The Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master lens is considered an irreplaceable tool for many enthusiast and professional shooters. The corner-to-corner sharpness, beautiful bokeh and intriguing perspectives produced by the lens makes it a popular choice, especially because it’s lighter and smaller than others in its class. It’s won a European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Award for Best Mirrorless Telephoto Zoom Lens, been called a fantastic lens that’s an essential piece of kit to photograph distant objects by PhotographyBlog.com and reviewed as an optically outstanding lens, especially compared to its counterparts, by Shotkit.com. It continues to find its way into creators’ kits and below we read why so many love the telephoto zoom and see some of the outstanding imagery they’ve created with it.
The Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master lens has found its way into many creators kits. Read why so many photographers choose it for travel, adventure, landscape, wildlife and more.
Content creator and Alpha Collective member Jason Frankle includes the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 in his bag for both photo and video content creation. “The Sony 100-400mm telephoto lens is my favorite lens for capturing unique compositions by zooming up close to subjects,” he explains. “I have used this lens to capture everything from wildlife photography to deep space astrophotography. I like having the optical steady shot built into the lens so I can keep my images as sharp as possible when zooming far into the distance. The focusing on this lens is fast which makes it perfect for capturing birds in flight with great autofocus accuracy. I will often mount this lens to a star tracker when I am capturing celestial objects like the Andromeda Galaxy, the Moon or the Sun.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Sony Alpha, Xperia & Ultra-Compact Camera Kit For Photo & Video Content Creation.
Photo by Jason Frankle. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/160-sec., f/5.6, ISO 125
Travel photographer Erin Sullivan loves the perspective provided by the 100-400mm. The Alpha Collective member says, “I love using this telephoto lens for wildlife, but it’s so much more than that for me. This lens is fantastic for compressed scenes and playing with abstraction; it gives a totally different perspective than a wide or mid-range lens, which is why it’s almost always in my bag.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Photo Kit For Landscapes, Wildlife, Portraits & The Details In Between.
Photo by Erin Sullivan. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/320-sec., f/5.6, ISO 640
Conservation, wildlife and nature photographer Kate Newman calls the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master her main lens. “I adore that the 100-400 gives me so much versatility to photograph a close-up portrait of an animal or to capture the entire scene. It’s lightweight, easy to travel with, and very rarely leaves my camera. Although it’s f/5.6, the versatility brings so much ease to my work which is by far the biggest bonus. I can’t imagine my kit without it!” Read more in What’s In My Bag: One Photographer's Essentials For Wildlife & Conservation Photography.
Photo by Kate Newman. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/2000-sec., f/5.6, ISO 320
Adventure photographer and Alpha Collective member Scott Kranz likes to pack a telephoto like the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master for its versatility so he can capture just about anything that happens in front of him. “Having an adjustable focal length can open up unique compositions and creative opportunities. When traveling, it’s often difficult to anticipate what you’ll experience, and these lenses can help you react to the moment, even if it’s a fleeting or spontaneous one.” Read more in 6 Pro Tips For Adventure Travel Photography.
Photo by Scott Kranz. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/5.6, ISO 160
Photo by Scott Kranz. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/5.6, ISO 80
Shane Garner, who specializes in fine art landscape and travel photography, calls the 100-400mm the best lens that he’s ever had. “Even though I shoot mostly with the 24-105mm, the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master is my absolute favorite. For it being a telephoto lens I find it to be pretty lightweight and compact in size. The quality of the images come out tack sharp evenly the way out at 400mm. The images I am able to capture with this lens are incredible. It allows me to get more intimate shots that focus on details. It allows me to capture wildlife in an artistic way and I am even able to do some macro work with it.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: 1 Camera & 3 Lenses For Epic Landscapes In Lesser-Known Places.
Photo by Shane Garner. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 4/5-sec., f/11, ISO 50
The Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master is wildlife photographer and videographer Alexandra Surkova’s go-to lens for video. “Sharp, fast focus, versatile, especially with mammals and with a very high image quality.” Watch the video below and see more of her work and gear in What’s In My Bag: 3 Cameras & 3 Lenses For Dramatic Wildlife Photos & Video.
Photographer Andrew Eggers of the Alpha Collective likes to include the 100-400mm in his kit for capturing a variety of subjects. “This bazooka allows me to get up close and personal with my subject whether it be a sunset behind a skyline or a moon rising in the wilderness,” he says. “It focuses very well and I dig the different perspectives it can give with compression. I’ve always wanted to get into bird photography as well as any other wildlife that I could get into my viewfinder.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: An Unusual G Master Zoom Trinity For Urban & Nature Photos & Timelapses.
Photo by Andrew Eggers. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/5.6, ISO 200
Outdoor enthusiast David Dinette specializes in backcountry landscape photography, and the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master is a recent addition to his kit. “Over the years,” he explains, “I have become more fascinated with the intimate scenes that can only be captured at focal lengths that go beyond 200mm. While planning trips, I always debate on whether to bring this lens along with me, but when I do, I always find a way to use it. This is especially true if I hike 20 miles into that backcountry with this extra weight.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Wide-Angle And Tele-Zoom Kit For Landscape Photography.
Photo by David Dinette. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/5.6, ISO 500
Landscape and astro-photographer Burak Esenbey always includes the 100-400mm in his kit, saying, “A telephoto lens is mandatory in my opinion for landscape photography. The 100-400mm is a perfect fit for that. I always have it with me on trips. You are able to catch wonderful details or just objects far away. For a Tele Lens the weight is ok and that’s another point to mention here: the image quality is (like all GM Lenses) unbeaten.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Modified Sony Alpha Kit For Capturing Landscapes and Starscapes.
Photo by Burak Esenbey. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/650-sec., f/10, ISO 125
Travel and landscape photographer Shane Ware loves the compression the lens provides and used it to capture this stunning sunrise in San Francisco. He says, “The 100-400mm is an excellent telephoto lens for emphasizing compression or shooting wildlife, and combined with the Alpha 7R IV it is sharp enough to use in APS-C mode for even more reach. I also love that the lens collapses down into a manageable size, allowing me to pack it in my backpack without issue.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: 3 Lenses For Travel & Landscape Photography.
Photo by Shane Ware. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master.
Learn more about the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master HERE.
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