Sony’s New FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS Lens

credits: Sony

Sony has announced the new FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS, giving E-mount photographers a more ‘affordable’ way to reach the popular 100-400mm focal range. While it sits below Sony’s premium telephoto lineup and does not carry the G or G Master badge, it still brings several newer technologies to the table, including dual linear autofocus motors and support for continuous shooting at up to 120fps on compatible Sony cameras.

Naturally, keeping the price down means a few compromises. The maximum aperture ranges from f/5.6 to f/8, reaching f/8 by around 220mm, making it noticeably slower than more expensive alternatives. The optical design consists of 15 elements, including two ED elements and two aspherical elements, along with a 9-blade aperture diaphragm. Sony is upfront about the fact that it won’t match the image quality, resolution, or background blur of its G and G Master lenses, but says it still delivers solid overall performance. One of the lens’s biggest strengths is its size. It weighs 654g, measures 164.5mm in length, accepts 67mm filters, and extends as you zoom, making it one of the lightest full-frame 100-400mm zooms currently available for the E-mount system.

The lens also offers surprisingly good close-up performance for a telephoto zoom, with a 0.41x maximum magnification, giving you a bit more flexibility for detail shots alongside wildlife, sports, and travel photography. Compared to alternatives like Sigma’s 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary, Sony’s new lens is nearly 500g lighter, which is quite a bit. The Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS will be available in September and is priced at $849.