The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM for DSLRs was a massive success for Sigma. Many photographers have asked repeatedly for a new Sigma 150-600mm DG DN (mirrorless) version of this legendary lens. Well, Sigma has delivered.
I’ve had my hands on the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport for the last few weeks. Now, I’m ready to share my thoughts and feelings on this lens that’s aiming to be the go-to option for wildlife and sports photographers who use L mount alliance and/or Sony E mount cameras.
Pros
- Sharp through the entire zoom range
- Fantastic twist and push-pull zoom design
- Fast and accurate when autofocusing
- Solid construction
- Weather sealing
- Can be used with Sigma’s teleconverters
- Plenty of customizable buttons
- Excellent price point
Cons
- It weighs 4.63 pounds!
- Some pincushion distortion
- The lens torque switch, on my review copy at least, was tempremental
- The colors it renders are a tad too much on the warm side
Sigma 150-600mm DG DN — Technical specifications
All of the technical specifications listed here have been taken from the official Sigma website:
- 25 elements/15 groups
- 9 rounded diaphragm blades
- Angle of view: 16.4°–4.1°
- Min focus distance: 58–280cm / 22.8–110.2in
- Filter size: φ95mm
- Dimensions: 109.4mm × 263.6mm / 4.3in. x 10.4in
- Weight: 2,100g / 4.63lbs. (tripod socket included)
- Stepping autofocus motor
- Dust and splash resistant structure
- Image stabilization
Sigma 150-600mm DG DN — Handling and build quality
The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is enormous. Still, this is to be expected. There are a lot of large elements in this lens. There’s a ton of weather sealing, too. I was caught out in a full-on thunderstorm and the lens kept working. When retracted, the lens measures 13 inches long with the lens hood, and just under 17 inches when the barrel is fully extended.
However, having said that, this 4.63 pound lens is easy to hold and use. I never felt uncomfortable or burdened by this lens. Paired with my Panasonic Lumix S5, I was able to walk around for hours without issues. The lens is made from a mixture of composite plastics and metal, and it feels solid.
Up top, you’ll find a 95mm front element with a tapered zoom ring behind it. Behind the zoom ring, you’ll find three custom function buttons and the torque mode switch. Next, you’ll come across the manual focus ring, the Arca Swiss compatible tripod collar and some mode switches. There’s are switches for auto/manual focus, focus limiting, image stabilization and custom modes.
Everything about this lens feels rock solid. However, I do want to note that my review copy had a torque mode switch that was temperamental. At times, I had to really force the switch into position. All of the other switches functioned normally. Still, this is just a sample variation. Our Managing Editor did not encounter this problem on a different copy of the lens.
Sigma 150-600mm DG DN — In the field
The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is easy to use. Once you get used to the size and weight, you’ll quickly produce jaw-dropping images. The myriad of controls on the lens will allow you to set it up to work with your shooting style.
One of the best features is the torque switch. This control lets you switch between normal twist zooming, and a push/pull mode. I found myself leaving the lens in push/pull mode as it was just effortless to zoom in and out on fast-moving subjects. Just note that this will introduce lens creep. You can lock the lens at 150mm, though for when you’re traveling.
The image stabilization works like a charm. You have the normal modes here. Mode I corrects for all movements. Mode II compensates for panning shots. Stabilization works so well that I was able to handhold at 600mm at just 1/100s. I could even handhold and get sharp images while using the 2x teleconverter at 1200mm! Overall, the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is a delight to use.
Sigma 150-600mm DG DN — Autofocus performance
The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN OS Sports lens is powered by stepping motors that are fast and silent. I have used the lens on days with bright sunshine, during late evenings and on gray, gloomy rain-filled days. The 150-600mm DG DN Sport has performed like a champ in all scenarios.
The 150-600mm acquires focus and locks on quickly when using a single focus point. The lens is also rapid when using continuous autofocus and tracking modes. I was able to track riders zooming around a motocross track, dogs running, and birds flying. If you’re a sports or wildlife photographer I can tell you that you’ll have no issues capturing the subjects that interest you.
However, when you use the 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters things do change a little. This is to be expected, though. You’ll notice that the lens hunts quite a bit, but when it does acquire focus, it’s sticky. On bright sunny days, the lens with the teleconverter performed well, during low light, you’ll feel the impact of the teleconverters a little more.
Sigma 150-600mm DG DN — Characteristics
The Sigma 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports is a fantastic lens optically. The images you produce with this lens will constantly wow you. Here, we’ll break down the lens a little more so that we can talk about flares, ghosting, sharpness, bokeh and more.
Flares, chromatic aberration and barrel distortion
Sigma has worked some magic with the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport. Even when shooting directly into the sun, flaring and ghosting were at levels of minimal to none. The lens holds on to contrast incredibly well too. When shooting in high contrast situations there’s no need to worry about chromatic aberrations or fringing either.
There is a little bit of pincushion distortion throughout the entire zoom range. It’s not too bad and can easily be easily corrected during post. When it comes to vignetting, this is another area where the lens excels. I have not seen any at any focal length.
Sharpness
I don’t believe I have ever used a super-telephoto lens that’s as sharp as the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports. The levels of sharpness are off the charts. Sharpness doesn’t even fall off at 600mm, which happens with many zoom lenses.
The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is seriously impressive from wide-open at f/5 down to roughly f/14, which is when you’ll start to see the effects of diffraction creep in. Images even remain sharp when the lens is used with either the 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverters as well. You’ll be amazed at how sharp this lens is.
Bokeh
The bokeh you’ll produce will range from a little messy to smooth and ultra-creamy. At the long end, you’ll get buttery smooth backgrounds which will really help make your main subject pop out of the image. At the shorter end, the bokeh, at times, can be a little messy depending on your background. Overall, I don’t think many will be disappointed with the quality of bokeh.
Color rendition
Overall, the colors produced are quite pleasing. However, the colors can lean quite heavily on the warm side of things. Still, colors can always be fixed during post, so it’s not the end of the world. Still, it is something that is definitely worth noting, especially if you shoot a lot of JPEGs.
The Sigma150-600mm DG DN Compared to the Sigma 100-400mm DG DN Contemporary
I’ve had many people ask me which lens they should buy. The Sigma150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport, or the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN C. The truth is, both lenses are great in their own ways.
If you’re a professional sports or wildlife photographer who needs/wants premium optics, and a rugged, fully weather-sealed lens, the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is the obvious choice. Yes, this lens is larger and much heavier, but it focuses as fast as the Sigma 100-400mm DG DN, which is impressive. The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN is also a lot sharper than the Sigma 100-400mm DG DN Contemporary.
The Sigma 100-400mm DG DN is plenty sharp, it’s fast to focus, and produces pleasing images. If you’re a casual photographer who enjoys birding/wildlife, and sports photography, 100-400mm DG DN will be more than enough lens for you. It too can use the Sigma teleconverters. Still, If you really like to get out in the elements and need the extra performance, grab the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN OS Sport. Alternatively, you can check out our review of the Tamron 100-500mm f/5-6.7.
Sigma 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport
The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport is a super-telephoto lens that has been designed from the ground up for L mount and Sony E mount cameras. Designed with professional sports and wildlife photographers, the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN features stunning optics, rapid autofocus motors, weather sealing, and a ton of controls that will help you tailor the lens to your shooting style.
I really wish that Sigma would release these with a Micro Four Thirds mount. I don’t think they realize how valuable lenses like this would be paired with an E-M1X. Of course I’d also like to see the 120-300 f/2.8 in a MFT mount :)
Hey, Robert
Thanks for the comment. I agree. I would love to see some of Sigma’s tele and super-telephoto lenses make their way over the to the M4/3s platform. Not that there aren’t already some fantastic options from Panasonic and Olympus, but because competition is always good. Who knows, maybe in the future we will be surprised.
All the best,
Brett
If you have an E-M1X, the new Olympus 100-400 f/5.0-6.3 seems like an ideal reasonably-priced option at the moment. It takes the 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, too!
That’s a great lens too, I own that one. Works very well with the teleconverters. Weather sealing is fantastic too. Having the Sigma 150-600 on M4/3 and being able to reach 1200mm equivalent without a TC would be great, though.
Hi Brett,
The shot looks amazing, great shots taken with the camera
Hi, Anil
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. The Lumix S5 and the Sigma 150-600 DG DN make a great combo! I’ll definitely be buying this lens.
All the best,
Brett
On the Sony a9 I am not getting sharp images at all. It struggles to maintain focus when shooting AFC and when shooting at 600mm, the subject is NEVER sharp. I am completely disappointed with this lens. Also, anything above F6, it won’t focus.
Hey, Nancy
Well, that doesn’t sound like normal behavior at all. It’s possible that you got a bad copy of the lens. This doesn’t happen very often, but it can. I would suggest trying it on another Sony camera if possible to see if you can replicate the behavior. Also, check to see if your camera is updated to the latest firmware. If the issue persists on another camera, I would then suggest maybe taking the lens back to the store where you purchased it to get another copy.
I got a copy of this lens attached with a not so pricy UV filter, the UV filter affected the image quality a lot, ” a lot” means its influence on the image quality is not something you can just ignore.
maybe you can try to shoot some pics without the filter on.
These images look amazing, Brett! After reading your review on this Sigma lens with the S5, I’m finally convinced that a move to full frame from my MFT Lumix G9 is definitely overdue.
Brett, do you mind sharing your settings for autofocus. MY first go around with the lens (on a rental) I struggled to get autofocus to work fast. For example, what are you using for BIF and motorsports? Thanks!