Introducing the new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G lens. This is Sony’s first telephoto zoom lens that extends to 800mm, and it’s one that photographers are excited about. Professional photographer and Sony Artisan Miguel Quiles had the chance to try out the new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G, and in this deep dive he walks us through his takeaways after using it for several weeks. Watch the full video below and learn more about the new Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G HERE.
Sony 400-800mm F/6.3-8 G: See The Specs
First, Quiles dives into the impressive specs for the new lens. “The 400-800mm G series lens is a full-frame lens that features 27 elements in 19 groups that are designed to reduce chromatic aberration and maintain the highest image quality and sharpness possible,” he explains. “There are also six extra low-dispersion elements that help in those efforts, along with an 11-blade circular aperture to give you that beautiful bokeh that will make your images stand apart.”
This lens is a top choice for wildlife and bird photographers because of its top-notch autofocus features. “To achieve that, this lens has two linear motors,” he explains, “they give you fast, quiet and accurate autofocus for both stills and video use. This autofocus system is near silent and it can help you to track subjects up to 120 frames per second when you’re burst shooting.”
A Well-Balanced Lens Ready For The Outdoors
The lens, which weighs in at 4.66 pounds, or 2,475 grams, has a completely internal zoom – something Quiles found very impressive. “As you zoom in and out from 400-800mm, the lens doesn’t get bigger or smaller which really helps with how this lens handles,” he says. “As you’re doing that, the center of gravity doesn’t actually shift back and forth either, it always stays close to the middle of the lens which makes this lens a lot easier to hold for long periods of time.”
Seeing as the 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G will be a lens that will spend a lot of time outdoors, it’s dust and moisture-resistant, and the large front element has a fluorine coating which helps to protect it from dust, smudging and moisture. The front element also has 105mm filter thread in case you want to pair it with an ND filter or circular polarizer.
Quiles adds, “Hand-holding this lens at these focal lengths is made easier thanks to the inclusion of Optical SteadyShot. And that feature is extra-helpful considering that you could extend the focal length to an absolutely staggering 1600mm using the 2x Teleconverter.”
Creator Control With Customizable Buttons
On the outside of the 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G you’ll find a variety of useful controls, including an AF/MF, Full-time DMF, focus limiter, OSS and mode toggle switches. “There are also three focus hold buttons that can be customized to give you quick access to whatever controls you need the most,” Quiles shows us in the video. “Adjustments to your zoom and your focus can be done using the rings on the outside of the lens, both of which are smooth and easy to adjust.”
He continues, “The 400-800mm G series lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1.7 meters at 400mm and a max magnification of 0.23x. Since this lens has a variable aperture, as you’re zooming from 400 to around 480mm, you’ll have a max aperture of f/6.3. Then from there to around 599mm, you can get up to f/7.1, and from 600-800mm the max aperture is f/8.”
Bird Photography With The Sony 400-800mm F/6.3-8 G
Quiles took the 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G out over the course of several weeks to photograph birds at a local wetlands area just outside of Orlando. “Throughout all of the times that I used the lens with cameras like the Alpha 1 II and the Alpha 9, I was impressed by a few things. First was the bokeh that was possible at these longer focal lengths. Even at f/6.3-f/8, you can get some beautiful subject separation and bokeh. For those situations where I needed the faster shutter speed to photograph or anticipate fast-moving birds, I simply increase the ISO and even at 12800 ISO, I’m able to get that fast shutter speed and an image that cleans up easily in post-production.”
Learn more about the new Sony 400-800mm F/6.3-8 G HERE.
