Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS vs Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyFE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS | SonyFE 600mm F4 GM OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2019 | July 2019 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Prime |
| Focal length | 200–600 mm | 600 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/5.6–6.3 | f/4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/32–36 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | 24 elements in 17 groups | Twenty-four elements in eighteen groups, including one filter |
| Special elements | Five ED glass elements and one aspherical element | Three fluorite elements and a large XA extreme aspherical element |
| Coatings | Nano AR coating and fluorine coating on the front element | Sony Nano AR coating and front fluorine coating; flocked internal barrel |
| Diaphragm | Eleven rounded blades | Eleven rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 12°30′–4°10′ full frame; 8°–2°40′ APS-C | 4°10′ full frame; 2°40′ APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame coverage; 300–900 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 900 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | SEL14TC 1.4× and SEL20TC 2× supported; maker specifies up to 840 mm F9 or 1200 mm F13, with body-dependent autofocus compatibility | Compatible with Sony SEL14TC 1.4× and SEL20TC 2×; 840 mm F5.6 or 1200 mm F8 respectively |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 2.4 m | 4.5 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.2× | 0.14× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | Direct Drive SSM motor and internal focusing. Autofocus functions are limited on specified older NEX and Alpha bodies; consult the maker compatibility list | Two XD linear motors; some AF functions limited on NEX, Alpha3000/3500/5000/5100 and original Alpha7/7R/7S per Sony support qualification |
| Focus distance detail | Minimum focus 2.4 m; Linear Response MF | 4.5 m minimum focus distance; linear-response manual focus and full-time DMF including AF-C |
| Magnification detail | – | 0.14× maximum magnification |
| Stabilisation detail | Optical SteadyShot with Mode 1 general shake, Mode 2 panning and Mode 3 erratic moving subjects; compatible bodies combine lens and body stabilisation. Original Alpha 9 requires the specified firmware for Mode 3 | Optical SteadyShot with normal, panning mode2 and dynamic-framing mode3; Alpha9/7RIII/7III mode3 requires compatible current firmware. Compatible body combines for five-axis correction. No maker stop rating in read pages |
| Video features | – | Quiet low-vibration autofocus; function ring can provide power focus with adjustable speed |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 95 mm | 40.5 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 111.5 mm | 163.6 mm |
| Length | 318 mm | 449 mm |
| Weight | 2,115 g (better) | 3,040 g |
| Controls | AF/MF switch, three-range focus limiter (full, 2.4–10 m, 10 m–infinity), OSS on/off and mode switches, three customisable focus-hold buttons | Manual-focus ring, preset/function ring and focus-memory button, four customisable focus-hold buttons, AF/MF and full-time DMF switches, full/4.5–15m/15m–infinity focus limiter and stabilisation controls |
| Zoom design | Internal zoom and focusing; 318 mm length remains constant during zooming | – |
| Filter detail | 95 mm front filter thread | 40.5 mm drop-in filter; no front filter thread. Supplied normal filter forms part of optical design and must be installed unless replaced by supported filter; optional VF-DCPL1 polariser |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof | Dust and moisture resistant design with magnesium-alloy exterior, internal barrel and tripod mount; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress |
| Dimensions detail | – | 163.6 mm maximum diameter × 449 mm length |
| Weight detail | Approximately 2115 g excluding the separate tripod mount; separate hood and caps excluded | Approximately 3040 g, including fixed non-detachable tripod mount; separate hood and caps excluded |
| Tripod mount | Supplied removable tripod mount | Fixed rotating tripod mount, explicitly non-detachable; switchable90° click stops and ball-bearing rotation |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH157 round bayonet hood | ALC-SH158 round slip-on carbon-fibre hood with flocked interior, supplied |
| In the box | ALC-SH157 hood, front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft case, tripod mount and lens strap | ALC-SH158 hood, front cover, ALC-R1EM rear cap, hard case, lens strap and case strap; normal drop-in filter initially installed |
| Release detail | Sony Hong Kong specified mid-July 2019, Japan 26 July and North America August; main date retains earliest regional July month precision. Amateur Photographer’s full field review used an Alpha 7R IV over two weeks without teleconverters; Photography Blog used an Alpha 9. Their edge-sharpness judgments differ. Sony confirms three OSS modes, correcting a two-mode line in Photography Blog | Sony Japan announcement12June2019 specifies shipments from lateJuly, made to order with order-dependent later delivery; Sony USA11June specifies August regional shipping. MainJuly earliest maker-confirmed month, exact first sale day unconfirmed. |
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