Sony’s new telephoto lens FE 300mm F2.8 GM II weighs only 1,470g owing to the incorporation of magnesium alloy in the lens barrel.

Sony's new lightweight design comes with improved balance and handling, benefitting from the use of a magnesium alloy in the lens barrel. This lightweight alloy makes the new lens design roughly 800g lighter than previous models and equivalent lenses, targeting photography applications such as wildlife, sport, and news. Sony plans to release the new design in 2024.

Magnesium alloys are already commonplace in the photography industry, with many camera housings/casings constructed with magnesium alloys due to the metal having a high strength-to-weight ratio. This results in a significant reduction in weight with a strong and durable camera case to protect delicate internal components. Magnesium has also become a popular lightweighting metal used in many portable electronics, including laptops, cell phones, and tablet housings.

According to Project Blue data, magnesium metal in the consumer goods application accounts for roughly 3.5% of the current magnesium metal demand. Despite a roughly 20% volume growth forecast over the next decade, the portable electronics market share is overshadowed by applications such as the aluminium alloy and die-casting industries, which will outpace the anticipated growth in consumer goods, leaving its market share unchanged.