First Impressions: Sony FE F2. 8 GM OSS We first gazed upon Sony’s new FE 400mm F2. 8 GM OSS lens at CP+ earlier this year. This past weekend I had the chance to use it in-person at a Major League Soccer match between the New York Redbulls and Dallas FC.
Paired with the Sony a9 and vertical grip, the combination easily met - and in some cases, exceeded - what I’ve come to expect in terms of AF performance, bokeh and handling for a pro sports camera+lens combo. Continue reading for my first impressions from the field, and check out our full gallery from the match below:
See our Sony FE 400mm F2. 8 GM OSS samples
Fast AF speed
ISO 1000 | 1/2000 sec | F2. 8
This shooting opportunity - arranged by Sony - felt like the perfect real world scenario to put a 400mm F2. 8 through it paces. I’ve shot a lot of soccer at the collegiate level over the years, mostly with a 300mm F2. 8, but never at the professional level. Despite my inexperience, I walked away with a hit rate close to 98% mostly using the Zone area AF mode; this really impressed me.
Though I initially set the camera up with the intention of using back button AF, I ended up using the half press shutter to activate autofocus nearly the whole time. Most sports photographers would avoid this as it can lead to missed shots: decoupling the two allows you to hit the shutter without the risk of driving focus onto the wrong subject or into a hunt. But the Sony drove focus in the correct direction, locking onto my intended subject, pretty much every time.
Prior to the match, Sony talked about how the lens' design had been optimized for speed and super fast tracking even at the a9's top burst speed of 20 fps. I mostly shot at 10 fps, but found the lens kept up marvelously.
Beautiful bokeh and background separation
ISO 1250 | 1/1000 sec | F2. 8
While I started the game with the lens slightly stopped down, I opted to open the 400mm up to F2. 8 as the sun began to set. These wide open shots in particular display beautiful background separation, with lovely bokeh. For sports photographers, the quality of a lens' bokeh is obviously second to sharpness and AF performance, but lovely bokeh sure is nice to have.
A little lighter
At 2. 9kg / 6. 4lb. , the lens weighs about 1kg less than the Canon 400mm F2. 8, but make no mistake - this is still a heavy piece of kit. Sony says it’s light enough to shoot hand-held. I'll admit I'm not the world's strongest man, and 15 minutes of free-arming that lens definitely left me a little sore the next day.
Sore arms aside, it's worth calling out that Sony's 400mm feels exceptionally balanced. This is because much of the glass, and therefore weight, is located toward the back of the barrel resulting in a lens that doesn't tend to pull forward/down as much as some similar telephoto primes. The build quality is also excellent - exactly what you'd expect of a pro-level tele. Above is the lens' magnesium alloy shell.
Compatibility with teleconverters
ISO 1250 | 1/1000 sec | F4 | 560mm (1. 4x teleconverter)
The 400mm F2. 8 is compatible with both Sony’s 1. 4x and 2x teleconverters. The former provides an equivalent field of view of 560mm and F4, the later 800mm and F5. 6. The above is an example taken with the 1. 4x teleconverter.
Other bits
As you would expect for $12,000, the lens has image stabilization with three different modes for various sports/action scenarios. It also has a customizable ring - located right in front of the focus ring - that can be set to do things like engage the APS-C crop mode on the camera, for more reach. There's also a drop-in filter tray near the lens mount.
One of my favorites things about this lens is a bit more superficial: the snazzy orange ring around the front of the carbon fiber hood. Perhaps in years to come, we'll see that orange ring more often along the sidelines.
Final thoughts
ISO 1250 | 1/1250 sec | F2. 8
To many, the 400mm F2. 8 was the final piece of the puzzle that had been missing in Sony’s glass line up. With this new telephoto prime, Sony is getting closer to being able to claim that it has a lens to meet the needs of any working photographer.
But now that the upper end of the market has been addressed, I implore you Sony, address the needs of the more modest end too. This $12K 400mm F2. 8 is a huge accomplishment, but how about a reasonably-fast sub-$500 prime? A 35mm F1. 8 perhaps. . .
. dpreview.com2018-6-27 17:00
