Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II is a Variable aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Super Telephoto Zoom lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
A Mount cameras.
Sony replaced the older Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II vs Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM
What type of photography is the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Reasons to Buy Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
| Autofocus |
| Distance Scale |
| DoF(Depth of Field) Scale |
| Hood supplied |
| Tripod Collar |
| Full-time Manual Focusing |
| Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
| Versatile Lens with a Zoom Ratio of 5x |
| 400mm reach great for Wildlife Photography |
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| No Weather Sealing |
| Lens Extents while zooming |
| Slow Aperture at Tele end |
| Variable Aperture |
| Heavy |
| Pricey |
Lens Mount
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II is compatible with cameras that have a Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II has a maximum diameter of 95mm and total length of 196mm when not extended. It weighs 1500g / 52.9 oz.
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II has a filter thread of 77mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II:
Focal Range
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II has a focal range of 70-400mm and 5.7X zoom ratio. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 600mm.
Tripod Collar
With a total length of 196mm and a weight of 1500g, the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II is a large lens. Fortunately, it comes with a tripod collar which you can use to attach the lens directly to a tripod or monopod instead of attaching the camera. This connection helps to better balance the lens/kit combination.
Optical Image Stabilization
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II doesn't have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).
Zoom Method
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II features Rotary (extending) zoom method where the length of the lens changes as you zoom in or out. This makes it possible to design the lens with a smaller minimum length ( generally when it is zoomed out) compared to internal zoom lenses. The disadvantages of this design are being harder to seal against dust and moisture, weight balance shifting while zooming and zoom creep in certain lenses.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.27x and has a minimum focusing distance of 1.5m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.27x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Super Telephoto Zoom type Sony Alpha mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II is a variable aperture lens with a max aperture of f4 and a minimum aperture of f at 70mm, and a max aperture of f5.6 and minimum aperture of f at 400mm .
| Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
|
70mm
|
F4 |
F |
|
400mm
|
F5.6 |
F |
Optical Formula
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II's optical formula consists of 18 elements in 12 groups .
Lens Hood
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos.
Popular Comparisons of Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II Lens
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