- Sony reveals FE 400-800MM F6.3-8 G OSS AND FE 16MM F1.8 G-LOVEMENTS
- 400-800mm lens is Sony’s first ever with 800mm range
- Full frame lenses cost $ 2,900 / £ 2,550 and $ 800 / £ 850 (AU-pricing to follow)
Sony has revealed two lenses to its full frame cameras, covering wide angle and telecommunications extremes between them. The exceeding lens is FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 g of us because it is Sony’s first telecommunications lens ever to reach 800 mm focal length.
Costs $ 2,900 / £ 2,550 (AU-pricing to follow) and available from the beginning of March 2025, 400-800mm joins Sony’s other telezoomer-a 100-400 mm and a 200-600 mm-as the longest reach, making it especially ideal for wildlife and action photography where you cannot get close, eg. Birding and motorsports.
In addition, it works with Sony 1.4x and 2x teleconveres. The latter can extend the maximum range 1600 mm, although the reduced f/16 maximum aperture is impractical for most scenarios, in addition to sunny weather.
Alongside the 400-800 mm lens, Sony also introduces FE 16mm F1.8 g, which costs $ 800 / £ 850 (again, AU-pricing to follow) and should be available from the beginning of April 2025.
Where it hopes to stand out as FE 14mm F1.8 GM, FE 20mm F1.8, FE 16-25mm F2.8, FE 16-35mm and F2.8 GM II is its competitive price, compact build, ultra-wide perspective and fast f/1.8-aperture. For users of one of the zooms who generally stick to the widest angle, the new 16mm prime could make much more sense.
The ultimate super-telephoto zoom?
Sony is not the first to launch a Super-Tele Photo Zoom with a maximum of 800 mm focal length. No, that recognition went to Canon with its RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 is USM in 2023.
There is plenty for 400-800mm lens, mind. Sony says it is dust-resistant and moisture resistant, plus its focusing and zoom is the internally aforementioned is a welcome surprise.
An internal zoom means that the lens does not extend when you zoom in and out, with the center of gravity essentially unchanged. Most enthusiast zoo lenses extend as you zoom in, including canons, and there is potential for dust and moisture to enter the lens through its extended barrel. Not so with Sony’s 400-800mm.
This is also an optical complex lens consisting of 27 elements in 19 groups, 6 of which are ED elements, plus an 11-blade circular aperture for what should be comfortable bokeh. Sony says there is minimal flare, ghost and chromatic deviation-our in-depth in-depth review will reveal everything.
The minimal focus distance of the objective is 1.7 m, which delivers a maximum 0.23x magnification – this is no macrolin. It is equipped with two linear engines and supports autofocus tracking up to 120 FPS, which means that the autofocus performance of Sony’s best cameras can realize its full potential with this lens in play.
The lens is stabilized, which is an important feature for a super-telephoto zoom, but unfortunately Sony could not tell us what the lens OIS is judged for. We should have that info when our in -depth review is published.
At 2,475 g, Sony’s 400-800 mm lens is more more important than Canon’s super-telephoto, plus it’s a little more expensive, while Canons lens has a 4x optical zoom that can zoom out wider to 200 mm.
However, for people with a Sony camera, the new FE 400-800mm offers the longest reach at a competitive price. It is not a pro-grade Sony lens, but I can see that it is especially popular with enthusiasts and action photographers for whom the maximum F6.3-8 aperture is acceptable.
