Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is a Variable aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Super Telephoto Zoom lens with Optical Image stabilization and 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
E Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is a member of Sony's GM series of lenses. GM stands for G Master and represents the top of the line lenses on the Sony E mount line-up. Below you can see the latest lenses in this series.
GM Series Lenses in Sony E Mount
Reasons to Buy Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
| Optical Image Stabilization |
| Weather-sealed |
| Autofocus |
| Stabilization On/Off Switch on Lens |
| Compatible with Sony Teleconverters |
| Hood supplied |
| Tripod Collar |
| Full-time Manual Focusing |
| Focus Distance Limiter |
| Zoom Lock |
| Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
| 9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh |
| 400mm reach great for Wildlife Photography |
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| Lens Extents while zooming |
| Slow Aperture at Wide end |
| Slow Aperture at Tele end |
| Variable Aperture |
| Heavy |
| Pricey |
Lens Mount
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is compatible with cameras that have a Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7C Mark II, Sony A7CR and Sony A6700.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM has a maximum diameter of 94mm and total length of 205mm when not extended. It weighs 1395g / 49.2 oz.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM and Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 OS (Sony E mount) to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life. Check the detailed comparison of these two lenses here.
Comparison image of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM and the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 OS Size and Weight
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM has a filter thread of 77mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM:
Focal Range
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM 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 an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150 - 600mm.
Teleconverter Compatibility
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is compatible with the Teleconverters below. With the use of these TC/extenders, you can find how the total focal reach and effective aperture of your Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM changes below:
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM Focal Range and Aperture Change with Teleconverter
Weather Sealings
![https://cameradecision.com/lenses/img/other/Sony-FE-100-400mm-F4.5-5.6-GM-OSS-sealing.jpg]()
Weather Sealings of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM
The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM with a weather-sealed camera body such as the Sony A7C Mark II, Sony A7CR and Sony A6700.
Optical Image Stabilization
The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM features an optical image stabilization system which helps to reduce the blur that occurs due to shaking during hand-held shooting.
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM also has a Stabilization On/Off switch on the lens body so you don't need to delve into your cameras menu to disable or enable the IS.
Tripod Collar
With a total length of 205mm and a weight of 1395g, the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM 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.
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM MTF Charts
Below you can find the MTF chart of Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM which would give an idea of the its contrast and resolution from the center to its edges.
![https://cameradecision.com/lenses/img/other/Sony-FE-100-400mm-F4.5-5.6-GM-OSS-mtf-chart-1.jpg]()
MTF Chart of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM
Zoom Method
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM 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.
Zoom Lock
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM has a Zoom lock feature which eliminates Zoom creep where focal length of the lens changes with gravity when it's held downwards or upwards.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.35x and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.98m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.35x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Super Telephoto Zoom type Sony E mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is a variable aperture lens with a max aperture of f4.5 and a minimum aperture of f32 at 100mm, and a max aperture of f5.6 and minimum aperture of f40 at 400mm .
| Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
|
100mm
|
F4.5 |
F32 |
|
400mm
|
F5.6 |
F40 |
Optical Formula
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM's optical formula consists of 22 elements in 16 groups . Following special elements are used in this design:
- Two ED
- 1 super ED element
- Fluorine-coated front element.
![https://cameradecision.com/lenses/img/other/Sony-FE-100-400mm-F4.5-5.6-GM-OSS-optical-structure.jpg]()
Optical Construction of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM
Lens Hood
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is ALC-SH151.
Body Colour
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM is available in White color.
Popular Comparisons of Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM Lens
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