SIGMA 60-600MM F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS SPORTS

A versatile standard-to-super-telephoto zoom, but mind the weight

- Matthew Richards

www.sigma-global.com £1,999/$1,999

The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 TDG DN OS Sports for Sony and L-mount cameras has some history behind it. In 2001, the so-called 'Bigma' was born, a unique lens for SLRs with a 50-500mm zoom range, and an updated version, weighing 1,840g, was launched in 2010. This was eclipsed in 2018 by the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports, weighing 2.7kg. Sigma chose not to add Sony E and Leica L mount options for mirrorless cameras, instead redesigning the 'DN' mirrorless version, which is still a hefty 2.4859.

A similar contender for Sony shooters is the Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di III VXD. This one kicks off with the natural perspective of a 50mm focal length but doesn’t stretch as far into super-telephoto territory, topping out at 400mm. On the plus side, the Tamron is about four inches shorter in physical length and less than half the weight at 1,115g, meaning it’s more manageable for carrying around and for handheld shooting. It’s also less expensive, but the Sigma is a more prestigious lens with greater refinement in its handling, as well as giving a 50 percent boost in maximum telephoto reach.

1 Top of the features list is Sigma's trademark 10x zoom range. The lens's complex optical path features 27 elements in 19 groups.

2 The lens has three customisable AF-hold buttons, which fall neatly under the thumb in both landscape and portrait orientations.

3 At the rear is a rank of switches for AF/MF focus modes, and an autofocus range limiter that can lock out both ends of travel.

Key features