Sony SAL500F40G 500mm Super-Zoom Means Business

Sony has a new super-telephoto lens for the size-queens and long-distance spies among you, the Sony SAL500F40G, a 500mm fixed focal length G Lens to add some serious heft to the front of your DSLR. An F.4.0 maximum aperture and weather-resistant body add up to a lens ideal for high-speed photos and video, Sony reckons, as well as delivering SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilisation with the company's Alpha-series cameras.

Inside, Sony has used eleven elements in ten groups, three of which are Extra-low Dispersion glass. The company has also debuted a new Nano AR Coating system which promises to reduce internal reflections by up to 80-percent over earlier models, cutting down on lens flare and ghosting. The carbon-fiber lens hood is also lined with black velvet fibers, so as to absorb incident light.

On the outside, there are interlocking seals front and back to keep out dust and moisture, which Sony says are good enough to keep driving rain from ruining your shot. There's also a new autofocus drive, up to four times as fast as regular Sony lenses for tracking speedy subjects.

A smattering of buttons – including four focus-hold buttons, evenly spaced around the barrel – round out the main features. The 34 cm long lens will go on sale in March, built to order and with pricing on request.