For those familiar with my work, my love of macro photography is well known so I was extremely honoured when Sony asked me to test the new FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS. I only had a very short space of time, and I wanted to shoot a lot, but I was at the mercy of the weather.

With macro photography we work with a very shallow depth-of-field, so we need to decide on certain compromises. Will we be satisfied with an image taken at a smaller aperture (f/16) or should we use a technique such as focus stacking or focus bracketing?

I didn't know exactly what I was going to find as I wandered around the pond and the meadows, so every sleeping bug was an opportunity for a good photo.

On opening the box I was immediately impressed with how light this lens is, and how good it felt in the hand. I started taking some shots straight away (thanks to my obliging cat!) and was impressed with the balance on my Alpha 1 II. It has a wide array of switches: full time DMF, 3 focus limiter settings, image stabilisation, iris lock, AF/MF and 2 customisable focus hold buttons. But the thing I was most excited about is that the lens offers a 1.4:1 reproduction ratio, straight out of the box - so technically it can produce a greater magnification than life-size! AND, if you add a Sony 2x teleconverter, the reproduction ration goes up to 2.8:1, which is almost 3x magnification. At that range you're able to capture detail you can't even see with the naked eye! Shooting with a high-resolution camera such as the Alpha 7R V or Alpha 1 II will truly give you a new view of the living world.

As I expected, the GM branding on the lens suggested I was handling something that is a benchmark in the photographic industry in terms of image quality. In terms of sharpness, I think it's not necessary to discuss the sharpness too much, the pictures speak for themselves.

The exemplary sharpness at all f-stops, and the fact that adding a 2x teleconverter does not lose optical performance, we actually get a macro beast of 200mm, and I particularly enjoy working with this combination. The increased working distance when photographing shy insects is a huge benefit and there are no chromatic aberrations, no sharpness loss. Perfect.

I was very surprised when I made the first autofocus test. I placed my palm about 30cm from the front of the lens, then switched focus to a greater distance of approximately 100 meters and vice versa, and the response was lightning fast. I have never seen such a fast macro lens, so in this case I can truly say that photographing insects in flight will be much easier than ever before!

Generally, the whole palette of Sony G Master, or G lenses are superb. The latest FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS is a great addition to the existing series, and one that I've been looking forward to for a long time.

The performance is amazing. I used the focus bracketing technique a lot - to increase the depth-of-field where possible by being able to stack the images in post-production. Because the AF is so fast, the process is very quick which is crucial, before the insect moves or the wind ruins the opportunity for a good shot.

The reality of getting a higher reproduction ratio than 1:1, or 1.4:1 delighted me tremendously and I am glad that Sony went in that direction. In combination with a 2x teleconverter, we get a monstrous increase to 2.8:1 - reaching the goal of what is invisible to the naked eye.