When it comes to telephoto lenses with long focal range the FE 200-600 mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS has become a real hit of the Sony line-up. It was presented in 2019 and at the moment of its launch it was sold for a very sensible price of about 8000 PLN (in Poland). As if it wasn't enough during next years special offers introduced by Sony meant from time to time it could be bought for a sum lower than 7000 PN. It made the price/performance ratio really sensational and the Sony 200-600 mm has found many satisfied users, me among them.
At the end of February 2025 Sony decided to follow that success and offer the FE 400-800 mm f/6.3-8 G OSS model. It was not only an enlargement of the offer compared to the 200-600 mm but also an answer to the earlier launch of Canon that in November 2023 showed the RF 200-800 mm f/6.3-9 IS USM.
Sony has chosen another path. In return for a narrower focal range they offer you a closed construction, with all parts moving inside, and featuring the f/8.0 aperture on the longer end. That second feature is really impressing because it means using an entrance pupil of 10 cm. We also have to say that usually that second value makes the difference between amateur lenses and very expensive instruments designed with professionals in mind. On the amateur side you find the 2.8/300, 4/400 or 4/500 class, not speaking about such parameters as 4/600 or 2.8/400.
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If you take in mind this entrance pupil that amounts to as much as 10 cm the retail price suggested by the Sony, amounting to about 13 000 PLN ($3300) doesn't seem that high, quite the opposite. Theoretically the price/performance ratio seems to be here very good indeed.
All these facts made us very keen to test the Sony FE 400-800 mm f/6.3-8 G OSS in practice. It was made possible courtesy of Sony, as they sent us one specimen of this lens for testing purposes very quickly – thank you very much!
You are also invited to get acquainted with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test lenses?" If you feel it’s still not enough, please go to our FAQ section where you can find some further explanation.
