The Best Sony Wildlife Lens for 2024
What is the ultimate Sony wildlife photography lens?
- Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens
- Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens
- Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens
- Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens
- Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens
- Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens
- Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens
- Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Lens
- Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens
As a generalization, the above list is sorted in preference, usefulness, performance, and price descending sequence.
About Sony Wildlife Lenses
Wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes. Wildlife has a wide range of tolerance for human presence, and wildlife photographers have a wide range of get-close skills, patience, time, and motivation. Adding complication is wildlife images can be framed in a variety of ways ranging from tight headshots to wide environmental portraits. All this results in a wide range of focal lengths being useful for the pursuit of wildlife photography.
A kit of lenses in various focal lengths is the ideal option for wildlife photographers. Wildlife photographers opting for a one-lens kit usually need as much focal length as they can carry or afford because it is usually easier to get farther away from wildlife than it is to get closer. The farther away you can photograph your subject from, the more likely you will have time to get multiple natural shots of your wild subject before it departs. Longer focal lengths also make it easier to create a strong background blur that makes your subject stand out from the often distracting background. I don't recall ever hearing a bird photographer or anyone photographing potentially dangerous game complain about having too much focal length, but be mindful that heat shimmer/haze/waves can be negatively impact long distance image quality. Sometimes getting closer is the better option.
Wildlife is most often active early and late in the day when light levels are at their lowest. Especially in low light conditions, it is great to have a wide aperture enabling motion-stopping shutter speeds at lower, less noisy ISO settings. Wildlife in fast motion (birds in flight, deer leaping, etc.) can make the best images, and the wide aperture can be useful in that regard even under direct sunlight. The wide aperture also increases the lens's background blur capability.
If your subject is not moving or is moving slowly, Optical SteadyShot image stabilization can be a huge asset for low light wildlife photography. Currently, all Sony FE E-mount telephoto lenses have this feature. A tripod, monopod, or other support can alternatively or additionally be used.
Wildlife does not mind rain or snow, but some lenses (and cameras) do. A weather-sealed camera and lens kit rules for wildlife photography, and it is still a good practice to cover even sealed gear with a LensCoat camera rain cover or similar.
The best wildlife lenses are among the most expensive lens options available, and the ultimate wildlife lenses will differentiate your work, delivering professional-grade image quality and appearance.
The Best Sony Wildlife Photography Lenses
1. Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens
The Ultimate Wildlife Photography Lens
For wildlife photography, lens options do not get better than this one. The Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens is one of the sharpest lenses I've ever used — the image quality it produces is outstanding. The focal length is ideal for a majority of my wildlife photography needs, and this lens works great with teleconverters – the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter extends the focal length up to 1200mm. The build quality is great, and weather sealing is included. This lens's biggest downside is the price, and the size and weight of this lens will be intimidating to the unacclimated. That said, this is a very lightweight lens for the 600mm and F4 combination.
2. Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens
Very Long Focal Lengths, Excellent Image Quality, Well-Constructed, Optical SteadyShot, Weather-Sealed
When Sony announced the FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, wildlife photographers cheered loudly, and the demand for this lens exceeded the supply for months. The focal length range in this lens is fantastic for wildlife use, and teleconverter compatibility extends that reach (though the already narrow max aperture becomes even narrower). The superb image quality produced by this lens does not disappoint. This is a relatively large and heavy lens with a moderately-high price tag, but compared to the Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS Lens, the FE 200-600 appears small, lightweight, and a great deal.
3. Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens
Extremely High Overall Quality Lens, Ultra-Wide Aperture
When 400mm is adequate for wildlife pursuits, the options do not get better than this one. Wildlife is frequently found early and late in the day, when light levels are low. This lens's F2.8 aperture makes high quality imagery possible at these times, with high performance AF remaining available.
When 400mm is not adequately long, Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter compatibility makes this lens still a superb choice, with a relatively wide F4 aperture remaining available at 560mm.
4. Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens
Long Focal Length Range with Long Focal Lengths, Excellent Image Quality, Well-Constructed, Optical SteadyShot, Weather-Sealed
When photographing wildlife, I sometimes carry just a 100-400mm lens, and sometimes I take a 100-400mm lens to complement a 600mm F4. This focal length range, extending out to 100mm available, is especially suitable for environmental portraits, and these images can sometimes be more compelling than a tight animal portrait. Zooming out to 100mm also gives this lens increased general-purpose versatility (think pictures of the kids). This lens is compatible with teleconverters for those times when even greater reach is needed. While the F5.6 aperture available at the longest focal lengths is not so wide, that aperture allows the lens to be small in size and light enough in weight to be carried and hand-held for relatively long periods. The FE 100-400 is not an inexpensive lens, but again, far less expensive than the 600 F4.
5. Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens
Excellent Image Quality, Compact, Lightweight, Robust Build Quality, Affordable
High-quality sports and wildlife photography primarily requires long focal length lenses that are big, heavy, and extremely expensive — they are not fun to carry or pay for. This lens is different. If you want an impressively sharp, compact, lightweight, robustly built, high-performance super-telephoto prime lens that is well suited for outdoor wildlife, sports, and aviation photography, the Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens has your name on it.
6. Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens
Extra Long Range of Long Focal Lengths, Great Build Quality, Superb Image Quality, Optical Stabilization, Affordable Price
The Sigma 150-600mm OS DN Sports Lens has a highly appealing focal length range complemented by a beautiful design, impressive build quality, excellent image quality, optical stabilization, excellent overall performance, and a very reasonable price. That combination is very attractive.
7. Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens
Extreme Focal Length Range, Great Build Quality, Great Image Quality, Optical Stabilization
For wildlife photography (and most other) purposes, this lens's focal length range is unsurpassed as I write this recommendation.
Like the Sigma 150-600mm OS DN Sports Lens, the Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens has a beautiful design, impressive build quality, excellent image quality, optical stabilization, and excellent overall performance.
This lens is not small, light, or inexpensive, but it may be the only lens you need.
8. Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Lens
Long Range of Long Focal Lengths, Well-Built, Superb Image Quality, Vibration Control, Attractive Price
With this lens, Tamron provides a very attractive option for filling in a long range of long focal lengths. While this is not a compact, lightweight lens, it has those features relative to alternatives covering the 500mm. This is a fun lens to take solo for adventures making use of these focal lengths, including wildlife and sports.
9. Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens
Excellent Image Quality, Long Focal Lengths, Light Weight, Compact Size, Low Cost
Most photographers highly value a telephoto zoom lens with long focal lengths, a significant percentage of these photographers are looking for a lightweight, low cost option, and no one wants to give up great image quality or deal with a lens that does not perform well. The Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens is the perfect choice to meet those needs.
Visit the Sony Lens Recommendations page for more recommendations.
