In just four days with the new 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master, Sony Artisan Patrick Murphy-Racey covered four different sports, plus a birding park near his home in the mountains of East Tennessee. By the time he put the lens down, he had something remarkable to report: this lens doesn't just fill a gap in Sony's G Master lineup. It redefines what shooters at every level can expect to carry into the field.
Football. Flag football. Lacrosse. Softball. (Plus birds, deer, squirrels and flowers.) That's a lot of ground to cover with a single optic – but the 100-400mm focal range was built for exactly this kind of versatility. "It's a great range for sports, birding, and nature photography and video," Patrick says. The range gives you reach when you need it, flexibility as action moves toward you, and the confidence that you won't be left scrambling for a second body mid-play.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 1600
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 12800
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/4.5, ISO 2500
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 400
Joining An Elite Club Of Sony Lenses
Patrick didn't just test the new lens in isolation. He set up a direct side-by-side comparison between the 400mm f/2.8 G Master, the 300mm f/2.8 G Master with the 1.4x teleconverter attached, and the new 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master – all shooting at 400mm. The results, by his own account, were shocking.
"The results were shocking. The f/4.5 lens matched up really well with even the 400GM in terms of bokeh and the out-of-focus backgrounds of the images."
He now places the 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master in what he calls an elite club of Sony's fastest and most accurately focusing lenses, alongside the 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II, 300mm f/2.8 G Master, 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G, and 50-150mm f/2 G Master. Sharp wide open at every focal length, and background separation that competes with primes costing three times the price.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 12800
Constant Aperture. Constant Confidence.
For Patrick, the constant f/4.5 aperture is a practical necessity. "Constant aperture is essential for serious stills and video shooters alike. None of us want to keep up with a changing aperture while working."
Paired with four XD Linear Motors and a floating focus mechanism delivering AF speeds up to 3x faster than the previous generation, the lens locks on and stays locked. "The AF speed and accuracy is super quick, and when used with the Alpha 7R VI, Alpha 1 II, Alpha 9 III and the Alpha 7 V, the lens really comes alive."
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/4.5, ISO 400
He also loved the feel of it. "I loved the lack of bulk, the sharpness at every focal length, the lack of weight, and the balance of the lens overall."
The Zoom Advantage – More Than Just Reach
One of the subtler points Patrick makes is about how a zoom fundamentally changes the way you work in the field. "The ability to zoom out as the action comes closer instead of having to switch cameras or lenses is a huge benefit." Any sports photographer who's ever fumbled a body change while the play came right at them knows exactly what he means.
This flexibility also renders the need for a built-in teleconverter largely unnecessary. When you can zoom through a 4x range at a constant aperture, the need for a fixed-length workaround disappears. And for those moments that demand even more reach, the lens remains fully compatible with Sony's 1.4x teleconverter and 2x teleconverter, pushing focal lengths to 560mm or 800mm respectively.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/3200-sec., f/4.5, ISO 1000
Patrick also points to Sony's evolving sensor technology as a reason not to fear the f/4.5 aperture in challenging light. "With Sony's constantly evolving and improving sensors, shooting at f/2.8 in low light is no longer a requirement like it once was." The Alpha 7 V, for instance, delivers 33 megapixels at 30fps with one-second pre-capture – the kind of body that makes f/4.5 in low light a non-issue.
A Two-Lens System For Nature & Sport
Looking ahead, Murphy-Racey sees the 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master as a cornerstone of a streamlined kit. He plans to run it alongside the 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G for nature, birding and field sports – a pairing that covers 100mm through 800mm in just two lenses, both driven by four XD Linear Motors for consistent, blazing-fast AF across the full range.
"For birders especially, this new 100-400GM paired with the 400-800G lens will mean going from 100mm to 800mm in just two lenses," he notes. The combination handles field hockey, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball, soccer, birding and wildlife – a toolkit that would previously have demanded far more glass, far more weight, and far more money.
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/4.5, ISO 400
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 1. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/4.5, ISO 2000
He also sees this lens going to the most demanding locations on earth: float planes in Alaska, open safari vehicles, remote wilderness. Places where every ounce matters and where you need optics that perform the instant you raise the camera. The f/4.5 aperture, paired with Sony's modern sensors, also means shooters can push well into magic hour and beyond – chasing the best light without compromise.
"The new 100-400GM will allow photographers to invest less, and get much more out of having less gear."
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master + 1.4X TC. 1/640-sec., f/6.3, ISO 2500
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master + 1.4X TC. 1/10000-sec., f/6.3, ISO 2000
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey. Alpha 7 V. 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master. 1/4000-sec., f/6.3, ISO 2000
The Verdict
In just four days, Patrick Murphy-Racey covered more ground with the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master than many photographers cover in a season. His conclusion is unambiguous: this lens joins G Master's elite tier, holds its own against primes costing three times as much, and arrives at a price that finally brings true professional long glass within reach of far more photographers.
See more of Patrick Murphy-Racey’s work on his Alpha Universe Profile, YouTube Channel and on Instagram @murphyracey.
Watch his complete review of the new 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master:
Click here to learn more and order the 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master lens.
