Sony has introduced the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS, a compact super-telephoto zoom designed to make photographing distant subjects more approachable. The new full-frame E-mount lens combines a versatile 100-400mm range with optical stabilisation, fast autofocus and a remarkably low weight of 639g. Its model number is SEL100400.
What immediately interests me is how clearly Sony has separated this lens from its premium telephoto options. Rather than chasing the speed and professional specification of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS, the F5.6-8 model is about portability, accessibility and giving photographers a practical route into super-telephoto shooting.
The 100-400mm focal range covers plenty of ground. At 100mm, you can frame landscapes, travel details, portraits and larger animals, while the 400mm end brings garden birds, aircraft, motorsport and distant wildlife considerably closer. On a Sony APS-C camera, the lens provides the equivalent field of view of a 150-600mm lens. Camera Jabber’s crop-factor guide explains why that extra apparent reach can be particularly useful for wildlife photographers, while our Sony A6700 review looks at one compact body that could make an interesting partner for it.
Of course, the trade-off for the reduced size and weight is the variable maximum aperture. It starts at F5.6 at the wide end and closes to F8 at 400mm. That should be perfectly workable outdoors, although you will need to keep an eye on shutter speed when photographing movement in lower light. Optical SteadyShot should help reduce camera shake, but it cannot freeze a bird, pet or racing car that is moving through the frame.
Autofocus is driven by dual linear motors, with Sony promising the speed and accuracy required for moving subjects. The lens also includes a focus-hold button and a zoom-lock switch, useful additions when you are tracking action or carrying the camera between locations. Compatibility with Sony’s SEL14TC 1.4x and SEL20TC 2x teleconverters provides another route to greater reach when required.
Internally, the optical construction comprises 15 elements arranged in 10 groups. These include two ED glass elements and two aspherical elements, which are intended to control aberrations and preserve detail across the zoom range. A nine-blade circular aperture should also help produce smoother out-of-focus backgrounds when the subject is separated from its surroundings.
Close-focusing performance looks surprisingly useful for a lens of this type. The minimum focusing distance is 1.13m at the wide end and 0.86m at the telephoto end. That opens the door to tightly framed images of flowers, insects and small details as well as distant subjects.
Sony’s intended audience appears to be photographers taking their first step into long-lens photography. That positioning makes sense when you look at the combination of reach, weight and straightforward controls. Our guide to the best lenses for wildlife photography provides some wider context, while the tutorials covering how to photograph garden birds and the best settings for bird photography should help new owners get started.
At just 78.2mm in diameter and 164.5mm long, the lens should be much easier to fit into a modest camera bag than many traditional super-telephoto zooms. For me, that is the real story here. A long lens is only useful when you are willing to carry it, and the Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS appears designed to remove much of the bulk that can make photographers leave their telephoto glass at home.
Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS specifications
Product type: compact full-frame super-telephoto zoom lens.
Mount and format: Sony E-mount for 35mm full-frame cameras.
Focal length: 100-400mm; 150-600mm equivalent on Sony APS-C cameras.
Maximum aperture: F5.6 at the wide end and F8 at the telephoto end.
Optical construction: 15 elements in 10 groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements.
Aperture: nine-blade circular aperture.
Autofocus: dual linear motors for fast and accurate autofocus.
Stabilisation and compatibility: Optical SteadyShot with SEL14TC and SEL20TC teleconverter support.
Minimum focus distance: 1.13m at 100mm and 0.86m at 400mm.
Dimensions and weight: 78.2 x 164.5mm; 639g.
Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS price and availability
An official UK price is not available, an official US price is not available and the official Euro price supplied by Sony is €900. A retail availability date was not provided in the supplied briefing. Please keep an eye on Sony’s official lens website for more details.
