The Sony 70-400mm f4-5.6 lens rocks

Consider the picture below:



This is a photo of the observation deck of the Eifel tower replica at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. How was this made?

This is a hand-held (one hand) shot from the street in front of Ceasar's forum (near the Sony Style shop), more than 1/2 mile away. It is a crop snapshot made with a A900 and the Sony 70-400mm lens at 400mm wide open at f5.6 using ISO500 and 1/2500th. This is actually a 100% crop from this photo:



Notice the resolution of the A900 and the wide-open, long-end resolution of the new Sony lens! For those of you who also own the Nikon system, you will realize that this lens blows the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-4.6 VR out of the water in resolution.

Further, the new Sony lens is incredibly versatile. Consider the photo below made from the exact same vantage point, but now using the Sony 70-400 at 70mm:



Note the tower observation deck at the upper left. The minimum focal distance is 1.5m so you can easily use this lens for most typical shooting and thre is no need to carry around a separate 70-210 and 70-300mm zoom.

Just thought I would share this since I believe the combination A900 and Sony 70-400 (along with the CZ wide and normal zooms), now makes a compelling case for the Sony system to serious photographers, and those who like to print big. For me, this incredible quality is translating into terrific results in portraits and landscapes. I was able to buy this lens using the money I earned by selling my Medium Format Digital Back system on eBay. There is enough left over to purchase a 2nd A900 and the CZ 16-35mm zoom as well.

==Douig

It's also a excellent lens on the a700. Used lots on my recent west trip.

Walt

So you've got a camera weighing 850 grams (just under 2 pounds), and a lens weighing 1.5 kgs (just under 3.5 pounds) and you're shooting at 400mm one handed? Don't tell me, you had the grip on with 2 batteries as well. Impressive!

I need no convincing about the 70-400 and would love to have one, but the price is beyond my means.
--
Barry

I have the A900 but not the lens, a very impressive example of it's performance. But looking at the large pic, would you climb up those steps and change the globe in the red beacon? Would I, not on your life.
--
eric burrows

--Doug

Barry,

Well, I wouldn't ordinarily try to shoot one-handed, but I had a heavy camera bag, and the Sony Style shopping bag in my other hand while walking around. I wouldn't be able to do this with a lot of other 3.5-4lb lenses, but the Sony seems to have a bit less cantilever weight, and together with the large grip of the A900, it is not hard to do. I could never do this with the Sigma 50-500 "Bigma", or most of the 70-200mm f2.8 lenses, but it is an added benefit of this Sony lens that it is possible.
--
==Doug

Eric,

I noticed the same thing, and nearly got vertigo looking at the picture. Actually there are two bulbs to change....



--
==Doug

The 70-400mm is also great for covering news events where you can't always get in as close you you want. Attached is a slide show of a river rescue:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BillCurtindale/DangerousHuronRiverRescueHighWaterSwiftCurrent#slideshow/5349559713530773618

Yeah, I'm one of those guys who carries / handholds the A900 w/grip and 70-400mm for many hours per day (the benefits definitely out weigh any objection).

--
Portraits: http://wdcgraphic.com/portrait2.htm

http://wdcgraphic.com http://curtindale.blogspot.com http://picasaweb.google.com/BillCurtindale

visible in the 400 mm full frame view, top right part of the pic. 70 mm shot looks a tad oversharpened to me.

You have quite some muscle - and trust in the A900 lens mount...
--
Ralf



http://ralfralph.smugmug.com/
10.000 slides still to scan........

Douglas Boyd said:

Eric,

I noticed the same thing, and nearly got vertigo looking at the
picture. Actually there are two bulbs to change....



--
==Doug

Click to expand...

The silver vertical line on the mast is actually a track for a fall arrest harness, so climbing wouldn't be problem, providing you don't look down (!) and have the head for heights.

Fantastic quality from the combo made our observations possible. Any comments how the lens compared with the "Bigma?"

Rob

Douglas Boyd said:

Note the tower observation deck at the upper left.

Click to expand...

I find more interesting what can be seen in the lower center ))

I would have zoomed there.

Robert,

I have a non-HSM Sigma 50-500mm Bigma, but it is in Nikon mount so haven't used it recently. It is also an amazing lens with tremendous sharpness, range and focuses close, down to 1m at the short end. But it is a tad heavier, and I never felt comfortable in hand-holding it. I ended up using a monopod. Of course this is necessary because the Nikon system lacks image stabilization. It should work much better on the Sony Alpha system, and at a 40% lower cost compared to the Sony 70-400, there is an excellent case to be made for this lens. Two good choices.

==Doug

taken today at whitstable. Its the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.



100% Crop





--

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? - Douglas Adams
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rb56/

I’m also a big fan of Sony’s 70-400G lens. Since getting it, I haven’t used my 70-200G. I recently returned from a four day photo workshop and only used two lenses: the 24-70 Zeiss and 70-400G. I have two a900 bodies so never had to change lenses. I now know I can travel lighter with a two lens kit that will be a match for most photos ops.
--
Sonny

Douglas Boyd said:

Robert,

I have a non-HSM Sigma 50-500mm Bigma, but it is in Nikon mount so
haven't used it recently. It is also an amazing lens with tremendous
sharpness, range and focuses close, down to 1m at the short end.
But it is a tad heavier, and I never felt comfortable in hand-holding
it. I ended up using a monopod. Of course this is necessary because
the Nikon system lacks image stabilization. It should work much
better on the Sony Alpha system, and at a 40% lower cost compared to
the Sony 70-400, there is an excellent case to be made for this lens.
Two good choices.

Click to expand...

Out on my recent trip. While shooting distant seals and sea lions another photographer came up to shoot. He was using a D300 and the Sigma 50-500 and I the a700 and the Sony 70-400, some of the time with a Minolta 1.4x TC. Both of us were shooting off good tripods. We had a lot of fun shooting shot for shot and looking at what each got. The Sony edged out the Sigma in both of our views in this shooting. Just a bit sharper mostly. There were also color differences, but we figured that was more camera bodies, and the a700 was doing better there.

I saw a bunch of his work in what he called his vanity book, a self published book of his photos. He's getting excellent photos.

Walt

This is a great length, but so heavy that I think twice before taking it with me.
The 75-300 is twice that lighter (and cheaper).

I am thinking of buying this lens myself, and your superb shots are pushing me forward on this. Anybody who knows how the AF performs on fast moving subjects, like flying birds, compared to the Minolta APO 400 mm f:4.5 lens? I think the new zoom lens is faster and more precise than the old prime ... or?

Nordstjernen said:

I am thinking of buying this lens myself, and your superb shots are
pushing me forward on this. Anybody who knows how the AF performs on
fast moving subjects, like flying birds, compared to the Minolta APO
400 mm f:4.5 lens? I think the new zoom lens is faster and more
precise than the old prime ... or?

Click to expand...

I would say no. Not sure about the 400mm, but the 300/4 w/1.4x TC combo is still faster than the 70-400 SSM.

You may be interested in this thread on Dyxum. Very good comparison, but I don't think AF speed was compared:

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/comparision-test-sony-70-400-vsspan-classhighlightminolta-span-span-classhighlight400mm-span-f4_topic46212_post500749.html?KW=Sony+70%2D400mm+minolta+400mm+4%2E5#500749

The OP (Gustav), posted bird pics with the Sony here:

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/some-birds-with-my-new-lens-70-400_topic46022_page1.html

Not sure if BIF because they're blocked here at work
--
From the original Pheanix:
'Shoot first (pictures that is); ask questions later'
Keith (me) - the original pheanix

winono said:

I find more interesting what can be seen in the lower center ))

I would have zoomed there.

Click to expand...

Ha! I totally agree. Would you change those bulbs?

--
Zeiss taste...Beercan budget!

Fast flying birds are a bit hard to focus on with this monster, but if you can estimate the distance where they will appear and prefocus beforehand then hold down one of the three focus-hold buttons whilst shooting, you can usually get something useful.
Big things like planes are easy to follow.

Anybody out there with this lens on the A700 noticed how much "rotational" play there is between the lens and the camera body - seems quite "a lot" after the nice, tight-fitting SAL-18-250...?
Jobrywadd