Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS review: $849 and 654g

By Grace Kim

Sony's FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS is priced at $849, £799 or AU$1,399. Its long-standing FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS costs $2,798/£2,149/AU$3,289; the newer FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS costs $4,298/£4,399/AU$6,899. The 654g budget model is roughly one-third to one-fifth as expensive.

What does the lower price buy?

• Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS: 78x165mm, 654g, f/5.6-8; hood included.
• Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | C: 86x199mm, 1,140g; $1,049/£899/AU$1,377.
• Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD: 89x183mm, 1,115g; $1,299/£999/AU$1,899.
• Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM: similar size, weight and aperture; $749/£799/AU$1,319, with the $50/£76/AU$90 ET-74B hood sold separately.

In US pricing, Sony saves $200 against Sigma and $450 against Tamron while weighing 486g and 461g less. Australia reverses Sigma's advantage: AU$1,377 sits AU$22 below Sony; Tamron remains AU$500 higher.

What are the optical and handling limits?

The Sony E-mount lens covers full frame, with 15 elements in 10 groups, nine diaphragm blades, a 24-6.2-degree view, f/32-45 minimum aperture and a 67mm filter thread. The FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM uses a 95mm thread and a 40.5mm rear drop-in filter.

Two aspherical elements sit at the front and two ED elements sit farther back. Rear-mounted focusing keeps the front element fixed and nonrotating, easing polarizers and graduated ND filters. Dual linear stepping motors drive fast, accurate stills autofocus and smooth, near-silent video focusing.

The AF/MF switch includes a range limiter that blocks focusing below 3m. One customizable function button can hold focus, versus as many as four AF-hold controls on higher-priced models. The OSS switch provides on/off stabilization but omits dedicated static/panning modes and an erratic-subject tracking mode.

The zoom ring is smooth and marked at 100, 135, 200, 300 and 400mm. Matthew Richards found no creep at extreme upward or downward angles, and a zoom lock secures the shortest setting for carrying. The inner barrel still extends considerably toward 400mm.

Weather seals, a rubber gasket and a metal mounting plate protect against moisture and dust. The included circular hood is bayonet-fitted and reversible for compact stowage, flare control and front-element protection.

On APS-C bodies or crop mode, the lens provides an effective 150-600mm view. Sony's 1.4x and 2.0x E-mount converters reduce light by one and two stops, making the f/8 long end effectively f/11 or f/16. The 2.0x result may stretch too far for action.

How does it perform?

Digital Camera World used Imatest Master and SFR charts across apertures and four zoom positions. Center sharpness was very good from 100-300mm wide open at f/5.6, slightly exceeding the pricier f/4.5-5.6 GM. At 400mm, center sharpness dipped but matched the GM. Mid-frame was average; edges and corners mediocre.

Autofocus snapped quickly, tracked moving subjects effectively and worked with the A7 V's subject-recognition modes. It lacks the top GM's quad XD motors; Sony says its dual motors support bursts up to 120fps with the A9 III, a manufacturer claim rather than a measured review result.

Minimum focus is 1.13m at 100mm and 0.86m at 400mm. Maximum magnification reaches 0.41x at 400mm, nearly half life-size, supporting very large screen or print enlargements.

The f/5.6-8 aperture makes ISO a practical constraint for action, sports and wildlife as shutter speed rises. At 400mm, f/8 gives tight depth of field at shorter focus distances, with soft bokeh. OSS produced a good hit rate at slow shutter speeds, especially with recent Sony bodies' in-body stabilization, but cannot remove the need for fast exposures.

Color fringing peaked at 300mm but remained negligible; in-camera lateral correction removed it. Distortion was mild barrel at most focal lengths, except for minimal pincushion at 200mm, with little reliance on correction.

Sample images came from Wells, the Bishop's Palace and Gardens, under overcast and direct sun, mostly wide open on a 33MP A7 V. Some were paired at 100mm and 400mm for comparison.

Which alternatives add more control?

Sigma adds an AF/MF switch, AF-lock button, end-selectable autofocus limiter and dual-mode stabilization with static/panning modes. Tamron starts at 50mm and offers dual-mode stabilization, a customizable function button and custom modes. Both admit more light than Sony's f/5.6-8 at the long end.

What does this change for client work?

Digital Camera World principal lens reviewer Matthew Richards said: “The thing I love most is that there’s so little of it.” His summary of the compromise was equally direct: “The modest aperture rating is simply the price you pay for the relatively compact and lightweight build.”

Digital Camera World scored features, design and performance at 4.5/5, value at 5/5