Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS vs Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyFE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS | SonyFE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | January 2024 | September 2026 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 300 mm | 400 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/4.5 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/32 |
| Optical construction | Twenty-one elements in seventeen groups, including one filter | 22 elements in 16 groups |
| Special elements | Three Super ED elements and one ED element | Three Super ED elements and one ED element |
| Coatings | Sony Nano AR coating II and front fluorine coating | Nano AR Coating II; fluorine front-element coating |
| Diaphragm | Eleven rounded blades | 11 rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 8°10′ full frame; 5°20′ APS-C | 6°10′ full frame; 4°10′ APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Image circle detail | Full-frame coverage; 450 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C | Full-frame coverage; 600 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C |
| Teleconverter support | Compatible with Sony SEL14TC 1.4× and SEL20TC 2×; 420 mm F4 or 600 mm F5.6 respectively | Compatible with SEL14TC and SEL20TC; Sony confirms up to 800 mm with 2×. Amateur Photographer gives 840 mm in one paragraph; the physical 400 mm focal length and 2× factor give 800 mm. |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 2 m | 2.5 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.16× | 0.18× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | Two XD linear motors; tracking at apertures through F22 depends on camera and shooting conditions | Two XD linear motors; up to 120 fps AF/AE tracking with Alpha 9 III under Sony test conditions, not a universal camera limit |
| Focus distance detail | 2 m minimum focus distance; linear-response manual focus and full-time DMF including AF-C | – |
| Magnification detail | 0.16× maximum magnification | – |
| Stabilisation detail | Optical SteadyShot with normal, panning mode2 and dynamic-framing mode3; mode3 requires compatible current camera firmware. Compatible body can combine for five-axis correction. No maker stop rating in read pages | Built-in Optical SteadyShot; coordinated stabilisation and Active Mode require compatible cameras. Sony publishes no stop rating. |
| Video features | Quiet low-vibration autofocus; function ring for power focus; noticeable focus breathing reported by The Digital Picture | Breathing compensation with compatible cameras |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Filter diameter | 40.5 mm | 95 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 124 mm | 108 mm |
| Length | 265 mm | 242 mm |
| Weight | 1,470 g | 994 g (better) |
| Controls | Manual-focus ring, function ring, four customisable focus-hold buttons, AF/MF and full-time DMF switches, full/6m–infinity focus limiter and stabilisation controls | Four customisable focus-hold buttons, function ring, focus-range limiter, full-time DMF, AF/MF and stabilisation mode switches |
| Filter detail | 40.5 mm drop-in filter; no front filter thread. Supplied normal filter is part of optical design and must be installed unless replaced by supported filter; optional VF-DCPL1 polariser | 95 mm front filter; Amateur Photographer’s table gives 85 mm, but maker specification is used |
| Weather resistance | Dust and moisture resistant design with magnesium-alloy internal barrel; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof |
| Dimensions detail | 124 mm maximum diameter × 265 mm length | – |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1470 g excluding separate tripod mount; hood and caps excluded | Approximately 994 g excluding tripod mount; separately supplied hood, caps, straps and case excluded |
| Tripod mount | Supplied rotating aluminium collar with detachable slide-out foot | Supplied tripod mount; reviews note the foot has no integrated Arca-Swiss plate |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH175 round bayonet hood with locking button and flocked interior, supplied | ALC-SH189 round bayonet hood |
| In the box | ALC-SH175 hood, front cover, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft case, tripod mount, lens strap and drop-in filter | ALC-SH189 hood, ALC-F95S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap, soft case, lens strap, case strap and tripod mount |
| Release detail | Sony Europe final announcement7November2023 confirms January2024 availability; Japan2February later. MainJanuary, exact first global sale day unconfirmed. Development originally announced17January2023; announced field final full-spec launch. | Sony UK announced on 15 September 2026 with availability from the end of September 2026; exact first-sale day is not published. Sony Japan gives 9 October 2026 for that market. UK approximate launch price is £2400. |
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