When you need reach, flexibility, and portability, Sony’s FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS is a tough lens to beat. Covering the boundaries of short tele and super tele ranges, this 4x zoom is backed by a modest maximum aperture that makes it relatively compact and lightweight for its focal-length range. It’s a G Master lens, too, and incorporates low dispersion glass and a Nano AR coating to keep imagery sharp, well-corrected, and high in contrast. It is also weather sealed for working in outdoor conditions. The Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor focusing system produces quick AF performance while OSS image stabilization compensates for the effects of camera shake for sharper handheld results.
Applications: With telephoto versatility in a hand-holdable package, this 100-400mm is aimed at sports, wildlife, and nature photographers, but can also fit some fashion and portraiture applications when working from a distance, as well as landscapes, for a more compressed look.
Perks
+ Excellent telephoto range
+ Compact design
+ G Master lens, advanced optics
+ OSS and tripod foot for stability
+ Weather sealed
Drawbacks
- Not especially fast maximum aperture compared to primes or faster zooms
Specs
| Focal Length | 100-400mm |
| Aperture Range | f/4.5-5.6 to f/32-40 |
| Optical Layout | 22 elements, 16 groups (1 Super ED element, 2 ED elements) |
| Coating | Nano AR |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 3.2' / 98 cm |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.35x |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9 |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Filter Size | 77mm |
| Dimensions | 3.7 x 8.1" / 93.9 x 205mm |
| Weight | 3.1 lb / 1395 g |
Sample Images
