Sony 400mm f/2.8 FE vs Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II vs Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR and More

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 28, 2018


Now that camerasize.com has the Sony 400mm in their system we can see how similar in size it is to Canon’s 400mm, but the body size makes a pretty big difference in how you perceive the comparison. Sony also enjoys a weight and balance advantage too, because they arranged the lens so that the heavy glass would be located closer to the camera body. This is an important detail to consider when picking one of these great specialty lenses because the weight and size measurements don’t tell the whole story about how this lens will handle.

Sony 400mm f/2.8 FE
Weight: 6.4 lb / 2.90 kg
Dimensions: Approx. 6.25 x 14.25″ / 15.88 x 36.20 cm
Minimal Focus Distance: 8.86′ / 2.70 m

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II
Weight: 8.47 lb / 3.85 kg
Dimensions: Approx. 6.42 x 13.50″ / 16.3 x 34.3 cm
Minimal: 8.86′ / 2.7 m

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
Weight: 8.38 lb / 3.8 kg
Dimensions: Approx. 6.28 x 14.09″ / 15.95 x 35.8 cm
Minimal Focus Distance: 8.53′ / 2.6 m

Sony certainly put the traditional 400mm f2.8 lens on a diet and the weight savings is impressive. Canon and Nikon will likely answer with new lenses designed to meet or beat the specs of the new Sony 400mm, but for now, it seems Sony has one of the most desirable 400mm f/2.8 lenses around. Let’s hope they can satisfy demand since this kind of lens is generally produced in limited numbers.

Sony 400mm f/2.8 FE: B&H Photo / Amazon/ Adorama

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Sony 400mm f/2.8 FE Lens Announced With a Price Tag To Match Its Size, Hands-on, Reviews, Samples, and More

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 27, 2018


The 400mm f/2.8 Sony G Master lens now has a price almost 12k. B&H Photo will start preorders Friday at 10am ET. It will be interesting to see if this lens becomes widely adopted by the photographers that can utilize it professionally.

First Impressions
DPReview – First Impressions: Sony FE 400 F2.8 GM OSS
Alphauniverse – Photojournalist Nick Didlick On The New Sony 400mm F2.8 Super Telephoto
CameraLabs – Sony FE 400mm f2.8 GM OSS review so far

Samples
Sony.net
DPReview

Sony 400mm f/2.8 FE: B&H Photo / Amazon/ Adorama

 

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Sony Introduces the Long-Awaited 400mm F2.8 G Master™ Prime Lens

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 27, 2018


Pre-order: B&H Photo

Sony Introduces the Long-Awaited 400mm F2.8 G Master™ Prime Lens
New Large Aperture Super-Telephoto Prime Lens is World’s lightest in its class, with outstanding AF performance, innovative optical design and exceptional image quality

SAN DIEGO, Jun. 27, 2018 – Sony – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – has today announced the highly anticipated FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS large aperture super-telephoto prime lens (model SEL400F28GM).

The product of extensive research and testing, Sony’s new FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens is the first large aperture super-telephoto prime to join the E-mount lineup. This exciting new lens produces brilliant image quality with extraordinary focusing speed and precision, while also boasting the lightest weight in its class and an extremely balanced design. It’s the ideal choice for professional sports, wildlife and nature photographers, and a perfect complement to Sony’s extensive lineup of high-speed E-mount bodies including α9, α7R III and more.

“We’re extremely excited and proud to officially introduce the new 400mm F2.8 G Master prime lens,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of digital imaging at Sony Electronics. “The latest in our flagship series of G Master Lenses, this new lens offers exceptional image quality and an innovative lightweight design that will give professionals a level of flexibility with a 400mm lens unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. Combined with the unmatched shooting speeds and autofocus capabilities of our full-frame E-mount cameras, it will allow them to capture and create in ways that were never before possible.”

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Sony a9 Firmware 3.00 Released

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 27, 2018


It will be interesting to see how much better Sony can make the AF in the Sony a9. They aren’t really known for their firmware updates like other companies, but Sony has done a pretty good job of supporting the Sony a9. You can download the latest firmware here.

Added functions for professionals engaged in sports/news media:

  • Adds the Write Serial Number option (On/Off) to the menu for selecting your preference in writing the serial number to the Exif data

Improvements in auto focus performance and functionality:

  • Improves tracking performance of moving subjects in AF-C mode
  • Improves auto focus speed in low light
  • Adds AF Track Sens as a selectable option for custom key settings
  • Adds support for all focus areas when using LA-EA3 mount adaptor
    (Focus Area options added: Zone, Expand Flexible Spot, and Lock-on AF)

Improvements in flash control performance and functionality:

  • Reduced release time lag when shooting with flash
  • Adds support for Slow Sync and Rear Sync when using flash wirelessly
  • Adds support for white balance automatic correction when using color filter of external flash (HVL-F60RM)

Other Improvements:

  • Stabilized release time lag when shooting in AF-C mode
  • Improves overall stability of the camera

Join our Sony a9 Owners Group, also follow the Sony a9 Page to get more tailored news on Facebook and follow SonyAddict on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Sony a9 Action Shooting Kit: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony a9: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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Sony 32MP APS-C IMX342LQA Sensor Leaked

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 26, 2018


Sony sensor documents were leaked on weibo that look legitimate, but might be used for industrial applications only. This new APS-C chip is certainly an impressive one and it wouldn’t be the first time Sony mislabeled a chip in documents to throw off patent snoops. The STARVIS chip inside the Panasonic GH5S was “miss labeled” but discovered early.

So this very well could be the chip that Sony plans to use inside the a6700 or some other camera like an FS7 replacement. It could also be a chip for high-end application, but the global shutter performance of this chip should be found in future Sony APS-C products. Let’s hope this leak is legitimate.

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ProMaster 170SL Speedlight Announced For Sony

By Louis Ferreira | Published: June 26, 2018

The ProMaster 170SL Speedlight lineup offers full TTL compatibility for Canon, Nikon, and now Sony’s Multi-Interface Shoe.
FAIRFIELD, CT – JUNE 23, 2018: ProMaster, a leading brand in high-quality accessories for still photography and videography, announces the exciting addition of a Sony Multi-Interface Shoe (MIS) compatible flash to their collection of powerful, affordable speedlights. The new ProMaster 170SL for Sony offers full TTL and Advanced Distance Integration (ADI) compatibility. This new version is in addition to the highly-successful Canon eTTL and Nikon iTTL compatible 170SL models. Read More »

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