Opticallimits tests the Sony 200-600mm FE: “it alone may be a reason for buying into the Sony system”

Opticallimits published the full Sony 200-600mm FE and is impressed by its performance:

The Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS is not a perfect lens but it is no less than a steal for the money and it alone may be a reason for buying into the Sony system – if you are really into such long tele lenses. The Sony lens is, unsurprisingly, very sharp in the lower to mid parts of its zoom range. At 600mm, the corner quality suffers somewhat whereas the center quality remains impressively high. Most photographers won’t probably ever notice this but there are limits when it comes to astrophotography here. Image distortions are present but can be handled via image auto-correction activated. This will also take care of the lateral CAs which are on the high side. The native vignetting is typical for such a lens. A positive surprise is the quality of the bokeh which is (substantially) better than most lenses in this class although prime lenses are better still.

The build quality of the Sony lens is superb thanks to a tightly assembled, metal body. Sony also didn’t forget to implement dust- and moisture-resistant seals. We can’t emphasize enough that it is unusual for a sanely priced super-tele zoom lens to have a constant physical size. Other than the obvious advantage regarding air movement within the lens, it also allows for a much smoother (easier) zoom experience compared to the usual “air pumps”. The AF is pretty fast and noiseless. We were also impressed by the real-world efficiency of the image stabilizer.

The Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS is a big and heavy lens and mounted to a small Sony camera, the setup can feel a bit unbalanced so adding a vertical grip may be a sensible investment for improving handling. Regarding the sum of its qualities combined with the very reasonable price tag, the verdict can only be – highly recommended!

Sony 200-600mm FE in USA at Amazon, BHphoto, FocusCamera, BuyDig, Adorama and Henyrs.
Sony 200-600mm FE in Europe at Amazon DE. Calumet DE. Amazon UK. WexUK. ParkCameras. Amazon FR. Amazon IT. Amazon ES.
Sony 200-600mm FE in Asia at Sony Japan. Sony Australia.