In the Field: Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS for Wildlife

Wildlife filmmaker-photographer Mark Rowe and conservation wildlife artist Sophie Green recently visited the picturesque Galápagos Islands to capture footage of some of the island’s most stunning wildlife.

Heading out with Sony setups for the shot, the 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS proved to be the star of the show. Read on to see the results, and how the lens was perfect for both photography and video. Over to you, Sophie and Mark. 

Subjects

We were very fortunate to have recently visited The Galápagos Islands. These famous Islands are known for their abundance of wildlife, most of which are endemic to Galápagos. Everything from Frigate birds with huge inflated red necks to Marine Iguanas that walk right past you on the sandy beaches!

Setup

As a wildlife filmmaker and photographer, I like to have options for filming and photography, so I paired the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS with both the Sony A1 and Sony A7S III. My slightly closer shots were captured using the Sony70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens. Sophie’s kit included the A7S III paired with the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens.

On this rare trip to such a special place, I really wanted to push the quality limits of both video and photography, and the Sony 400mm f/2.8m GM sits at the very top for this very reason.

Handling

I must admit, my nerves were on edge taking the three flights to get to Galápagos, as I thought I would have to move the lens into the hold when we took the last—and much smaller—plane to the islands from Ecuador. Fortunately, this wasn’t an issue, and everything went smoothly! Taking a prime, larger telephoto lens isn’t always the best option when travelling, as zooms are usually the easiest and lightest to carry.

However, the Sony 400mm f/2.8m GM weighs just under 2.9kg, which some may say is heavy. For such a large prime lens, it is just over half a kilo heavier than the Sony lens or just over a kilo heavier than the Sony 100-400mm GM. Coupled with the fact that I had my monopod to use when needed, it was well worth packing. 

Reach

The 400mm focal length was perfect for Galápagos. Most of the wildlife is at a distance and of a size that fills the frame nicely at this focal length. A Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter was an option, but I never got it out of the bag.

Stills image quality and focus

This is where the results were interesting. Shooting on the equator at 30°C every day created a lot of heat haze as well as harsh sunlight. The Sony 400mm GM, although still affected by the heat haze, didn’t seem to react in the same way as other lenses. It probably produced slightly better results than some zoom lenses. 

The Sony 400mm GM produces beautiful bokeh for both video and photography. Its pleasing look melts the background away, especially at f/2.8, with clear separation from the subject and background.

Being such a fast lens, it also allows you to ramp the shutter speed up to capture fast-moving subjects too. It was interesting to compare similar shots from myself using the 400mm GM and from Sophie with the 100-400mm GM. 

In the images below, you can see the slight differences between the two lenses. Although some differences are because both images are slightly cropped and have been shot on different Sony cameras. As you would also expect, the lens focussed on the animals’ eyes perfectly.

Video image quality and focus

Video is a different beast when it comes to lenses. The lens needs to offer good quality but also be able to focus effectively, both in manual and autofocus. We all know the Sony systems have great autofocus, so this lens works perfectly with that system. 

What this lens also does well with is its linear response for manual focus. This means that it responds via the rotation angle rather than using any electronics, meaning you can accurately rotate back to a position, knowing it will be in the place you need it to be. This lens also comes into its own when paired with the 8k sensor on the Sony A1. The high-quality glass renders the video so well and is incredibly detailed, especially for wildlife filming. I used the Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM lens for many of the sequences in the Galápagos film.

Looking for more wildlife content?

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Wildlife Photography and Videography, our comprehensive look at how to create wildlife imagery, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.