Not too way back, Sigma despatched me their new SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities lens to check. I discovered this lens attention-grabbing for a few causes, 1. that is the world’s first and solely mirrorless 10x ultra-telephoto zoom, and a pair of. 60-600mm is an excellent lengthy vary for any lens, and I simply needed to give this lens a attempt. I examined this lens for video use and as a birding images lens. After my first makes an attempt at capturing some first rate fowl images, I want to offer a shout-out of mad respect to those that seize dynamic fowl images effectively.
First, The SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities was designed to be the important lens for journey, out of doors sports activities, wildlife, and safari that may cowl all of it from normal to ultra-tele with out ever swapping lenses. Although the lens could also be bodily larger than most lenses in my digicam equipment, the additional dimension was effectively price it. You can’t argue towards having a lens that may go all the best way to 600mm. I really like the attain of a great lengthy lens. 
600mm is the form of focal size that wants a powerful optical stabilizer, or you will notice each single bounce within the tripod within the video. A small vibration may cause an enormous bounce at 600mm in case you don’t have a great stabilizer, your footage will undergo. Lord is aware of how usually I stood on a Press riser taking pictures an occasion solely to have somebody attempting to stroll concerning the riser, inflicting each video shooter to bounce that dreaded picture.
The SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities gives a powerful six stops of Optical Stabilization on the telephoto finish and 7 stops at the usual finish. The in-lens stabilizer is sufficient to counteract any bounce or vibration at 600mm. The OS is effectively thought out and good for the SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities lens.
The stabilizer operate employs SIGMA’s newly developed algorithm “OS2”. The brand new algorithm considerably improves picture stabilization efficiency, with seven stops on the huge finish and 6 stops on the telephoto finish.
The 60-600mm has two OS modes: Mode 1 is appropriate for common taking pictures, and Mode 2 is finest for quick panning photographs. In Mode 2, an acceleration sensor mixed with SIGMA’s Clever OS, an algorithm specifically designed for panning photographs, allow efficient picture stabilization even when the digicam is moved vertically or diagonally, whatever the horizontal and vertical orientation of the lens. Because of this the motion of the topic will be expressed with out shedding the impact of panning photographs.
Any lens with any form of attain, just like the SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities, will likely be fairly beefy. Make no mistake, the SIGMA 60-600mm is a giant lens. Is the lens an excessive amount of for some smaller shooters? To reply this query, we have to break the reply into two components: video and images.
As a video shooter, the SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities lens is huge however has a lot happening for video shooters like myself. There are numerous conditions after I want an ultra-telephoto lens to offer me a good medium or mid-shoot. Nonetheless, these conditions have my digicam and lens on a fluid-head tripod meant for video. Solely in some instances would I even try to shoot with out a tripod, and even then, I’m more likely to assume, “Simply get the tripod; it’ll be higher.” For video, this lens ought to largely be used with a tripod. The load and size of the lens lend themselves to tripod work over hand-held taking pictures.
As a photographer, I discovered utilizing a tripod to be too limiting to seize what I wished to seize and achieve this shortly. In all seriousness, birds transfer in a short time, and a tripod, even a video tripod, made it more durable for images. Hand-held was the best way to check Sigma’s optical stabilizer on the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities lens. At 60mm, the lens is at its shortest, and at 600mm, it almost extends to twice the size. Whereas the 60-600mm is lengthy, it may be used hand-held if you should transfer shortly. I’ll say the 60-600mm will really feel fairly heavy after a short time. Finally you might find yourself on a tripod as a result of weight of the Sigma lens.
How concerning the focus? A lens this lengthy form of makes me anticipate it can have a reasonably killer auto-focus system. I imply, you make a lens for sports activities and wildlife to have attain and an excellent quick AF, proper? In any other case, what’s the level? Within the case of the 60-600mm Sigma designed the HLA (Excessive-response Linear Actuator) focusing motor to ship quick and exact autofocusing. This high-output linear motor and superior digital management understand a quiet autofocus with unparalleled excessive velocity and excessive precision. The brand new motor additionally allows excessive focus-following efficiency, making certain that the decisive second just isn’t missed in sports activities images and every other state of affairs the place the themes are in movement.
I discovered the autofocus to be quick and really quiet. The autofocus is quick sufficient for me to not be a horrible fowl photographer, and, actually, is that not the rationale for quick autofocus. Make me higher AF. Make me higher.
SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities Optics
It’s all concerning the optics. Within the case of the 60-60mm SIGMA employed the newest optical design to successfully right chromatic aberrations that are inclined to happen within the ultra-telephoto vary utilizing a wide range of high-quality supplies, together with FLD and SLD glass parts. The lens is able to capturing each second with uncompromising excessive picture high quality within the distinctive focal size vary of 60-600mm. Sharpness abounds with the Sigma 60-600mm.
The minimal focusing distance is 45cm on the huge finish, and on the focal size of 200mm, the lens gives a most magnification ratio of 1:2.4, permitting customers to additionally benefit from the lens as a telephoto macro lens, including to its general versatility.
Value and Availability
The SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports activities will likely be supplied for $1,999 by way of licensed SIGMA America retailers, and will likely be accessible starting mid-February, 2023.
Sigma 60-600mm Options:
- Lens development: 27 parts in 19 teams (2 FLD and three SLD)
- OS (Optical Stabilizer) operate
- Internal focus system
- Appropriate with high-speed autofocus
- HLA (Excessive-response Linear Actuator)
- Appropriate with Lens Aberration Correction
- * Perform accessible on supported cameras solely. Out there corrections and auto correction performance might range relying on the digicam mannequin.
- * On cameras the place lens aberration correction is managed with ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ within the digicam menu, please set all aberration correction capabilities to ‘ON’ (AUTO).
- Assist for DMF, AF + MF
- Appropriate with AF help (Sony E-mount solely)
- Tremendous Multi-Layer Coating
- Water and Oil Repellent Coating (entrance ingredient)
- AFL button
- * Solely on appropriate cameras. Out there capabilities might range relying on the digicam used.
- Focus Limiter swap
- Focus Mode swap
- OS swap
- Customized Mode swap
- Zoom Lock swap
- Mud and Splash Resistant Construction
- Hood (LH1144-02)
- Tripod Socket TS-121 (replaceable lens foot kind)
- Appropriate with SIGMA TELE CONVERTER TC-1411 / TC-2011 (offered individually / for L-Mount solely)
- Appropriate with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (offered individually / for L-Mount solely)
- Designed to reduce flare and ghosting
- Each single lens undergoes SIGMA’s proprietary MTF measuring system
- 9-blade rounded diaphragm
- Excessive-precision, sturdy brass bayonet mount
- “Made in Japan” craftsmanship
