Sony FE 400-800 mm f/6.3-8 G OSS
11. Summary
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Pros:
- solid, closed, and sealed mechanical construction,
- very good image quality in the frame centre,
- sensible image quality on the edge of the APS-C sensor,
- negligible longitudinal chromatic aberration,
- moderate lateral chromatic aberration,
- lack of problems with spherical aberration,
- very low astigmatism,
- properly corrected coma,
- low vignetting on the APS-C sensor,
- slight focus breathing,
- nice appearance of out-of-focus areas,
- silent and quick autofocus,
- very efficient image stabilization,
- good price/parameters and price/performance ratio.
Cons:
- a tad too weak image quality on the edge of full frame,
- a lot of problems with the performance against bright light.
Still there is a fly in this excellent ointment and its name is the Sony FE 200-600 mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS. Firstly, now you can buy it for 6600 PLN, two times cheaper than the Sony 400-800 mm. Secondly, the cheaper model at the 600 mm focal length is faster than its heavier and bigger brother. Thirdly, if you add to the Sony 200-600 mm a 1.4x teleconverter, the whole set would cost you 9000 PLN and you get a focal length of 840 mm and the f/9.0 aperture. As if it wasn't enough, this combination, a rare thing in case of such a thing, is surprisingly efficient, allowing you to shoot completely useful photos. Finally, the Sony 200-600 mm combined with the TC 1.4X is smaller and lighter, so noticeably handier and useful than the Sony 400-800 mm.
My personal feelings concerning the work with both these models are such: I am really impressed by the performance of the Sony 400-800 mm but I wouldn't trade if for my Sony 200-600 mm. It's not a matter of price because, as I mentioned earlier, it fits this instrument well, especially as its entrance pupil is 10 cm in diameter. The truth is that the Sony 400-800 mm is a tad too long and too heavy for me and the longer focal length, joined with the APS-C body I use, is not especially comfortable for me. Of course my reluctance might be also caused by the fact that I rarely go to a gym; I bet people who go there often will enjoy the new Sony model far more and buy it without any doubts. I am sure they will be pleased with their choice.
