Sony Fe 100-400mm F/45-56 Gm Oss Lens Review
Sony 100-400mm
Sony's Best Ultra-Telephoto Zoom
Total-Frame Eastward-Mount Fe GM OSS (2017-)
Sample Images Intro Format Compatibility
SpecsAccessoriesFunctioningCompared
Usage Recommendations
Sony Atomic number 26 100-400mm f/4.v-5.6 GM OSS (77mm filters, 51.8 oz./1,470g with foot equally shown; 49.1 oz./one,393g without foot, iii.2'/1m close focus, about $2,498) bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also go it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
This ad-free website's biggest source of support is when you lot apply those or whatever of these links to my personally-canonical sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Sony does non seal its boxes in whatsoever way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, store demo or used lens. Buy only from the approved sources I employ myself for the all-time prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
July 2018 Sony Sony Lenses Zeiss Nikon Canon Fuji LEICA All Reviews
NEW: Best lxxx-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.
Sony seventy-300mm OSS
Sony 70-200/2.8 GM OSS
Canon 100-400mm L IS II
Nikon 80-400mm AF-S VR
Tamron 100-400mm OSS
Sample Images
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
USA VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
Girl on a Ladder in the Rain, two:sixteen P.M., 27 Feb 2018. Sony A7 Iii with Sony 100-400mm GM at 116mm at f/5 at 1/500 at ISO 6,400, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution or camera-original © JPG.
Ultra-sharp edge-to-edge broad-open at 100mm:
Coastline Looking Northward from Laguna Embankment, 20 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.v-5.vi GM at 100mm wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/500 at Motorcar ISO 100, Perfectly Articulate. bigger or photographic camera-original © file.
Ultra-sharp edge-to-border wide-open at 200mm:
Laguna Main Embankment, 20 Baronial 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM at 200mm wide-open at f/v.6 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © file.
Ultra-sharp border-to-border wide-open at 400mm:
Laguna Embankment Wall of Shame, xx August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.v-5.6 GM at 400mm broad-open up at f/v.6 at one/320 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Articulate. bigger, full-resolution © file or camera-original © file.
This is the toughest; telephoto zooms are their softest at the long end, and this lens is still ultra-precipitous in the corners at 400mm. BRAVO!
Introduction
SummitSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
USA VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
Good Bad Missing
This Sony 100-400/4.five-5.six GM OSS is Sony's all-time ultratelephoto zoom. It'south the best there is for any Sony camera at any price: information technology's ultra-sharp, focuses very close, is well-made, has three focus-lock buttons on the front of the barrel, and virtually chiefly, focuses fast and sure on Sony'southward cameras, especially the country-of-the-art Sony A9. The A9 easily runs at 20 FPS with this 100-400mm.
If you lot're serious virtually your full-frame Sony, this is the nigh serious ultra telephoto zoom y'all can buy.
I know you lot're tempted to utilise a Metabones Five Adapter with the Canon 100-400mm IS L II you already own on your new Sony, only I already own both of these, and they don't work every bit well on my Sony A9 every bit this native Sony lens does. This Sony 100-400 always focuses immediately on Sony equally the Catechism 100-400mm IS L 2 does on Canon, only on an adapter on Sony the Canon 100-400 II can become hung-up and not focus if it's far out of focus, needing a manual affect-upwards to get information technology shut before the Sony'due south AF organisation tin can complete focussing. With this genuine Sony 100-400, information technology e'er focuses well-nigh instantly regardless of subject area altitude.
Sony claims some grit and wet resistance:
Internal gaskets, Sony 100-400mm. bigger.
Adept
● Close focussing.
● Fast and sure autofocus; doesn't hang up.
● Silent autofocus.
● Three focus lock buttons.
● Ultrasharp at every setting, specially wide-open at f/4.v-five.6.
● Excellent bokeh.
● Focus range limiter.
● Zoom stiffness adjustment to forestall pitter-patter.
● Optical prototype stabilization works along with your photographic camera's sensor-shift stabilization.
● Made in Japan.
Bad
● Electronic manual focus ring (no direct mechanical connexion to anything).
● $2,500.
● Plastic filter thread.
● Big and heavy.
Missing
● No focus or depth-of-field scales.
● No infra-red focus indices.
Format
ElevationSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
Us VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
This is a full-frame lens and I'm reviewing information technology as such.
It also works great on APS-C cameras and you may make the usual inferences for them. Information technology becomes the equivalent of a 150~600mm ultra zoom!
Compatibility
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CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
Usa VersionOperationCompared
Usage Recommendations
This works on all Sony E-mountain cameras, full-frame and crop-sensor. This includes all the NEX, A7, A6xxx and A5xxx series cameras.
It will not work on any Minolta MAXXUM 35mm SLR or any Sony A-mount DSLR. Those use the one-time A mount which was really the Minolta MAXXUM mount from 1987.
Specifications
ElevationSample Images Intro Format
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USA VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
Proper noun
Sony FE 100-400mm f/iv.v-5.6 GM OSS. bigger.
Sony calls this the FE iv.v-5.6/100-400mm GM OSS:
FE: Total-frame coverage, E-mount.
GM: "G Master," which ways Sony's best.
OSS: "Optical Steady Shot," which is Sony'southward internal optical image stabilization.
Also called model number SEL100400GM.
Eyes
Sony 100-400mm construction. Super ED and ED elements. bigger.
22 elements in 16 groups.
2 ED actress-depression dispersion elements and i "Super ED" actress-low dispersion element.
"Nano" anti reflection coating.
Fluorine front end coating to resist dirt and fingerprints.
Focus is internal.
Pumper zoom; the forepart extends a lot when zoomed longer.
Diaphragm
Sony Iron 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Stops down to f/32~40.
Focal Length
100 ~ 400mm.
When used on APS-C, it sees the aforementioned angles of view as a 150 ~ 600mm lens sees when used on a full-frame camera.
See also Ingather Factor.
Bending of View
24º ~ vi.2º diagonal on total-frame.
16° ~ 4.2° diagonal on APS-C.
Autofocus
Autofocus motor systems. bigger.
Focus is internal and so zip moves externally and no air or grit is sucked in.
There are autofocus two motor systems: dual linear motors in the center and direct-drive Super-Sonic Moving ridge Motors (SSM actuators) at the rear.
The double linear motor can wobble the focus for the contrast detection AF system while shooting video.
Real-time feedback from multiple position sensors let the trunk'due south AF organisation to operate at full chapters.
Three focus lock buttons.
Focus range limiter switch.
Shut Focus
3.22 feet (0.98 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
i:2.86 (0.35 ×).
Stabilizer
Aye, internal optical stabilizer driven by a linear motor.
If used with a camera with built-in sensor-shift stabilization, the arrangement has what Sony calls "five-centrality image stabilization."
Filters
Plastic 77mm filter thread.
Tripod Neckband & Pes
Included removable tripod foot. bigger.
Included removable tripod foot. bigger.
The collar is permanently attached, while the foot unlatches and slides off.
The foot has two standard ¼″ × 20 tripod threads then y'all can apply the i that balances the all-time for you.
If you slide off the human foot, in that location is another ¼″ × 20 tripod thread on the lens itself.
Hood
Included Sony ALC-SH151 Hood. bigger.
Bottom, included Sony ALC-SH151 hood. bigger.
Locking plastic bayonet hood included. ($81 replacement cost)
Information technology's tougher than most, and has a locking latch release push button.
It'south painted off-white, with blackness flocking inside.
There's besides a slide-up hatch to let you turn rotating polarizers and grads.
Case
Padded nylon instance included.
Size
3.lxx" maximum diameter × 8.07" extension from flange.
93.9 mm maximum bore × 205 mm extension from flange.
Weight
51.840 oz./1,469.7g, actual measured weight, with tripod foot.
49.145 oz./1,393.2g, bodily measured weight, without tripod foot.
Tripod pes alone: 2.700 oz./76.5g.
Rated 49.3 oz. (ane,395 one thousand) without foot.
Announced
Midweek, 19 April 2017, along with the Sony A9.
Sony Model Number
SEL100400GM.
Included
Lens, tripod collar and removable human foot.
ALC-F77S front and ALC-R1EM rear cap.
Sony ALC-SH151 hood.
Instance & strap.
Price, USA
$two,498, August 2017 ~ July 2018.
Sony Iron 100-400mm f/four.5-five.six GM OSS. bigger.
Optional Accessories
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
U.s. VersionFunctioningCompared
Usage Recommendations
Iron 2x Teleconverter, likewise at Adorama.
Fe one.4x Teleconverter, too at Adorama.
Kirk replacement tripod foot .
Getting a Legal United states of america Version
(applies in U.s.a. merely)
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
USA VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
In the USA, along with any else is in your box, be sure you go a folded The states Warranty skid like this that says "U.South. and Canada but" and has the (800) 222-SONY telephone number:
Sony United states of america Warranty. bigger.
If not, you got ripped off with a gray market place version from another country. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally canonical sources. You but can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, considering non-USA versions have no warranty in the USA.
If a gray marketplace version saves you $800 it may be worth it, merely for $300 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Always be sure to check your paperwork while you tin still return information technology, or merely don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so y'all'll be able to have your lens serviced equally needed.
Us versions similar mine may also include manuals in extra languages and actress foreign warranty cards; so long as you have an English manual and a USA warranty skid, you lot're good.
Just to keep things interesting, you'll notice that this lens at present has a much larger and longer warranty sheet than before, no longer just a card, because this warranty has many more exclusions and limitations than always before. Information technology specifically adds, well-nigh halfway down, that even if you have all this paperwork, if you didn't go your lens from an approved (past Sony) dealer, and sothe warranty doesn't apply. You'll demand some sort of proof of purchase, like your receipt from an approved dealer.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be certain to check everything while you all the same tin return it.
Performance
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
USA VersionOperationCompared
Usage Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters
Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes Macro
Mechanics Sharpness Stabilization Sunstars
Overall
Functioning meridian
This Sony 100-400 4.v-five.half-dozen GM is the best ultra-tele available for Sony. It's super abrupt, focuses super fast and super close and has 3 focus lock buttons.
Autofocus
Performance top
Utilize the right photographic camera, like the Sony A9, and autofocus is phenomenal. Players can run all over the field while the 100-400/4.5-5.half-dozen and A9 keeps them in perfect focus at 20 FPS, no worries! I've never used a DSLR system that can rails this well, for this long with a player running anywhere in the frame.
Autofocus is besides completely silent unless you hold it to your ear. Y'all tin can shoot with a silent camera in restricted, sensitive and prohibited areas without beingness noticed.
There are three focus lock buttons around the front. Concur whatever to lock focus. What's weird is that on my Sony A9 that the camera's decorated green AF indicators don't extinguish instantly, but the system seems to work fine.
Manual Focus
performance top
The transmission focus ring is merely an encoder to the camera'southward estimator, which will just focus the lens if you lot gear up the lens or your camera to MF.
For transmission-focus override, set the camera to DMF, which puts the camera in AF-Southward style, and overrides it if you turn the focus ring.
Focus Breathing
Performance top
Focus animate is the image changing size as focused in and out. It'southward important to cinematographers because it looks funny if the epitome changes size as focus gets pulled back and along betwixt actors. If the lens does this, the paradigm "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
The epitome from the Sony 100-400/4.five-five.6 gets larger as focussed more closely.
Bokeh
Performance top
Bokeh, the feel or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is splendid. Backgrounds simply melt away.
Here are samples from headshot distance:
Bokeh at 100mm
Davis 6250 weather station, eighteen August 2017. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your estimator (mobile devices rarely display full resolutions images properly).
Bokeh at 400mm
Davis 6250 weather station, xviii August 2017. bigger or camera-original © file to explore on your computer (mobile devices rarely display full resolutions images properly).
Notice how ultrasharp are the cobwebs in each camera-original file.
Distortion
Functioning elevation
The Sony 100-400/iv.5-5.6 GM has no distortion when shot on cameras with automatic distortion correction.
Shot without correction, information technology has no baloney at 100mm and only pocket-sized pincushion distortion from 135 ~ 400mm
If you deactivate the camera's automatic correction, it's piece of cake to correct with Photoshop'south lens distortion filter using these correction factors:
| Correction factors on full-frame | at x' (3 meters), corrected | at 10' (3 meters), uncorrected |
| 100mm | ±0.00 | ±0.00 |
| 135mm | ±0.00 | -1.50 |
| 200mm | ±0.00 | -two.l |
| 300mm | ±0.00 | -2.50 |
| 400mm | ±0.00 | -2.00 |
© 2017 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my enquiry that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting information.
Ergonomics
Performance top
The focus ring is an electronic encoder, which is junior to a direct mechanical focus ring as used on the 70-200/2.8 GM.
This is a big, heavy lens. Zooming moves the front half of the lens, and then it takes 2 or three fingers:
| | |
| Sony 100-400mm at 100mm. bigger. | Sony 100-400mm at 400mm. bigger. |
There is then much moving effectually when zoomed that in that location will exist zoom creep if pointed upwardly or downwardly. It'southward somewhat more difficult to zoom if the front half of the lens has to movement up.
Sony includes a zoom drag control that tin can be tightened to prevent creep, but it patently increases the effort required to zoom against the extra friction. If you fix this to TIGHT from its default of SMOOTH, the added friction also hides the extra attempt needed if the front of the lens has to move up as zoomed.
Sony copied the Smoothen-TIGHT wording from Canon, who used the incorrect word. Both settings are smooth; Smoothen should really be labeled LOOSE.
SMOOTH-TIGHT command, Sony 100-400mm. bigger.
Falloff
Performance top
Falloff is invisible with the camera'southward default "Shading Correction" ON.
Filters, apply with
performance elevation
At that place'south no need for sparse filters.
You tin stack quite a few 77mm filters and never get vignetting, even on fuil-frame.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Flare & Ghosts
Functioning top
This is an optically complex lens, and if you exercise something deliberately airheaded similar pointing the lens at the sun and filling the rest of the frame with a night tree, yous'll run into some green ghosts:
Flare, 18 Baronial 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/four.v-5.half-dozen GM at 100mm at f/4.5 at ane/640 at Motorcar ISO 100. bigger.
Flare, eighteen August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.v-5.six GM at 100mm at f/32 at ane/x hand-held at ISO 100. bigger.
Yous'll never see information technology in normal utilise; don't worry about it. Many people desire ghosts, and even employ software to add them back in to modern lenses like this!
Lateral Color Fringes
Performance height
There are no color fringes as shot on Sony cameras, most of which by default correct for whatsoever that may be in that location.
This is splendid.
Macro
Operation top
Macro performance is superb. Information technology gets super close and is super-abrupt. For about uses information technology replaces any demand for a dissever macro lens:
Kienzle Flieger Automat 800/2843, 23 August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.six GM at 400mm at close focus distance broad-open at f/5.6 at ane/500 at Motorcar ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
i,200 x 900 pixel crop from above. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.v-5.vi GM at 200mm at close focus distance at f/viii at 1/640 at Automobile ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
It's so sharp, even wide-open at f/5.six, that the vapor-thin depth of field is obvious in the camera-original © file. If you await at this on your computer you'll see that while the sentry face is in focus and so sharp that you lot can see individual grains of the watch face'due south luminous chemical compound and pigment, while the hands and mean solar day/appointment indicators are softer every bit they are out of the plane of focus. This was more than obvious to me as I had all the other images not shown here at different distances which clearly delineated focus on but the day/date indicators or each one of the hands!
If this crop is well-nigh 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same farthermost magnification would exist almost 40 x sixty" (1 x 1.5 meters). You're seeing the actual texture of the lookout face and case.
If this ingather is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the consummate epitome printed at this aforementioned extreme magnification would be nigh 20 x 30" (50 x 75 cm).
Mechanical Quality
Performance top
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS. bigger.
This Sony 100-400 is fabricated pretty well, with both metallic and plastic on the outside. Since Sony is trying to bury Nikon and 1-up Canon I would await a niggling more here; it's nice, but non as tough equally the Canon 100-400mm L IS Ii it tries to copy.
Sony claims a sealed grit- and moisture-resistant blueprint.
Hood Bumper
Rubber.
Bayonet Hood
Tough painted plastic.
Lens Forepart Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Front Blackness Band
(marked ● and ∅77 0.98m/three.22ft)
Metal.
Forepart Barrel
(barrel that pumps in and out as zoomed)
Plastic.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Mid Butt
Section with focus lock buttons: plastic.
The buttons are plastic, also.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Smooth-TIGHT Ring
Metal.
Rear Barrel
(section with switches)
Plastic.
The switches are all plastic, and so is the rearmost section behind the tripod neckband.
Tripod Neckband & Foot
Metal.
Internals
Plastic and metallic.
Moisture Seal at Mount
Not really; in that location is a gasket, just look carefully and information technology doesn't make contact with the mount of my A9, so it provides less sealing than you lot'd look.
Mount
Boring chromed metal.
Markings
Except for the front band with " ● and ∅77 0.98m/3.22ft" which is engraved and filled with paint, everything else is just painted.
Engagement Code
None found on the lens, but at that place is one on the box. Exist sure your lens' serial number matches the ane on the box for this to be valid. The lens serial number is betwixt the two numbers nether the second bar code:
Sony 100-400mm date code. bigger.
Identity
Little raised silver-lettered plate glued to top of barrel.
Dark gray paint on bottom rear of butt:
Sony Atomic number 26 100-400mm f/4.five-five.6 GM OSS. bigger.
Serial Number
A sticker glued to the lesser of the barrel, perfectly OK for a CD histrion but non adequate for a piece of gear expected to receive heavy handling in the field on a daily basis.
Noises When Shaken
Balmy clunking.
Made in
Japan.
Sharpness
Performance superlative
Equally I showed at Sample Images, information technology'due south ultra-precipitous, even wide open up at any zoom setting. Information technology doesn't become any ameliorate than this. If you can't make abrupt pictures with this lens, you need to step upward your skill likewise every bit atmospheric conditions if you're shooting over any significant altitude outdoors.
While you didn't run into this in the days of film, at 400mm with today'southward high-resolution digital cameras you will come across atmospheric heat shimmer when shooting over long distances at 400mm. The lens does a peachy job of recording what's going on, which is the atmosphere messing upward the details of the photograph:
Coastline Looking North from Laguna Beach, 20 Baronial 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/iv.5-v.half-dozen GM at 400mm wide-open at f/5.six at one/640 at Auto ISO 100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or total-resolution © file (Perfectly Clear increased contrast to cut through haze, which also emphasizes falloff and sensor dirt.)
If you look at the full-resolution © file at 100% on your computer you'll see how the dynamic atmospheric effects accept warped people'due south railings beyond all recognition, equally well as rendered many areas much softer.
Here are Sony's MTF charts at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm :
| | |
| MTF at 100mm at f/4.5. | MTF at 400mm at f/5.6. |
| | |
| MTF at 100mm at f/viii. | MTF at 400mm at f/8. |
Prototype Stabilization
Operation top
On my Sony A9, which has its own internal stabilization in add-on to this lens' optical stabilizer, I get 100% tripod-equivalent perfectly sharp shots hand-held continuing at 1/thirty at 400mm when looking at 24MP images at 100%
I get almost ninety% tripod-equivalent perfectly precipitous shots manus-held standing at ane/15 at 400mm when looking at 24MP images at 100%
At 1/8 at 400mm my shots are almost as abrupt as if I used a tripod; they however look perfect seeing the entire paradigm on a 30" screen. Most are still super abrupt viewed at 100%.
At 1/four all the shots are blurry at 100%, but at reasonable sizes most of them are quite usable..
At 1/2 all the shots are very blurry at 100%, but shoot enough frames and 1 volition turn out usable for web sized utilise. Not bad hand-held standing at 400mm!
Sunstars
Performance top
Even with rounded diaphragm blades, this 100-400 makes some pretty good sunstars on vivid points of calorie-free if you lot cease information technology way downwards.
Sun in Palm, August 2017. Sony A9, Sony 100-400mm f/4.five-5.half-dozen GM at 100mm at f/25 at Auto ISO 100. bigger.
Compared
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
The states VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
NEW: Best 80-400mm & 100-400mm Lenses Compared.
Versus the Sony 70-200/ii.8 GM
The Sony 70-200/2.eight GM is about the same size, weight and price. Both are exquisitely sharp at every setting.
They both focus as shut, but since this lens goes to 400mm rather than 200mm, this lens gets almost twice every bit tight as the 70-200mm f/2.8 tin.
The Sony 70-200/2.8 GM is built a piffling tougher in Thailand, while this 100-400 is a little more plasticy simply comes directly from Japan.
The existent differences are zoom range and manual focus.
I prefer the 100-400mm zoom range; I'll gladly merchandise the 70-100mm range for the 200-400mm range! Both focus as close, so I tin can go much tighter shots with the 100-400mm.
Manual focus is much better on the 70-200/2.8 since information technology's a real mechanical focus band which always has instant override. This 100-400, similar most of Sony's lenses, has only an electronic encoder for its transmission focus ring, which never responds as well equally does a existent mechanical ring.
I prefer this 100-400mm lens for its much more than useful zoom range. f/stop doesn't matter today with the insane high ISOs of Sony's cameras; this isn't 1997 where we would be shooting these on moving-picture show where you lot ofttimes needed f/two.8. The bokeh of this lens at 400mm and f/v.6 is better than the other lens at 200mm and f/2.eight; focal length is more important to bokeh than f/terminate.
Versus Canon and Nikon
Who cares? Each of the Canon 100-400/4.v-5.half dozen Fifty IS II and Nikon fourscore-400 VR G only work best on a Canon or Nikon camera. If yous try to adapt either to Sony, y'all lose much of the magic of the autofocus and optics that Sony optimizes to its cameras. While each of the Canon and Nikon use Fluorite elements for extreme sharpness, neither works as well on Sony because the Sony lens is optimized for the E-mount Sony sensors, while the other lenses are designed for a flat-field held over from film days. Ditto for AF; running a lens through an adapter doesn't work as well every bit this native Sony lens' AF system on Sony cameras.
If you're shooting on Sony, this Sony lens is best.
This Sony 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM is a cosmetic copy of the Canon, right downwards to the TIGHT-SMOOTH wording on the zoom elevate control has the aforementioned switches in the same places as Canon has used for years, which is adept. The Canon 100-400 is congenital better than any of the Nikon or Sony lenses, except for the Nikon 70-200/ii.viii FL VR which is built similar a Swiss tank.
| Sony 100-400 GM | Sony lxx-200/2.8 GM | Sony lxx-200/4 1000 | Sony 70-300 M | |
 |  |  |  | |
| f/max | f/4.5-5.half dozen | f/ii.8 | f/4 | f/4.5-5.6 |
| Introduced | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Close Focus | 3.2'/1m | 3.i'/1m | four'/ane.2m | 3'/0.9m |
| Repro Ratio | 1:2.86 0.35× | 1:4 0.25× | 1:7.7 0.14× | one:3.1 0.31× |
| Manual Focus | Electronic encoder | Directly mechanical | Electronic encoder | Electronic encoder |
| Filter Threads | plastic , 77mm | plastic , 77mm | plastic , 72mm | plastic , 72mm |
| Baloney | 0 ~ -2.0 | +3 ~ -3.7 | +1 ~ -4.two | |
| Fluorite Elements? | no | no | no | |
| AF Lock Buttons | Three | Three | Three | One |
| One-finger zoom | no, use two or three fingers | Yes | some times | no, use ii or three fingers |
| Build Quality | Consumer | Very practiced | Very good | Consumer |
| Made in | Japan | Thailand | Japan | Prc |
| Weight, actual measured, w/collar | 51.8 oz. 1,470g | 54.v oz. 1,545g | 33.iii oz. 944g | 30.ii oz. 856g |
| Price, six/2017 | $2,598 | $1,398 | ||
| Price, 7/2017 | $2,598 | $1,498 | ||
| Price, 8/2017 | $2,498 | $two,598 | $ane,398 | |
| Toll, 11/2017 | $2,498 | $2,598 | $i,498 | $1,198 |
| Sony 100-400 GM | Sony 70-200/two.8 GM | Canon 100-400L IS II | Nikon 80-400 AFS VR | |
| | |  |  | |
| f/max | f/four.five-five.vi | f/2.8 | f/4.five-five.6 | f/four.5-5.6 |
| Introduced | 2017 | 2016 | 2014 | 2013 |
| Close Focus | 3.2'/1m | 3.2'/1m | four'/1.2m | 5.seven'/1.75m |
| Repro Ratio | 1:2.86 0.35× | ane:four 0.25× | 1:3.ii 0.31× | ane:5.1 0.19× |
| Transmission Focus | Electronic encoder | Directly mechanical | Direct mechanical | Direct mechanical |
| Filter Threads | plastic , 77mm | plastic , 77mm | Metallic , 77mm | plastic , 77mm |
| Baloney | 0 ~ -ii.0 | +3 ~ -three.7 | +1.5 ~ -one.5 | -0.25 ~ -2.0 |
| Fluorite Elements? | no | no | One | no |
| AF Lock Buttons | Three | Three | none | none |
| One-finger zoom | no, use two or 3 fingers | Yep | not actually, use two fingers | no, use two fingers |
| Build Quality | Consumer | Very skillful | Superb | Consumer |
| Made in | Japan | Thailand | Japan | Japan |
| Weight, actual measured, w/collar | 51.8 oz. 1,470g | 54.five oz. ane,545g | 56.4 oz. 1,600g | 55.one oz. i,563g |
| Price, six/2017 | $two,598 | $1,899 | ||
| Price, seven/2017 | $2,598 | $one,949 | ||
| Toll, viii/2017 | $2,498 | $2,598 | $2,049 | $2,297 |
| Price, 11/2017 | $2,498 | $2,598 | $one,999 | $2,297 |
| Sony 100-400 GM | Sony 70-200/two.8 GM | Sony lxx-200/four Chiliad | Nikon lxx-200/2.8 FL VR | |
| | | |  | |
| f/max | f/4.5-five.6 | f/2.eight | f/four | f/2.eight |
| Introduced | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Close Focus | iii.2'/1m | 3.2'/1m | iv'/1.2m | 3.6'/1.1m |
| Repro Ratio | 1:2.86 0.35× | ane:4 0.25× | one:7.vii 0.14× | 1:4.76 0.21× |
| Manual Focus | Electronic encoder | Direct mechanical | Electronic encoder | Direct mechanical |
| Filter Threads | plastic , 77mm | plastic , 77mm | plastic , 72mm | Metallic , 77mm |
| Distortion | 0 ~ -two.0 | +three ~ -3.7 | +one ~ -4.2 | +0.5 ~ -2.v |
| Fluorite Elements? | no | no | no | One |
| AF Lock Buttons | Three | Three | Three | Four |
| 1-finger zoom | no, use ii or three fingers | Yes | some times | Yes |
| Build Quality | Consumer | Very practiced | Very good | Superb |
| Made in | Japan | Thailand | Japan | Nihon |
| Weight, actual measured, w/collar | 51.8 oz. 1,470g | 54.5 oz. 1,545g | 33.3 oz. 944g | 50.3 oz. 1,425g |
| Price, half-dozen/2017 | $2,598 | $1,398 | $ii,799 | |
| Cost, 7/2017 | $ii,598 | $ane,498 | $ii,597 | |
| Price, 8/2017 | $2,498 | $2,598 | $i,398 | $2,797 |
| Cost, 11/2017 | $2,498 | $ii,598 | $1,498 | $2,597 |
Usage
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
Usa VersionPerformanceCompared
Usage Recommendations
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.five-5.6 GM OSS. bigger.
AF | | MF
Leave the top slide switch at AF (autofocus).
There'south no instant manual-focus override in AF-C mode; utilise DMF mode on your camera or motility this switch to MF.
Total | | ∞-3m
This is the focus limiter.
Exit it at FULL unless the lens gets lost and slows y'all downward "hunting" for things closer than 10 feet (iii meters). If information technology does, fix information technology to ∞-3m and it won't autofocus closer than 10 feet (3m).
Optical Steady Shot
Leave this ON unless you're making long exposures on a tripod.
Way 1 2
Leave it at Way 1 unless yous're panning. Use Style 2 if you're panning.
Focus Lock Buttons
These are the iii unmarked circular buttons between the focus and zoom rings.
Hold any of them to lock autofocus.
They can be used for recomposition, or if your target runs behind an obstruction for a moment.
These buttons are extremely useful on Catechism and Nikon where nosotros frequently take to recompose since they only accept AF sensors in the middle of their frames, merely since well-nigh Sonys like the Sony A9 have AF sensors that cover the unabridged frame, we don't need these equally much.
Recommendations
TopSample Images Intro Format
CompatibilitySpecsAccessories
USA VersionOperationCompared
Usage Recommendations
This is the best 100-400 zoom e'er fabricated for Sony cameras, and it's too the biggest and most expensive, and so no surprises here.
Personally I carry this with my Sony A9 in a Think Tank Retrospective ten pocketbook, which is the perfect size for this with my A9, 12-24/4 G (or 16-35/2.8 GM), 24-lxx/2.viii GM and other accessories.
For half the price the Sony lxx-300mm does most the same affair, with 25% less focal length.
Protective Filter
The very best protective filter is the 77mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints, and is also multicoated.
For less coin, the B+W 77mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters final a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, and 10 or 20 years from now will still be serving you well on whatever you're shooting in 2037.
Where I'd get mine
I got mine at B&H. I'd besides get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
Thanks!
This advert-free website's biggest source of support is when y'all use those or any of these links to canonical sources when you become anything, regardless of the land in which you alive. Sony does non seal its boxes in whatever manner, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since yous'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, store demo or used lens. I utilize the stores I do considering they ship from secure remote warehouses where no i gets to touch your new camera before you practise. Purchase simply from the canonical sources I utilize myself for the all-time prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help yous!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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Source: https://www.kenrockwell.com/sony/lenses/100-400mm.htm
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