100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporaryvs A6100

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020) Starting from £749 new Best for Wildlife & sports photography on a budget View 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary
VS
Sony A6100 Sony A6100 (2019) Starting from £549 new Best for Beginner, family, travel View A6100

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

Wildlife & Sports Photography On A Budget — 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020): The best-value telephoto zoom for Sony FE — 400mm reach, OS, and weather sealing for under £800. Punches well above its price at every focal length.

Beginner, Family, Travel — A6100 (2019): Best autofocus in its class for the price.

↓ Full specifications below

Who should buy what

A6100 (2019)

  • First-time mirrorless buyers who want solid AF
  • Families stepping up from a smartphone

Quick take: The a6100 is the most affordable; only the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 dg dn os contemporary is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary (2020)A6100 (2019)
Price £749 £549
Sensor f/5-6.3 (variable max aperture) APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution — 24.2MP
Video 160cm minimum focus distance 4K 30fps
Autofocus HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) — fast and near-silent for a telephoto zoom 425-point phase-detect, real-time tracking
Stabilisation 4-stop OS (Optical Stabiliser) None
Burst Rate N/A 11fps
Battery Life N/A 420 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1140g 396g (body only)
Dimensions 86.4mm diameter × 199.2mm length 119.9 × 66.9 × 59.4mm
Weather Sealed Yes No
Viewfinder N/A EVF 0.39" 1.44M-dot
Screen N/A 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k-dot
Mount Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) Sony E-Mount
Memory Cards N/A SD UHS-I / Memory Stick
Connectivity N/A Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, Micro USB, Micro HDMI

Suitability by genre

Genre 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS ContemporaryA6100
Wildlife
9.0
—
Sports & Action
7.0
7.0
Landscape
7.0
—
Portrait —
7.0
Street —
7.0
Travel —
8.0
Casual —
9.0
Vlogging & Video —
8.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary prices → A6100 prices →

More comparisons with 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary

Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A1 → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A1 II → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A6400 → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A6600 → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A6700 → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A7C → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A7C II → Compare 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary vs A7CR →

Camera family history

Series Sony A6000 Series — every generation →