The new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G lens was just announced and the super-telephoto zoom is already earning praise from some of the top bird and wildlife photographers. A select group of photographers received the lens in advance to take it for a test spin. See some of their first images taken using the new lens below and read what they have to say about its performance. Photos by Colby Brown, Melissa Groo, Matt Kloskowski, Patrick Murphy-Racey and Brian Smith. See more and order the new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G HERE.
Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G
“With bird and wildlife photography, I find that you can usually never get close enough. While 600mm is great, that extra 200mm, with no teleconverter, was even better. And I really like how Sony got rid of the lower end focal length (200-400mm) that most lenses in this category seem to have. If I look through my library of photos taken with my 200-600mm lens, nearly all of them are taken at 500-600mm. So I end up carrying around a lens with a focal length that I don’t really use. Whereas this lens gets me much closer to what I like to photograph birds with.” – Matt Kloskowski
“The autofocus for the 400-800mm G is extremely fast, the image quality is excellent and the build is rock solid. But my favorite thing is the internal zoom and the very short throw required to zoom from 400mm to 800mm.” – Brian Smith
“My favorite part of the new 400-800mm G is the fact that it’s a super-telephoto zoom lens that is sharp at the long end (800mm) – and I don’t have to add a teleconverter to get that long end! This is a terrific lens for bird/wildlife photographers who often have to shoot from a good distance, and must deal quickly with animals or birds that are moving, with distance rapidly increasing or diminishing. It’s especially useful in places like where I live in upstate New York, which is heavily forested, and where everything is pretty skulky and disappears often within seconds. I do a lot of shooting from my car and this will be a great lens to put on a beanbag on the windowsill.” – Melissa Groo
“I welcome the dual linear AF motors for sure. This is the lead of this lens – AF is snappy, fast and accurate. I also welcome the 300GM style lens shade. It’s the best design to date and I hope Sony sticks with it from here on out. Last, the lens is so small and compact—it fits in my ThinkTank backpack with the body and grip attached!” – Patrick Murphy-Racey
“The 400-800 range is perfect for wildlife photography, especially when photographing species that tend to be shy. If you are looking for a super-telephoto lens for wildlife on a budget, the 400-800mm G is a great fit. The lens range, IQ and sharpness is perfect for birders as well as other species that tend to keep their distance.” – Colby Brown
“Overall I found the lens to be exactly what I expected. It was as fast to focus as any zoom telephoto lens I’ve used, and the photos were as sharp as any other lens in that category. Having 800mm of reach without having to add a teleconverter was my favorite aspect.” – Matt Kloskowski
“The 400-800mm G is virtually identical in size to the 200-600mm G. If you shoot at the long range of the 200-600mm most of the time and find yourself wishing it was a bit longer, this new lens is just what you’ve been waiting for.” – Brian Smith
"I know some people find it challenging to get a fast-moving bird or other animal in the frame when dealing with a prime super-telephoto lens, like a 600mm or 800mm. It’s just too small a field of view for them. With a lens like this, you can first locate the animal at a larger field of view, and then quickly zoom in on it. I think this will be a fantastic birding lens. It will work really well both for birders who are interested in documenting species with quality images, as well as for wildlife photographers who are into capturing beautiful images of birds.” – Melissa Groo
“I love that Sony broke the millimeter barrier of 600mm and reached out to 800mm! I was really pleased with this image I took of a coyote in particular. It shows how sharp the lens is, how beautifully it renders color, and how very narrow the depth of field is at 800mm.” – Patrick Murphy-Racey
“Overall, I am very happy with its performance. When you have enough light to use this variable aperture lens, you can get tack-sharp results at incredible distances. What more can a photographer ask for? I found the AF motors to be fast and the IQ/Sharpness to be great. Like other variable aperture lenses, you need some light for this lens to truly shine, but in the right situations, the details this lens captured blew my mind!” – Colby Brown
“I own the 100-400mm and the 200-600mm. The wider aperture settings I get with both of those lenses usually leads to lower ISO settings, and clear images - and I do like that. But noise reduction software is so good today, that I’d rather have more noise and longer reach so I don’t have to crop as much. If I have enough light the 400-800mm G is a no-brainer. I’ll take the extra reach any day.” – Matt Kloskowski
“Many Sony wildlife photographers have requested a lightweight super-telephoto at a reasonable price. Some asked for an 800mm, others asked for a 600mm and some wanted a zoom. Sony checked all the boxes with a single lens.” – Brian Smith
“When I’m in the field, my priority as a conservation photographer is to reduce my disturbance of birds and other wildlife as much as possible. This is for two reasons. I believe strongly in respecting the vital life processes of animals just trying to survive, and in keeping wild animals wild. I also know as a seasoned wildlife photographer, that I will get my best shots when I have a wild subject that is not changing its behavior because of my presence; this is the key to wildlife photography that depicts authentic, intimate behavior. For these reasons, this super-telephoto zoom lens will be an excellent addition to my gear set.” – Melissa Groo
“Just like with their cameras, Sony is getting really good at making high quality lenses in the G series that are really great optics for the money. I’m so happy this lens will be available for such a reasonable price, especially for birders who need the extreme reach it offers without wanting to yet invest in a G Master.” – Patrick Murphy-Racey
“While I was able to get some incredible Iberian Lynx shots with the 400-800mm G lens, I truly loved some of the slow-motion 120fps video I shot of different bird species drinking from the watering hole outside of the hides I was using. The details captured by the 400-800mm G, when paired with my Sony A1 II, were impressive!” – Colby Brown
See more and order the new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G HERE.
