Sigma 60-600mm
£1,899 / $1,999 It’s the new, bigger ‘Bigma’
An enormous reach in a single lens: too good to be true?
Nicknamed the ‘Bigma’, Sigma’s original 50-500mm super-telephoto lens was launched back in 2001, updated in 2006, and revamped in 2010 with the welcome addition of optical stabilisation. It was renowned for being a big, heavy lens – but the new 60-600mm Sport is noticeably larger and nearly
40 per cent weightier, at 2,700g. That’s almost as hefty as the Sigma 160-600mm Sport lens.
Like the preceding 50-500mm lenses, the new edition has a massive 10x zoom range. Its main selling point is that you can shoot at any focal length from standard to super-telephoto, at the flick of a wrist, without needing to swap the lens on your camera. It’s ideal when you need to react quickly to shifting shooting opportunities, especially in action sports and wildlife scenarios.
Beyond its upsized focal length, the new lens represents a major redesign. As a ‘Sport’ lens, it’s built for speed, with an upgraded ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system. The optical stabiliser has an improved panning mode, which now works in portrait and even diagonal orientations, instead of just landscape orientation.
The complex optical path is based on 25 elements and includes three top-calibre FLD (Fluorite-grade Low Dispersion) elements and one SLD (Special Low Dispersion) element. Fluorine coatings are applied to the front and rear elements, to repel oil and water. Build quality feels sturdy, and extensive weather-seals are fitted.
Performance
Autofocus is very quick and effective, with only occasional hunting when trying to acquire particularly tricky targets. The image stabiliser is highly effective for both static and panning shots. Contrast and sharpness are impressive at all zoom settings, particularly when shooting wide-open.