Sony has announced the FE 400mm f/4.5 G Master OSS and FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS telephoto prime lenses. These lightweight lenses are nearly identical in design, features, and even size. However, the new 400mm f/4.5 GM is especially portable and offers photographers an affordable, accessible entry point into G Master telephoto photography.

Priced under $3,000, the Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM finally gives E-mount owners their own version of Nikon’s extremely popular Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S. Better still for Sony shooters, it’s even lighter than the impressively lightweight Nikon lens.

The Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS weighs just 994 grams (2.2 pounds) without its removable tripod foot attached and is 242 millimeters (9.53 inches) long. It accepts 95mm front filters.

Contrast that with the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S, which weighs 1,160 grams (2.56 pounds) and is 234.5 millimeters (9.2 inches) long. It also accepts 95mm filters. So Nikon beats Sony on length, but Sony’s new 400mm undercuts Nikon’s weight by about 14%. They are both impressive achievements, to be sure.

Sony is also undercutting Nikon somewhere else, though: Price. The Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is $3,496.95, while Sony’s new G Master telephoto lens is coming in at $2,699.

Another natural comparison is the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports. It offers a bit more reach, albeit with a slower maximum aperture. It’s also just over 370 grams heavier and $300 more expensive, though it is normally $600 more expensive. Sony’s lens naturally doesn’t have the same 15 FPS AF-C shooting restriction as third-party E-mount lenses like Sigma’s prime, though.

As a G Master lens, the Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS has the build quality and advanced features photographers have come to expect. It features a weather-resistant design and an array of customizable buttons and switches. It also has four customizable Focus Hold buttons and a customizable function ring beyond the focus ring.

Speaking of focus, the Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS features a pair of XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors, one for each of the telephoto’s focusing groups. The lens promises fast, precise, and smooth focusing performance across Sony’s lineup, including at 120 frames per second on the a9 III.

The Sony 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS can focus as close as 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), the same distance as its 600mm sibling. However, its shorter focal length means the 400mm lens offers less magnification. It has 0.18x max magnification compared to 0.25x on the FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS.

The two telephoto primes are also very similar optically. The 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS has 22 elements arranged across 16 groups, including three Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element. The lens includes Nano AR Coating II to minimize internal reflections and ghosting. It has an 11-bladed circular aperture that promises G Master-quality bokeh, which means clean, consistent out-of-focus rendering.

When photographers need a bit more reach, the FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS also works with Sony’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. With the 1.4x teleconverter, the lens becomes a 560mm f/6.3, quite similar to the FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS. With the 2x teleconverter, it becomes an 800mm f/9, which is pretty close to the speed of Sony’s FE 400-800mm f/5.6-8 G OSS zoom lens.

Sample Photos

Pricing and Availability

The Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS is available to preorder and will begin shipping in October. It costs $2,699 and comes with a protective soft carrying case.

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Image creditsSony