It’s a nice thing Sony made an affordable wildlife and sports lens. Although the specs are nothing to rave about, this is not the biggest problem for the new Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS.
If you take a look at what Canon is doing, you’ll notice they have a $1500 entry-level full frame camera, the Canon R8, and a $750 RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM lens. For a total of $2250, enthusiasts can buy a capable setup that can capture 30 fps RAW bursts, with 15-frame pre-buffering. That’s very appealing.
When it comes to Sony, you have to spend $2500 on the camera alone. That’s how much you need to take out of your pocket to buy the cheapest current generation model, the α7C II. Add another $850 for the lens Sony just introduced and you’re looking at $3350. And you’re limited to 11 fps and no pre-buffer.
As I see it, there’s only one reason to buy the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS: it’s cheap and you already have a body. But if you’re just starting out and you’re about to buy into a camera system, Sony isn’t doing enough.
Fans have been asking for a $1500 full-frame Sony camera for years. Maybe it’s time Sony listened.
