Is the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens for Sony E Mount worth your money? We practice.
Remember when Sigma released “Bigma” in 2001? The Bigma, or Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM, has dominated the amateur and semi-professional markets. 22 years later, in the age of mirrorless cameras and high-end optical lenses, the next Bigma has arrived. Welcome to the new Sigma 60-600mm for Sony E. Is it worth your money? Read to find out.
With mirrorless cameras growing in popularity, new lenses are slowly being developed to match their DSLR predecessors. This is an exciting time to take pictures. As technology evolves, we reap the benefits of better features, optics, and tools tailored to our needs. With a market poised for more focal lengths, it’s only a matter of time until the big guy of them all, the iconic Bigma, steps out in all its glory to claim the throne. mirrorless. Yes, it finally happened. Sigma released Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS . Sports Lens for SonyE.
Take a look at the specs and features, then I’ll share with you my experience in the field with the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports.
main function
- f/4.5-6.3 to f/22-32
- HLA Linear Focus Motor
- Dual action zoom system
- OS Image Stabilization
- SLD and FLD . glass components
- Brass bayonet holder and Arca style legs
- Round 9-leaf diaphragm
The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS sports lens for Sony E lenses, packed with features in a portable package. Let’s break down what all of this means to you.
If you shoot on a full-frame mirrorless camera, you’ll get a 60-600mm reach. However, you can also use this feature on APS-C cameras for an impressive 90-900mm equivalent focal length range. Whether you want to create a wide environmental portrait or zoom in on the action, you can do it all with this one lens. The focus motor is a new design called High Response Linear Actuator. This design greatly increases focusing speed and accuracy while reducing motor noise. This is great news for wildlife photographers. Even better news is a brand new optical stabilization algorithm called OS2. This enables a 7-stop improvement in image stabilization at the wide end and 6 stops at the telephoto end. We like a lens that we can hold in our hands to freely capture all that action.
Speaking of handheld capabilities, the weight of the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens is 88 oz / 2.5 kg. That’s 5.5 lbs in a zoom lens that can handle any focal length between 60mm and 600mm. Most 600mm prime lenses are only about 7 lbs light, and while you get the benefits of aperture, you’re still stuck at 600mm. As a wildlife photographer, the freedom to zoom is very important. I regularly take shots that I might have missed if I needed to swap lenses or even get a second body with a wider lens. The action is fast, and holding the zoom lens in hand is a chef’s kiss in the field. Plus, with a minimum focusing distance of 13.8′ / 4.2 m, you can really be ready for action.
Aside from the more obvious improvements, there’s a lot going on inside the lens to appreciate. The upgraded glass inside is pretty cool. Three Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and two Low Dispersion (FLD) F elements are available. To minimize flare and ghosting, the glass has a Super Spectra Coating and an Air Sphere Coating. All of this is encased in a multi-material construction that is resistant to dust and water.
So in theory, the lens sounds great. Want to see how it performs in the field? Well, before the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports was announced, I had a secret mission to test and review it for all of you. I took this lens on one of my wild camping trips through blizzards and across three states. I’ve used this lens to shoot everything from landscapes to wildlife, and if you know me, you can probably guess one of the subjects. Yes, I took it to see the iconic wild horses of the American Southwest.
Let’s start all over again. In my personal kit I use my very old Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM Lens for Canon EOS with Sigma MC-11 . Lens Adapter/Mount Adapter on my Sony a7R IV. Except when I was testing the equipment, almost every wildlife photo in my portfolio was taken with the Sigma 50-500mm. This often surprises people when they comment on my photos to ask what device I use. Although my lens has had better days, it has lasted a lifetime of adventure. So, when it comes to testing the Sigma 60-600mm, this is my baseline of what I use, as well as having tested multiple Sony E-mount telephoto lenses in a row.
The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS sports lens feels comfortable to use as a telephoto zoom user. It’s about the same weight as my 4.34 lbs Sigma 50-500mm with the 0.705 lbs adapter needed to use it on a Sony E mount body. The balance feels good to me. Most importantly, with the compact size of the compact zoom lens, you don’t need an extra bag. The lens and camera body easily fit in all the standard center compartments of my camera backpack.
For even more money, the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports comes with a nice zippered carrying case if you want a separate pocket for it along with a hood. Velcro top and tripod strap. It also includes a tripod which I find a bit small. This is because, as mentioned, I like to hold my lens in my hand. By comparison, my original Sigma 50-500mm has a much longer tripod that is so ideal for hand-holding that it even has dents in your fingers. This may not matter to you if you are shooting on a monopod or tripod. There are also optional tripods to add, such as Sigma TS-101 . Tripod. I just really like the old design tripod.
The big difference is the 100mm increased reach, faster autofocus and upgraded optical stabilization, all of which is a trio of innovations for wildlife photography: longer reach, faster speed. Faster speed and better handheld/low-light performance.
Those three improvements are what I tested by photographing birds in flight, deer in a white blizzard, detailed low-light landscapes and my beloved wild horses. With every hair in his mane rendered in great detail, each wing frozen in flight, and the soft light of dawn over the snowy landscape captured perfectly, the quality of this lens is impressive. image with me.
One aspect to keep in mind is that, as you all know as photographers, many spectators look at a photograph and admire the subject. However, I’m sure you can all see the conditions I’m in in the subject’s environment. When taking photos during a complete blizzard, both me and the device were completely covered in snow. This is where water resistance and special lens coatings come into play. In dense outdoors, the lens does not fog up or retain water due to melting snow. After the winter lessons, I lovingly dry the remaining drops of water, like one does with my precious gear and put it back in my backpack, and it’s ready for adventure. next save.
With all these improvements and a large focal range, this is easily a lens that I will add to my toolkit and can also recommend to all of you. It’s just a huge step up and never lets me down, no matter what I’m photographing in any weather or light. If you want to see more details about Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens for Sony E or add to your cart, check here.
