Two new lenses from Sony: FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS & FE 16mm F1.8 G

Two interesting new lenses from Sony include the company’s first 800 mm Super Telephoto Zoom G Lens, and the Large Aperture Ultra-Wide FE 16mm F1.8 G Expressive Prime Lens.

Two new lenses just dropped from Sony: the $2899 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS which is available as of now, and the $799 FE 16mm F1.8 G which is coming in April.

FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS

The FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is Sony’s first 800 mm super-telephoto zoom G Lens, and can be extended to a maximum focal length of 1600 mm with a 2x teleconverter. It features an inner-zoom mechanism so that the 346 mm (13 5/8 in) length of the lens does not change as you zoom in, meaning that the center of gravity remains almost unchanged and handling and control is mightily improved as a result. 

It has an 11-blade circular aperture that helps to create beautiful ball bokeh in smooth, creamy background when shooting with a narrow depth of field. Six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements effectively control chromatic aberration, whilst flare and ghosting in backlit conditions are also thoroughly suppressed for what Sony says is beautiful photography.

Two precision linear motors drive the lens’ focus group for fast, accurate focusing, enabling tracking to keep up with the 120 fps maximum burst speed of the Alpha 9 III. A focus range switch (FULL/10m-NEAR/¥-8m) can also be used to optimise control for different subject distances. Focus breathing is suppressed for refined movie quality.

Three focus hold buttons at 90° increments around the barrel allow easy access in any orientation and other functions can be assigned to the buttons as needed. An internal zoom and a dust and moisture resistant design maximises reliability with a front element that has a fluorine coating that repels contaminants and makes the lens easier to clean. Additionally, Full-time DMF automatically engages manual focus when the focus ring is operated, making it easy to apply fine manual adjustments or change the focus entirely. Lastly, the lens hood has a new design with a lock button and filter opening for easy operation.

It can be used handheld without shake-induced blur by the built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation (even better with an Alpha body that includes image stabilisation). Durable components, optimised balance, and a non-removable foot maximises reliability and performance. And when using a tripod, the tripod mount foot can be quickly rotated for horizontal or vertical orientation, that supports a wide range of shooting subjects.

Weight is 2475 g (87.4 oz).

FE 16mm F1.8 G

The optical design of the new FE 16mm F1.8 G includes two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements for what Sony refers to as stunning image resolution at all apertures. One Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element and three ED elements suppress chromatic aberration right out to the image periphery, whilst an optimised coating minimises flare and ghosting.

The use of those aspherical lens elements has made it possible to create a full-frame ultra-wide lens that is a compact 73.8 x 75 mm (3 x 3 inch) and weighs just 304 g (10.8 oz). 

It features a large F1.8 maximum aperture and an 11-blade circular aperture. Close-up performance is excellent with a minimum focus distance of 0.15 m/0.5 ft and maximum magnification of 0.25x when using AF (0.13 m/0.43 ft, 0.30x for MF). All of this makes it possible to capture unique wide-angle perspectives with deep, exquisite bokeh.

Two XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors ensure fast, precise AF and tracking. A control algorithm developed specifically for the XD linear motors achieves enhanced response that largely negates delay and vibration that are likely to occur when driving a large-diameter focus lens group, for quiet, low-vibration operation. 

Sony is very happy to big up its possibilities when it comes to video too. The breathing compensation function provided in compatible Alpha bodies is also supported, and in-body Active Mode image stabilisation can make it easy to capture stable wide-angle video whilst walking. It also accepts a standard 67 mm front filter and is easy to balance on a gimbal.

A focus ring, focus hold button, focus mode switch, aperture ring, and iris lock switch are provided and alternative functions can be assigned to the focus hold button. The aperture ring provides hands-on control, while a click ON/OFF switch adds versatility, and a Focus mode switch allows instant autofocus/manual switching. Lastly, a dust and moisture resistant design and fluorine front-element coating maximises reliability and durability.