Sony SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens – Review – 32

Professional sports photographer Michael Bradley tries out Sony’s new zoom lens

This new Sony zoom might suit photographers in search of a 400mm lens to add to their kits, but who don’t have the budget to shell out the big-bucks for an f2.8 prime lens. There are, however, a few catches.

On the plus side, this long zoom has the added benefit of built-in image stabilisation, which really is a great feature. It allowed me to easily take hand-held shots at 1/60 of a second at 400mm with impressive results.

During field testing I used the 70-400mm on a family trip to the zoo. I decided to only pack one lens, and the Sony’s versatility was impressive. I was very happy with some images, especially at 400mm, without having to lug around a cumbersome f2.8 prime lens.

On first impression the 70-400mm’s silver finish might look a little on the cheap side. Personally, I’m not a fan, but there’s no doubt it sets the lens apart from the more common black or white chassis.

It doesn’t seem to feel as sturdy or water tight as competing lenses from the other leading brands, either. Nor does it easily zoom from wide to full zoom in one easy motion, and there is a need to readjust your grip to finish the zooming from 70mm right through to 400mm.

The aperture of the lens is only f4-5.6, which means it is a bit slow to shoot night or indoor sports. This keeps both the price and size of the lens down, but will limit its use to keen amateurs and not the professional sports photographer.

The lens was also a little slow to lock on to its focus, while tracking fast-moving subjects was not the best. In fairness, this can be the case for a lot of zoom lenses, even some high-end, professional-level models.

I was very impressed with the sharpness of the lens when shooting wide open, with images captured at 400mm of a very high standard. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) was less pleasing when compared to prime lenses, but then the price difference between the zoom and prime lenses is also unpleasant.

Although I’m not a big fan of zoom lenses, I was fairly impressed with this model, particularly keeping in mind its market: the serious amateur. Undoubtedly it’d be a great lens to have in a two-lens kit along with a 24-80mm. It would also be ideal for the likes of wildlife or travel photographers who need to keep the bulk of their kit to a minimum but still want a long lens at their disposal.

Personally, I’d be happy to take it on an overseas trip where space was at a premium, knowing that in the end, the results would be of a very high quality. n

Sony SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens – Specs

Manufacturer: Sony
Model: SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens
Lens Construction: 18 elements in 12 groups (2 ED glass elements)
Focal Length: 105-600mm (35mm equivalent)
Zoom Ratio: 5.7x
Maximum Aperture: f22
Minimum Aperture: f32
Minimum Focus Distance: 1.5m
Magnification: x0.27
Filter Diameter: 77mm
Supplied Accessories: Front and rear lens cap, lens hood, carrying case
Dimensions: 94.5 x 196mm
Weight: 1500g

CONTACT
www.sony.co.nz

PROS

• Versatile
• Built-in image stabilisation

CONS

• Slow to lock on to a subject
• Build quality could be improved

Design                      16
Performance             14
Features                   18
Image Quality           15
Value for money       15

TOTAL 78/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.