Sony FE 100–400mm F4.5 GM OSS vs Sony FE 100–400mm F5.6–8 OSS
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyFE 100–400mm F4.5 GM OSS | SonyFE 100–400mm F5.6–8 OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2026 | August 2026 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 100–400 mm | 100–400 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/4.5 | f/5.6–8 |
| Minimum aperture | f/32 | f/32–45 |
| Optical construction | 28 elements in 20 groups, including one filter | 15 elements in 10 groups |
| Special elements | One ED XA and one XA aspherical element, two Super ED and three ED elements | Two ED glass and two aspherical elements |
| Coatings | Nano AR Coating II; fluorine coating on front element | – |
| Diaphragm | 11 rounded blades | Nine rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 24°–6°10′ full frame; 16°–4°10′ APS-C | 24°–6°10′ full frame; 16°–4°10′ APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame coverage; 150–600 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 150–600 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | Compatible with Sony SEL14TC and SEL20TC | Compatible with SEL14TC and SEL20TC; 2× extends physical focal range to 200–800 mm with a two-stop aperture reduction |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.64 m | 0.86 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25× | 0.41× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | Four XD linear motors and floating focus; full-time direct manual focus and Linear Response MF | Two linear motors; compatible with up to 120 fps AF/AE tracking on Alpha 9 III under Sony test conditions, with speed dependent on shooting conditions and compatibility |
| Focus distance detail | Minimum focus 0.64 m at 100 mm or 1.5 m at 400 mm | Minimum focus 1.13 m at 100 mm or 0.86 m at 400 mm |
| Magnification detail | Sony specifies maximum magnification 0.25×; PetaPixel reports 1:3, which is not used for the main specification | – |
| Stabilisation detail | Optical SteadyShot with standard, panning and irregular-motion modes; camera-body coordination and mode 3 depend on body compatibility and firmware | Optical SteadyShot; coordinated body stabilisation and Active Mode require a compatible camera; Sony publishes no stop rating |
| Video features | Design reduces focus breathing; breathing compensation on compatible bodies changes the field of view slightly | Breathing compensation supported with compatible cameras; enabling it changes the field of view and image quality slightly and may not fully correct breathing |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 95 mm | 67 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 119.8 mm | 78.2 mm |
| Length | 328 mm | 164.5 mm |
| Weight | 1,840 g | 654 g (better) |
| Controls | Four customisable focus-hold buttons, AF/MF and full-time DMF switches, focus limiter, OSS switches, zoom torque switch, tripod-ring click switch and function ring for preset focus, power focus or full-frame/APS-C switching | Customisable focus-hold button, combined AF FULL / AF infinity–3 m / MF switch, OSS on/off switch and zoom lock |
| Zoom design | Internal zoom; barrel length remains unchanged | Barrel extends towards 400 mm; zoom lock prevents unintended extension when pointed downwards |
| Filter detail | 95 mm front thread and 40.5 mm drop-in filter; Sony requires the supplied normal filter or optional polarising filter to remain installed when shooting | – |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1840 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded. Sony's specifications do not provide a tripod-mount-excluded weight | Approximately 654 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded |
| Tripod mount | Integrated tripod mount; both reviews note that its foot is not readily removable and lacks direct Arca-Swiss compatibility | – |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH187 round bayonet hood | ALC-SH188 round bayonet hood |
| In the box | ALC-SH187 hood, ALC-F95S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft case, lens strap, case strap and drop-in filter | ALC-SH188 hood, ALC-F67S front cap and ALC-R1EM rear cap |
| Release detail | Sony UK announced on 13 May 2026 with June 2026 availability and an approximate £4400 list price; first-sale precision remains the month. SEL100400MC is the constant-F4.5 model, distinct from the earlier variable-aperture SEL100400GM | Sony UK announced on 4 August 2026 and specified availability from the end of August 2026 at approximately £800. The separate Japanese launch date was 4 September 2026; month precision records the earlier UK on-sale window, with no exact UK day published |
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