Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens

Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens

This is what you've been waiting for! The Sony FE 400-800mm is the manufacturer's longest focal length super telephoto lens. The 400mm zoom provides versatility for shooting, but such a long focal length is at its best in special situations when you want spectacular images of wildlife, for example. In addition to nature photography, such a long focal length works with airplane binoculars and for shooting sports, especially motorsports.

And you can get an even greater focal length by combining the lens with a teleconverter, Sony's 2X teleconverter gives you a 1600mm focal length - focusing also works with this combination.

• 400-800mm focal length and weighs only 2.4kg and is less than 35cm long
  
• Only slightly larger and heavier than the popular Sony 200-600mm
• Compatible with Sony 1.4X and 2X teleconverters
• Internal zoom and focus - lens length does not change
• 2 XD linear focus motors, the same technology as in G Master super telephoto lenses
• Also compatible with 120FPS burst shooting
• Initial tests show excellent mechanical quality
• Weather and dust-proof construction

However, the size and weight of the lens is very reasonable! Only a few centimeters longer and a couple of hundred grams heavier than Sony's popular 200-600mm telephoto zoom.

The lens has a powerful internal image stabilizer that works together with the body stabilizer to provide sharp images even when shooting handheld. The image stabilizer has three different settings, in addition to the basic setting, Mode 2 is a mode intended for panning and Mode 3 stabilizes the viewfinder image, which makes it easier to frame fast-moving subjects, for example in sports photography.

Lens structure

The Sony FE 400-800mm has internal zoom, meaning the lens size does not change when changing focal length. This is a great feature for example when shooting handheld or using a camera gimbal, as the center of gravity of the camera and lens does not change much. In addition, the lens's weather protection is more effective because the outer structure is the same compact package.

The optical construction is modern, or in short, complex. The lens consists of no less than 27 elements in 19 groups, with six ED lens elements used to correct distortion.

There are 11 diaphragm plates and they are rounded to ensure that out-of-focus areas are drawn as beautifully as possible. The outer lens surfaces are coated with a fluorine coating, which repels water and dirt. This, combined with good weather protection, makes the lens a functional tool for even the harshest conditions.

Professional-level usability

Like super telephoto lenses, the Sony FE 400-800mm includes comprehensive controls to ensure you have the settings just right when the action starts. The lens' zoom ring also has an exceptionally short turning radius, which is useful if you want to frame as close to the camera as possible and the subject is moving towards the camera.

In addition to automatic and manual focus, you can activate the DMF function, i.e. focus correction. When this is on, it can directly control the focus if the autofocus makes a mistake. Focusing was also aided by limiting the focus areas: you can select the entire focus area, from close up to 10m and from 8m to infinity.

There is an intentional overlap here so that the feature can also be used near the transition point of about 9 meters , in which case the focus does not get stuck at a certain distance. The focus limiter speeds up the autofocus operation and prevents, for example, the focus from getting lost on a closer subject.

On the other hand, the smart focus system of Sony cameras also helps here, meaning the camera knows when to focus on the bird and ignore unexpected branches.

The lens body has three Focus Hold buttons, which by default lock the autofocus at the desired position, these buttons can also be programmed to initiate EyeAF, for example. There are three buttons, making them conveniently accessible even in portrait shots.

The included lens hood has a door for adjusting a polarizing filter, for example. The Sony 400-800mm has a large but fairly common 105mm filter thread, so you can use protective filters.

According to initial tests, the mechanical quality is very good, similar to Sony's G series, the buttons have a firm feel and the zoom and focus adjustment ring is suitably damped. The lens has a place for a strap, and one is also included in the sales package.

The Sony FE 400-800mm is constructed to be dust and weather resistant.

Note: This product is not compatible with the separately purchased Sony 2-year extended warranty.

Specifications:

• Compatibility: Sony FE
• Focal length: 400-800mm (with APS-C sensor 600-1200mm)
• Aperture: f/6.3-8 (min. f/36-f/45)
• Closest focus distance: 1.7m-3.5m
• Optical construction: 27 elements in 19 groups, 11 rounded diaphragm blades
• Stabilizer: Yes
• Weather and dust-proof construction
• Compatible with Sony 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
• Filter thread: 105mm
• Size: 119.8mm x 346mm
• Weight: 2475kg