Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Hands-on Review
Summary Verdict
For photographers looking for maximum reach without moving into the realm of prime (fixed focal length) super-telephoto lenses, the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS offers impressive versatility and performance. Its sharpness, fast autofocus and ease of use, including a short zoom action, make it a strong contender for enthusiasts.
Score: TBC
Pros
Very appealing focal length range for wildlife photography
Weather-sealed
Short zoom movement
Cons
Small maximum aperture
Inevitably heavy (though good for its focal length range)
What is the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS?
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is Sony’s first super-telephoto zoom lens to reach 800mm. Designed with wildlife and bird photographers in mind, this lens pushes beyond the reach of Sony’s popular FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS and FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 G Master. With a focal range of 400-800mm and a maximum aperture of F6.3-8, it offers exceptional reach for photographers needing to get close to distant subjects without physically moving.
It's a full-frame lens and is compatible with Sony’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, extending its focal length up to 1600mm at F16 or 1120mm at F11.
Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Price and Availability
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is priced at £2550 or €3000 and will begin shipping in March 2025. It’s worth reminding ourselves that the Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS retails for just under £10,500 while the FE 600mm F4 GM OSS costs almost £12,000.
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS (without its lens hood) mounted on the Sony A7R V.
Specifications
Lens mount: Sony FE
Format: 35mm full frame
Focal length: 400 - 800mm
Lens construction: 27 elements in 19 groups with 6x Super ED elements
Lens Coating Muti-coating and flooring-coated front element
Maximum aperture: F/6.3-F/8
Minimum aperture: F/36-F/45
Number of aperture blades: 11
Circular aperture: Yes
Minimum focus distance: 400mm: 1.7m, 800mm: 3.5m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.23 x
Filter diameter: 105mm
Image stabilisation (SteadyShot): Yes
Hood type/model: Round shape, bayonet type with Filter window
Teleconverter Compatible: 2.0x and 1.4x
Dimensions (D x L): 119.8 x 346mm
Weight: 2475 g tripod mount included
Focus type: Internal focus
Zoom type: Internal zoom
AF actuator: Linear Motor and linear response MF
Focus hold buttons: 3
Focus range limiter switch: Yes
Full-time DMF ON/OFF switch: Yes
Tripod base screw: 1x 1/4, 1x 3/8
Image stabilisation Switch: Yes
Dust and moisture resistant design: Yes
Key Features
Optically, the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is constructed from 27 elements arranged in 19 groups, including six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements that reduce chromatic aberrations, enhancing sharpness and clarity throughout the zoom range. The lens also features an 11-blade circular aperture, for smooth, pleasing bokeh effects that help isolate subjects from their backgrounds.
Both the zoom and the focusing mechanisms operate internally, which means the length of the lens remains constant during use. That's great for maintaining a stable centre of gravity and improving handling - especially when the lens is used on a gimbal head.
Sony has used a linear autofocus motor to deliver fast and accurate focusing that can keep up with Sony’s high-speed 120fps still shooting and 240p video recording. A focus range limiter switch also allows users to set focusing ranges between 8 metres to infinity, the closest focusing point to 10 metres, or the full range.
Although focus breathing is optically suppressed, the lens is compatible with Sony’s in-body breathing compensation feature.
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS has strap lugs so its weight is carried directly by a strap rather than via the camera mount, and a fixed tripod foot.
Build and Handling
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS measures 119.8mm in diameter and 346mm in length, while it weighs approximately 2475 g, including the permanently attached tripod mount. Although a detachable lens collar and tripod mount would mean the lens could be made lighter and easier to transport, Sony opted for a fixed tripod foot for greater strength and stability.
Given the dimensions of the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS, it’s worth checking the maximum lens length your camera bag can cope before you head out for a shoot.
While the weight is impressive for a lens of this focal length and aperture range, it still tips the balance at a little over 3 Kg when mounted on a camera like the Sony A99 III. That’s a substantial load to hold to your eye for an extended period. I can hold the lens steady in short bursts, but I would use a monopod or tripod for prolonged shoots or when out for a day of super-telephoto photography.
One of the biggest problems when using an 800mm lens is that it can be very hard to find your subject when you look through the viewfinder. Fortunately, it’s much easier at the 400mm end of the lens. Furthermore, it takes less than a quarter (90-degree) rotation to move between the two extreme focal lengths on the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS. That means you can find the subject at 400mm and quickly zoom to 800mm to take the shot.
I generally supported the lens with my left hand under the tripod foot. Form that position, I find it easy to zoom in and out using my left thumb on the zoom ring.
The FE 400-800mm boasts a dust- and moisture-resistant design, plus there's a fluorine coating on the front element to protect against fingerprints, smudges and water droplets. Sony hasn't quantified the degree of weather resistance, but the lens is designed almost exclusively for outdoor use, so it should take a bit of bad weather in its stride.
The five control switches are within easy reach of your left thumb when holding the camera to your eye, and there are three conveniently placed AF-hold buttons on the lens barrel between the zoom and focus rings.
There are three customisable focus-hold buttons, a full-time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch for easy manual focus adjustments and (as mentioned earlier) a focus range limiter for improved focusing speed. These controls enable photographers and videographers to tailor the lens’s handling and response to the shooting circumstance and their preferences.
Naturally, being a large lens, the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS has a big filter thread - 105mm to be exact. That's the largest commonly available size you are likely to encounter.
Sony supplies the lens with a round-shaped hood with a convenient filter window to make it easy to rotate a polariser without removing the hood.
The Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS comes with a large lens hood with a rubber-like coating on the end.
Performance
When mounted on the Sony A7R V, the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS focuses quickly, getting the subject nice and sharp. It’s also silent when focusing.
Although the lens is stabilised, you still need to use a fast shutter speed if you want to freeze a moving subject. On a bright but slightly overcast February day in Southeast England, using a shutter speed of 1/800 sec at the 800mm end meant using a sensitivity setting of ISO 1000, sometimes ISO 2000. That’s not a major problem, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you are thinking of using the lens in low-light conditions.
While the lens doesn’t quite compete with top-flight optics, it’s impressively sharp and there’s a good level of detail in the subject. Out-of-focus areas also look naturally soft.
A few of my images show slight chromatic aberration, but that’s easily dealt with in Adobe Camera Raw. If you flick between Jpegs and raw files without a correction profile, you may notice that there’s slight pin-cushion distorting in the raw files, but the profile corrects that. Even without it, I doubt you’d notice the distortion without making the comparison.
Vignetting appears to be very well controlled, and my images have uniform exposure across the frame.
Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Sample Images
These images were taken using the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS on the 61MP Sony A7R V. Follow the link to browse and download full-resolution images from the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS. Please respect our copyright.
This wood pigeon was high in a tree and it’s relatively small in the frame when photographed using the 400mm end of the lens.
Zooming to 800mm resulted in a much more impactful shot.
Set to the ‘Bird’ subject detection option, the Sony A7R V did a good job of keeping the pigeon’s eye sharp.
This robin th was lower down the tree than the wood pigeon, but its small size means it is almost lost amongst the foliage when photographed at the 400mm end of the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS.
Again, zooming to the 800mm end of the lens produces a much better result.
Despite its red breast, this little robin was quite hard to locate when looking at the viewfinder with the lens at the 800mm end. Zooming out to the 400mm makes it much easier to find and then it takes less that a 90-degree turn of the zoom ring to move back to the 800mm point.
Early Verdict
Although I need to test the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS further before I pass my final judgement, it’s clear it’s a significant addition to Sony’s super-telephoto range. It balances exceptional reach, high image quality and practical handling, making it a good choice for wildlife and some sports photographers. With robust build quality, high optical performance, and thoughtful features such as the focus range limiter, internal zoom, and stabilisation modes, this lens offers outstanding versatility.
