Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Lens Announced

I think it’s pretty safe to say that since its launch back in June 2019, the FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens has probably been Sony’s most popular lens for wildlife and sports photography.

Well, at least for those who would rather not sell any body parts to afford the much more expensive Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS lens.

I’ve owned the 200-600 since day one and it has pretty much lived on my camera, at least until the Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports lens came along.

So with the announcement of the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens are we going to see thousands of used 200-600 lenses appearing on used market places?

Possibly, at least if the early reviews are anything to go by.

The new 400-800 will retail for $2,898 in the US or £2,549 in the UK. You can already pre-order the lens but it won’t start shipping until April 2025.

The FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens is constructed of 27 elements in 19 groups, with 6 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to help control chromatic aberration. There’s an 11-blade circular aperture.

At 400mm the minimum focusing distance is 1.7m (5′ 7″), this increases to 3.5m (11′ 6″) at 800mm.

It is compatible with both of Sony’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The 1.4x increases the maximum reach to 1120mm with the loss of one stop of light and the 2x takes it to 1600mm with two stops of light loss.

The lens weighs in at a rather hefty 2475g (4.66lb) and has a 105mm filter thread on the front. It’s weather-sealed and has a fluorine coating on the front element.

There are three customizable buttons as well as switches to control the focus mode, focus limiter and optical image stabilization.

Just like the 200-600 the zoom mechanism is internal so that the length of the lens does not change when zooming, and Sony says its weight distribution puts the center of gravity over the integrated tripod foot.

For A9 III owners you’ll be happy to know that the 400-800mm is compatible with the 120fps burst mode thanks to the autofocus which is handled by two linear motors. Focus continues uninterrupted even while zooming so important moments are never lost.

The lens hood features a new design with a lock button for easy attachment and removal, and a filter opening for easy operation of a filter.

Key Specs

Sensor Format	Full Frame
Focal Range	400-800mm
Lens Construction	19 Groups, 27 Elements
Angle of View	36°-45°
Number of Diaphragm Blades	11
Maximum Aperture	F6.3-8
Minimum Aperture	F36-45
Minimum Focusing Distance	1.7-3.5 m(5.58-11.5 ft)
Maximum Magnification Ratio	0.23x
Filter Size	105mm
Dimensions (Diameter × Length)	119.8 x 346 mm(4-3/4 x 13-5/8 in.)
Weight	2475 g(87.4 oz.)
Supplied Accessories	Hood (model):ALC-SH181 Lens front cap:ALC-F105S Lens rear cap:ALC-R1EM Case Lens strap

Early Reviews

Here’s a collection of early reviews worth watching to learn more about this lens.