Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Reviews
You'll love it if you can afford it....(or even if you can't
By Jeff
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-05-26
We received the 600 4.0 just before last year's (2022's) spring trip to Yellowstone Park. On previous trips we shot the 200-600, a terrific lens, and the 400 2.8, an even better lens. The 600 4.0 is the best of the bunch. Coupled with the A1, the results the 600 prime produces can be outstanding. Practically all of the misses can be chalked up to operator error. The autofocus is almost instantaneous. It stays locked on to moving subjects (of course, shutter speed has to be fast enough). The images are tack sharp even when closely cropped. Even a 65-year-old guy (like me) can hand-hold this lens for long periods of time. The only drawback is that prime lenses aren't cheap. This one is no exception. Whether it's worth $11,000 more than the 200-600 depends on a person's perspective and finances. If you are person who is always looking for ways to improve your photography there isn't much doubt that this lens will accomplish that. If I had to, I could go back to the 200-600...but I might cry a lot in the process.
Awesome lens
By David
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-01-03
Really appreciate the reduced weight of this lens from 11 lbs to 6.7 . My back loves this lens
better than 200-600mm
By David
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-04
Although satisfied with the Sony 200-600mm, I was pleased with the improved sharpness and clarity of the 600mm. I'm able to maintain detail with extensive cropping (magnification) better than 200-600mm. Also better with 1.4x multiplier and focusing on A1 body. All I expected was improved bokeh.
Niche lens
By Dave
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-11-13
All things considered this is an amazing lens. However, the price is hard to swallow. I recently had a chance to use the lesser priced 200-600 and side by side images on a Sony A1 I could hardly tell the difference. Of course bokeh is much better and the extra stop of light helps. For 90% of my "wildlife photography" I don't need the extra benefit of one stop of light and bokeh.
Fantastic lens!
By Paul
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-10-23
Lock onto birds and animals eyes even faster than the 200-600 Sony lens. Super sharp.
My Dream Come True
By Robin
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-09-02
As a passionate wildlife/bird photographer for over 40 years I can honestly say that I never thought I'd get to own the BEST 600mm lens ever made. As a budget bird photographer I took up digiscoping to get the focal lengths generated by the big primes and assumed that my journey would end there. But, my DW gave me permission to buy the lens when it became available (thank you, B&H!), and it is everything and more. I thought the 200-600mm lens was sharp, but this thing is crazy sharp! And hand-holdable! Autofocus is fast, but I will say that it tends to lag on up close subjects (15'), but it is every bit as fast as my old 300/2.8 Nikkor. Image resolution is outstanding, and coupled w/ the Sony a1 it is the ultimate package for birds and wildlife. Thank you, B&H for making this kid's dream come true!
Oustandingly Sharp
By Larry
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-03-28
This is the first of the high end telephoto lenses I've owned. It is surprising to me how sharp and light it is. In particular, the sharpness is visibly, although subtly greater than my 200-600. It's also noticeably longer (actual 600 vs. the estimated 560 of the 200-600). I also find it reasonbly easy to handhold for short periods of time. Finally, there are several features on the lens (such as preset focal length and DMF) that are handy to have on board.
Ideal birding lens when coupled with the alpha-1
By georges birds
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-03-11
I have been using this lens for 4 weeks now. I mostly shoot small birds at around 5 to 10 meters distance, always at f4. The majority of shots are in at the sensor pixel sharpness limit on the birds eye and that is hand held. I simply cannot believe how good this setup is.