Overview
The Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS Lens is a professional super-telephoto zoom engineered for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras, delivering the reach, speed, and optical precision required for wildlife, birding, motorsports, aviation, and field sports photography. Covering a versatile 100-400mm focal length range with a constant f/4.5 maximum aperture, the lens offers improved low-light performance and consistent exposure settings throughout the zoom range while remaining portable enough for handheld operation. Its internal zoom and internal focus designs maintain a constant physical length and stable center of gravity, making the lens especially well suited for monopod, tripod, and gimbal-supported shooting.
As part of Sony’s premium G Master series, the lens combines advanced optical engineering with exceptionally fast autofocus and reliable Optical SteadyShot image stabilization for demanding professional workflows. Four XD linear motors provide rapid, quiet, and highly accurate autofocus performance with improved tracking precision for fast-moving subjects, while the floating focus system maintains excellent sharpness from infinity down to the close-focusing distance. A de-clickable aperture ring, reduced focus breathing, customizable controls, weather sealing, and teleconverter compatibility further expand the lens’s versatility for both stills and hybrid video production.
Core Features
- The 100-400mm focal length range provides extensive reach for wildlife, sports, aviation, and long-distance action photography.
- A constant f/4.5 maximum aperture maintains consistent exposure and stronger low-light performance throughout the zoom range.
- Internal zoom and internal focusing mechanisms preserve the lens length and center of gravity during operation.
- Four XD linear motors deliver extremely fast, quiet, and precise autofocus performance for high-speed continuous shooting and video capture.
- ED XA, XA, Super ED, and ED lens elements suppress aberrations while maintaining exceptional sharpness and smooth background rendering.
- Nano AR Coating II minimizes flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color accuracy in difficult lighting conditions.
- Optical SteadyShot image stabilization includes dedicated modes for standard shooting, panning, and moving subjects.
- The floating focus system preserves image quality throughout the focusing range, including close-focus shooting.
- A de-clickable aperture ring supports smooth and silent exposure adjustments during video recording.
- Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with fluorine coating supports reliable outdoor operation in harsh weather conditions.
G Master Optics with XA and Super ED Elements
The lens utilizes an advanced optical design featuring XA, ED XA, Super ED, and ED elements to achieve the high sharpness, smooth rendering, and minimized chromatic aberrations expected from Sony’s G Master lineup. Nano AR Coating II further suppresses flare and ghosting for strong contrast and accurate color reproduction when working in backlit or high-contrast environments. A rounded 11-blade diaphragm contributes to smooth, natural bokeh and pleasing subject separation.
High-Speed XD Linear Autofocus System
Four XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors deliver fast, responsive, and nearly silent autofocus performance suitable for professional wildlife and sports photography.
- Supports continuous shooting speeds up to 120 fps on compatible camera bodies.
- Improved subject tracking algorithms provide more accurate tracking of fast-moving and erratic subjects.
- Quiet autofocus performance is suitable for both still photography and video recording applications.
Internal Zoom Design for Stable Handling
Unlike extending super-telephoto zooms, the internal zoom mechanism maintains the overall lens length throughout the zoom range for improved balance and predictable handling. Combined with the internal focusing design, this helps maintain a consistent center of gravity during handheld shooting, tripod work, and gimbal-based video operation while also improving overall durability and weather resistance.
Optical SteadyShot and Reduced Focus Breathing
The built-in Optical SteadyShot stabilization system helps produce sharper handheld images at long focal lengths and includes dedicated modes for standard shooting, panning, and moving subjects. Focus breathing has also been significantly reduced optically, and the lens supports Sony’s Breathing Compensation function in select cameras for more stable framing transitions during video recording.
Close-Focus Capability and Floating Focus Design
The floating focus system maintains high image quality throughout the focusing range while enabling close focusing distances as short as 64 cm at the wide end. Combined with a maximum magnification of 0.25x, the lens is capable of capturing tightly framed detail shots and near-macro compositions while retaining excellent sharpness and contrast.
Hybrid Video Controls and De-Clickable Aperture
For hybrid creators and cinematographers, the lens includes a dedicated manual aperture ring that can be de-clicked for smooth and silent iris transitions during recording. The internal zoom mechanism also prevents physical extension during operation, making the lens easier to balance on stabilizers and support systems for professional video production workflows.
Teleconverter-Ready Super-Telephoto Reach
The lens is compatible with Sony’s optional FE 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters while retaining autofocus and auto-exposure functionality. With teleconverters attached, the lens can achieve effective focal length ranges up to 140-560mm f/6.3 or 200-800mm f/9, extending its usefulness for wildlife, birding, and extreme telephoto shooting applications.
Weather-Sealed Professional Construction
Built for demanding outdoor environments, the lens features extensive dust- and moisture-resistant sealing throughout the barrel and mount area.
- Fluorine coating on the front element repels water, oil, and dust for easier cleaning.
- Removable rotating tripod collar improves balance and supports quick orientation changes.
- Four programmable focus hold buttons provide fast access to custom camera functions.
- Supports both 95mm front screw-in filters and 40.5mm rear drop-in filters.
