• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Photography Life

PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels

  • Reviews
  • News
  • Lenses
    • Lens Index
  • Forum
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Workshops
    • Support Us
    • Submit Content
  • My Account
    • Log In
    • Sign Up
  • Search
Home → Reviews → Cameras and Lenses → Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Review

Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

By Dvir Barkay 26 Comments
Last Updated On July 3, 2020

« »

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Autofocus Performance and Accuracy
  • Sharpness and Features
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options
guest
guest
26 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Random Person
Random Person
July 9, 2020 1:47 pm

To be fair to their weather sealing, the 100-400mm Sony is an externally zooming lens with variable volume, compared to the Canon lenses you mentioned which are internal zooming lenses with fixed volume. The Sony inherently has to move air in and out of the lens, there’s no way around that, which allows it to ingest moist air in humid conditions and would explain why it developed that condensation.

0
Reply
autofocusross
autofocusross
Reply to  Random Person
August 17, 2020 3:22 am

I understand that condensation comment completely, however I cannot agree with you, this is a very expensive bit of glass, and for that money, and considering what most buyers would be using it for (outdoor, long range work in variable weather conditions) there is no excuse for it. They should have gone with a sealed internal focus model if this one is suceptible to fogging. As any driver knows, the inside of the windshield of a car only has to get condensation on it just once or twice before noticeable marks are clearly visible. You can wipe a windshield, but you cannot get inside this lens to clean it can you!

Sony need to rethink this one. At this price level, that problem is far from understandable – I would go as far as to say, unacceptable. A lens costing over two thousand pounds! no way!

1
Reply
Ziggy
Ziggy
March 28, 2019 11:47 pm

Just a BTW, Panasonic also have some bodies and lenses each with IS, that work together. Eg G9 & 100-400mm.

0
Reply
Yeshe Dorje
Yeshe Dorje
October 17, 2018 2:33 pm

Dvir–Thank you so much for your wonderful and very comprehensive review. If I tried to comment on your stunning photos I fear no words would suffice or do justice to your extraordinary talent.
I have had the FE 100-400 GM for a year now and it has managed to surprise me almost every time I have made use of it. Although I have never had this condensation problem you ran into (with this GM lens), I have found that very same issue when I was living in Nepal. If the temperature where you store your gear (in very humid environments) is significantly different from where you are shooting, the condensation can really make a mess of many cameras–at the sensor–and most lenses. I am skeptical that any manufacturer has found a perfect fix for this under all conditions. If you are able to just open your gear in the exact location where you will be shooting and let it acclimatize there for a period before use there is far less chance of condensation being a problem.
One question I have for you which you did not cover or mention at all in your review. Did you shoot any photos w/o the adapters but with the camera set to APSC mode? I often use this to change the lens from a 100-400 to a 150-600 mm equivalent. I would be very interested to know if the 1.4X or 2X adapters produced far superior results to the cropped factor shooting mode.

0
Reply
Ramon Morales
Ramon Morales
August 27, 2018 9:18 pm

Dvir, Thanks for the review. I am considering getting this lens with the A7iii. Perhaps I missed it but I did not see any comments in your post about the autofocus performance of the lens when using the teleconverters. Could you discuss your findings on that? Thanks

0
Reply
Dvir Barkay
Dvir Barkay
Author
Reply to  Ramon Morales
August 27, 2018 10:22 pm

Hello Ramon,

The performance with the Sony FE Teleconverters is under the “Sharpness and Features” section. Here is an excerpt from that section regarding performance with Teleconverters;

“) With the SEL1.4TC (1.4x) tele-converter

The lens performs exceptionally well when it is coupled with the SEL14TC 1.4x tele-converter, losing very little sharpness and contrast. I did not notice any differences in autofocus performance either, so if you need to get closer to your subject, you can use this combination with full confidence. Keep in mind that you lose a stop of light, so the lens becomes an f/8 lens on the long end. If you have sufficient light, then it is not a problem and you can keep the teleconverter mounted to the lens at all times. However, if you shoot in low-light conditions, then the lens by itself is going to give you the best autofocus accuracy.
6) With the SEL20TC (2.0x) tele-converter

Initially, I was somewhat skeptical of how well the SEL20TC teleconverter would work with the Sony 100-400 GM. On paper, adding the teleconverter creates an impressive 200-800mm stabilized lens, but the 2-stop loss of max aperture means you are working with an f/9-11 max aperture range. Such narrow apertures greatly limit the camera’s focusing system, and most cameras won’t even properly autofocus with a lens that has a narrower aperture than f/8. Surprisingly, the Sony Alpha 9 can focus with the Sony 100-400 GM with the added teleconverter and even does so surprisingly well when used in good light. You lose most of the A9’s ability to track small and/or erratic subjects, but you can still follow larger birds moving in a constant direction with ease and even speedier subjects such as flying Frigate Birds can be tracked adequately in good light. If you are photographing a still subject, the focusing capabilities of the 100-400GM/SEL20TC combo are quite reliable (especially when you utilize the Focus Limiter) and I was able to use with combination with good success. Overall, the focusing capabilities of the lens and camera take quite a hit with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter in place, but the combination remains highly usable under the right conditions.”

I believe that this lens will make a wonderful combination with the Sony A7III and it is highly recommended.

0
Reply
Jose E Hernandez
Jose E Hernandez
August 27, 2018 7:41 am

Just returned from Pantanal where I used this lens with the A9 exclusively because the 100-400 range turned to be outstanding for photographing jaguars. I had rain and drizzles and experienced not condensation problems.
I purchase a Arca-Swiss type foot from a RRS and solve that shortfall. I experienced repeated problems with the AF system freezing and having to turn camera on/off to getting it working again but this may be a camera issue and not the lens. The AF system also repeatedly failed to autofocus when photographing fish hawks while striking the water to catch prey. Use several AF modes with no improvements. My Canon gear has delivered better AF performance but this may be due to the 2.8 aperture versus the Sony 5.6. Maybe the new Sony 400 will have better AF performance than the 100-400 mm.
I also had my 400 Canon 400 2.8 MKII with the IDxii which I did not to take them out of the bag. The 100-400 and A9 combination & lightness of weight permitted me to use them without need for a monopod or tripod. That is a great advantage. But the bottom line is image quality and those I obtained without focusing issues were outstanding.

0
Reply
Tom B.
Tom B.
August 8, 2018 7:31 pm

Excellent review with excellent images, thank you!

0
Reply
Kirk Moon
Kirk Moon
August 7, 2018 9:51 am

Minor point. The Canon 100-400 lens hood also has a small sliding window for access to the polarizing filter.

Having owned both the Canon and the Sony 100-400 lenses the things that I like most about the Sony it is that it is significantly lighter than the Canon and, in combo with the smaller and lighter a9 body, is much more hand holdable for a full day of shooting than the Canon combo (I was using a 5DM4 body without a battery grip). I am also struck by the sharpness of the Sony images. I thought the Canon was exceptionally sharp, but, subjectively, the Sony seems to take it even further. Very impressive performance.

My only concern about the Sony is that it doesn’t seem as quite as robust as the Canon (true for the camera body as well.) Since I am an enthusiast photographer and not a pro this isn’t a huge concern for me (I virtually never have to challenge the weather sealing on my equipment), but I think that Sony would do well to beef up the robustness of its bodies and lenses if they want to make a big impact in the pro market. Unfortunately, this would probably come at the cost of lightness/handholdability, which is one of the nicest features of the Sony rig. I guess there is no free lunch.

0
Reply
Leonardo Visentin
Leonardo Visentin
Reply to  Kirk Moon
July 21, 2019 7:22 am

The Sony GM has that window for adjusting polarizer filter too.

0
Reply
James
James
August 6, 2018 12:53 pm

Dvir-Thanks for the review, overall how did you feel the Sony compared against the Canon 100-400?

0
Reply
Dvir Barkay
Dvir Barkay
Author
Reply to  James
August 6, 2018 1:38 pm

James, I would say that they are quite comparable, which I believe says a lot about both lenses. It isn’t an easy comparison to make given that the camera body you use them with makes a big difference. They are both very sharp throughout the entirety of their focal length range. I do believe that the Sony takes teleconverters better than the Canon lens. As an overall package, the Sony system is much lighter and I feel it is more suited for birds-in-flight photography due to this and the Sony A9’s lock on focus whereas I would probably trust the Canon combo in inclement weather much more so than the Sony. I would like to shot them side-by-side one day and I hope to review the Canon 100-400 for photographylife in the near future so keep an eye for that.

2
Reply
James
James
Reply to  Dvir Barkay
August 15, 2018 9:09 am

Great thanks for the info.

0
Reply
JohnD
JohnD
August 6, 2018 12:35 pm

Any lens that changes volume when focused or zoomed, and this one appears to grow in length when zoomed, is by definition not sealed. Ambient air MUST move into and out of the lens every time it’s zoomed. Seals can be effective at keeping water out, but not air or the dust and moisture it inevitably contains. Drop the temperature of the lens too quickly and the moisture present in the air already inside the lens might condense. If the lens body is substantially constructed of magnesium then I might expect it to transfer heat faster and exacerbate this problem. I have never touched either lens but my understanding is that the Canon 200-400 does not expand when zoomed and therefore is not an air pump like this Sony. But then the Canon is a true pro lens and much more expensive. I’m not defending the Sony but it’s a simple fact the seals are only effective against water droplets and not air. If it was really sealed it would try to compress the air inside when collapsed and thus it needs to be designed to facilitate the free flow of air.

0
Reply
Dvir Barkay
Dvir Barkay
Author
Reply to  JohnD
August 6, 2018 1:46 pm

The points you bring up are very valid. Indeed the best weather sealed lenses are those without any changes in size as you zoom them in or out as it is much easier to seal such a lens. As you state, both the Canon 200-400 and 70-200 don’t expand when zoomed and this enhances their ability to withstand difficult weather and high moisture. On this trip I also had a Tokina 12-24 lens with me for some snapshot photography and that lens is a zoom that does not expand when zoomed in or out but Tokina does not list it as weather sealed and indeed it isn’t. The lens suffered a similar problem as the Sony and my intention with this review was not to single Sony out for the quality or lack thereof of their weather sealing as much as it was intended to highlight a potential problem with using the lens in high humidity situations. While it is not full proof comparison, I can say that I have used Canon’s 100-400mm lens in similar situations in the past and didn’t experience the same problems but I cannot make a like for like comparison as I did not have the Canon lens with me on this trip. I hope to test Canon’s 100-400 soon and could possibly do this in Mexico and we can see how well it behaves in this regard.

0
Reply
Tim Mayo
Tim Mayo
August 6, 2018 12:17 pm

Superb review Dvir Barkay and excellent images. I’ve owned this lens since it launched and also written my own review on my site alphashooters.com. I’ve used the lens in both light and heavy showers with my a6500, a7R III and a9 and so far have not suffered any water/moisture ingress issues. However, I’ve yet to test it in a high humidity environment so this could well be a different story. I’ll be taking this lens to Borneo with me next month so I won’t have long to wait to find out. Needless to say, if the lens does suffer the same fate as yours, I will be a little peeved off!

0
Reply
Dvir Barkay
Dvir Barkay
Author
Reply to  Tim Mayo
August 6, 2018 1:50 pm

Thank you for the kind words Tim. I hope that the lens holds up for you in Borneo. It should offer a good challenge given the high humidity there though I believe that this behavior is at it’s worst when you subject the lens to drastic changes in temperature and humidity which of course creates this strong condensation. Do write back to us with your results once you test the lens in Borneo as I am sure other readers would benefit from another user experience. Overall, the Sony is a beautiful lens and I really liked it’s functionality, image quality and superb focusing and was unhappy to have this one issue come up as otherwise I felt it an almost perfect lens given the price point.

0
Reply

Primary Sidebar

Learn

  • Beginner Photography
  • Landscape Photography
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Portraiture
  • Post-Processing
  • Advanced Tutorials
  • Best Cameras and Lenses

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

Photography Tutorials

Photography Basics
Landscape Photography
Wildlife Photography
Macro Photography
Composition & Creativity
Black & White Photography
Night Sky Photography
Portrait Photography
Street Photography
Photography Videos

Support Us

B&H Photo Video Banner

Recent Topics

  • Moving to Mirrorless, Advice needed
  • Night Rounds
  • Mirrorless Multi-exposure – RAW or JPEG
  • Instant cameras
  • Last post dates in forum
  • Prints from Proof Sheets
  • Can’t access account settings
  • How to appraise used gear
  • Price of ai-s lenses seems to have skyrocketed!
  • Unable to download tutorials I purchased

Footer

Site Menu

  • Beginner Photography
  • Lens Database
  • Photo Spots
  • Search
  • Submit Content
  • Subscribe

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

Copyright © 2021 · Photography Life

You are going to send email to

Move Comment