A day with Sony's new FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS & FE 600mm f/4 GM O

ony recently announced two new telephoto lenses to their lineup – the 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G and the 600mm f/4 GM. With the addition of these two lenses, Sony now has native lenses capable to reaching over 400mm. In the past, Sony users would have to adapt long lenses like the Tamron or Sigma 150-600mm lenses, or Canon/Sigma’s long primes. We had the chance to try these lenses out for a day, read on for our thoughts and for sample photos.

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Specs:

Minimum Focus Distance – 2.4 meters
24 Elements in 17 Groups
11 Blade Rounded Aperture
5 Extra Low Dispersion Elements, 1 Aspherical Element
Removable & Rotating Tripod Collar
Nano AR Coating to Minimize Reflections/Flare/Ghosting
Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
Direct Drive SSM for Quick, Quiet and Accurate Autofocus
Dust & Weather Sealed
Compatible with 1.4X & 2X Teleconverters
95mm Filter Size
4.65lb

The Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS is a well-built lens, with some unique features that separate it from other long zooms. One of those features is that it is an all-internal zoom. Whether you’re at 200mm or 600mm, the lens length stays the same. This is a great feature that keeps the lens balanced as you’re zooming in/out while tracking a subject. Another nice feature is that to go from 200mm to 600mm, it only requires a quarter turn of the focus ring. No more having to take 2 turns of the zoom ring to go from one end of the zoom ring to the other.

The lens features a focus hold button, which can be reprogrammed via the menu system. The focusing system is quick and makes it a great choice for birders, wildlife shooters, sports photographers, and more. For the amount of zoom that it packs, the lens is sharp, and comparable to other newer long zooms. There is a bit of falloff in the corners, but nothing too noticeable.

At a little over 4.5lb, it’s slightly heavier than the 150-600mm Sigma (Contemporary) and Tamron G2, but is lighter than Nikon’s 200-500mm f/5.6. Hand holding the lens is easily doable, but a monopod would be helpful on long days.

Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Specs:

Minimum Focus Distance – 4.5 meters
24 Elements in 18 Groups
11 Blade Rounded Aperture
3 Flourite Elements, 2 ED Elements, 1 XA (Extreme Aspherical) Element
Removable & Rotating Tripod Collar with Click Stops
Nano AR Coating to Minimize Reflections/Flare/Ghosting
Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
Two XD (Extreme Dynamic) Linear Motors for Improved AF Speed and Accuracy
Dust & Weather Sealed
Compatible with 1.4X & 2X Teleconverters
40.5mm Drop-In Rear Filter Slot
6.7lb

The FE 600mm f/4 GM is a monster of a lens, and the performance matches its size. The autofocus speed is almost instantaneous, and the autofocus tracking is precise – even when shooting in rain and through bushes/trees. The image quality doesn’t disappoint either. The images are sharp, center to the corners. The lens features 4 focus hold buttons, which can be customized through the camera menu. The lens hood is made of carbon fiber, and the lens design matches the 400mm f/2.8 GM, so pros shooting with both lenses will enjoy having the buttons being in the same place.

The 600mm f/4 GM comes in at 6.7lb, the same as Canon’s 600mm f/4L, but lighter than Nikon’s 600mm f/4E. Sony announced that the lens is made to work with cameras even faster than the A9, so the future is definitely bright if you’re a professional sports or wildlife shooter invested in the Sony system. While the weather was dreary when we got a chance to use it, and animals weren’t very active, firing off the A9 at 20fps and watching almost every image come out perfectly in focus was fantastic. A monopod is highly recommended for this lens – carrying it around with the Sony A9 got tiring after a while, especially after holding the lens up and waiting for a blue heron to move.

Sample Photos:

FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G: