Today the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens has been announced. It fills a whole in the FE lens line up for the Sony a7 and a9 cameras.

It’s a hole that seemed to grow when the Sony a9 was announced - arguably the most capable camera for shooting the sort of action that such a fast telephoto lens like the 400mm f/2.8 is primarily designed for.

Currently the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G OSS lens is the closest FE offering to the newly announced 400mm f/2.8 lens, but that has half the reach.

Existing a7 and a9 shooters currently need to use Sony A mount lenses via an adaptor to get the sort of speed and reach that the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 lens offers.

Sony A mount telephoto lenses include the 500mm f/4 G SSM which retails at around £11,000. You also have the 300mm f/2.8 G SSM II at £7,500 and the 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM II at £2,270.

Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS: Press release

We do not have many details at all about the new lens at this stage. A Sony press release says,

The new lens will feature the incredible high-resolution and spectacular beautiful bokeh of Sony’s acclaimed line of flagship G Master™ series lenses, while also offering a far-reaching 400mm focal length and F2.8 large aperture. This combination will deliver a new elevated shooting experience for all professional sports, news and wildlife photographers looking to capture all of the decisive moments with higher image quality.

Presumably the lens will be compatible with a teleconverter to further extend its reach, though again we do not have details at this stage.

What we do know is that the planned launch date is Summer 2018, presumably just in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

We’ll keep you updated as and when we get more information.