Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM S £1500, $2000

The latest addition to Sigma’s upmarket ‘Sport’ line of lenses is rich in features and sophistication

This is the first of two new Sigma 150-600mm lenses. The ‘S’ in this one’s name tells you it’s a ‘Sport’ lens, a more upmarket and sophisticated option than the company’s ‘C’-labelled ‘Contemporary’ 150600mm offering. Indeed, it’s weather-sealed with a dust- and splash-proof design that extends to a water-repellent coating on the front and rear elements.

There’s a new and uprated optical stabiliser, plus plenty of switches to play with. These include dual-mode stabilisation, a focus-range limiter switch and custom modes that can be set up via the optional USB dock. The AF/MF focus switch adds an additional ‘Manual Override’ mode that works in continuous as well as single autofocus, and the zoom lock switch can be engaged at any zoom setting. Like the Sigma 150-500mm this lens has three SLD elements, but it features two top-grade FLD (Fluorite Low Dispersion) elements as well. Overall, it’s more high-tech than the Tamron 150-600mm, but is larger and nearly a kilo heavier, at 2.86kg.

Performance

Stabilisation works well, equivalent to about 3.5 stops in our tests, in both static and panning modes. Sharpness dips a little at the long end but less so than with the competing Tamron 150-600mm lens.