Comparison of Sony 200-600mm Lens to all the 600mm F4s

I always use digital lens comparisons before I buy a lens. The crops below do not tell the whole story but they do indicate that the Sony 200-600mm lens compares favourably to the mega expensive 600mm F4s from Canon, Nikon and Sony. All the lenses with their appropriate teleconverters autofocus at 1200mm. The Sony 200-600mm is slower autofocusing at 1200mm and loses about two stops at 1200mm compared to the larger glass of the 600mm F4s. The Canon 600mm F4 III is the clear loser in this comparison in image definition (sharpness).

The crops are from the centre of the test chart with the lenses wide open. 2X teleconverters are used to amplify the lenses' weaknesses and strengths and to provide a vivid comparison.

Crops courtesy of Digital Lens Comparisons.

Canon 600mm F4 III at 1200mm

Canon 600mm F4 III at 1200mm

Nikon 600mm F4 FL ED at 1200mm

Sony 200-600mm at 1200mm

Sony 200-600mm at 1200mm

Sony 600mm F4 G at 1200mm

Sony 600mm F4 G at 1200mm