Lens Reviews / Sigma Lenses i Not yet tested

150-600mm	$1,499 average price

Updates:
08/04/2021: Hands-on Review & Gallery Images added

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Hands-on Review

Sigma's new lens offers a lot of zoom and a lot of performance for its price

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 08/04/2021

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 400. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sigma has introduced a new telephoto zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras, the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports. The lens will be available for both E-mount and L-mount mirrorless camera systems. I was fortunate to go hands-on with an E-mount version of new lens ahead of its reveal, and I paired it up alongside an Sony A7R IV camera.

The new lens is a direct competitor to the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD lens that I Field Tested last month. The Sigma lens is also a competitor to the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens available for E-mount. It's a great time to photograph wildlife with E-mount and L-mount mirrorless cameras.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 100. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

You may recall that Sigma has released 150-600mm lenses before. Back in 2015, Sigma unveiled a pair of updated 150-600mm lenses at Photokina. The 150-600mm f/5-6.3 came in two flavors, Sports and Contemporary. The lenses varied in terms of build quality and overall physical design. The new mirrorless lens channels the spirit of the old SLR 'Sports' version, although it features an updated optical design, revised physical design and promises superior performance. This new Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports is 760g (26.8 oz.) lighter than the DSLR version and about 26.6mm (about an inch) shorter. Not only are the optics and design revised, but the autofocus system is redesigned, too.

While the focal length may be familiar, there's a lot that's new with Sigma's latest mirrorless zoom lens. After spending a couple of weeks with the lens, there's also a heck of a lot to like about it.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 267mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 400. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Key Features and Specifications

• Full-frame telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount and L-mount (Leica, Panasonic, Sigma)
• Updated optical design featuring 25 elements in 15 groups, with 4 FLD and 2 ELD elements
• High-speed, accurate autofocus utilizing stepping motor and high-precision magnetic sensor
• Minimum focusing distance of just 58cm (23") at 150mm
• Up to 4 stops of optical image stabilization correction, with 2 selectable OS modes
• Dual action zoom, can rotate or push/pull to change zoom
• Includes removable, rotating tripod food
• Dust- and splash-resistant design
• 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm
• Zoom Torque Switch allows you to change the zooming resistance or lock the lens at 150mm
• L x D: 263.6mm (10.4") x 109.4mm (4.3")
• 2,100g (4.6 lbs.) (L-mount)
• Compatible with Sigma teleconverter (L-Mount only)
• Compatible with Sigma USB dock (L-Mount only)
• $1,500

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 251mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 500. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Lens design and handling

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens has excellent build quality for its price point of $1,500. The lens is built using thermally stable composite (TSC) components, and it feels rugged and well-balanced. The lens is also weather-sealed, offering dust- and splash-resistance, making it well-suited to photography in adverse conditions. The lens has sealing at the mount, manual focus ring, zoom ring and cover connection. The front of the lens is also treated with an oil repellent coating.

Sigma's new 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens for mirrorless cameras is slightly smaller and lighter than the DSLR version, but it is still a pretty large and heavy lens.

The lens is far from small, however. Yes, it is smaller and lighter than its DSLR counterpart, but it's still a large, heavy lens in use. It can be handheld, but it is tiring to hold it for extended periods. When at 150mm and without the detachable lens hood, the lens is just over 260mm (over 10") long. The reversible lens hood adds about 85mm (3.25") to the overall length. If you zoom to 600mm and keep the lens hood, the lens is about 225mm (just under 9") longer. Compared to its minimum length, the lens at 600mm with its hood attached is significantly larger.

The lens shares its style with other recent Sigma lenses. It's a sleek, good-looking lens with a nice black finish and very good build quality.

Concerning weight, the lens is 2,100g (4.6 lbs.) according to the specs for the L-mount version. That's without the hood. Granted, the hood, while high-quality, isn't very heavy. The lens is not oppressively heavy, but it will certainly weigh on you after a while. The lens includes an excellent Arca-Swiss-compatible tripod foot, which helps. I didn't use the lens with a monopod, but it should work well on one. It worked great on a tripod, as the foot is in a good spot. You can also rotate the lens around the foot, and it includes marked soft stops every 90°, which is a fantastic inclusion. The lens also includes strap attachment points if you wanted to use a nice strap on the lens itself rather than carry all that weight around using your camera strap.

The lens hood adds a bit of length to the lens. It's a nice, rugged lens hood with a good screw-on design. It's also reversible, which is nice when packing the lens away into a bag. You could still use the lens with the lens hood reversed, if you so desire, but the zoom ring is partially obscured by the hood when it's reversed.

On the Sony A7R IV, the lens balanced well. However, you can start to feel it wanting to lean a bit forward at 600mm. The zoom ring is in a nice, balanced location towards the front of the lens and is very wide (55mm). The ring has a ridged rubber surface that is easy to grip. The zoom ring is marked at 150, 180, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500 and 600mm. Zooming from 150mm to 600mm is just over 90° of rotation, which is tough to do in a single motion.

The lens is pretty long when you zoom in to 600mm and can feel a bit front-heavy.

However, you can also use the lens as a push/pull zoom. There's a good amount of space between the zoom ring and the end of the lens barrel to hold onto, and the lens flares out a bit near the end, allowing for an easy grip. You can adjust the tightness of the zoom, as well, via a new Zoom Torque Switch on the lens barrel. When set to 'S,' it's very smooth, and you can use the lens as a push/pull zoom with ease. This is a faster way to go from 150mm to 600mm, and some users will prefer this approach. Lens creep will happen at this setting if pointed at the ground, so that's something to keep in mind. There's also a tighter setting and a 'locked' setting to keep the lens at 150mm.

Also on the lens barrel are switches for focus mode (AF versus MF), focus range (full, 10m to infinity, less than 10m), image stabilization (OS; mode 1, 2, and off) and a custom switch. Speaking of focus, the focus ring is about the width of my thumb and has the same great grippy ridged surface as the zoom ring. There are also three customizable AF-L buttons on the lens barrel between the focus and zoom rings.

Overall, there's a lot to like about the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens's design. The lens is well-built and offers numerous bells and whistles. While large and heavy, which is to be expected for a 150-600mm full-frame telephoto lens, the lens is enjoyable to use.

Image quality: Pretty good image quality in most situations

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens has an updated design compared to Sigma's prior DSLR version. In total, the new lens has 25 elements in 15 groups, including 4 FLD and 2 ELD lens elements.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 432mm, f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 1600. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The result is pretty good image quality overall. At parts of the zoom range, the lens performs well at its maximum aperture. The lens's performance falters a bit at 600mm, as we'll see. Control of aberrations is generally good, too, although vignette is an issue.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 1600. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

All the crops seen below are 100 percent crops from raw image files converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings and built-in lens correction profiles enabled. I have selected specific images to show, but you can download the full-size raw files for each test scene and aperture in the Gallery.

150mm

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/5, 1/800s, ISO 100. Full test scene at 150mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Looking at the lens at 150mm, what jumps out most is that the lens exhibits a fair bit of vignette at 150mm. This is typical of a lens like the Sigma 150-600mm and is easily corrected in post-processing. Stopping down also helps.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/5, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 150mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In terms of sharpness, the lens is sharp in the center of the frame at f/5.0, its maximum aperture at 150mm. The image quality is okay in the corner of the frame, but there's clear softness here in the full-frame image area. In the crop below, focus more on the bricks than the leaves, which are on a tree that is not quite in the focal plane.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/5, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100% top right corner crop at 150mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Stopping down to f/5.6 doesn't noticeably change image quality but stopping down to f/8 leads to a noticeable improvement in a couple of areas. While maximum sharpness doesn't change much in the center of the frame, corner sharpness improves noticeably. Further, the vignette is reduced a lot. If you're using the Sigma 150-600mm for landscapes or other scenes where you want the entire image to be consistent, stopping down to f/8 or f/11 is likely a good idea at 150mm (although, as we'll see, it also leads to noticeable gains in image quality in these two areas across the entire focal length range.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 150mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% top right corner crop at 150mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

300mm

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. Full test scene at 300mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 300mm (297mm, to be exact), the vignette isn't quite as significant as it is at 150mm. Center sharpness at f/5.6 is decent. The image also has pretty good color and contrast. Some slight false color is visible around very high-contrast edges, although that gets a bit more noticeable at 600mm, as we'll see shortly. Corners are slightly soft wide open, but the corner performance is improved compared to 150mm.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 300mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% bottom left corner crop at 300mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Stopping down to f/8 results in a noticeable improvement to sharpness in the center of the frame, especially in the corner. Stopping down further to f/11 doesn't have a big impact.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 300mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 300mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 300mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% bottom left corner crop at 300mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

600mm

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 100. Full test scene at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 600mm, image quality takes a bit of a hit. When shooting wide open at f/6.3, center sharpness isn't great to my eyes. There's a bit of softness across the frame. In the corner, there's a noticeable vignette and some general softness.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The story generally remains the same at f/8, although there's a bit better detail and contrast than at f/6.3 across the frame.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/8, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/8, 1/400s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/11, image quality changes quite significantly. Details get improved further, and the vignette is reduced. While the corners are still not super sharp, they're considerably better than they are at f/6.3.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% center crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 100. 100% bottom right corner crop at 600mm. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Of course, at f/11, the lens is not super adept at wildlife or sports photography situations. That's a slow aperture. Now, while the Sigma 150-600mm lens doesn't excel at 600mm in a test scene, how does it do in the real world when viewing images in typical ways? Pretty good. The lens is just softer at 600mm than at shorter focal lengths, but it doesn't have as dramatic of an impact in actual shooting as it does when pixel peeping.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250s, ISO 1000. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Something a bit more noticeable than slight softness in real-world situations is slight false color and fringing. At some focal lengths, but especially at 600mm, high-contrast edges can produce a bit of purple fringing. It's not bad, but it's worth pointing out.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 800. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 800. 100% crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Image quality summary

Overall, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens produces good image quality. The lens performs well at much of its focal length range in terms of sharpness, although it leaves a bit to be desired at its extreme focal lengths. The lens performs best between about 200-500mm and when stopping down slightly, but the lens can produce high-quality images across a wide range of situations and conditions.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 640. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the field: Strong autofocus and good performance drives impressive overall experience

Autofocus

The Sigma 150-600mm DG DN OS Sports lens incorporates a redesigned autofocus system, featuring a stepping motor and a high-precision magnetic sensor. In use, the lens's autofocus proved to be pretty quick and generally accurate.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 4000. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Focusing speeds did decrease slightly at very close distances and when at the extreme telephoto end of the focal length range. When shooting moving subjects, the lens made small adjustments quite reliably. When focusing on a subject's eye, there were some instances that focus seemed to be just a bit behind or in front of the desired focus plane, but these near misses didn't occur often and generally happened at 600mm in low light.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 346mm, f/5.6, 1/2500s, ISO 1250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Speaking of close focus, the lens can focus to 58cm (23") at 150mm, which is fairly close. It's not a macro lens, but it can still do a reasonable job at photographing large insects, flowers, and other subjects one might typically use a macro lens to shoot. It's a nice bit of added versatility.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 256mm, f/5.6, 1/1250s, ISO 800. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/8, 1/160s, ISO 500. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 150mm, f/8, 1/160s, ISO 500. 100% crop. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Overall, autofocus performance is pretty good. The lens isn't lightning fast, especially at longer focal lengths, but it's plenty fast for many situations.

In the Field: Versatility and value are a strong suit of the Sigma 150-600mm

In the field, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS lens is enjoyable to use. It is a very versatile lens for wildlife and nature photography. The 150-600mm focal length range works well for many wildlife subjects. And, if you're using an APS-C camera, the 225-900mm range is a good one for wildlife photography.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 500. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The optical image stabilization system works well, too. At 600mm, the viewfinder image is stable when half-pressing the shutter in the lens's default OS mode. When shooting, the OS works well. It's a heavy lens, though, so I still try to avoid very short shutter speeds, which don't work well for most moving subjects anyways.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 334mm, f/5.6, 1/640s, ISO 3200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Concerning bokeh, the nine-bladed circular aperture diaphragm does a good job of producing mostly smooth bokeh. It's not the cleanest bokeh, but it's still quite good, especially if you are shooting at a long focal length at a nearby subject. In most situations, the f/5-6.3 aperture range doesn't provide great subject separation, and if your subject is near your background, the background can still be distracting. That said, in ideal situations, the bokeh is nice.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 388mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 3200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 411mm, f/6.3, 1/1250s, ISO 1250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The Sigma 150-600mm is well-suited to a good variety of photography. You can use it for wildlife -- as you can tell from the majority of my photos here -- as well as daytime sports, nature, and even landscapes. I suppose you could also capture portraits, although the aperture may not be perfect for it.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 1600. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Considering overall image quality and performance, Sigma's new lens is a particularly great choice for wildlife photographers on a budget. At $1,500, the lens offers a lot of value. Then again, Tamron's recent 150-500mm lens does, too. The Sigma has a bit more reach, whereas the Tamron lens has a slower maximum aperture at 500mm but is also lighter and more compact. They're similar, although slightly different lenses. They're also both impressive lenses. Sigma's new lens offers good optical performance, strong autofocus and a lot of versatility.

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Field Test Summary

Versatility and value are strong suits of Sigma's new telephoto zoom

What I like most about the lens:

• Good build quality
• Optional push/pull zooming design
• Strong performance across much of the zoom range
• Good autofocus
• Versatile lens for wildlife

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 2000. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I dislike about the lens:

• Although smaller and lighter than its DSLR counterpart, it's still a large and heavy lens
• Pretty soft at 600mm
• A lot of vignette

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 308mm, f/5.6, 1/640s, ISO 400. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens is good for E-mount and L-mount photographers. For E-mount users, there are quite a few options out there, including competing lenses from both Sony and Tamron. You could also adapt Sigma's older 150-600mm DSLR lens to E-mount if you wanted. With that said, the blend of strong performance, good autofocus and a palatable price point make Sigma's new telephoto zoom a good choice for Sony shooters. For L-mount users, there are fewer alternatives, making Sigma's new lens a relatively more attractive option. In either case, it's a good lens with many strong points.

Shot on Sony A7R IV at 267mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 1250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

• • •

 

(From Sigma lens literature) Designed for hard-working professional and enthusiast photographers, the new 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports is SIGMA's first ultra-telephoto zoom lens engineered specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras, bringing exceptional imaging performance, thoughtful practicality and remarkable build quality to E-mount and L-mount camera systems.

Key Features:

• Exceptional optical performance, with more compact size and lighter weight compared to conventional model.
• Updated optical design featuring 25 elements in 15 groups, with 4 FLD and 2 ELD elements.
• Exceptional sharpness and minimized aberrations and throughout the zoom range.
• Up to 4 stops of optical image stabilization correction, with 2 selectable OS modes.
• Custom OS modes (L-mount version allows adjustment of custom OS using UD-11 USB Dock).
• Minimum focusing distance of just 23 inches at 150mm, increasing the versatility of the lens.
• 9-blade rounded diaphragm for smooth, natural-looking bokeh.
• High-speed, accurate autofocus utilizing stepping motor and high-precision magnetic sensor.
• Superb build quality with both aluminum and Thermally Stable Composite components, contributing to its durability, lightness, and operational feel.
• Dust and splash-proof structure with a water and oil repellent front coating. Sealing is incorporated at the mount connection, manual focus ring, zoom ring, and cover connection.
• Dual Action zoom supporting both zoom ring operation and "push/pull" zoom capability.
• New Zoom Torque Switch allows user to select zoom resistance and lock the lens securely.
• Additional on lens-controls include OS Mode switch, Custom switch, Focus Limiter, and 3 customizable AFL buttons.
• Includes heavy-duty Tripod Socket (TS-121) with removable / replaceable foot.
• Includes large cover-type hood (LH1034-01) to help reduce flare and protect the front element.
• Compatible with SIGMA TELE CONVERTER TC-1411 / TC-2011 (sold separately / L-Mount only)
• Compatible with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (sold separately / L-Mount only)
• Compatible with SIGMA TRIPOD SOCKET TS-81 (Replaceable lens foot type / sold separately)
• Filter Size: 95mm
• Dimensions (Max. Diameter x Length) (L-mount): 4.3 x 10.4 in. (109.4mm x 263.6mm)
• Weight (L-mount): 4.6 lbs. (2,100g)
• Made in Japan and tested using SIGMA's proprietary "A1" MTF measuring system.

Pricing & Availability

The SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports lens is expected to be available in the U.S. at SIGMA Authorized Dealers in late August 2021 for a retail price of $1,499.