Sigma 150-600

PapaST

Senior Member
Very interesting. I wonder what that lens feels like handheld at 2lbs heavier than the Tamzooka. I've gotten used to hefting the Tamzooka around (having been used to the older Sigma 150-500). I wonder if 2 more lbs is really significant or something you can get used to. I love this competition, it benefits us the consumer.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Very interesting. I wonder what that lens feels like handheld at 2lbs heavier than the Tamzooka. I've gotten used to hefting the Tamzooka around (having been used to the older Sigma 150-500). I wonder if 2 more lbs is really significant or something you can get used to. I love this competition, it benefits us the consumer.

If i ignored the price :D i dont think i could ignore the nearly 1/3 rd heavier no matter how good it may be and sounds to have some benefits,if its too heavy for you then its no good.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
My brother, a Sigma head, pinged me with this yesterday. At first I was rather dismissive, but the more I read the more I understand it. The weight is a concern until you consider this - this lens is targeted at pros, and pros don't shoot sports handheld. Period. Really - how often do you see guys lugging 300mm f2.8's around on their shoulders on the sidelines of games? These things are anchored to a monopod, and you know what, they should be. 600mm on a 24MP DX sensor is going to require you to shoot at about 1/1250s to get a really sharp photo, and faster if you're doing it handheld. How often is that going to happen?

Here's what I hate about this lens.
1. The cost.
2. The speed.
3. The weight.

Here's what I love about this lens
1. The focal length lock. Having used the 150-500 for years, I can't tell you how often minor focal length creep has softened a photo. This is truly a pro feature. Lock the length, concentrate on shooting.
2. The USB dock. Nikon lets you fine tune a one point per zoom lens, Canon lets you do two. Sigma overrides that and will tune to 4, albeit for only one camera at a time. Tune this sucker to your D7100 and you're set.
3. The construction. It's big, it's heavy, and it's meant to be used outdoors, so it needs to be weather sealed the way it is.
4. TC compatibility. Granted, you need to buy Sigma's, and it's going to AF at f8, so it may be troublesome in the dark. But a 210-840mm (effective 315-1260mm on the DX) is significant for wildlife.

I'm going to be waiting and watching on this one. It's a hefty price, but if the IQ allows me to shoot at one or two clicks closed rather than at f9 it's going to be well worth it in the long run.
 

PapaST

Senior Member
I'm going to be waiting and watching on this one. It's a hefty price, but if the IQ allows me to shoot at one or two clicks closed rather than at f9 it's going to be well worth it in the long run.

The price is twice as much as the Tamzooka but if you look at the entire super telephoto market it's still pretty darn cheap. I'm interested to see the IQ on this lens as well. This could be the reason I need to use my monopod again. ;)
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Every thing Jake said makes sense,what would make it a no go for me is i couldn't carry much more than the Tamron and certainly not a tripod as well,monopods i keep trying but somehow they just frustrate me.
 
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