fredmiranda.com

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1 2 3 … 34

end

Archive 2025 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

jav_eee
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #1 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

I�ve handheld every shot I�ve taken with the 400-800 and, when I get the settings right, the pic is extremely sharp. And I�m talking shutter speeds down around 1/100 at iso 100.

CPWarner wrote:
I did a bunch of experimenting today and found that on the tripod, the 400-800mm both with and without a converter, 1.4X or 2X, can produce reasonably sharp images. However, it takes a LOT of care at that focal length, particularly in lower light when you cannot use high shutter speeds. My path was to first turn off full time DMF as I was apparently bumping the focus ring. Next, when on the tripod, lock things down (even with the gimbal for stationary subjects) and use a remote release. I got my best results with OSS off and could see...Show more →

Apr 17, 2025 at 07:33 PM

Choderboy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #2 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

CPWarner wrote:
I did a bunch of experimenting today and found that on the tripod, the 400-800mm both with and without a converter, 1.4X or 2X, can produce reasonably sharp images. However, it takes a LOT of care at that focal length, particularly in lower light when you cannot use high shutter speeds. My path was to first turn off full time DMF as I was apparently bumping the focus ring. Next, when on the tripod, lock things down (even with the gimbal for stationary subjects) and use a remote release. I got my best results with OSS off and could see...Show more →

I have never heard 'focus shake' mentioned, but it happens!
ie, it's noticeable at extreme focal lengths, AF causes elements to move, then stop.
Unsurpsingly, this causes movement.

For a static subject, I often AF, then switch to MF, take a few shots so there is no focus shake.
Then repeat. So I get multiple groups of photos, each with their own AF result.
This can also reveal AF consistency of your camera / lens combo.
(Too early to be sure, but I think I am finding 300GM with 2XTC focuses more consistently accurate then the 400-800.)

Particularly when using, say 800mm, but you know you will still be cropping big, every last technique available is worth using.

Apr 18, 2025 at 05:09 AM

CPWarner
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #3 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

jav_eee wrote:
I�ve handheld every shot I�ve taken with the 400-800 and, when I get the settings right, the pic is extremely sharp. And I�m talking shutter speeds down around 1/100 at iso 100.

I probably should have added some comments on my handheld images. I had no keepers of the owls handheld with the 400-800 and 2X. I am just not steady enough even with the OSS on in mode 1. In other locations, my handheld images I have taken were sharp. I mostly did that with birds in flight such as the eagle photos I shared previously. For that a shutter speed of 1/100 would not be sharp as the bird is moving way too much. I have used 1/4000 for eagles diving for fish and arial battles. That yields sharp images with OSS on mode 2 or 3. I have not tried that with 2X on though. With the owls there was a breeze that would ruffle the fine downy feather of the owls, so I found that shots taken below 1/500 had blurry effects due to the breeze. That forced slightly higher iso settings.

Apr 18, 2025 at 08:24 AM

CPWarner
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #4 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

Choderboy wrote:
I have never heard 'focus shake' mentioned, but it happens!
ie, it's noticeable at extreme focal lengths, AF causes elements to move, then stop.
Unsurpsingly, this causes movement.

For a static subject, I often AF, then switch to MF, take a few shots so there is no focus shake.
Then repeat. So I get multiple groups of photos, each with their own AF result.
This can also reveal AF consistency of your camera / lens combo.
(Too early to be sure, but I think I am finding 300GM with 2XTC focuses more consistently accurate then the 400-800.)

Particularly when using, say 800mm, but you...Show more →

The 'focus shake' I think was the OSS not reacting well to the tripod. When I turned it off, I did not see it. This is stated frequently, but with my 200-600, it was never an issue. I could leave OSS on while on the tripod & gimbal even when locked down. However, this is in a different regime with the 2X and being at 1600mm. But good point in taking a bunch with MF on for subjects that don't move much.

I tried exactly what you mentioned with using AF and MF. With focus peaking on, one can quickly check to see consistency. As long as I was not triggering the DMF by being dumb and leaving that on, everything was consistent between the two.

Apr 18, 2025 at 08:29 AM

Choderboy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #5 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

I think the focus shake I described was most noticeable when using Sigma 500 f4 S,
which usually had either 1.4 or 2X TC attached. OSS definitely turned off. Most likely larger elements moving in that lens.

Early days for both GM300 and 400-800 for me and I will continue to try different techniques.

I'll have to set up my 'ultimate stabiltiy' method to test properly.
This test showed me stacked 2X TCs could produce good results, although the setup was impractical for the vast majority of uses.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52576359276_82db27e0d3_o.jpg

Apr 18, 2025 at 08:52 AM

jav_eee
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #6 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

So nobody has noticed the camera/lens saying it�s focused (green box) but it isn�t? I just saw a YouTube video about the new 50-150 and the reviewer experienced it on that lens. The Tamron he was comparing it to never exhibited that issue, only the Sony lens. I�ve experienced the same thing with my 400-800 on my A7RV but never with the Tamron 35-150 I have.

Apr 29, 2025 at 07:46 AM

Daran
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #7 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

CPWarner wrote:
I ran this exact comparison today and have to say that even after the 300GM w/2X was cropped to match the field of view of the 400-800mm at 800mm, the 300GM w/2X was sharper. This was a lower light situation with ISO around 3200 to 5000. But the GM was sharper even with the crop. I was shooting off a large tripod with gimbal head. The image on the left below is with the 400-800mm and on the right 300GM + 2X. It is hard to show the comparison with the limits for image size here on FM, but the...Show more →
The back owl is clearly more in focus than the one in front. Hard to remote debug AF issues. But since for your shot you are on a steady tripod and your subject is nearly enough static, the best way for exact focus would be to use AF-S together with the focus magnifier. This needs the "AF in Focus Mag." setting to be on. It gives you a small crosshair in the magnified view and is about as precise focusing as you can get with *very* carefull MF.

Apr 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM

dcmiller
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #8 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

Do TCs actually increase resolution on the 400-800? Tony Northrup's test of the 1.4TC showed that it produced a lower resolution image than a crop without the TC..

May 04, 2025 at 07:20 PM

nmerc_photos
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #9 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

CPWarner wrote:
I ran this exact comparison today and have to say that even after the 300GM w/2X was cropped to match the field of view of the 400-800mm at 800mm, the 300GM w/2X was sharper. This was a lower light situation with ISO around 3200 to 5000. But the GM was sharper even with the crop. I was shooting off a large tripod with gimbal head. The image on the left below is with the 400-800mm and on the right 300GM + 2X. It is hard to show the comparison with the limits for image size here on FM, but the...Show more →

FWIW - I did the same test and had the same results.

300GM + 2x and cropping won out against the 400-800 every time, in every situation unless a zoom was explicitly needed.

Plus there's a big benefit when handholding, that you get the faster aperture wide open as well as ability to shoot at a slower shutter speed (if not capturing action) due to the better balance, smaller size and weight.

If you can afford a 300GM and you don't get much value out of zoom versatility, it's a no brainer. If you can't afford the 300GM it's a no brainer. If you can afford the 300GM, but you also value zoom versatility - good luck with your decision. Best buy both!

May 05, 2025 at 11:42 PM

mogul
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #10 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

Is there another bird with the coloration of the Lewis Woodpecker? Strange artifacts that look like pixels in one of the shots.

ILCE-1 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 800mm f/8.0 1/2500s 1600 ISO 0.0 EV

ILCE-1 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 800mm f/8.0 1/2500s 2500 ISO 0.0 EV

May 06, 2025 at 09:32 AM

shac
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #11 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

mogul wrote:
Is there another bird with the coloration of the Lewis Woodpecker? Strange artifacts that look like pixels in one of the shots.

Not that I know of - and these are images of a Lewis's Woodpecker - nice shots by the way
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lewiss_Woodpecker

May 06, 2025 at 01:08 PM

onimusha370
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #12 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

Just to add my experience... I primarily shoot with the a1ii and 300mm GM (+teles). I thought I'd give the 400-800 a trial run as sometimes I find myself wanting more reach than 600mm, mainly for small birds in the distance.

My main question was: Is the 400-800 sharper at 800mm than my 300mm prime with the 2x tele (cropped in from 600mm to 800mm)? I setup a test rig inside yesterday and from my test shots, I find the 300mm prime is slightly crisper than the 400-800 at 800mm, with the 400-800 shots looking slightly soft in comparison. Admittedly this was at a distance of about 5m, so given the proximity to the minimum focusing distance of the 400-800, I wonder whether at long distances the zoom would perform relatively better... I'm hoping to give the zoom a try outdoors today if the weather permits - I'll report back with findings.

So far though I think I'm likely to return the 400-800 based on the initial tests I've done - the weight difference between the zoom and the 300mm prime is significant, and for all of that extra bulk, I am struggling to see any benefit in sharpness (despite the reasonably heavy crop to get the prime to 800mm). I will also do some tests of the 400-800 with the 1.4x and 2x teles to see if I can get any benefit vs cropping. If the teles work really well and the focusing is snappy, then maybe I can find a place for this lens still. If not - I think I'll save my pennies for an eventual 600mm f4 successor

May 31, 2025 at 05:06 AM

AGeoJO
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #13 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

onimusha370 wrote:
Just to add my experience... I primarily shoot with the a1ii and 300mm GM (+teles). I thought I'd give the 400-800 a trial run as sometimes I find myself wanting more reach than 600mm, mainly for small birds in the distance.

My main question was: Is the 400-800 sharper at 800mm than my 300mm prime with the 2x tele (cropped in from 600mm to 800mm)? I setup a test rig inside yesterday and from my test shots, I find the 300mm prime is slightly crisper than the 400-800 at 800mm, with the 400-800 shots looking slightly soft in comparison. Admittedly...Show more →

I would suggest testing or comparing lenses as they are designed to do, namely to take real life photography. Being able to create sharp images during a setup test alone doesn't necessarily translate that trait into real bird photography. The ease of operation and flexibility of a zoom can be weighed in "gold". Putting on the TC out in the field can mean loosing or missing the opportunity. Wildlife actions do not wait. I do have the GM 300mm lens and I am super impressed with its optical performance but there are cases where I prefer a zoom lens over a prime lens. Of course, there are cases where the prime lenses shine and are preferred over a slowish zoom lenses.

May 31, 2025 at 08:44 AM

dcmiller
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #14 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

onimusha370 wrote:
.................. I am struggling to see any benefit in sharpness (despite the reasonably heavy crop to get the prime to 800mm). I will also do some tests of the 400-800 with the 1.4x and 2x teles to see if I can get any benefit vs cropping.....................

I posted previously that Tony Northrup found no resolution improvement using the 1.4TC on the 400-800.

For me, as a newer Sony user who doesn't have the 1.4X or 2X, there is a large price difference between the 400-800 when compared to the 300/2.8 plus buying the TCs. For you there may be little reason to get the 400-800.

May 31, 2025 at 12:20 PM

rjensen11
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.35 #15 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

CPWarner wrote:
FYI: I just received an email from Leofoto that the new SF-04 foot for the Sony 400-800mm is available for preorder. With the NAB2025 code discount, it is $71.20 shipped.

If you already have the Kirk LP-68 foot for use with your 200-600, they have an adaptor that allows you to use it on your 400-800. I got it this week and it works great. $55 on B&H.

May 31, 2025 at 04:03 PM

AGeoJO
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #16 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

rjensen11 wrote:
If you already have the Kirk LP-68 foot for use with your 200-600, they have an adaptor that allows you to use it on your 400-800. I got it this week and it works great. $55 on B&H.

I am not familiar with the Kirk product. But the Leofoto SF-04 has QD socket for strap with QD connector and padded grip for comfortable handling. I don't have any relation with Leofoto but their products are well designed and made.

� AGeoJO 2025

May 31, 2025 at 04:50 PM

AGeoJO
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #17 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

How sharp is your 400-800mm at the long end for doing real life photography? I happened to think that it is more than capable to generate sharp images. Again, I didn't do any comparison with other lenses but here is an image of a peregrine falcon from last weekend. The first is of the actual uncropped frame, the second is of a cropped frame close to approximately what I would post and the last one is of a significant crop from the same file. The image was edited to what I would do for posting in LR only and subsequently cropped to taste.


	� AGeoJO 2025

ILCE-1M2 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 800mm f/8.0 1/500s 500 ISO 0.0 EV


	� AGeoJO 2025

ILCE-1M2 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 800mm f/8.0 1/500s 500 ISO 0.0 EV


	� AGeoJO 2025

ILCE-1M2 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 800mm f/8.0 1/500s 500 ISO 0.0 EV

May 31, 2025 at 06:14 PM

robert614
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #18 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

Just received a new aftermarket foot for the 400-800mm from Wimberley. The Wimberley AP-640

While I already have the Leofoto foot. Which I do like. I thought it was taller than it needed to be. Raising the center of gravity and more importantly, made turning the zoom ring not as comfortable as it could be (I use the lens with the foot resting on my palm. And use my fingers to turn the zoom ring. Unfortunately, my fingers aren�t very long 😄 )

The Wimberley is noticeably lower (maybe a good 6-7mm) and slightly lighter (.6oz or 17 grams). Also slightly shorter. But plenty long enough to reach the zoom ring.

Also has a QD socket for those that use one

Not the cheapest at $100, but worth it IMO for the improved user experience

Jun 04, 2025 at 07:29 PM

Douglas L
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.35 #19 · Sony 400-800 f/6.3-8 G It's here!!

robert614 wrote:
Just received a new aftermarket foot for the 400-800mm from Wimberley. The Wimberley AP-640

While I already have the Leofoto foot. Which I do like. I thought it was taller than it needed to be. Raising the center of gravity and more importantly, made turning the zoom ring not as comfortable as it could be (I use the lens with the foot resting on my palm. And use my fingers to turn the zoom ring. Unfortunately, my fingers aren�t very long 😄 )

The Wimberley is noticeably lower (maybe a good 6-7mm) and slightly lighter (.6oz or 17 grams). Also slightly shorter....Show more →

Thanks Robert, I may pick one up. I also have the Leofoto.

Jun 05, 2025 at 04:48 PM

1 2 3 … 34 35 end
FM Forums \| Sony Forum \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 34 35 end