I have owned (and loved) the Sony FE 200-600mm F5-6.3 G OSS since reviewing it back in 2020. Sony took a different tack than most competing telephoto zooms by opting for an internally zooming lens, and, while that meant that the lens was larger than lenses like the Tamron 150-500mm or the Sigma 150-600mm, it also made for a lens that handled better in the field, allowing for near instant zooms, more consistent balance, and more consistency in handling. When your eye is in the viewfinder, it’s great to have everything stay in the same place for muscle memory. What’s more, that lens had great autofocus, great image quality, and was generally a lot of fun to use. Sony has now expanded on that formula with their newest lens – the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS – by shifting the zoom range 200mm further, and, in the process, creating a whole new class of lens. 600mm has been the previous limit for a lens like this, so getting up to 800mm opens up all kinds of new horizons…and the fact that it can be used with teleconverters allows for some pretty wild amounts of reach. Does the 400-800G limit up to the standard set by the 200-600G? We’ll explore that in both the video review and text reviews, or just enjoy the photos in the galleries below.

https://youtu.be/k32PhoNrPR8

Thanks to Sony USA for sending me a review loaner of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV along with the Sony Alpha 1 that serve as my benchmark cameras for Sony lenses. You can visit the product page for the 400-800G here.

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While lenses like this are not for everyone, those who are always looking for a little more reach are going to be delighted with the 400-800mm G.

The 200-600G could reach up to 840mm if you used a 1.4x teleconverter, but your maximum aperture would be F9, so the 400-800G is actually the brighter option for shooting in and around 800mm. The 400-800’s range can be stretched out to 1120mm with a 1.4x, with a maximum aperture of F11. You can reach up to an unbelievable 1600mm with a 2x teleconverter, though I didn’t have one on hand to test with (I’m typically not a big fan of 2x teleconverters). Maximum aperture will be a rather dim F16, so you’ll need lots of light (and probably a slower moving subject) to make that work.

But we’ve never seen a zoom lens that reaches 800mm quite like this, and certainly not one that is quasi-affordable at roughly $2900 USD ($4100 CDN). Does that make this droolworthy lens worth pursuing? Take a look at the photos and see.

Photos of the Sony 400-800 G

Photos taken with the Sony 400-800mm G

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GEAR USED:

Purchase the Sony 400-800G OSS @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Sony Canada | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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Purchase the Sony a7RV @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Camera Canada | Sony Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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Purchase the Sony a7IV @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Camera Canada | Sony Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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