Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens Review using Sony A99 II

In this Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens Review I will be using the Sony A99 II, and will put this lens thru the paces including Lab testing, Action photography, Video, and lots of normal Real World use

In this Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens Review I will be using the Sony A99 II, and will put this lens thru the paces including Lab testing, Action photography, Video, and lots of normal Real World use as well.

My Sony A99 II Review is Here >> for those interested… For a little insight into this review, I decided to test the Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens because I wanted to compare it to the New E-Mount FE 100-400mm GM Lens specifically. I want to know if there is any sacrifice in optical quality on the E-Mount GM lens when compared to this A-Mount beast.

The Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens goes for $2198 US and is market towards photographers looking for a serious telephoto zoom lens that does not compromise in quality at all. Particularly good for sports and wildlife photography I would say, but also great for that killer portrait depth of field layering effect I will talk about at length in the video portion of this review. And at the end of the day with a 70-400mm range you can clearly use this lens for a lot of other purposes as well like landscapes and going to the Zoo for example…

This lens is a bit heavy at 3.3lbs, but considering the quality it pumps out and the range, I did not think this was to bad at all. Don’t get me wrong, after a full day at the zoo hand holding, I did start to feel the weight!

Sony Lens Promotional Jargon:

Prime lens performance from 70 to 400mm, Clear images with crisp contrast, Faster tracking and improved response, and a refined operating experience

Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens – Key Features

• A-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• 70-400mm or 105-600mm APS-C
• Aperture Range: f/4-5.6 to f/22-32
• Two Extra-Low Dispersion Elements
• 18 Elements / 12 Groups
• Nano AR Coating
• Super Sonic Wave AF Motor
• Three Focus Hold Buttons
• Electronic Focus Range Limiter
• 4.92′ (1.5 m) Minimum Focus Distance
• Dust and Moisture-Resistant Construction
• Removable, Rotating Tripod Collar
• Nine-Blade Circular Diaphragm
• 77mm Filter Thread
• No OSS
• Weight = 3.30 lb (1500 g)
• Cost = $2198 US

Here she is in the lab with the Sony A99 II mounted up 🙂

Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens – Youtube Review

In this Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens Review, I will cover everything you need to know including Lab Testing, Hands-On, and Tons of Real World Photography with detailed Photo Analysis in Lightroom. Thanks for checking out my Review and Links mentioned in the video below.

Sony A-Mount 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G II SSM Lens Review using Sony A99 II

Highly Recommend

This is one of the best lenses I have ever tested as far as overall optical performance is concerned. The images are tack sharp corner to corner throughout the large 70-400mm range with almost no distortion. When matched with the 42mp Sony A99 II you just can't go wrong! Tracking moving subjects also proved to be fantastic. The color and contrast were also top quality based on all my years of testing. For the money this is an amazing lens and I highly recommend it!

Bang For The Buck

95

Feature Set

90

Build Quality and Design

95

Image quality

95

Video Quality

90

Optical Quality

95

Usability

85

Low Light Performance

80

Fun Factor

95

Auto Focus System

95

Reader Rating1 Votes

87

Pros

Amazing Sharpness

Excellent Build Quality

Excellent Telephoto Zoom Range

Cons

Heavy

No Optical Stabilization Built In

92

A Phenomenal Telephoto Zoom Lens

Buy Now

@ BHPhoto

Sample Photos

I took an absolute ton of sample photos with this lens including lab testing and real world testing. The Lab test photos are first followed by the real world photos, so just scroll on down and be sure to click on the photos for a larger version.

– Lab Testing Photos

Lots of lab testing photos to share w/ 100% Crops and all taken using raw quality with the Sony A99 II.

Lab Sharpness Testing at Key Focal Lengths

70mm

100mm

135mm

200mm

300mm

400mm

Aperture Run @ 400mm & Minimum Focus Distance

Real World Sample Photos

Zoo Photos