Sony has filled a long-standing gap in its E-mount telephoto lineup. On August 4, 2026, the company announced the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS, a compact, budget-priced telephoto zoom that sits well below the existing FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS in both size and cost. At $849.99, it undercuts the eight-year-old GM lens by roughly $1,650, and it does it while weighing less than half as much.
A different lens for a different shooter
The GM version of this focal range was built for working pros who need f/4.5-5.6 speed, a fast linear motor, and weather sealing rated for daily location work, and its price and 1,395g weight reflect that. The new F5.6-8 OSS is aimed squarely at a different buyer: wildlife and bird photographers, travel shooters, and hobbyists who want genuine reach without carrying a lens that dominates the bag. A variable aperture running from f/5.6 at the wide end to f/8 at full extension keeps the optical formula smaller and lighter, at the cost of two-thirds to a full stop of light versus the GM.
Specs and pricing
Sony lists the new lens at 654g, making it one of the lightest 400mm-reach zooms in the FE lineup, let alone the category. It retains Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and Sony’s standard rear-mounted control layout, and it’s compatible in-body with Sony’s latest AI-based subject recognition autofocus systems when paired with recent bodies. At $849.99, it lands close to third-party alternatives from Tamron and Sigma covering similar ranges, but with the native-mount advantage of guaranteed firmware compatibility and no adapter tax.
Who it actually makes sense for
This isn’t a replacement for the GM lens for anyone shooting fast-moving subjects in low light — sports and action shooters will still feel the narrower aperture, especially past 300mm. But for anyone whose 100-400mm range lens spends most of its life on a monopod at a nature reserve or in a suitcase on a trip, the tradeoff of a stop or two of light for roughly half the weight and a third of the price is a genuinely useful option that didn’t exist in Sony’s own catalog until now.