{"id":11809,"date":"2026-09-21T05:06:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T03:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/21\/sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-sample-gallery-animals-from-oregon-to-montana\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T05:06:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T03:06:30","slug":"sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-sample-gallery-animals-from-oregon-to-montana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/21\/sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-sample-gallery-animals-from-oregon-to-montana\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM sample gallery: animals from Oregon to Montana"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tFrom close-up zoo subjects to distant Montana wildlife, here\u2019s how Sony\u2019s lightweight 400mm F4.5 GM performs in the field.<\/p>\n

\"Elephant\u2019sDale Baskin<\/span><\/figure>\n
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When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS<\/a> is a 994g (2.2 lb) super-telephoto prime aimed at wildlife and sports shooters who want a lens they can carry comfortably for hours. Sony says it\u2019s the lightest lens of its kind, and at $2,700 it costs a fraction of the company\u2019s FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS<\/a>, which is faster by about 1.3 stops, runs around $12,000 and weighs nearly 3kg (6.4 lbs). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Shooting experience<\/h2>\n

The 400mm F4.5 is nearly identical to its sibling, the FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS, differing by just one gram and 21mm in length, so the shooting experience is effectively the same. Both balance well when used handheld, with the weight sitting close to the camera to reduce fatigue, and both offer full-time direct manual focus. Two XD linear motors drive the autofocus, which Sony says can keep up with 120 fps burst shooting on the a9 III.<\/p>\n

For a more thorough description of how these lenses handle in the field, see my 600mm sample gallery article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sample gallery<\/h2>\n

Most of the images in this gallery were captured at the Oregon Zoo<\/a> near Portland, Oregon, with a handful at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge<\/a> and the CSKT Bison Range<\/a> in Montana, the same locations featured in the 600mm gallery. The zoo subjects offered proximity and varied light conditions; the Montana locations challenged the lens in open terrain and at longer working distances.<\/p>\n

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter\/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page<\/a>). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don\u2019t abuse it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS<\/h3>\n