Sony FE 400mm f2.8 review - $12000 super-tele first looks
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2018
- First-looks review of Sony's 400mm f2.8. This is not a paid or sponsored video.
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My sample images: www.cameralabs.com/sony-fe-40... - Věda a technologie
First-looks review of Sony's 400mm f2.8. This is not a paid or sponsored video.
Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs
Check prices at B&H: bhpho.to/2yJHAOQ
Gordon's book at Amazon: amzn.to/2n61PfI or Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ
Like Cameralabs? Get the T-Shirt at redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop
My sample images: www.cameralabs.com/sony-fe-400mm-f2-8-gm-oss-review/
This is the best review of the lens on youtube. This is a masterpiece of a lense , Master picture quality.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Why would I do an unboxing video? I don't understand the appeal. I'm reviewing the product, not the packaging!
Thank you Gordon for all the work and details you put within your camera/lens reviews. Much appreciated!
You're very welcome!
Great review, Gordon!
Thanks! Great to see you both this weekend! x
Excellent review on lens of this focal length. Thank you Gordon!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
this is the best of all the reviews ive seen of this lens!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Gordon this was the most thorough review of Sony’s GM 400. Really enjoyed this video. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Johnny, I appreciate you saying that!
Great in-depth review.
Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful! Don't forget my sample images are at cameralabs.com if you fancy downloading any.
Hi Gordon, I do not see the sample images to download that you are referring to. When I click the "Sample" tab no sample photos are showing.
PS - this is now fixed! Sorry...
Hi Gordon,Thanks just clicked on the link and I see them. Got your previous message, just fighting off a cold sorry for the slow response..
Sorry for the late reply...Thanks got it..
I can't even afford to watch this review.
Can you afford not to?! Hope you still enjoy it!
Sounds like a great alternative, although I'd always favour an independent coffee place over Starbucks or other chains! In all seriousness though, this lens is not meant for us, it's for pro sports photographers who already spend this kind of money on Canon and Nikon lenses.
Meet too.
Did you use face AF for the soccer game or eye AF?
When the players got close enough, face and eye detection would kick-in.
As ever Gordon, an excellent review.
I think the big takeaway from this is that Sony have perfectly matched this lens especially in terms of weight to the A9 body so well done them. Weight is an issue, I deliberately went for the Canon f4 300 lens for my DSLRs over the 2.8 version simply because it was half the weight, yeah cheaper helped too, when shooting wildlife or an airshow and carrying your kit around, it matters ! Of course and it would be true whether contemplating buying into Canon or Nikon, you would have to be a "pro" who sees cameras simply as the "tools of their trade" which can be written off over a couple of years to even contemplate spending this sort of money on a lens. For me I'll stick to my Canon 200 f2.8 and a x2 multiplier :)
The price alone tells us that this is a "halo" product that they have to offer to support the capabilities of the A9, they don't expect to sell very many copies of this particular model and given that Sony is very much a "Big Corporation" in the way it operates in its businesses, the future could be interesting but possibly volume dependent.
Thanks John, yes, it's a great match for the A9 and as you say was designed to showcase their technologies and prove they can be taken seriously in this environment. But as I said at the end, they still have a lot of catching up to do in the super-tele stakes.
My copy developed back focusing over time - around 3 cm over 10 m. It's now back in Japan for repair - an over two month wait but Sony Australia just loaned me a 600/4.
I'm aware of two UK users who found the same problem from the beginning.
Sorry to hear that, but glad they're sorting you out.
Can you attached a UV filter to protect the lens?
I don't believe so.
Superb video, can't believe I've just found it. I did find your pricing information interesting though, because (and using Wex as a source) Nikon's 400mm f2.8 FL is currently £12349, The Sony is £10499. As you can see the Sony is noticeably less expensive. Which leads me onto another topic: Nikon's pricing increases. As a longtime Nikon user they are slowly pricing me out of buying from them. It's not so much the bodies as the lenses. Any future iterations of focal lengths that I own are going to be unaffordable for me at this rate. Are they trying to be Zeiss? Or more niche? I'd love to get a CZcamsr's take on this.
Hi Alex, I was quoting US prices which can be different, but you're right, that's a big difference in Sony's favour in the UK.
All I have to say is WOW!!
Will the teleconverters work?
Yes, it works with both the 1.4x and 2x converters and Sony says the AF performance doesn't suffer either. I didn't get to try them yet though.
Not that I need this or anything but I'm curious would the teleconverters fit where you put the filters in. Like is that where the teleconverters go?
They just fit on the end like normal lenses.
There are many images out now from the TCs and the IQ is still excellent.
Amazing !!! Now I need to find USD 12K, got any change to spare :-)))
Yeah, I'm checking down the back of the sofa....
I'm stumping up for one and will live on porridge in my old age. Priorities.
The bird and other wildlife images this can produce are as crisp as a dry champagne.
But USD 400 for the Sony 40.5mm drop-in CPL? I'll see about taking an angle grinder to a Hoya 😆
If you order online, please consider going through my price check links! Thanks!
@@cameralabs Wrong country I'm afraid Gordon.
@@ernreeders1487 thanks anyway!
I want your job! Just imagine getting to play with such wonderful toys and get paid. (I hope you do get paid!)
I'm one of the worst paid people I know. The job is a lot of fun, but the pay is terrible. I rely on folk who watch or read my reviews to make coffee donations, buy my book or shop through my affiliate links. Sadly hardly anyone does. I'm not complaining because the job is a lot of fun, but you don't do this for the money.
@@cameralabs yaa ...if u r passionate about something less money will do 😋
can i borrow 12,000 for this lens?
Minolta must be rolling in it's grave!!
What's with all the buttons on the side? By the time you've fiddled with that lot you have missed the shot!
Most super-teles have a bunch of buttons to limit focus, preset distances or switch AF and IS modes, so it's normal really. You generally set them up once for a shoot then leave them alone until the next one.
Yes I am aware of that. I just like to keep things simple if possible!
👍😍👏👏
Holy shit
This thing is more expensive than my car.
i ever make this lens on my sony a5000 😂
Wow I nees this. Anyone nees kidney?
I bet it cost like $400 to make.
I bet it didn't.
Gordon Laing Each iphone cost Apple $300 to make but they sell it for $1000. What make you think Sony and other companies don't do that.
@@HenryTheBoilermaker3rdYear So you're saying Apple has a 3 times markup but Sony has a 30x markup? All companies have a markup to cover their research, production, sales, marketing and profit, my point is this lens will not cost $400 to make.
@@cameralabs You telling me pieces of magnifier curved glasses and a aluminium case cost more than $1000 to make? That's insane. The reason it cost 30 times more is because not much people will buy it and this is made in Japan so the labor will cost more than low income China. If millions of people will buy this lens like millions of people buy iphones then the price would improve because they make profit from so many people. There's a reason why PS4 and xbox one cost way less than a gaming pc that has equal performance as them. More people buy the lower the original price
come back to me once you've visited the factory where they're made and interviewed the people involved.
Again Sony more expensive!!!:-(
exactly, it is a newer product which hasn't received any discounting yet. And it is looking superior in my tests so far...
Well, he did say lighter, faster and probably sharper.
Anyone who can afford $10k for the canon would happily pay $2k more for the lighter weight, faster rack focusing and the 20fps of the a9. This is Sony making serious attempt to become the default choice for pro sports photographers.
Forget the price which ridicules, 400 just is not enough for smaller animals
It pairs very well with the TCs, so you have 560mm and 800mm as well.
Ugly. Why Sony try to rip of canon design? The black and white lens look like a toy. Nikkor series is look beautiful
It certainly doesn't feel or perform like a toy!
I mean how it’s look. Not this one in specific but in general. It’s just my feel to it.
Sony-Minolta was first with white lenses!
Toys Made by sony :)
With such a large surface area, white lenses reflect more heat =less chance of distortion.
What for ?
Watched the soccer world championship ? Not one single field side photographer with anything else than CANON or NIKON .... Could it be that Pros don’t spend their time watching SONY commercials on You tube ?
Yes, great lens, fancy body ( A7 made in Thailand, A9 made in China ), but it’s for the amateur with a big budget.... just like Fuji or Olympus
Real pro won’t switch system just for one lens .what about 600,800 lenses when required? In regarding to the weight advantage, I think you stretched a bit far. you put it on the mono pod during The show anyway. Sorry if I offended you. Actually I love all your videos except this one
Thanks for your comments, you didn't offend me! You're right, I shot the game with a monopod because I had to have it raised and ready for 90 minutes straight. Prior to the game, I shot a bunch of sample images and videos, all of which were handheld - those street portraits, the cyclist, macro shots, all handheld. So I was casually shooting handheld with it for a couple of hours and sure, it was pretty heavy, but I can assure you I couldn't do it for more than a few minutes with the Canikon combos - it is noticeably lighter. But yes, for events you'd be shooting mostly on a monopod with any of them.
Next out will be Chealsea & Tony and then, the rest of the gang. After yet another Sony Advertising, we only have The Angry Photographer that we can trust to give us sincere opinions on photo equipment and then especially on lenses.
I'd recommend checking your sources. I've been a professional journalist testing cameras for over 25 years and you don't last that long if you lose your credibility. This was not a paid gig, none of them are. If you're travelling far the companies normally pay for travel and accommodation, but that's it. They let you use the gear, then ask for it back again. Sure they put on shooting events, but I also always capture content outside of them so I have something original or different. I always report the good and bad regardless of what events I'm invited on - which you would know if you read my reviews or watch my videos.
The reason you're seeing a lot of Sony videos is because they release more products than other companies, hold events for each of them an invite youtubers along with traditional press. I also get invited to all the launch events for every other company and report on those equally, but you see less of them as they simply don't release as many products and they also generally invite fewer or no youtubers.
rolf
roll on laughing floor? If you feel it helps you, then why not?
Yes, Gordon Ill do, but why do you not take the criticism a little more seriously, you had a good channel on going.
I take any criticism of my integrity very seriously as this is all I have to trade on as an independent journalist. I think when some people post comments about this publicly, they forget it's like going into someone's place of work and openly criticising their integrity in front of all customers now and in the future. It can be very damaging, and unfair when in this case it's unfounded.
But equally I do see that with an increasing number of influencers out there who are being paid for content that journalists like myself need to explain what makes us different. How would you suggest I do this going forward? Would a disclaimer in front of every video be sufficient? I can't stop attending these events as that's where we're briefed on new products and get to actually try them and quiz the engineers which is surely more useful than commenting on a spec sheet.
Well, the new Canon 400mm 2.8 III is lighter and also optically beating the Sony 400mm 2.8 GM out of the water. Once again it has been proven who is the champ when it comes to long telephoto lenses: clearly not Sony :)
Proofs in the pudding, you never see pro sports shooters using Sony at any major sporting event due to their terrible menu system, ergonomics and poor weather proofing, (zero protection at the base of the camera probably as a consequence of needing somewhere for heat to disperse).
Also your statement on this being better & sharper than the Nikon equivalent is just plain wrong, really not good for your credibility to be seen as just another Sony cult member.