Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5–5.6 GM OSS

Comment

First, let’s get the only real negative of this lens out of the way: It’s not much smaller or lighter than the Canon 100-400 II. Whew, ok, glad that’s over with. The image quality though, is incredible. I’ve shot with the Canon 100-400 II mounted on a Sony A7R II with a lens adaptor and the Sony version blows it out of the water in terms of image quality. Not to mention the focus which works perfectly with all of Sony’s bells and whistles like AF during video and Eye-AF. While build quality isn’t quite up to Canon standards, it’s almost there. I wouldn’t feel shy shooting with this guy in the rain or the snow. Living in Alaska, I have to be cozy in these conditions or I’ll end up sipping more hot cocoa than snapping hot photos. (groan, that was terrible, sorry) The image stabilization (OSS in Sony-speak) is also very good. I’ve gotten tack-sharp shots at 400mm and 1/100th of a second. (I’m sure I could get them at even slower shutter-speeds, but I’m often also trying to stop motion) The only real negative of this lens is the cost. However, it’s a brand new optic. I’d expect it to sink by a few hundred dollars in the coming year. If you need the reach, just buy it already, you won’t be disappointed.

more

Comment

Excellent build quality. High quality construction. Not as heavy as I thought it would be, which is good. Has three assignable buttons one can use in portrait/landscape orientations. Detachable foot. Slide door on hood enabling access when wanting to adjust circular polarizing filter--all very practical. The focus ring is buttery smooth, as is the focal length adjustment ring--very good for video use. The optical image stabilization works seamlessly on my A7RIII. At 400mm, I have been able to take sharp images hand held at 1/80th of a second shutter speed. The lens is very very sharp at all focal lengths, which is why I said "Why Buy the 70-200 GM When You Can Have the 100-400GM?" If you need a telephoto zoom for portraits in low light, this is not your lens. But I feel very comfortable saying this lens would make an excellent portrait lens in studio and outdoors in good lighting. Dont forget 400mm at 5.6 isolates the subject and blows out the background just as well as 135mm or 200mm at f/2.8. No need to worry so much a HSS to get that effect, either. Have hd bad experiences with 3rd party sellers, so I bought this lens directly from Amazon services. The lens arrived in a brand new box--no scratches, no sign of ever having been opened or tampered with. Thank you Amazon.

more

Comment

I have to say Im very impressed with this lens along with the Sony A7 III. I also picked up the 1.4x teleconverter and the image quality is amazing. Im a total novice (this is my first camera) and my pictures are coming out far better than I could have hoped for. If youre considering doing wildlife photography the combination of this lens with the teleconverter is just outstanding. The effective 560mm length has plenty of reach and is extremely clear. The photo of this hawk was taken from about 20 feet away (he landed in a tree I just happened to be under) and slightly cropped (maybe 20% taken off) but no filters or any other adjustments.

more

Comment

This is a fantastically sharp and quick to autofocus lens. The lens is heavy and a bit cumbersome casually carry using a neck strap so Id recommend attaching a shoulder-carry strap across the body that is connected to the foot of the lens. I can walk for miles with the lens in that configuration. If you are a wildlife or sports photographer, this lens is a must.

more

Comment

I absolutely love this lens. It’s not obnoxiously large, focuses really well, has great stabilization and feels very high quality. Having had a few weeks to try it before reviewing, I can highly recommend this for Sony users. I’ve used it on both my a7riii and a6500 and it’s great with both. The 1.4x telecom error is excellent paired with this as well

more

Comment

I decided to purchase my first professional camera and decided to go the FF MILC route with the Sony A7R III camera. So I decided to purchase this lens, for its a native lens to the camera. I love taking pictures of wildlife and I have just started taking pictures with this lens and camera. Its a bit on on the heavy side, but it isnt too bad. I also bought the 1.4x teleconverter, but Im starting to like using it without it. Getting every F-Stop is worth it for lighting purposes. . If you are not in taking pictures of wildlife or sports this lens isnt for you. If you are mainly a sports photographer I think the Sony A9 camera will be better suited for you. Dont get me wrong this lens on the Sony A7R III camera is fantastic, its just you have to plan for movement a little quicker with the Sony A7R III.

more

Comment

I took a picture of the Moon handheld & max aperature. I was very pleased with the very sharp image using a Sony A6500.

more

Comment

Some versions are poorly functioning so be sure to immediately run your lens thru all reasonable testing protocols. I had to return mine as it far, far underperformed the expectations set by other reiewers and Sony (both of which I believe). I am a seasoned photographer that tried all kinds of setting variations, but to no avail. Deeply inconsistent capture quality. I really wanted to love this lens...but mine (I assume) was a one-off lemon.

more

Comment

I am using this lens with the 1.4 teleconverter and Sony A7rii. The images are sharp. One of the benefits of this lens is it is not heavy and can be used without a tripod. Recommend.

more

Comment

Ive been falling in love with this lens for a long time. When I decided to buy it, despite its high value, I expected to get a good product. He was pleasantly surprised, because I could never hope to produce such clear and beautiful photos. Highly recommended!

more