Sony has announced two remarkably lightweight super-telephoto primes for its full-frame E-mount system, the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS, with both lenses weighing less than 1kg.
For me, that weight is the headline here. The FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS weighs approximately 994g, while the FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS comes in at approximately 995g. Sony claims that makes each the world’s lightest lens in its respective class.
That potentially changes how photographers approach these focal lengths. Traditionally, a serious 400mm or 600mm prime has been something you expect to support with a monopod or tripod, especially when spending hours photographing wildlife or sport. Sony’s new lenses have been specifically designed around handheld shooting, with their centre of gravity positioned closer to the camera body to make tracking, panning and maintaining a subject in the frame easier.
The dimensions are similarly interesting. The 400mm measures approximately 108mm in maximum diameter and 242mm long, while the 600mm has the same maximum diameter but extends to 263mm. They’re certainly specialised lenses, but these figures suggest a pair of super-telephoto primes that should be significantly less intimidating to carry into the field.
We’ve seen Sony pursuing lighter long-lens options recently. The new primes arrive alongside lenses such as the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS, while the Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS takes a more accessible approach to lightweight telephoto shooting. If you’re deciding whether a prime or zoom makes more sense for photographing animals, our guide to the best lenses for wildlife photography provides some useful wider context.
Optically, both new lenses sit in Sony’s G Master range and use three Super ED elements and one ED element to suppress chromatic and other aberrations. Nano AR Coating II is used to reduce flare and ghosting, while an 11-blade circular aperture and careful control of spherical aberration are designed to produce smooth background blur.
Autofocus is handled by two XD Linear Motors, with Sony promising fast, accurate and quiet focusing. Significantly for sports and wildlife photographers, both lenses support continuous shooting at up to 120fps with AF/AE tracking when paired with the Alpha 9 III.
That’s a combination that makes a lot of sense. The Alpha system has long placed considerable emphasis on high-speed subject tracking; our updated Sony A9 review shows how Sony’s original stacked-sensor sports camera helped establish that direction. These new lenses take the idea further by reducing the physical burden of keeping a long prime pointed at unpredictable subjects.
Optical image stabilisation is built into both lenses, and there’s support for compatible cameras’ Active Mode stabilisation and coordinated stabilisation control. Sony has also included breathing compensation support for video.
Around the barrel are four customisable focus-hold buttons, along with a function ring, focus-range limiter, Full-time DMF switch, focus-mode switch and image-stabilisation mode switch. Dust and moisture resistance and a fluorine coating on the front element should also prove useful when working outdoors.
Both lenses support Sony’s optional teleconverters. The 400mm can therefore reach up to 800mm with the 2x teleconverter, while the 600mm can extend to 1200mm. That’s serious reach from lenses weighing around a kilogram, and it could be particularly attractive to bird and wildlife photographers who cover considerable distances on foot.
Anyone who has carried a 200-600mm-class lens through the countryside will appreciate why this matters. In our recent 3 Legged Thing AXIS Sling review, we used Sony’s 200-600mm while hiking and found that simply making a large telephoto easier to carry could have a meaningful effect on the shooting experience. Likewise, the Vanguard Alta Sky 69 review illustrates just how substantial the bags traditionally associated with very long wildlife lenses can become.
I think that’s what makes these two lenses particularly interesting. Sony isn’t simply adding another 400mm and 600mm to the Alpha system; it’s attempting to make prime-lens super-telephoto photography considerably more mobile. If the handling lives up to the weight figures, photographers who normally leave a huge prime at home may suddenly have another option.
Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS specifications
Product type: full-frame E-mount G Master super-telephoto prime lens.
Focal length: 400mm.
Maximum aperture: F4.5.
Optical elements: three Super ED elements and one ED element.
Aperture: 11-blade circular aperture.
Autofocus: two XD Linear Motors.
Image stabilisation: built-in optical image stabilisation.
Teleconverter compatibility: supports optional Sony teleconverters for focal lengths up to 800mm.
Dimensions: approximately 108mm maximum diameter x 242mm length.
Weight: approximately 994g.
Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS price and availability
Official UK, US and Euro prices for the Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS have not yet been announced. Sony has also not confirmed the final on-sale date. Please keep an eye on the Sony UK website for more details.
Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS specifications
Product type: full-frame E-mount G Master super-telephoto prime lens.
Focal length: 600mm.
Maximum aperture: F6.3.
Optical elements: three Super ED elements and one ED element.
Aperture: 11-blade circular aperture.
Autofocus: two XD Linear Motors.
Image stabilisation: built-in optical image stabilisation.
Teleconverter compatibility: supports optional Sony teleconverters for focal lengths up to 1200mm.
Dimensions: approximately 108mm maximum diameter x 263mm length.
Weight: approximately 995g.
Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS price and availability
Official UK, US and Euro prices for the Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS have not yet been announced. Sony has also not confirmed the final on-sale date. Please keep an eye on the Sony UK website for more details.
