Hands-on with new Sony telephoto lenses
Sony has just released two new lenses, aimed at sports and wildlife photographers. The FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is aimed squarely at enthusiast and semi-pro users, while the FE 600mm F4 GM OSS joins the FE 400mm F2.8 GM at the top of Sony`s professional lens lineup. We were given the opportunity to shoot with both lenses recently at a Sony event in New Jersey - click through for some initial impressions, and more information.
Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
The FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is aimed at enthusiast and semi-professional photographers, especially fans of wildlife and sports shooting. As well as full-frame cameras, Sony expects some buyers to pair this lens with the company`s range of APS-C models, at which point it covers an equivalent focal range of 300-900mm.
One of the selling points of the 200-600mm compared to other lenses of its kind is an internal zoom design, which means that the lens doesn`t get any larger when zoomed through its focal length range. This has advantages when it comes to balancing the lens for handheld shooting, and also reduces the risk of dust and grit being sucked in during zooming.
Hands-on with new Sony GM 600mm F4 and G 200-600mm F5.6-6.3
The G 200-600mm is equipped with optical stabilization, controllable in 3 modes. Mode 1 is standard, suitable for general photography. Mode 2 is specifically for panning, and according to Sony, Mode 3 provides `optimum stabilization for dynamic sports action`.
This shot also shows the main OSS on/off switch, and the 3-position focus limiter, which helps reduce unwanted lens hunting in situations where you can safely keep the lens within a certain focus range (i.e., capturing birds at a feeder, or aircraft at close to infinity).
The 200-600mm`s minimum focus distance is 2.4m (~8 feet). This might not seem impressive, but it`s in the same ballpark as other lenses of this type from competitive man ...
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