I hiked through a wildlife refuge with Sony’s two new compact telephoto primes. When I blew up the photos, I couldn’t believe what I had caught

I recently had the opportunity to test out two new compact telephoto lenses from Sony during a hike in a wildlife refuge. The lenses in question were the 400mm f/4.5 and 600mm f/5.6 GM OSS lenses, which are significantly less expensive and lighter than their previous counterparts. The 400mm lens weighed just under a kilogram, while the 600mm lens was over two pounds, making them much more portable and easier to carry than the heavier 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 lenses.

I started off using the 400mm lens, but quickly switched to the 600mm lens when I spotted a bird I couldn't identify. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a juvenile black-crowned night heron with a different feather pattern than adults. Using the 600mm lens on my Sony A7 V, I was able to capture sharp and detailed images of several birds, including a distant egret with a spider web in the background. Even when cropping the photos, there was still a high level of detail visible.

Interestingly, I found that I captured more usable photos with the 400mm lens than I originally expected, as its brighter aperture allowed me to freeze water droplets with ease. Overall, the new Sony 400mm and 600mm lenses offer a good balance of price, weight, and image quality, bridging the gap between more expensive luxury lenses and cheaper optics.