Sony has surprised us with not one, but two new G Master™ super-telephoto prime lenses for the Alpha™ full-frame E-mount system! Get excited for the new Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and the Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS, the world's lightest lenses in their respective categories. Coming in at 995g for the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and 995g for the 600mm F6.3 GM OSS, plus improved weight distribution closer to the camera body, make these lenses perfect for active, handheld shooting and tracking unpredictable, fast-moving subjects. Both lenses deliver the resolution and bokeh that define the G Master series across the super-telephoto range, capturing distant subjects in the finest of detail. Testing the reach of these two exciting lenses, Dave and Evelyn's latest TCSTV review takes a closer look at how they hold up for wildlife photography or capturing distant subjects with precision.
Offering a compact design with excellent handling for a super-telephoto lens, the new Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS measures at approximately 108mm in maximum diameter and 242mm in length, while the Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS measures at approximately 108mm in maximum diameter and 263mm in length. This is remarkably compact, offering excellent portability and giving you comfortable handling and control during handheld shooting. Shifting the centre of gravity closer to the camera body, the weight balance of both lenses makes it easier to hold framing, track moving subjects, and pan. The lightweight design also adds flexibility to super-telephoto work, particularly when searching for subjects handheld in environments where a tripod or monopod is difficult to use, and during long handheld sessions.
These lenses boast the latest optical design, which incorporates three Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and one ED glass element, suppressing chromatic aberration and other aberrations that commonly occur at super-telephoto focal lengths and delivering high resolution from the centre of the image to the edges. With Sony's proprietary Nano AR Coating II, it reduces ghosting and flare in backlit conditions for clear, crisp imagery. We can't forget about the beautiful bokeh that comes with the G Master label, which is thanks to an 11-blade circular aperture and the optimization of spherical aberration during both design and manufacturing.
These lenses offer fast, precise, and quiet Auto Focus (AF) with the help of two XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors and a control algorithm. Optimized specifically for these lenses, they provide reliable tracking of fast-moving subjects such as birds, wildlife, and sports. They also have built-in optical image stabilization that reduces camera shake during handheld shooting at super-telephoto focal lengths. Both lenses are fully compatible with the Sony A9 III's continuous shooting at up to 120 fps with AF/AE tracking, and support the camera body's Active Mode image stabilization and coordinated image stabilization control, for high-quality stills and movies with reduced blur when shooting handheld. Furthermore, they support the camera body's breathing compensation function, which corrects changes in angle of view caused by shifts in focus position during movie recording.
The lenses offer four customizable focus hold buttons that sit around the lens barrel in addition to a function ring, focus range limiter, Full-time DMF switch, focus mode switch, and image stabilization mode switch. When paired with Sony's optional teleconverters, the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS reaches focal lengths up to 800mm and the FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS up to 1200mm. When out in the wild, the dust- and moisture-resistant design plus fluorine coating on the front element help to resist contaminants, so you can focus on getting that incredible shot.
For more information and to pre-order Sony's newest G Master™ Super-Telephoto Prime Lenses, click here!
Now, enough reading! You have to see it to believe it, so check out Dave and Evelyn's TCSTV first impressions and see how these primes handle real-world use below!
Featured in this blog:
Sony FE 400mm f4.5 GM OSS
Sony FE 600mm f6.3 GM OSS
