Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Lens Review for Bird and Wildlife photography on Mirrorless
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- I'm sharing my review of the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary lens for Bird and Wildlife photography on mirrorless systems like the Canon R5 and Canon R6. I compare the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary to the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM Mark ii and to the Canon EF 400mm F2.8 L IS USM Mark ii. I also test the Sigma 150-600mm autofocus against the Canon lenses with and without teleconverters (extenders).
As a hybrid wildlife photographer, using the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary for video is really important to me as well. I test the Image Stablisation, focus breathing and lens autofocus pulsing issues to determine if this lens is a value legend and still worth buying today.
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My name is Will Goodlet. I am a wildlife, landscape and astro photographer working in the African Safari business. I spend my time exploring the dusty roads of Africa with my Land Rover, Basil.
I've been taking photographs for 40 years, first in Hong Kong, where I grew up and later to follow my dreams of a life photographing Africa.
VIDEOS
Duade Paton Focus Issues - • Sigma 150-600mm Contem...
Duade Paton Focus Fix - • Sigma 150-600mm BEST S...
Chris Frost Review - • Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6....
00:00 - What I'm looking for
01:25 - Review Contents
01:40 - Weights & Competitors
03:28 - Build Quality
05:18 - Filter Size
05:49 - Lens Mounts
06:37 - Zoom Range
07:28 - Role of 150-600
08:07 - Using it on APSC
08:44 - Extenders
10:47 - Aperture
11:24 - Minimum Focus Distance
12:00 - Sigma Dock
12:30 - Barrel Switches
13:29 - Stabilisation on Tripod
14:05 - Using in the Field
14:42 - Best Thing About the Lens
15:40 - Image Quality
16:52 - Lens Chart Comparisons
17:14 - Camera Chart Comparisons
18:12 - Chart Analysis
18:43 - Autofocus Pulsing
19:21 - Canon Freezing
20:03 - Does the Sigma Lock -up?
20:30 - Autofocus Performance
22:12 - Autofocus Consistency
22:30 - Keeper Rates
23:15 - Auotfocus Frustrations
23:34 - Birds in Flight
24:53 - AF Conclusion
25:06 - Video Autofocus
26:53 - Parfocal? Focus Breathing?
27:03 - Optical Image Stabilisation
28:08 - Optical Stabilisation Video
28:52 - Stabilisation & Slow Shutter
29:25 - Optimising Stabilisation with Dock
29:57 - FPS on Canon Mirrorless
30:26 - Conclusions - Jak na to + styl
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A lot of time and effort was put into making this video, Will, I really appreciate it. I own this lens and use it along with my Canon 90D. It's a brilliant lens 📸 You got fab images with it 👍🏽 See you on the next one Mate
Hi lee I am using 90D but since I bought the sigma 150-600mm c I didn’t use it due to my health issues, I would like to know how it performs with the 90D also if there is a specific settings you’re using for wildlife photography, thanks
I have a history with this lens model. Originally, in February 2017 (only a few days from now - the 23rd) I purchased my first 150-600 at the suggestion of my bird photography teacher. He pointed out that it was a reasonably affordable way to "get out to 600" with my Canon 7D Mk2; as opposed to going into substantial debt with a Canon 600 prime.
I used that lens with my 7D Mk2 for four years with pretty good results. I am equivocating because back then I was not near the photographer I am today. But, one day, I took a spill off an unexpectedly rolling log. While there was no visible damage to either camera or lens (or me, other than my self-respect), thereafter I just "felt" that the lens no longer brought sharp focus, even after doing in-camera micro-adjustment.
Finally I threw up my hands and sold it. Soon after, I realized how much I had come to rely upon that lens, esp. since I was left with only my Canon 100-400mm Mk2 'L' lens. A superb lens which I cherish but it won't get you out to 600mm. I found myself buying a second Sigma 150-600. I agree with you Will this lens is going to be a legend. This newer lens is, I believe, better than my first one. I've not needed any micro-adjustment.
Ironically, late last month I slipped again with this lens on my Canon 7D Mk2. The lens was fine, not a scratch on it. But the fall knocked the camera's mode selector dial's guide off. Camera is also fine but I have to use my "Q" view to see what mode I am in, though I stay in M(anual) almost all the time. And apart from some scratches on my legs, I'm OK too.
So, I believe that I will always have this Sigma mated to one of my 7D Mk2s. I have two. I actually bought a used 7D Mk2 that I keep my Canon 100-400mm Mk2 on. I hate changing lens in the field. I use these two rigs differently. If I am going out to photograph in more open spaces with the birds farther away I take my Sigma. But, if I am going into a wooded area shooting passerines, etc. I pick up my 100-400mm and in that context it is absolutely a delight.
Recently, as I contemplated the age of my 7D Mk2s, esp. w/ re: to the number of shutter activations both have had, I decided now was the time to "go mirrorless". So I got the Canon R7 (for its APS-C format, closest to my 7D Mk2) and paired it with the RF 100-500mm telephoto. I did not like the R7 at all. Not at all. So bird-eye auto-detect tracking will have to wait a bit longer.
I returned the R7 and RF 100-500 and instead bought a very nice used, very low shutter activation ... wait for it ... Canon 7D Mk2!
Thanks for the info and all the field experience with the lens shared here.
Have you ever considered registering your gear with canon professional services? I get discounted service and free cleaning etc… they’ve stripped down my cameras a few times now. Maybe they can help with the mode dial?
On the siggy, yeah, I think that’s a big difference with the 100-400. Slipping off logs more likely to damage it!
I have a crap ton of insurance (after being robbed / struck by lightning etc…) when you break a lens in half (canon 400 5.6) they paid for a new one!
Thanks for sharing! You made me laugh at the end! I used to have the same combo, then even went for the Canon 5dsr, till I started with my beloved fuji xt4 and the lens 100-400. At older age, I really appreciate the less weight and the IBIS, though I lost some reach, but... not the joy ! :) :) Cheers from Uruguay.
An outstanding video review of the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary Lens. I am seriously considering purchasing it to use with my ageing Canon EOS 800D and 5D Mark III cameras as I have taken up shorebird photography at Pukorokoro - the best location at the southern end of the Paciific Flyway - and elsewhere in NZ - and need to extend my lens range. At 80 years of age my expensive Canon 400 mm primary lens can do the job close in on the high tide roosts but I need a little more magnification without loss of resolution farther out and spending tens of thousands of dollars on a Canon EF 600 mm lens. And the African wildlife subjects went down a treat ...
So glad it was helpful Walter. Sounds like you’re in a wonderful location to use it too!
So great to have you back and making videos. They have been missed
Cheers Ken!
Hi.
Have used the sigma 150-600 c on a canon 7d mk2 then my 5dmk4 and now my R6mk2 and never had any issues with the first 2 cameras and early days with the r6mk2.
So far so good.
Another great video Will , keep them coming
Cheers Kevin!
Excellent analysis. I love your lucid style of narration.
Thanks for watching :)
I can’t believe how much effort you put on making this video🫶. Very helpful and well appreciated 🤝
Thanks for this, Will. Looking forward to hopefully seeing some travel videos of the trip you describe in the video. Keep well!
More to come (at my snails pace)!
Will, you've worked hard to make this. I love it! Makes my day. Be well.
Thanks for watching Vincent! :) You too
Hello Will Happy New Year. I am glad to see you out in the bush. As always superb content
Happy new year Felix! Thanks a lot for the good wishes :)
Great review. I have sigma 150-600 sports heavy but fantastic lens
Great video, comprehensive and honest. Thank you!
Many thanks for watching!
that was a very comprehensive review. Well done! I hope someone does the same using the new mirrorless Nikon cameras.
Super detailed review, straight to the point and well delivered. Thank you for this, it's just what i needed!
Happy it was useful, thank you!
Thank you for this video 🙏I've got mine last month and I love it!
Congratulations on the new lens, glad you are enjoying it Mette!
Thank you for taking us along with you as you tried out this lens.
Thanks for watching:)
Great video! Honestly really well done. I’m picking one up tomorrow. I’ll post some pics soon. Thanks!
So glad it was helpful, congratulations on the lens and good luck!
Good to see you back 👍
Thanks 👍
I've been seriously thinking about getting this lens for probably about a year now, and after watching reviews after reviews (the region I live doesn't have lens rental services for me to try it) and seeing a lot of pixel peeping (which can be valuable, of course), your comments at 30:00 really resonated with me.
I mean, in the end I just want to have some fun and try a bit of wildlife and sports photography.
I mean, if a Rebel T6i and the infamous 75-300mm was enough for me to have fun back when I started some five years ago, I doubt a EOS RP + a Sigma 150-600 would disappoint me that much now.
I really appreciate the effort that you've put in this video. Specially useful (I think) for those of us who want to give this kind of photography a shot, but keep getting kind of discouraged by some reviews who pit it against a 3 or even 10 thousand dollars lens.
As an enthusiast, when I hear just "It's a bit soft", what I understand is "It's a bad lens", not "it's a bit soft when compared with a Canon EF 600mm F4L". So that bit in the end really helps to put things in perspective.
Cheers! : )
Hi Cody, thanks for watching and the very helpful commentary here. I know exactly what you mean. It's really hard to choose a long lens without the experience of shooting it. It get's really hard with all the different voices and opinions out there. It's especially hard when we feel we are compromising on things like image quality in favour of versatility. It's so anti the general message most photography commentators give.
To give some context, I used to shoot the Sigma 300-800 f5.6 - I think sigma may still be making them (or pretending to) when new It was a $7,000 lens. It is NOWHERE near as good as the 150-600. It was the cheapest, best, most versatile lens I could get at the time. I would have been far better off with a Canon RP and 150-600! If you are a specialist bird or wildlife photographer with time to spend in hides and vehicles and not hiking too much, you may like shooting a big white F4 (but I seriously doubt you wouldn't also have a superzoom in your bag). If you are walking around, travelling, sharing a vehicle with others, looking for rare birds, shooting larger mammals, out in public (and don't want too much attention) then the best lens is a superzoom - and of the superzooms this Sigma is a very good value lens.
Excellent video! Very informative thank you!
Thanks for watching and commenting and so glad it was useful!
This is without a doubt the best lens review I have seen. Thanks.
Thanks Liam!
Great Video Will, as ever. That does look like a brilliant lens to have available.
Thanks for watching, its very handy and good value for money.
I always enjoy your conversations, knowledge, travels and photography. This is one of the lenses I've been looking at to use with my Canon R7 so thanx for these photos, videos and your thoughts about it. I'm also looking at the Tamron 150-600mm G2 too and I've enjoyed Duade's informative vids for my needs.
Thanks Wayne. The Tammy also looks a good option. Some people commenting have direct experience of the lens on the R7 - worth a read.
Good to see you back on the air, I have an r6 with the 150 -600 sigma and have good results .
Thanks Steve! Great to hear that :)
Bought this lense in 2022, so very much enjoyed the review! 🐾👍🏻
Hi Will, I absolutely love your videos. You put so much effort and thought into making them. I just discovered your channel and watched all of your videos way to quick, leaving me with withdrawal symptoms form my Will Goodlet video addiction. I guess I will just have to watch all of your videos again. Also wanted to thank you for making awesome content.
Hi Bram, thanks so much for this awesome message of support. So great to hear that you are enjoying the videos and really encouraging to me! I wish I could knock them out more consistently and quickly for you :)
Nice to see you back Will, I really enjoy my R6 and Sigma 150-600, just wish we had your weather and range of wildlife in the UK.. 👍
Thanks :) Yes it would be great to have more wildlife there but I have a few jealousies of my own ;) Right-to-roam and no looking over your shoulder all the time!
Great video. Thank you for your time and affort!
Pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you.
Excellent Video Very Helpful And Informative. Many Thanks Will For A Brilliant Review. Enjoying Your Channel Very Much.
Thanks so much!! Great to hear this as I rarely do reviews believing my audience is not that interested.
Thanks for the support.
I've had the Contemporary for over 5 years but due to damage I'm looking for a replacement. I think your review convinced me to just buy it again.
Good to see you, Will. Great review. I pair my 150-600mm with Canon R7 and it's great combination.
Oh great to hear that it works well! No pulsing? Good news!
Great review 👏
Glad you liked it
Thanks! Nice video! I'm using it in 5D IV and R5 here in South Brazil. Thanks for the detailed information! Best!
Thanks for watching and happy shooting over there:)
Just bought one yesterday, been saving for months and so excited to use it! Great video :)
Congratulations!! Hope you get awesome images with it :)
@@WillGoodlet thank you!
I’ve watched around 30 videos this week on this lens and the Tamron offering. Every video I watched gave me something to think about. Your video from start to end kept on giving me all the answers I still had unanswered from the other 30 videos from other reviewers, such was the thoroughness and uniquely perceptive approach. This will be the one I purchase for my 6D and as you say I will also so be liberated. Hares in Norfolk this summer I’ve got you this year 😂
I use mine on a 6D and love the results.
Very comprehensive review. Thank you! I have the 7DMii and it would be some time before I can afford to get a mirrorless camera as well. From your video, it suggests that I can still make very good images with this sigma on this body at an affordable price; while still having the future prospects of using it on a mirrorless and getting even more from it.
Absolutely, the 7Dii is still a great camera. The only issue is really the anti aliasing filter which is quite strong on it compared to newer bodies
Excellent video, exceptionally informative. I have the Sigma 150-600 contemporary and I have been amazed at its performance. However, I use my lens on three Nikon bodies, a D3S, D3X and a D7000. With the D3S cranking out 11 frames per second I get great results with motorsports. Conversely with the D3X I get great wildlife photos, being that this is a 24.5MP camera, the D3S is only 12.5MP. The D7000 is my 'play/test-bed' tool so I experiment with TC's, both 1.4x and 2x. My personal 'jury' is still out on the results as yet.
I found a trick when using the lens on a gimbal. As you mentioned it becoming unbalanced, I have a oblong piece of cast iron which I drilled out to put a thread through. This hangs on my Benro tripod and, when I extend the lens to 600mm, I loop it over the gimbal arm and it counterbalances the extra lens length/weight. It works for me.
Strangely my two go-to lenses are both Sigma, the 150-600 and the ultra effective, ultra versatile 70-200 (If only the 150-600 had an internal zoom feature...!!). Many thanks for your thoughts and views. Keep up the good work.
Great video , I like your videos, keep it up, thanks
Thanks for watching!
I bought this lens early last year and have been using it on my 5Dmk4 havent tried it on the 7D yet. Taken quite a few roos and shot some finches a couple of days ago out the front of the house. Thank you for your in-depth review.
Hi Lisa, thanks for watching. I bet it works well over there. Nice to have 600 for the small birds and be able to pull back or frame for the roos.
Great review...thanks. Like you mentioned, it is such a usable lens...it does take some amazing shots...has the reach....and at that price, you'll be hard pressed to beat it. I use mine on a 90D and R7....brings a huge grin to the face and much admiratiom from my kids...."priceless". It does pulse on the R7 close up, but I use bursts and generally get a few keepers. I have no regrets buying it...plus the money saved means I get to use it a lot out in the reserves.
Thanks for the insights Dallas. Interesting to hear it pulses on the R7 and not the 90D. I haven’t had a chance to try an R7 yet.
For the price it delivered way above expectations for me and I found the 600mm so useful for my use.
Just come across your channel Will, and what a great find. I have this lens, bought it for a lesser Canon body and have upgraded with the Sigma converter to a Sony body. Learnt a lot, thank you!
Thanks hope you enjoy the videos!
Great Video as always! I mainly shoot in the UK and have a 7D2 and have been comparing this to another lens you loved, the Canon 100-400 mk2. Is there a clear winner? I just cannot decide!
Just bought the objective because of your video. I'm using it with the Nikon Z50 with the FTZ adapter and it's working perfectly. Got already some great bird shots. So for know I can't wait to be on Safari at the Kruger NP in May.
Awesome great to hear you are getting good results on the Nikon! Enjoy the KNP, not long to wait :)
Amazing review, full of details and useful information. Pretty objective in my opinion which is most important part of any review. Thank you sir! You got yourself new subscriber. Would be nice though to have image samples available?
Thanks Nikola, so glad it was useful. Yes, I know I should provide samples especially if the charts. I just wasn’t able to get it all done in time. I will see what I can do about it.
Great review Love mine
Good to hear!
I own this lens, and have it paired with a 750d, it's given me some great results and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other budding photographers.
Also I really enjoyed your video, as well as the delivery 👍
Hi Scott, thanks so much for watching and the feedback on the lens with the 750D.
This is an excellent practical review of your experience using this lens. I've gone with the Canon RF 800mm f11 lens on the Canon R6 II which is good for static and slow moving subjects at a distance.
I've just bought the Sigma 150-600 DG DN OS Sport for my Panasonic S1 L-Mount camera. Will give me the flexibility of zooming in and out to locate a subject. For both lenses the deciding factor was cost because I only occasionally shoot nature/ wildlife at a distance that would need this 600mm or 800mm focal length.
Most of the time it's a 24-105 mm f4 or 70-200mm f4 lens that is on my camera.
Thanks for watching and commenting on your experiences. I believe the L mount is a re-design/newer version? How do you find shooting two systems!?
I own this lens since year 2016. it works really well with my Nikon apsc D7100 and now also works really well with my Z8. just bought the USB dock abd get the firmware updated to this lens and also adjusted focus speed and setup C1 & C2 on this lens. I am very happy with the result on both D7100 and Z8. and now I also added the Sigma TC1.4, taking moon photos are much easier.
Thanks for watching and the great feedback for
People using Nikon dslr and mirrorless!
Thanks Will for yet another informative video.
I had been using a 70-300mm L prior, but was frustrating me with the reach for bird photography.
A few months back I decided to take a plunge with this Sigma lens (used) and been pairing it with a 77D body, with very pleasing results.
Expecting an R7 body soon and hope to some day soon put the pairing to the test at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in my backyard.q
Thanks for watching and the info. I’d be very interested to hear how you find the R7 with the lens!
I use my Sigma 150-600C on my Nikon D500 for bird shooting and now I have got to grips with my settings etc I am getting so many more keepers. A great budget lens especially for beginner nature photographers
Glad to hear it’s working out for you on the Nikon! Yep it’s a great value lens
Great video,thanks for share.
I recently bought the 150 - 600 c and I'm waiting o get out in the field and do some shooting. I've taken a few snaps at home and I'm impressed with the stabilisation. It really locks on. I've not tried video yet but that will come soon. I'm using it on a 90D so I do have the crop factor.
Congratulations on the new lens! Hoping you get some great shots with it and the 90D :)
Thanks so much, Will! I normally don't have the patience to go beyond a few minutes on a video, but I listened to every word you said, and went back and listened again to parts of it - very useful, this is a great service you have done for the likes of me.
I have a Sigma 150-600 C, using it on an Canon 750D (Rebel T7i). I am an amateur birder, along with my wife, and I started bird photography just about 18 months ago using this combination. The lens has made birding so pleasurable, we love it! A couple of questions:
1. I discovered pretty early on that single point focus and spot metering work best. Gave pretty pleasing results. However, for several months now, I find the 'keeper rate' of shots has fallen off to somewhere in the range of 20-60%, and lately that I often get blurry pics with all settings right and plenty of time to get the subject lined up and get plenty of shots. Of course, the good shots are really good, so I know the lens is capable! Particularly after noting the keeper rates that you have mentioned, I realise I have a good reason to feel frustrated, and there aught to be a solution. I have a Sigma dock, should I try and calibrate the lens, or is there something that I should check out before attempting this? Also, I am not sure if there are risks in trying to calibrate the lens - that I might make the problem worse. Finally, does it happen that lens focus would become more inconsistent over time? Please guide.
2. If I were to replace the 750D body with some other, should I go for a DSLR or mirrorless? If mirrorless, I don't think I am yet ready for the more expensive ones. I heard from another wildlife photographer that EOS R10 was designed for making wildlife photography affordable. What do you think about pairing up the Sigma with R10? If a DSLR might be better, which model should I consider?
Sorry for my longish questions, but I would appreciate advice from you or anyone else on the forum! Many thanks, in anticipation!
Sridhar
Hi Sridhar,
Firstly, thanks for the comment and questions and thank you too for watching the video.
Question 1:
This sounds very frustrating! You mention spot metering. Just to clarify, I am sure the keeper rate has nothing to do with poor exposure, although it's worth mentioning that the spot meter will only work on the centre focus point on that model of camera.
Yes, sometimes components wear and things loosen up. You should be able to get the lens checked out. With more expensive lenses, it is common to service them from time to time. However, I have never tried that with cheaper lenses. You might want to see what Sigma says.
Calibration is something that is worth doing regularly. This can also be affected by tolerance changes in your camera. Or maybe wear? Are the electronic contacts nice and clean between the lens and body? Is the lens and body joint flexing at all or showing any sign of age?
Poor points of contact could account for what you see.
Your camera probably doesn't allow for Microfocus Adjustment but your sigma dock should allow you to perform the operation. I don't think there is any huge risk to doing this. If it's not satisfactory, you can always change things back.
Your Sigma dock can also change the focus characteristics of the lens, I mention in the video that Chris Frost achieved more reliable results by adjusting these parameters. Have a go with that.
To test your lens, you can focus using Live view. I think you can do this on the 750D. You can follow the instructions in my Microfocus Adjustment video to the point where you can determine front or back focus tendencies. You cannot fix them using the camera Micro Focus Adjustment because the 750D doesn't have these - but your dock does. This will at least allow you to see if you have a back or front focus issue.
You should also perform a focus consistency test. Set up a static target about 10m away (something easy to read and see sharpness, like a cereal box) and using a tripod or secure mount. De focus you lens and then autofocus on the target 20 times or so. Do it with the lens defocused in front of the target 20 times and behind the target 20 times. Note down for each experiment how many acceptably sharp shots you got. This will give you good data about how the lens is performing for focus consistency.
You can repeat this experiment but this time using Live view only. This should give better focus accuracy. Compare this to the normal focus through the viewfinder. Is the lens noticeably more accurate with Live view? If so, micro focus adjustment with the dock probably will help.
At the least, you will have good data to asses the lens further and take it with you to Sigma with your complaint/service.
Finally, did you drop or knock the combination at any point? Did something loosen up perhaps? This can cause problems too.
2. OK this is a complex question about how far you want to take things and what you want to achieve. First off. I think you need to assess your lens. Is the Sigma working properly and within limits? If not, maybe the budget will need to address the lens ahead of the camera?
If you decide the lens is OK, then, yeah, start thinking about the camera. The 750D is very limiting in terms of Autofocus and Frames per second. It's image quality and functionality is fine otherwise.
You also need to consider that Autofocus of the Sigma on the new Canon RF mount, which it was not designed for, has sometimes been inconsistent with a pulsing observed. IF you are sticking with the sigma, then keep this in mind. It is likely to be verifiably more reliable on the DSLR than on Mirrorless. However, some copies of the lens are good and don't pulse. It's a slight gamble.
Mirrorless cameras are much easier to shoot in general. They have a very good feature set and the R10 is probably a nice low cost option (although I haven't looked at the specs closely).
However, there are some exceptionally capable second hand DSLR's around that were pro options not that long ago that are more suited to the EF lens you have right now.
In general, if budget is very important, you can pick up a very good DSLR for half the price of the R10 (lightly used 7D Mark ii) which will work well with your lens.
If you want to spend a bit more and take the risk with pulsing on the Sigma, the R10 is an extremely competent offering at a good price. The R7 even better.
If you were to see your Canon gear and look elsewhere, the next best option might be something like an OM system OMD EM1-Mark iii and lens.
I mention OM because the upgrade path is much cheaper for very good gear. It also offers very lightweight and mobile systems for birding AND the reach is effectively doubled because they are micro four thirds sensors.
For birders who want to get more serious about photography, I think Canon and Nikon with the emphasis in full-frame and APS-C cameras and lenses in their new mounts can be a serious financial challenge as one develops as a photographer.
Sony, allows third party manufacturers to use the E-mount. So this becomes a very practical option. However, they don't really offer anything good in the APS-C class of cameras. And while full frame may sound appealing for Birds, It is not really because you will need very long focal lengths to get the best from the camera. And the lenses will cost.
For example, the OM-1 paired with a 300mm F4 (600mm equivalent focal length) offers an incredible birding camera system for $5000 (assuming a second hand lens purchase) which is arguably better than the below.
An equivalent Canon system R5 + 600mm F4 would be $9000 (assuming an older 600mm f4 lens)
Alternatively, you could look at an R10 + RF600mm F11 for $2000 and although this would be quite nice. It's not going to be anywhere near state-of-the-art.
Of course there are many intermediate Canon options. But in general, you may find that lenses in this ecosystem are significantly more expensive over your bird photography career. So depending on how far you want to progress you need to think carefully about your choice of brand.
To offer context. I started before digital. In those days there were not really many options. There was a lot of second hand canon gear around. So I started buying canon. In those days there was no micro four thirds. Later on the quality wasn't great and there were no lenses. Things have changed. These smaller cameras offer a huge amount of bang for buck.
I am stuck with Canon - but that doesn't mean you should follow what I and others use. Many others are stuck in the system too. i.e. it's too expensive for us to change.
My gear offers good results, I'm happy with it. But If I was starting out now in bird photography. I would be taking a close look at what else is on offer too.
@@WillGoodlet Thanks so much, Will, for taking the time and responding to comprehensively! Incredibly useful - truly grateful!
A few days after I posted my questions, I lost track of where I had posted them, and just tracked back to this page today and found your response.
The camera-lens combo has taken a few mild 'knocks', yes, but I have thought of them as not really consequential. Maybe they were not so mild and I should have been more careful.
I will try cleaning the contacts, make the experiments you suggest and then try the Sigma dock. If that doesn't work, I will try and get in touch with Sigma and see what they say. All this before considering the options of changing the camera or lens.
We love birding, and photography comes in only because it enables us to observe birds closely and at leisure, to take in the details. I don't think I will end up advancing too deep in photography, but certainly intend to get to a point where I can be sure I am getting sharp enough images for our purpose. I like the idea of a more advanced second-hand DSLR over a mirrorless, will surely give that a serious thought.
Thanks again, I will keep coming back to your videos!
Very good review. I have had mine for a quite awhile. I used it on my 6D MKII, then on my M6 MKII, and finally on may R7. I enjoyed the lens and got some very nice images using it.
There were a few things that caused me to switch: 1) somewhat slow focusing, 2) slightly soft images at 600mm wide open, 3) periodic focus hunting when paired with the R7, and 4) long minimum focus distance. I switched to the Canon RF100-500 and haven't regretted it at all.
I was able to improve the lens operation by using the dock.
For the price and reach I don't think you can beat this lens.
Thanks Jeff, great to get insights like this. Your points one and two mirror my experience (although I was also getting sharp shots at 600 as well as slightly soft - I reasoned the softer ones were possible heat effects?)
I see a few comments in the forums about hunting on the R7 - I expected the lens to be the same across R6, R5 and R7 but it doesn’t seem that way.
I’m very tempted by the RF100-500 but as I use the zoom for video mostly, I’m not sure it is desirable to trade in my 100-400. Although I’m sure the RF makes more sense for photography.
Enjoyed your review, Will. I have had this lens since it was first introduced. I must say it has been a tremendous value for those of us who have a lean budget. I have nothing to complain about with this lens. As an added bonus, it works exceedingly well with some of my 35mm film cameras. Take care now.👍👍
Thanks Terry, great to get confirmation of my experience. Somewhat annoyed they were't around earlier in my photographic life :)
I ordered this lens for my T7 body. Looking forward to trying it out 🦌 📸
Congratulations! Hope you get some awesome shots with it:)
Been using this lens on the 90D and as of late, the R7 and the R6MII. I find the keeper rate much better on the mirrorless. Have taken some great shots with the lens, easily worth the price I paid for it. I find it works well in video with stab off. It can have its quirks sometimes with the autofocus of smaller birds at a distance and objects outside of its range can be soft, but that was probably due to heating coming off the ice and lake in the middle of the day. Great lens!!
Hi Tony, good to hear that the lens is behaving on Mirrorless. I had no trouble but note in other videos and comments that some others do. For the money. Given what it used to be like to try to get over 300mm...I just wish they had these when I was younger.
Well that wasn’t a waste of 30min thanks. I have this lens and a 7d2 …both money well spent! Have a great 2023 👍🏻
Haha glad to hear that Steve :)
Super thorough articulate and eloquent review. Did you use a teleprompter for that amazing script? Or do you have a photographic memory? 😊 Great stuff. You’ve convinced me on the 150-600 for my 5d m3. Thank you! 👍
Haha I used to have a pretty good memory but not any more. I did use a teleprompter on this one although I don’t normally. Glad you found the video useful and hope the lens works well for you!
This is one of the best, if not the very best review of this lens from the viewpoint of a very experienced photographer of African wildlife. Thank you for all the work you have put into this.
I approach the issue from a different viewpoint. I’m primarily a bird photographer in the UK, so my main lens is Canon 600F4L II, which I regularly use with extenders, on either 1DxII or R3. Mainly R3 these days because of animal eye detect. What I need is something that lets ads much light a possible through, and a camera that can handle F8 because of teleconverters. Up to now, 600 F4 or 500 F4 with 1D or 1Dx is the best thing but a 7DII added more flexibility.
When I visit Africa - as I did last August - and my subject changes to large animals, I use the Canon 200-400 F4L. This lens is superb, but it is heavy and - as you point out - 200mm doesn’t allow me to photograph more confiding animals. To my surprise animal eye focus was not that great on anything other than birds but being able to use eye focus meant I took most of my pictures on the R3, switching between animal eye focus and standard one point as needed, and the 1DxIII had a rest (as did the ears of any wildlife). I kept either a wide angle or 70-200 on the 1DxIII.
My wife also takes pictures. She started with a 7DII and the first version of the Tamron 150-600 (which did not give great results) before we bought her the 100-400 II. The Tamron 150-600 did not give great results on the 7DII, but was fine on my 1DxI, confirming your thoughts regarding 150-600 on crop sensors. I took some of my favourite crested tit pictures high in the Alps with 1DxI and 150-600 - no way could I have carried a 600 F4 and tripod to that altitude. But the 150-600 lens is not reliable on RF adaptor. We recently upgraded my wife to an R5 (I wanted to try it) and despite cancelling our order several times because of the price, eventually to the superb 100-500 as the 100-400 was really too short for birds, her main subject.
The reason I have been looking at the 150-600C is exactly for the reasons you state - wide zoom range, speed of use and so on, and ease of transport in aircraft. Personally I’d prefer to buy another 100-500 because I know it works well and will be supported by Canon for a good long time. I still have lenses bought in the early days of EOS that work well with RF, but the Tamron had to be sent back for flashing at least twice (kudo’s to Sigma for the dock, btw). The Canon 100-500 has an amazing close focus distance.
However, if I purchased a 100-500 I would have to use it on the R3, and move the 600 to 1DxII, and lose animal eye focus on my main birding lens so I doubt I will do that. Maybe if Canon produce a 200-600 like the Sony I might get one, but I think the Canon price would be so high compared to what looks like a lost leader price from Sony. As I’m now retired a Canon 200-600 -if they ever produced one - would likely be out of my league. I’m not going to carry two brands again, good as the Sony seems to be.
For now using the great information in this video, I will stick with 200-400, and I encourage people to look at second hand copies of that lens. It’s still a lot more than the 150-600C of course, but not so much more than a new Sport or the Tamron. But with internal zoom, built-in 1.4x, and with the choice of sensor sizes you can use with it (both mirrorless and DSLR), it does give an immense amount of flexibility. But its heavy, meaning its not ideal for small plane transfers in Africa. My advice to people is always spend as much as you can on lenses and buy a cheaper camera. Second hand cameras or newer models can be acquired later, but glass stays with you.
My apologies for waffling on, but this superb video from Will has helped crystallise my thoughts on this subject.
Thanks for taking the time to write this excellent comment. There's a lot of good Information included. I like the 200-400mm F4 too and it's well recognised over here as one of the best and most versatile lenses for wildlife. Photography from a vehicle (driven by the photographer), in my experience, only really allows for one heavy lens (if you are on your own or passengers are in the back). I used to have 3 but it became ridiculous. I like to shoot a zoom and a prime and the 100-500 canon would be a great candidate for those with the money. A superzoom is also much more sociable a choice in the back of a safari vehicle! With the 200-400 TC you don't really need the 100-500 in self-drive situation I guess. A 70-200 maybe or even a 24-105 would be OK alongside. My problem, as always, is shooting both video and photos and the possibility that I may use a Blackmagic or Panasonic at some point where EF would be much more useful. I see the 200-400 used extensively for wildlife video.
I like the lightweight zooms when on the move in the vehicle. Less necessary when parked up. But grab shots are so much easier with the zooms and so many of the best sightings occur as surprises along the road, that you cannot really ignore these lenses. Great to have options! It wasn't always the case :)
You are right about Glass. I feel a bit stuck in an EF dead end at the moment. I cannot replace my 400mm f2.8 with RF (cost) and rather wish I had bought E-mount glass. Although to be fair to Canon, the Sony cameras were not really on par back when I bought into the lenses.
@@WillGoodlet For my wife two mirrorless bodies, RF100-500 and EF 24-105 is perfect. She will be the main driver in Kruger, so she can grab her cameras and get most things.
I’ll be in the back of the vehicle, using 200-400 for video - as you say it’s ideal. There are rumours an RF version will come out soon, maybe 200-500 with built-in x1.4, but I’ve paid off my mortgage, so I’ll stick with 200-400. I need a longer lens for birds though. When I visited Namibia in 2013, I used a rented 200-400 and my own 500 F4L I. That was a great combination, but since I own 600 F4L II as well, I’ll probably take that this time.
This is a digression from the original 150 to 600 questions, but have you considered the Canon R5C for video? The built-in battery is a restriction, but I think I would use that only when shooting stills. If you are in a vehicle, you could easily use a USB power pack when filming (I do that when filming wildlife with the R5 from the car).
It lacks the built-in ND filters of a Blackmagic camera of course and costs a lot more but the Cinema camera side looks phenomenal. I’m nowhere good enough to use a camera like that in cinema mode (or indeed any cinema camera) but it looks like a good half way step.
Hey Canon, if you are reading this, please lend Will an R5C!
@@smurgy99 I hope Canon is listening! Correct me if I’m wrong but the R5c doesn’t have animal eye af in video or in body stabilisation - for what I do, where speed is so important, I feel it’s inferior to the R5
Well worth having a look at the Sigma 60-600 Sport, it's heavier than the 150-600 Contemporary but importantly the way the weight is distributed I personally find it much easier to hand hold
Another great video Will. I have this lens combined with a 5ds, 1dx and 7dii. The 400-600 range is loads better on the full frames.
Hi Ricki, thanks for watching and interesting insights on the 400-600 FF!
I have this lens and loved it with my canon 80D but I got a R6 and was disappointed with it. I've just watched this video and I've decided to give it another go on the weekend. So Thank you for sharing otherwise I might have had a super lens sat in my bag not used. Can't wait.
I hope it goes well - it seemed to work perfectly on my R6. There is a big difference in reach between the 80D and R6. I could understand if you shoot birds with it.
I have tested the Sigma lens already on: EOS 550D, EOS 700D, EOS RP, R6 and R7
On most bodies for some hours or even minutes, on the 550D, RP and R7 a lot.
I had the best experience with the 150-600C on the RP... in fact i didnt believe that it had focus breathing issues, until i tried to upgrade to the EOS R6 (which was a hard fail, it didnt met ANY of my needs good enough, too low res for astrophotography on a telescope, too big/heavy for family/0815/travel stuff, not really enjoying enough for video with its overheating and 30min record limit and some other issues including the focus breathing/pulsing with the Sigma lens and mainly: the price!)
The RP was just working fine with the sigma, sure i didnt have animal eye or even basic animal detect and subject detection focussed more on the ass/backside/fur than on the eye, but it ran just awesome in AF-C mode. It was also pretty flawless on the 550D and 700D, but R6 and R7 is somewhat a pain and its hard to trust the autofocus abilities in certain situations which should be NO PROBLEM!
Where i really enjoy the sigma - on a tripod for wildlife video mainly, because somehow i dont have much pulsing issues in video or at all on the R7. For photo its just a bit tricky. I typically use AF-C until it looks focussed, take a burst, refocus here and then, burst, and so on, so i can make sure to have at least some bursts completely sharp.
Hi Will great vid, and perfectly timed as I am more than likely going to get one this week. Seems a great buy without breaking the bank. I have the Canon 100-400 mk ii and love it, but just want some more reach - don't we all lol! I'll be using it with an R10 for the moment, and an R maybe too. I wasn't convinced by the R7 and decided to wait till Canon refine things a bit more.
The R10 is an impressive little camera and my success rate has gone way up using it. The Sigma should partner well with it. You covered a lot of ground in the vid and answered all the questions I needed to solve. That guy Duade has some very useful advice for anyone with pulsing issues, and along with your good self clear a lot of stuff up. Thanks so much!
I've missed alot of your recent content so I must catch up. Love your channel, you live in a wonderful place, i've been there several times - i miss it!
Take care and thanks for all work and time it takes to produce your videos.
Russ
(Ireland)
Hi Russell, thanks for the info and background, great to hear that the R10 is working out for you (I am not surprised). Canon is finally coming out with some cracking cameras. I am just a bit disappointed that we are seeing a pro-level (or serious enthusiast) level APS-C. I would love to see a competitor to the OM1 and Fuji XH2S. Canon, Sony and Nikon appear to have abandoned this segment.
Thanks taking the time to connect again here, and I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner!
Good luck with the lens, really hope it's working out for you.
Will
@@WillGoodlet Thanks Will! 😎
Hi Will, I got my 150 600 about 18 months ago, paired with my canon 200d, and love it. Recently bought the R7 and yet to use in anger, but early days look good.
Thanks Ron great to hear you are enjoying the lens and good luck with the R7 when you get round to using it!
Very interesting. The price and weight are key for me. Thanks Will
Thanks Christine :)
You’re an incredible photographer and a brilliant speaker. Bought one after watching this! I hated the freezing issues with canon and moved to Sony.
Thank you! I hope it’s working well for you. The freezing thing seems to have become less frequent. I’m not on the latest firmware either. Maybe it’s that I’ve learned to limit use of eye-af to a few seconds at a time. I’d like to try Sony (and others) but too invested to switch
@@WillGoodlet hoping the lens will work well with Sonys catalyst browse stabilisation software 😁
@@Nayddoh interesting to see
Hi Will, New subscriber here from USA. This was a great video that answered all of the questions I have been wondering about as far as this lens and its performance. I am currently shooting small birds and need more reach. I plan on using it with a Panasonic GH6 which should give me 300-1200mm. I have a 5D mark 4 if it doesn't work well with the Panasonic camera so I'm sure it will meet my needs. What are your thoughts on trying to use this lens on a Micro four thirds body? Thanks again for the great review!!!
Hi Steve thanks for watching and the sub! Hope you find some other useful content.
I don’t have a lot of time experience with MFT except for a brief time with Olympus and the 300 f4.
So I can only offer some general thoughts.
1. I have no idea how well the af will work - I’m guessing you have some experience adapting lenses to MFT. Or will be focusing manually mainly for
Video . If you focus manually at 1200mm be prepared for shake introduced.
2. OS + IBIS Panasonic stab is meant to be one of the very best, but for long lenses it’s generally thought that lens stab is more important. I can’t say if the OS and the IBIS will work well together. Hopefully it will but look for some comments on this if possible.
3. The resolving power of the lens will be made to work hard on MFT - see if you can find some lens test results for this format.
3. The lenses target market is exactly your 5D4 it should be ideal on this camera.
Very detailed review- glad that you've had great success with it. My personal experience has been completely different. Good price and very sharp (when the AF works on mirroless bodies), but the AF was beyond dreadful on both my R5 and R6 bodies... so much so that I sold it and went with the RF 100-500 L IS USM from Canon. Twice the price, but it simply works. To be fair, it was absolutely brilliant on my 5D Mk III and 5D Mk IV, but the AF was off at least 40% of the time on my R-series bodies- could not focus and track the eyes on people, birds or other wildlife. Caveat Emptor.
Hi Jean, thanks for sharing your experiences with the lens. Sorry too, that you had trouble on the mirrorless cameras. I've no doubt that the RF100-500 is an excellent alternative (although I haven't tried it yet). Have you had any camera freezes with it? Some people have contacted me saying that it does sometimes freeze on RF bodies.
I don't know why there is such a wide difference in performance and experience with the Sigma. It's very odd. I can't imagine that the production line has stayed the same all these years, so perhaps there are things that have been changed that we are not aware of. Or maybe it's the varying states of firmware over time. Or just good and bad copies. It's hard to explain it but undoubtedly there are some bad performing lenses out there and some gremlins in the Canon bodies too.
@@WillGoodlet Will- it truly is odd that some folks have had zero issues while others such as myself have had such poor results with the lens. I tried various combinations of R5/R6 firmware with various combinations of lens firmware (using Sigma's lens dock)... and none of the combinations were optimal as using the RF 100-500 L IS USM lens has been. It's unfortunate because for the price, the Sigma is an absolute killer lens... it just didn't work out for me on the mirrorless bodies. Here in Canada, you can get 3 Sigma 150-600 C lenses (currently $1049 CDN) for the price of one Canon 100-500 lens ($3849 CDN). Ouch!
I have been enjoying it on my 7d ii for 3 years now, and I have just picked up a 5d iv that I am excited about trying it on. I have experienced the surging on my 7d ii 3 times now, but I couldn't find any information about that. Great review! Thanks!
Thanks for watching! By ‘surging’ do you mean focus hunting? Does it occur in good light or only poor light?
Congratulations on the 5Div its a lovely camera
@@WillGoodlet I can't nail down when it occurs. It seems to be making micro adjustments. It did it once during video and 2 other times while photographing. The video was whitetail deer in evening light, and the photos were a wild turkey in dappled mid day light and a blue heron in warm morning light. I just saw a video from Duade Paton telling how he made his better by changing the settings on the lens using the dock that you can get for it.
Thanks! I really enjoy the look and feel of the images from the 5Div.
@joncothranphotography9375 I would have thought it was low light on the 7d2 because most have the problems on mirrorless but hopefully Duade’s info helps!
I would love to see some sample pics! I am using a 7D ii with a Canon 100-400L (Mk 1) and am loving the results but I am looking for that extra reach!
Hello Will, very thorough review, enjoy your channel.
I had the sigma 150-600 C lens a few years ago but found some inconsistences with focus which became very frustrating, eventually sold it. I loved the versatility and the potential of the focal length as I use handheld walking so tried again. I do think some copies are better than others so this time I decided to buy a well used ( good condition ) lens from dealer in UK with warranty and 14 days to send back if not satisfied. My thinking being if it had fair amount of use it should be a good version, and very good price.. 3 years latter still going strong and it is my go to wildlife lens on 1dx, 7d2, R6 all work really well.
Hope this comment helps someones decision.
Hi Tim, thanks for watching and for the comments. It’s very interesting to hear everyone’s experiences with the lens.
I wonder if Sigma made changes to manufacturing over all these years as well to improve the lens?
@@WillGoodlet
I think you could be correct, also improved quality control to compete more with the likes of canon maybe. Shame about canons stance on 3rd party lenses, however on a positive note we canon users have a great choice of used EF lenses being sold for RF glass so not all bad...
Hola,excelente video.asi aprenderemos a ser buenos fotógrafos a costes de material justo,no desorbitados.gracias.
¡Gracias Pedro! Me alegro de que te haya gustado y sí, es una gran lente para el aprendizaje y también puede funcionar para los profesionales.
Great review, I have this lens with the Canon 90D, looking at upgrading to mirrorless (R7 or hopefully maybe R6) but as I mostly shoot video, how does the R6 handle the IS with IBIS enabled, is it able to remove some of the jitter at especially 400-600mm? Shooting from a car door on a bean bag, first 5-10s are always unusable as you wait for it to calm down, panning or moving is almost impossible and then if you touch the screen to refocus or switch off, more jitters. Is this better on the R bodies than the 7d, interested to see if it will make a difference to upgrade at this point? Do you also get 'floating' in video if the IS on the lens is on and its mounted on a tripod? Otherwise I cant imagine doing Parks in this place without this lens, its fantastic.
I didn’t shoot any video on the DSLR so all the clips in the video are with mirrorless with IBIS turned on. I use it on a video head on the door mostly and it works pretty well. Beanbag I find is always hard to pan.
Even with the canon lenses the image is very sensitive to any movement at all in the vehicle.
Thank you for this - as always, a well-balanced, comprehensive and detailed evaluation. I hope you will forgive some observations of my own regarding the Sigma 150-600c against the RF 100-500L IS USM in particular.
I have the Sigma 150-600c, along with the Sigma 60-600s, and the Canon EF 100-400MkII, EF 70-300L, and the RF 100-500L, which I use on my 5DsR, R5, R6 (MkI and II) bodies. I shoot mostly wildlife and am retired after over 40 years but am happy to be an amateur now!
1) Market and output: To me, these are aimed at two different markets and the performance and prices vary accordingly. Much depends on the specific subjects, who is going to view the image, and how it will be viewed. For small subjects like birds, or macro predators, it is likely that one will be at a distance, so reach can be quite significant.
Most people don't pixel peep, they look at an image from a comfortable distance and will admire the image overall. How the image is presented will also have a major impact. The resolution required for large, commercial, Fine Art prints will be much great than that for fairly large prints of say A2 or A3, canvasses of greater size, and posting on social media or digital displays, where most people will likely present their images. So, the level of detail for the average non-professional photographer is not so critical.
2) Price: In NZ, the Sigma is about 1/4 the price of the Canon, so that is a major factor and puts it in reach of a different group of photographers. For that difference, with the Canon, one gets a weatherproof construction, dual Nano USM focus, combined OIS and IBIS, for blazing fast performance and the latest optics - all the things a professional would want, but at a big price differential. In that context, I would consider that the 150-600 still represents brilliant value for money for most amateurs.
3) Focus: I have seen some folks complain about pulsing of focus on R-series bodies, but have never experienced that myself, something I put down to how the focusing is configured. The focusing system on the R bodies is much more sophisticated than that of the DSLRs and needs some study and possibly adaptation to get the best out of it. I have no issues with focus on my R5, R6 & R6II, but I have avoided the R7 as my experience is that the focusing on this camera is much more prone to losing focus with either lens, possibly because the pixel density is significantly higher than for the FF sensors and it flips between points more easily.
I suspect the pulsing is that multiple focus points are attracted to elements that dynamically appear closer or further away as an objects move within the focus area.
I have always used Back Button Focus and Back Button Exposure Lock, and on my R-series bodies I have my focusing system configured for eye tracking, using a single point for both focus and exposure, with Servo focus enabled. I find my subject and lock focus using the centre button on the back wheel. If I tap the focus button, then the focus stay put for static subjects, but holding continuously allows the focus to follow a moving subject. Once focus is locked, I have found the focus point stays reliably on the subject as it moves across the frame. This is based on how I have always shot as it is advantageous for locking in on an eye of an individual in a flock, or surrounded by bush, and the same goes for the exposure.
4) Image Stabilization: Since I started my career back in the 80's I have pretty well always shot hand-held. I would be out in the wild for weeks on end and could not afford the weight and bulk. I have a steady hand, and I do weights regularly to ensure that I do not fatigue (so the technique is good for my health too!) - this works for me but that's a personal thing.
5) Customization and Configuration: As you observed, Sigma offers a docking station that allows one to customize focus and stabilization features and update firmware and I used those capabilities to customize the lens to my subject type and technique and it does make a difference. Canon can only update firmware for the lens via the camera.
I might add that Sigma have issued multiple firmware updates for their lenses, so that can have an impact on stabilization too. I found that with the configuration I have, the stabilization made significant differences on my DSLR and MILC bodies and most of my images were keepers at quite low shutter speeds - I am regularly getting sharp hand-held shots at 1/60sec, in the 500-600mm range. One advantage the Canon has over the Sigma is that its optical stabilization works with the IBIS to offer outstanding performance, (so I can go even slower, down to 10th sec in the same range) but again at a price.
Finally, few people have reviewed the Sigma 60-600s against the RF100-500. That Sigma is built to a higher standard, and the focal range offers the possibility of one lens to do it all, perfect for someone who is travelling overseas to shoot wildlife but doesn't want to check their lens into the hold or carry multiple lenses. It's an amazing unit.
Thanks for this great info! Re 60-600, they are not available and haven’t been for several years in SA. I can’t find one for review. I am very interested to try it.
@@WillGoodlet Odd that the 60-600 is not available there... It is a much newer lens. Mind you Canon killed the fabulous 70-200L MkII f/4 after only a couple of years. I was lucky to get one and it's a keeper IMHO.
@@trevor9934 it’s just the importer finds the market not big enough here. With the currency devaluation on a daily basis it is a lens that very few can afford,
I’m a budget, hobby photographer and have had this lens for over a year now. I l love it and could have never hoped to have a lens like this on my budget before. I use it with my Canon t8i/850D APS-C and here are a couple of things I can say about this combo.
I did buy the sigma 1.5 teleconverter to go with it but I only use it for Lunar photography. You can really get great moon shots with it. I would definitely not recommend using the teleconverter for wildlife shots, WAY too hard to get focused on a moving subject with it and the autofocus hunts and hunts for focus with it on.
This may be something more seasoned photographers can give me advice on, but I have found that it focuses much better when using the LCD instead of the view finder. This is probably a camera issue, but I’m not sure how to correct that.
This lens has taken my hobby of bird and wildlife photography to a level I did not think I could ever achieve based on my budget. I could not be more happy to have it and would recommend it to anyone.
As always thank you for the video Will! I am so happy that a professional like you also loves this lens.
Hi Jason, thanks so much for the valuable insights. They all chime with my experiences (the 1.4 TC is seemingly faster on mirrorless but not really going to cut it with fast moving birds).
The focus systems on DSLR are different for LCD and Optical finders. Normally LCD is slower but more accurate while Optical is fast but less accurate and can need adjustment (micro focus adjustment is often a feature built into the camera) The sigma dock allows this to be adjusted in the lens as well.
I think your point about how the lens has opened up the world of wildlife photography is very well made. It was just impossible to participate for many people up to the 2010s.
Cheers!
Works well on the Canon R3 ....................... No issues at all (yet)
Good to see you
Cheers :)
Best lens for the money.
Great review! I used to have the Sport variant and I honestly really liked its performance. I think the Contemporary probably makes more sense for most people, and likely isn't as end-heavy, which was a bit of a pain in the arse when hand-holding for long periods of time (definitely needed a grip to balance it). I've heard that the 60-600mm is balanced more towards the camera body, which might tempt me if I swap back to full-frame for wildlife 🤔
I have a soft spot for Sigma lenses. They've really been making strides with their recent designs at shorter focal lengths, and they still make their lenses in Japan (increasingly rare)! If Panasonic put out a viable wildlife camera and Sigma release an L-mount of their 500mm f/4 I'd be very excited and very quick to swap over.
Thanks Robert. I’ve got a couple of Sigmas that I really love. So happy to have improved quality from a third party manufacturers over the years.
I couldn’t get my hands on a 500 f4 but I’d love to try it out. 60-600 too especially for video (I like the idea of 60mm).
What do you think of the Panasonic S5ii ? For some reason Panasonic are very expensive in SA but it looks very interesting for my purposes.
@@WillGoodlet I’d really like to try that 60-600 too - the idea of a combined long landscape lens and wildlife lens is very appealing 😀
I have the first S5 and it’s frustrating because it’s hands-down my favourite camera to use, but the AF is unreliable. The video features are stellar though. The S5II looks really exciting! Looks like they’ve solved the AF and not lost the other things that make the first one great. It seems to have comparable rolling shutter to the R6 MkII, which isn’t too bad. The Animal AF doesn’t do eye detection yet, but considering they already do human eyes that should be doable.
I’ll probably pick up the S5IIx when it’s released in a few months, as I could use the extra features, but I’m really curious to see if they do an S1II with a stacked sensor or something 🤤 I’d likely swap over from my OM-1 for wildlife in that case!
It’s a shame they’re expensive in SA, as over here they’re notably better value than other brands.
I just got back from 5 days in Kruger, used a battered version of one of these on my D7200. Overall it did a great job, got some really good keepers that I would not have been able to get with any other lens for the money I spent on the Sigma. Biggest frustration I had was the limitations due to the apertures, meaning I had to crank up iso to get decent exposure when the light was bad. Again, for the money, this is totally acceptable. Autofocus not always the best, but again, for the budget it's totally acceptable and also possible to overcome with things like shooting bursts.
Overall, can't beat it for the money. I paid £460 for the lens, BARGAIN!
Agree it’s great value. When I was in my twenties I couldn’t even imagine having a lens as good. Just didn’t exist. Glad you got some shots and enjoyed Kruger!
The best review. Do you think for sony apsc is the better the comtemporary or sport lens? Thank you again.
I haven’t used Sony, but both the lenses are good. This contemporary lens offers a lot of value and delivers almost the same image. The sport obviously has a more premium build.
Hi Will, really interesting review. In my experience as a Nikon Z shooter as well as Nikon DSLR user is that these "lesser" lenses really seem to be coming into their own when used on mirrorless because we lose the questionable focus accuracy, many of these lenses can suffer from front/back focus issues to a great or lesser extent, obviously this just doesn't happen with mirrorless. In the future I may look into getting a copy of this lens to use purely with my mirrorless cameras. I've owned the Sigma 150-600mm Sport in the past before the days of mirrorless an I tried three different copies, I simply couldn't achieve consistency autofocus, it would focus but it just wasn't accurate hence the images were nearly always soft. I don't expect results like from my 600mmf4 or 400f2.8 but this Sigma is just so small and light by comparison, I could easily hike all day carrying the zoom and attached mirrorless in a small back pack!
I'd like to wish you and your family all the very best for 2023, take care!
Thanks for the good wishes for 2023 and to you and your family too!
Good point on front / back focus. You are right, the cameras are really giving these lenses some legs.
I think I should have made it more obvious how I shoot in the video - from a vehicle with little space to move and swing heavy lenses - that’s why the 150-600 was so liberating for me. 600mm too of course.
From other comments it seems there are good and bad copies.
I use the Sigma on my EOS M5, EOS R and now my EOS R3, I get people telling me how soft the lens is at 600mm, I have never found this and think that it is an extremely good lens for the money
I have the Sport version and calibrated it with the Sigmadock. The focus speed is super fast and accurate, using the custom C1 setting i programmed. It obviously also has the latest firmware installed. I am extremely happy with this lens, although it is heavy. Pls do a comparison test with the Sport version
Thanks for the info on the AF system. I'd love to do a comparison but can't get hold of a 60-600 anywhere!
So far I have come across this video from bing suggestions , I got the Sigma lens it's already given awesome photos with my canon 1500d which is an entry level dslr, so just go for it.
Thanks for watching and the vote of confidence in the Sigma lens :)
I would love to see a similar review of the Sigma 60-600mm.
Trying to get my hands on it
@@WillGoodlet I have it in the Canon EF mount. Have used it as my primary lens for the past year, and I am interested in seeing if your thoughts on it are similar to mine. The MFD at all focal lengths is really close, which makes it even more useful as it can be decent for close-up work ..... which is not something I expected from a xx - 600mm zoom.
Danke!
Thanks!
Great music there, which is very rare on youtube these days! Excellent review. My own experience, nearly 1 year into buying this lens, is that being 5'4 and weighing not that much this lens is a bit heavy for me, at least when it comes to flying birds. Most people reviewing these lenses are tougher and perhaps heavier cookies :)
If I had had the money, I would have definitely gotten the sport version of this lens. Being in Finland, by the time the birds are cool with photographers and you can be within a reasonable distance for a nice shot, the sun rises at 4am, and it doesn't set completely. It isn't always possible to get up at that time, which means you want to be able to be out on the shittier days when light is nice and diffused. So having to stop shooting when the rain comes is a downside for sure. If I could have gotten the sport version I'd be getting way more photography done.
I'm on a Canon 5D Mark III, and the lens pulses A LOT. I didn't know about the extra dock until recently, but it seems it is pretty much necessary if you want to optimise focus on your setup.
I'd still buy this lens all over again (and a decent set of ketel bells to keep fit) as the price range was absolutely suitable for the shots I have been getting!
Thanks for the excellent review and keep up the nice vids. Cheers!
Correction: I call it pulsing, but I'm on a DSLR. I would need a photography buff to explain to me what I mean. On autofocus, handheld, OS1 or 2 activated, once I've locked onto the subject, there is a second or 2 before I can actually take the shot, because the lens is still shaking around into position. If I halfpress the shutter button, it does this constantly, and you can see the frame moving in the viewfinder. Make sense? :D
Just bought it for 620 Euro brand new.. It is a cool piece of gear.
Excellent interesting & informative video , Being an amateur photographer I haven't been out with my new Sigma150-600C that much since I purchased it a couple of weeks ago ( weather doesn't help ! ) but with the few photos I have taken most have come out very well , I definitely need a larger camera bag and I noticed you use one that accommodates the lens Which make is your bag please ? I Have subbed to your channel ,Best wishes Graham .
Hi Graham, congratulations on the new lens! Great to hear you are getting good results!
Thanks for watching and the sub too, I hope you find the other video’s interesting.
The bag is an F-Stop Tilopa. They are a bit different because the bag outer part can be fitted with different types of internals. They are called ICU internal camera units
The one I have inside the bag is the extra large (if I remember).
Cheers!
@@WillGoodlet Thanks Will for the quick Reply ! I shall take a look at Tilopa tonight and I will certainly look at your other videos ! Best wishes Graham
I dunno about anyone else, but I felt smarter after watching this video. . .not just about photography, but everything.
. . .having said that, this sold me on getting a 150-600MM and I couldn't be happier (well if my "keeper" rate was in the double digits, but that'll come with practice).
Had this lens on my 7D II was fine if you got a good copy but once i switched to mirrorless I got rid of it the pulsing drove me nuts. Not so great on my R5s and tried it on the R6 II, Starting out its great so is the Tamron G2. for commercial use when things have to work no matter what then I went with the 100-500. Hopefully Canon comes out with a 200-600.
It seems there are good ones and bad ones! Thanks for the insights. As you say It's a bargain starting out in wildlife, especially anyone picking up a used DSLR to go with it.
Hi Will, thx for the video, I just bought a used one for my Nikon D750 - just did some testing in between the rain showers. You are right it is a very capable lens. I also bought the USB-dock - I possibly do not have to alter anything as everything worked well.
Glad to hear it and congratulations! :)
Thanks for this video. Like all wildlife photographers I'm looking for extra reach but lightweight for easy carrying. I have an R6 and a 5dMk4. I have the EF100-400 Mk2 and the RF100-400 which I often use with a RF2x extender. I think I will have to save hard for the RF100-500 or consider selling my 5dMk4 and buying an R6 Mk2 but it's always a decision about priorities and finance. I'm very impressed with my R6 but having been disappointed by an earlier Sigma lens, think I'm going to stick with Canon lenses.
I think if you have the budget for the RF100-500, it should be an improvement. I haven't tried it but have heard great things. A lot comes down to budget but the value offered by the Siggy is considerable and offers a great many photographers a way into good quality wildlife images.
I used this lens for about 5 years. The only issue I found was low light performance especially after I obtained the canon ef 600mm f4 III which I love using. I have the sigma 60-600mm sport which was just a bit too heavy for hand hold walks over distance. I'd long walk the ef 600 for 6 mile walks over the 60-600mm sigma sport.
I'm gifting the 150 to 600 c to my kid sister it'll be awesome for her.
Hi Lawson thanks for this, great to hear you got good use out of it and now your sister will!. Did I read that right? You would rather walk with the 600 F4 than the 60-600? I haven’t managed to get my hands on the 60-600 yet (seem to be out of stock permanently) so I can’t compare it.
@@WillGoodlet yes I'd rather do long walks with the 600 f4 or the 150-600c. The 600 is just so much better balanced than the 60-600 and appears lighter in the hands over time. Part of me just wants to hand off the 60-600 to her but bad idea since I want her to find joy in the process. I know she'll love the 150-600.
But, of course my experience might be unique just to me. I don't know anyone with the 60-600 to compare my thoughts with.
Great review! Perhaps you can do a tutorial on how you edit your videos? Best regards
Thanks Peter. Didn’t think anyone would be interested in my video editing will think about what I can do.
@WillGoodlet I was impressed by all the text and animation you did. Looked very professional 👏
I use this lens almost every day on my Nikon D7200 for bird/wildlife photography. I'm sure there are better combinations but value for money (I'm on a pension) I think it will be hard to beat.
Agree totally Dave. I just wish I had an option like this when I was a youngster scrounging money for my next roll of film. All I could afford was a 300mm. Even in the early 2000’s there was nothing
Amazing video! I've been using the canon m50 mark II and EF 75-300 for wildlife photo and video but have been looking for more reach. This lens seems like this will get me there within my budget. Should I be looking at other camera bodies or stick with my m50 mark II?
It depends what you shoot. Be careful of recommendations for “wildlife” cameras and lenses. There is a predominance of info based around bird and bird in flight photography. This is NOT the same as wildlife photography. Wildlife is not as fast nor generally as demanding on gear and autofocus. So yes your M50 plus a decent long lens will be perfectly adequate for wildlife. For most perched and slowly moving birds too. It will struggle, compared to other more appropriate cameras, for bird in flight.
@@WillGoodlet Ah yes, that is an important distinction. I should have specified I primarily focus on small birds
@wildlifesammy8593 if the lens is in budget then its a nice addition and the reach on the M50 will help a lot. You can always bump your camera up later. The 600mm will make a huge difference for small birds and the limitations of your camera will just
Make you more inventive as a photographer! This gear just wasn’t even conceived of when i started with 300mm and film cameras. So you can still get good shots with it. The lens is the most important part of the equation. Get the best one you are comfortable spending on.