AGENDA
NEWS
Sigma’s super- size telezoom A unique 300-600mm lens will bring joy to Sony, Panasonic and Leica mirrorless owners
S igma’s mission to build high- quality lenses offering something different to other manufacturers continues with this monster of a telephoto zoom – at a surprisingly low price considering its speed and technology. The 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens fits Sony E and L-Mount mirrorless cameras and offers the image quality to rival prime lenses, making it ideal for sports or wildlife. Costing £5899/$5999, it’s a bargain compared to Sony’s G Master 600mm f/4 prime at £11,999/$12,998.
Sony’s closest alternative lens is the £1459/$1998 200-600mm, but its variable f/5.6-6.3 aperture makes it much slower and smaller. L-Mount brands Leica and Panasonic offer nothing remotely similar, while Canon’s RF 600mm f/4 prime costs £14,178/$12,999. With a constant f/4 aperture, the beefy Sigma 300-600mm delivers fast, precise AF via its High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) and 5.5 stops of optical stabilisation. It also boasts a magnesium alloy body, thermal insulation paint and customisable function control ring. Weighing 3970g/8.75lb and measuring 470mm/18.5in long with a 167mm/6.6in diameter, it’s slightly heavier than Sony’s 600mm f/4 prime (3040g/6.7lb) yet nearly the same size, despite being a zoom. The optical construction of 28 elements in 21 groups is designed to bring the centre of gravity towards the camera to improve the front-heavy weight balance. Seeing as the lens is designed to be used outdoors, weather proofing extends to the mount joints, manual focus ring, zoom ring, custom switches, control switches and exterior joints, which are all dust and splash resistant. The front element features a water- and oil-repellent coating, too.
SUPER-LONG SIGMA The mammoth 300-600mm dwarfs a Sony cam (above). Some controls are rear-mounted (left)
DO-IT-ALL SUPERZOOM
2025 CONTEMPORARY MAKEOVER The full range of Sigma I lenses
to fit full-frame mirrorless cameras has had a makeover with a new silver colour for L-Mount versions – ideal to match to the new BF camera. The nine-lens range now features updated black exteriors for L-Mount and Sony E-mount versions, with the 45mm version modified to accept the metal lens cap. There’s also an official name change to the Sigma DG Contemporary range, dropping the DN designation. Optical build is unchanged.
Sigma has revealed the world’s first mirrorless lens with an 18.8x zoom ratio, priced at £599/$699, for crop-sensor cameras in E, L, RF and X mounts. The 16-300mm DC OS Contemporary offers a wide-angle to super-telephoto zoom (equivalent to 25.6-480mm) in a compact, lightweight package. The trade-off is its variable aperture, ranging from f/3.5 to f/6.7. It has an HLA motor for fast, smooth AF and six stops of image stabilisation at the wide end, reducing to 4.5 stops at the telephoto end. The lens allows for close- ups, with a maximum magnification
12
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook