The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 and the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 is the longer of the two lenses at 346mm. The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 with a length of 328mm, is 18mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 120mm.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 and Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 and the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 Size and Weight The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 weighs 1840g, which means it is 635g (25%) lighter than the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 which has a weight of 2475g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Sony E Mount
Filter Threads
The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 has a 105mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5:
And these are the 105mm filters that we recommend for the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 and the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 has the same Sony E lens mount . Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony FX5 , Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V .
Focal Range
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 has a focal range of 100-400mm and
4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
150 - 600mm .
On the other hand, the Sony FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 has a focal range of 400-800mm and 2.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 600 - 1200mm .
