400-800 mm: Sony takes out heavy artillery for nature photo lovers

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Three thousand euros: it's a beautiful budget. However, in the world of animal photo, super telephottos often exceed the ten thousand euros! So, if the new Sony FE 400-800 mm f/6.3-8 g oss is not really the optics that can be offered on a whim, this super telephoto zoom is still far from the prices of ultra high-end optics. Logic: This zoom is part of the family of mid -range Optics G, and not excellent (but often overpriced) G Master, where we find for example the excellent FE 600 mm F4 GM OSS at… € 14,000.

To reduce the cost of design and production of the optics, Sony therefore lowered the opening values of its zoom to f/6.3-8.0, which will force to climb fairly high in ISO. But that's good, since modern boxes are precisely gifted to limit the rise in digital noise.

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By limiting the opening, Sony has reduced the price, weight and size of its optics. But he also and above all was able to maintain an excellent image quality “Throughout the focal range”», We are assured. We will see during the tests, but Sony's technical bias seems logical.

27 lenses and 2.5 kg

This X2 zoom, which covers 400 to 800 mm, is a beautiful baby. It weighs precisely 2.475 kg with the tripod frame (fortunately included in the box). The zoom takes place in a 100 % internal way, which protects the optics of dust and makes it possible to strongly limit the change of center of gravity when one zooms out. This also allows him to more easily obtain the DMR mention, which certifies resistance to dust and humidity (Dust and monthly resistant).

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On the glass side, this “rocket launcher” is an assembly of no less than 27 lenses (including six with very low dispersion) divided into 19 groups, powered by two XD linear motors for the focus. As often with powerful and not very bright zooms, there is no need for too complex lenses as on very large angles, since the viewing angles are very narrow. As an outdoor perspective, the front lens logically benefits from fluorine treatment to limit the grip of water drops and other fingerprints.

As is now the norm for all recent G optics, Sony has integrated a circular diaphragm made up of 11 strips, which promises beautiful background blurs. And do not be fooled by the modest opening values of f/6.3 to f/8.0: even at the end of the zoom, the sharpness beach is low. And, of course, the zoom is stabilized optically (mention oss).

The minimum focusing distance is 1.7 m to 400 mm and 3.5 m to 800 mm, offering a growing ratio of 0.23x. Unlike the brand's 200-600 mm, the FE 400-800mm F/6.3-8 G OSS has a manual focus command (Direct Manual Focus, DMF), allowing to regain control of the autofocus without having to deactivate it.

On the electronic side, Sony made its zoom compatible with AF monitoring functions at 120 I/S (for the A9 III, for example) in photo, as well as with 120p/240p compatibility in video mode.

Cut for teleconverters

Already powerful, the FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS was designed for use with the teleconists. It must be said that the “Birders”, as they are called in English (lovers of bird observation), are fond of super-eleleobjectives.

This accessory, which will transform this 400-800 mm into a 560-1120 mm (SEL14TC) or even into an 800-1600 mm (SEL20TC), will logically have a significant impact on the opening values, which will pass respectively to F/9-11 (SEL14TC) and F/13-16 (SEL20TC) respectively. A light sacrifice which will require good lighting conditions, but which will offer very close -ups.