In the Field: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS for Wildlife

A major goal for many wildlife photographers is certainly to go on safari and photograph the ‘Big Five’. Photographer Ester Turri took a Sony A7 IV and a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS to a reserve in South Africa. In this article she tells us how she got on with the Sony telephoto lens and shows her stunning imagery.

Subjects

Back in January, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a few days in Welgevonden Game Reserve, a few hours north of Johannesburg, South Africa. Every day, we went on excursions to spot the animals in the early mornings and late evenings, which is when most of them are most active—and when the light is much better to capture them. 

When you first arrive in the reserve, you quickly learn about the legendary ‘big five’ and you start repeating their names in your head, like a mantra, hoping to spot one as quickly as possible. Lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and water buffalo.

Setup

For this experience, MPB lent me the Sony A7 IV and the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS, which I used on the whole trip. The Sony A7 IV is a mirrorless camera with a 33-megapixel full-frame sensor. It offers lightning-fast autofocus and a wide dynamic range, which means that you can capture even the most fleeting moments of wildlife activity in crisp, clear detail. You can find out more in MPB's Sony A7 IV review.

I chose to combine this camera body with the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS. This lens offers a great compromise between a long focal length, which is necessary on a trip such as this, and relatively compact size and weight, making it still easy to carry around and handle. It also has a fast, accurate autofocus system and built-in optical stabilisation. All these specs will prove useful when you’re exploring the savannah.

Dynamic range

We saw so many animals: rhinos, elephants, giraffes and zebras—and even a cute little chameleon that changed colour right before our eyes. The photo below is one of my favourites from the trip.

I particularly love how detailed and sharp it turned out. Thanks to the wide dynamic range of the Sony A7 IV, the image has retained plenty of detail in both the highlights and the shadow, making it easy to edit in post-production.

Autofocus

When you're photographing wildlife, you need a camera with fast and accurate autofocus. One game-changing feature of the Sony A7 IV was the animal eye autofocus. Capturing animals gets quite tricky, especially when they’re hiding in the bushes or between the branches of a tree—like the cute monkey below. By using advanced artificial intelligence, this autofocus will detect, track and automatically focus on the animal's eyes and ensure they’re always in sharp focus. This feature definitely makes your life easier when you’re photographing wildlife.

Optical stabilisation 

The highlight of the trip, however, was on our second day. We spotted a few lionesses with their cubs. At that moment, I was so glad I had upgraded my Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS for the 100-400mm. The lionesses and cubs were so far away, I would not have been able even to see them playing among the bushes—let alone capture them. Such a surreal experience.

On our last morning, two lionesses actually surprised us by standing right in front of us in the middle of the road. I finally got the shot I was hoping for. My hands were shaking from excitement, so I was extra grateful for the built-in optical stabilisation of the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS. 

When you're shooting at a long focal length, even the slightest camera movement can result in blurry shots. Add to that the fact that these animals move around quite suddenly and it’s easy to understand why this feature is so important. 

The optical stabilisation helps to keep your shots steady, even when you're shooting in low light conditions or at slower shutter speeds. And since the stabilisation is built into the lens, you can be confident that it will work seamlessly with the in-body image stabilisation of the Sony A7 IV.

Conclusion

Capturing wildlife is a thrilling and rewarding experience. Using the right equipment will make a significant difference. However, this is just one part of the equation. It’s not just about equipment, skill and an eye for an image. You have to have a deep respect for the animals and an understanding of their behaviour. Only then can  you capture stunning wildlife photos that tell a story, inspiring others to appreciate and protect the incredible diversity of our natural world.

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.