it nearly impossible for bad actors to change internal records stored on the platform, providing a reassurance that once a document is placed on the blockchain, you will always be able to verify it against the authentic version.

Since document hashing takes place in your own environment and hashes cannot be reverse engineered to rebuild the document, this method allows you to avoid sending any sensitive data to third parties.

There are some legitimate concerns about the blockchain's environmental costs given the vast amounts of computing and energy needed to maintain it, although different blockchains offer different advantages in this regard.

AI-detection

AI anomaly detection identifies metadata, formatting, and other criteria for mismatches. This is certainly the most straightforward option – as AI’s have become surprisingly adept at spotting the output of other AI. That said, while it can be a cost-effective solution, there is no way of guaranteeing its accuracy given AIs notorious hallucinations. Given this, it can be an effective 'first layer’ against forgery but should not be relied upon exclusively.

IDVT

IDVT uses AI to scan metadata and security protocols to detect fakes. This scanning procedure can cross-reference the protocols with trusted databases to prevent using forged credentials in business transactions. The process essentially provides a checkpoint for all your data – documents are flagged immediately if it doesn’t match the protocols stored on an organizations database.

IDVT is sometimes hampered by overreliance on database accuracy. Organizations typically require a lot of resources in terms of infrastructure, personnel, and access to reliable data sources to set it up – making it prohibitively expensive for small and medium companies. It's also prone to human error- if an employee sets up protocols incorrectly, the solution becomes near useless.

PKI

PKI relies on shareable digital certificates that authenticate a document's origin and integrity. Using the issuer’s public key to check the certificate, both first parties and third parties can check its authenticity. It has the advantage of being intuitive to set up, but has gained an unfortunate reputation of being somewhat insecure – if bad actors are able to obtain the keys and/or modify them, they can certify modified documents as authentic.

Regulation needs to be the answer to systemic document forgery

The truth is, AI forgery is not a business-by-business level problem, but a systemic one that will need higher level regulation to address. Eventually, it will become critical for governments to impose baseline metadata standards and mandatory verification technology that can make vital public documentation verifiable by everyone.

We cannot afford to regard AI forgeries as a distant problem – the threat of serious harm being caused by an AI-doctored document grows daily. Operating a business or running a government where we cannot trust the documents we depend on is an impossible task. Embracing these technologies not only allows us to head off this potential crisis of trust, but can open new opportunities to make the organizations we rely on more transparent.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Luxury brand Hermés unveils its first over-ear headphones
• Yours for the same price as 33 pairs of the Sony XM6
• Specs are still secret, but the design may offer clues

Luxury brand Hermès has announced a set of high-end wireless headphones, and as you might expect they're going to cost a bit more than a pair made by 1More.

As WWD.com reports, the headphones will cost $15,000. And if you think that's a lot of money, you're not the target market. But they do sound intriguing, not least because of what the brand hasn't announced.

Hermès' tech adventures include working with Apple on the Watch right from its launch. (Image credit: Apple)Hermès' $15K headphones: what we know – and what we don't

This isn't Hermès' first audio product, although it's the first pair of headphones its produced; the brand has previously made a jukebox, a boom box, and a cubic speaker.

The new headphones aren't just brand engineering with Hermès sticking some dead cow on someone else's earcups. They're being developed by Hermès' Ateliers Horizons workshop in Paris, which makes some of its most-wanted products, and that workshop is collaborating with unnamed manufacturing partners who it seems are taking care of the sound.

According to Axel de Beaufort, Ateliers Horizons' creative director, “We need to understand the engineering of things. It doesn’t mean that we do the engineering, but we need to understand and we need to be able to push boundaries."

Specs are currently secret but the grilles look rather like those of planar magnetic headphones, which have a more advanced speaker design than regular dynamic headphones, so it's possible that the spec could be as high as the price. We do know that the headphones will be made for both wired and wireless use, and that they will deliver a tuned “Hermès sound”.

Planar options are rare among the best wireless headphones, but not unheard of – and having this much budget to play with in the production of the headphones would certainly help with the engineering challenges involved.

The headphones will feature hand-stitched cowhide leather and will come in Kelly bag-inspired colors including "naturel", black, chocolate, "rouge H" and Prussian blue. Start saving now: they'll launch this summer.

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• Researchers found a flaw in Microsoft OneDrive File Picker
• The flaw stems in the lack of fine-grained OAuth permissions
• Microsoft acknowledges the flaw, but hasn't fixed it yet

A vulnerability in Microsoft’s OneDrive File Picker has been found which could allow threat actors to access people’s entire cloud archives, experts have warned.

Security researchers Oasis discovered the flaw and reported it to Microsoft, noting the problem lies in excessive permissions that File Picker asks for - including read access to the entire drive. The tool asks for these permissions since the OAuth scopes for OneDrive aren’t fine-grained.

File Picker is a tool in OneDrive that allows websites and applications to integrate directly with the cloud storage solution. That way, users can manage their OneDrive account within a third-party interface, resulting in seamless file access.

Reading the calendar

"This stems from overly broad OAuth scopes and misleading consent screens that fail to clearly explain the extent of access being granted," the Oasis Research Team explained in a report.

"This flaw could have severe consequences, including customer data leakage and violation of compliance regulations."

Oasis further stressed that a number of popular apps, such as ChatGPT, Trello, or Slack, are also affected, since they integrate with OneDrive.

The researchers also said that the messaging, when uploading files, isn’t clear enough, which could mislead people into thinking their cloud storage solutions are secure.

"The lack of fine-grained scopes makes it impossible for users to distinguish between malicious apps that target all files and legitimate apps that ask for excessive permissions simply because there is no other secure option," Oasis concluded.

If that wasn’t enough, Oasis also said the OAuth tokens are often stored insecurely since they’re saved in the browser’s session storage in plaintext.

Microsoft has reportedly acknowledged the issue, but hasn’t come back with a patch just yet.

If you’re worried about exposing your OneDrive storage, you might want to temporarily remove the option to upload files using OneDrive through OAuth. You could also stop using fresh tokens and make sure to store access tokens more securely.

Via The Hacker News

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Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: two-minute review

Sony's lens department is on a roll. Its superb FE 85mm F1.4 GM II bagged our 2024 lens of the year award; the recent FE 28-70mm F2 GM picked up a five-star rating; and now we have the FE 50-150mm F2 GM, which is the world's first telephoto zoom with consistent f/2 maximum aperture – and it's another stunning flagship optic.

When I was first presented with the 50-150mm lens in April, I wasn't convinced by its unique focal length. Especially when you consider the 28-70mm F2 GM, plus a string of other pro 70-200mm lenses from down the years, which includes the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II.

However, following extended use, I'm convinced the 50-150mm is probably the single most versatile lens for the type of photography I often do – events, grass-roots sports, weddings, candids – and it's easily one of the best Sony lenses ever.

The 50-150mm lens is part of Sony's professional G Master (GM) range, which means handling, durability, autofocus performance and optical quality are all top-drawer. Add its bag-of-primes-in-one-lens credentials, and the result is an eye-watering list price.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The real kicker, though, is the 50-150mm's heft – it weighs a wrist-tugging 1,340g. It was fine over the course of a soccer match, but all day at a wedding would be a proper workout. It's chunky, too, measuring 102.8 x 200mm – that's a particularly big diameter that will stretch the compartments of a regular camera bag.

Having what is effectively several fast aperture primes in one versatile optic makes sense for a certain type of user. It's the telephoto zoom flexibility and bright maximum f/2 aperture at any focal length that make the 50-150mm the goat for events photography, where speed, low-light performance, rapid autofocus, pin-sharp detail, shallow depth of field and buttery bokeh are needs, not wants. The 50-150mm ranks highly across the board.

Before the 50-150mm lens was announced, my go-to lens combination for events was a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 135mm f/1.8. However, having put Sony's impressive telephoto zoom through its paces, I'm now reconsidering this setup – and even the camera system I've spent years building up. I can't think of any higher praise for a lens.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: specsSony FE 50-150mm F2 GM specs

Type:

Standard to telephoto zoom

Mount:

Sony E-mount

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

50-150mm

Max aperture:

f/2

Minimum focus:

0.4(W)-0.74(T) m / 1.32(W)-2.43(T) ft

Filter size:

95mm

Dimensions:

102.8 x 200mm (4-1/8 x 7-7/8 in)

Weight:

47.3oz / 1,340g (excluding tripod mount)

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: price and availability

• $3,899 / £3,799 / AU$6,799
• Available for pre-order

Beyond its size and weight, if there's one thing that the FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens has going against it, it's the list price – which at the best part of $4,000 / £4,000 / AU$7,000, is eye-watering.

To put that into context, you could pick up both Sony's 24-70mm F2.8 and 135mm F1.8 G Master lenses and have change left over – or, for a little extra, the 24-70mm with Sony's 70-200mm F2.8 GM II.

Put simply, you have to really need the maximum f/2 aperture over f/2.8 to justify the extra outlay, and to put up with that extra weight. I'll get onto the benefits of the brighter aperture later in the reivew.

Naturally, the 50-150mm lens is billed as an ideal pairing with the 28-70mm F2 to cover a huge range of scenarios that would otherwise require an army of primes. I actually think the 50-150mm is the more compelling of the two f/2 lenses.

I'd happily pick up the 50-150mm and a wide prime such as the (cheaper) 24mm F1.4GM instead of the 28-70mm to cover the times when the telephoto zoom isn't wide enough – I'm not sure 28mm is wide enough for me.

Sony announced the 50-150mm lens in April, and at the time of writing it's available for pre-order, with the anticipated sales start date some time in June, 2025.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: Design

• Big and heavy
• Robust, weather-sealed build
• Internal zoom and focusing

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The bigger the maximum aperture, the bigger the lens, so it should come as no surprise that the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM is a substantial optic – a cumbersome 47.3oz / 1,340g, excluding the tripod mount.

For context, Sony's second-generation 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens weighs 36.9oz / 1,045g – that's 20-25% lighter. The pair are identical in length, measuring 200mm, but the diameter of the 50-150mm lens is wider at 102.8mm.

Such is the diameter of the lens, I found it struggled to fit into the padded dividers of numerous camera bags, requiring a reconfiguration of the dividers in most instances. Naturally, the 50-150mm lens' filter thread is bigger than most, too, accepting pricey 95mm lens filters.

Paired with the a7R V, I felt the combination was a little front-heavy and wished for Sony's vertical grip, which would make for a more comfortable setup. Without the grip, I happily photographed a soccer match, while supporting the lens with my second hand.

I would hesitate using the lens for weddings, but the action on such days can be in bursts, so weight might not be an issue. For lengthier, sustained shoots, the 50-150mm isn't too far off the size and weight of pro lenses benefiting from a monopod support.

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The handling of the lens is otherwise superb – every G Master lens I've tested is. Here, in the same mould of the FE 28-70mm F2 GM, you get a full complement of controls; rings for focus, zoom and aperture; plus customizable focus hold buttons, AF/MF, iris (aperture) lock and full time DMF switches – the latter lets you manually override autofocus.

However, optical stabilization is absent, which I find a little surprising. More on this later.

Aperture can be changed on the lens through smooth or clicked adjustments. In general, photographers opt for the tactile clicked feedback, while videographers prefer the smooth movement through f-stops, for whom the ridged ring will be compatible with follow-focus systems.

Zoom is internal, which means the lens barrel remains the same length whatever the focal length. That's one less point of potential weakness in this a fully weather-sealed lens built to withstand the rigors of professional use and inclement weather.

Put simply, no corners have been cut here – this is a top-quality lens. I'd just advise getting hands-on before you buy to check that its size and weight work for you.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: Performance

• Fast f/2 maximum aperture at every focal length
• Strong center sharpness across the zoom range
• Four XD linear motors for rapid, accurate autofocus

In many respects, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens is a copy and paste of the superlative FE 28-70mm F2 GM – it's also equipped with four XD linear motors that drive autofocus. Together, these motors make light work of the sizable lens elements, for a truly rapid, reliable and remarkably quiet autofocus.

Autofocus speed and accuracy are paramount for high-pressure events and sports photography, and I've been consistently impressed by the 50-150mm. This is especially the case with the a7R V's subject-tracking capabilities – when shooting grass-roots soccer, in particular. There isn't the slightest hint of hesitation.

As mentioned, what's missing is optical stabilization (OIS). However, Sony's flagship mirrorless cameras, which are the natural choice for such a lens, are equipped with in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Armed with IBIS and the bright maximum f/2 aperture, I haven't given OIS a second thought.

Image 1 of 6

The maximum f/2 aperture, at 150mm (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 6

The same shot, but at f/2.8 aperture. See how much smaller the background bokeh is by comparison to f/2 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 6

The same shot again, with aperture further reduced to f/4 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 6

And one last time, at f/5.6 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 6

Bokeh is clean and smooth with the lens set to 150mm f/2, even if there's a catseye shaping (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 6

The maximum f/2 aperture again (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Like the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM delivers incredible image quality across the board. And of the two, it's the telephoto option that enhances the maximum f/2 aperture with smooth focus fall-off and buttery-smooth bokeh, even if its shaping can be cat's eye.

The series of the same image, above, is shot in sequence with the aperture set to f/2, f/2.8. f/4 and f5.6. Bokeh at f/2 is notably bigger and smoother than f/2.8 – that's one of the reasons to splash out on a bright aperture lens.

A difference of one stop between f/2 and f/2.8 lenses might not sound like much, but bokeh is much bigger at f/2, and you're gathering an extra stop of light that's supremely useful in low light – as is often the case in professional work.

Image 1 of 4

Lens set to 150mm focal length and f/2 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 4

Lens set to 150mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 4

A similar composition but with the lens set to the widest 50mm focal length, with f/2 aperture. See how different the images look – and just how the telephoto setting accentuates bokeh (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 4

A similar composition but with the lens set to the widest 50mm focal length, with f/2.8 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The 50-150mm's qualities aren't all about bokeh, either – the lens is consistently sharp from center to edges across the zoom range and aperture settings, besides the natural focus fall off when shooting at wider apertures with shallow depth of field.

Having shot all pictures during my test in RAW and JPEG, I further assessed quality through Adobe Camera Raw by directly comparing like-for-like files, keen to know the extent of in-camera correction at play.

Minor pin-cushion distortion across the entire zoom range surprised me – I'd normally expect it just at the telephoto end of this zoom range, not at 50mm. JPEGs are notably sharper than in RAW, too. Still, neither pin-cushion distortion nor relative lens softness are an issue – corrected RAW images are spectacular.

Image 1 of 2

With the lens set to 150mm, I wasn't really close even to the action from the sidelines. However, with 61MP to play with, I can crop in for the following composition. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 2

That's much better. And the resolution was still an entirely usable 27MP. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

As for vignetting and color fringing, both are kept under tight control, as are ghosting and flare artifacts when shooting into direct sunlight. Optically, the 50-150mm F2 GM is pretty much flawless, save for easily corrected pin-cushion distortion.

When pairing the lens with a high-resolution full-frame sensor, like I did with the 61MP Sony a7R V, there's no trouble cropping in on stills to effectively further extend reach. I shot a solid set of soccer images, capturing players across the pitch largely from one position on the touchline with the 50-150mm lens.

And it's this cropping flexibility that has convinced me the 50-150mm's wider focal length is much more versatile than 70-200mm.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: sample imagesImage 1 of 11

f/2 – notice minor vignetting (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 11

f/5.6 – vignetting is basically gone (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 11

150mm (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 11

150mm f/2 - (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 11

50mm f/2 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 8 of 11

150mm is actually a decent focal length for grassroots sport, especially if you can crop in a little (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 9 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 10 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 11 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Should you buy the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM?Buy it if...

You shoot events photography

For weddings and other events, the 50-150mm F2 offers a versatile zoom range and maximum aperture combination. Depending on the assignment, it could be the only lens you need.

You want top quality performance

Packing prime lens quality and bright aperture versatility, together with snappy autofocus, the 50-150mm doesn't skip a beat.

You need a robust lens

Heavy and big it may be, but the 50-150mm is a superbly built lens that will withstand the rigors of demanding professional use.

Don't buy it if...

You know your focal length

Designed to do the job of several primes, the 50-150mm is overkill for users who usually stick to a specific focal length. If this is you, you'll find a cheaper and smaller alternative prime.

You want a lightweight zoom

If the maximum f/2 aperture is overkill for your work, Sony also offers f/2.8 and f/4 zooms that are both smaller and much cheaper.

How I tested the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM

• I had the lens and the Sony a7R V camera for a three-week loan
• I've shot portraits, sports and more
• I've also taken multiple series of identical images with the lens at different settings

I had a decent length of time with the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens – almost a month, during which time I was able to test it in multiple scenarios, including sports and for portraits.

Sony loaned me the a7R V to pair the lens with. With the camera's 61MP sensor and superb autofocus, the lens has felt even more versatile – giving greater scope for cropping into images such as distant players in football (soccer) match.

To really show the benefit of the f/2 aperture, I have made sure to use it regularly, and to take like-for-like images at different apertures to compare handling and quality.

• First reviewed May 2025