Sony wins for price and performance

The Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS puts the ‘super’ into telephoto

Sony has come up trumps with its FE 200-600mm. Building on the success of the FE 100-400mm G Master, the newer, bigger lens adds a third stabilisation mode and a more effective autofocus range limiter switch that can lock out both short and long sectors. Image quality and all-round performance are superb, as are handling and build quality.

For Canon and Nikon DSLRs, as well as for full-frame mirrorless cameras via adapters, the Sigma 150-600mm Sports is our top choice for performance at a reasonable price. The Canon RF 100-500mm is a strong contender, but relatively poor value for money. The Nikkor 200-500mm is an excellent and more affordable own-brand buy.

The Tamron G2 is an appealing alternative if you want maximum telephoto reach in a smaller, lighter package than the Sigma Sports lens. Taking downsizing to the extreme, the Panasonic 100-400mm is the most compact and lightweight lens in the group, but delivers a mighty effective telephoto reach for MFT cameras, equating to 200-800mm. The Fujinon 100-400mm for APS-C format X-mount cameras is larger and heavier, but a great buy at the price.

Finally, the Pentax 150-400mm has some seriously advanced features and great handling, but lacks optical stabilisation and comes up a bit short on telephoto reach for full-frame K-mount bodies.