Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Review for Bird and Wildlife Photography

I took 10,000 images testing the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary lens, check out what is possible from this affordable lens. Cheers, Duade

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Chapters
00:00 Sigma 150-600 Intro
01:17 Lens Specs
02:41 Aperture
03:42 MFD
04:11 Price
04:50 Digital Calendar
05:49 Image Quality
13:32 Poor Shots
15:40 Zoom Range
17:51 Teleconverters
19:16 FPS
19:41 Optical Stabilisation
21:16 Focus Limiter
21:38 Lens Calibration
22:15 Autofocus
26:41 Mirrorless Body
31:47 BIF
35:16 Value/Comparison
40:23 Owners Thoughts
41:27 Conclusion
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[Duade]

Sigma have responded that the Sigma 150-600C is not compatible with the Eye Tracking Servo mode of the Canon mirrorless bodies. You will need to use single shot AF to get accurate autofocus. The AF will still work in tracking mode but you will get inconsistent focus as I have demonstrated. Cheers, Duade

[BruceGoett]

I really like your comment about sharpness - I sometimes obsess over taking super sharp images and overlook a really nicely composed photo because it's grainy or not as sharp as I think it should be.

[abhishektiwari]

I really really love how you show the RAW/edited photos so it is so much easier for me as a young amateur to understand what aspects you touch upon to get those beautiful results! Thank you, subscribed just a couple of minutes into this video :D

[brucea.kenney]

I am a wee bit jealous. I think it would be so awesome to live where there is so much diversity in wildlife. I find your videos are so informative and just extremely detailed. Thank you sir

[PhotographerSen]

Man, Sigma should approach you with an award only for making this video. Managed to see it till the end (birding patience kicked in). Thanks for that refocus tips. Gotta come handy for me. 🙂

[Strann]

I bought my 150-600mm about a year and a half ago. I used to have an older Sigma 150-500mm EX DG OS HSM that I bought back in 2012 to shoot my son's high school soccer games. Then I sold it to buy it's successor when I started birding in the summer of 2020. I also paired it with a 90D and got excellent results - eventually. The 90D was a little more advanced than my old Rebel T3i (600D) and I had a lot of soft shots early on due to my inexperience. I wish we could share photos here - I would show you some of my favorite shots with both Sigma lenses. Duade, I just wanted to add that I really enjoy your videos! I like learning from your experience and seeing your photos of the birds and other wildlife of Australia. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[RickRose]

I love the fact that you tested the lens with an old 40D. Makes an intriguing proposition for someone interested in getting into wildlife photography for the first time. I've recently dipped my toe with a used 7D mkii (USD$500) and a used Canon L 400/5.6 (USD$700), and I am hooked. I think this is a good time for budget-minded novices.

[berntolovhellstrom]

I got a sport version and i wasn't very happy with it. But, it changed one day when i bumped the tripod with my backpack and the lens took the hit on the ground. It stuck and needed some care so i sent it in and the cost was €350. When it returned it really amazed me about its change. Now everything was obviously adjusted to the better by the service guys. This lens is now one of the sharpest lenses i got as long as i keep it on the tripod and with decent shutter speeds.
It also tells how little the lenses are adjusted in production and how little the dock actually can do. Guys with screw drivers and knowledge can do much better.

And....you have produced one of the best Reviews on a lens, i've ever seen. You really deserve more subscribers!

[jessicamahon]

I REALLY appreciate that you share the OC shots and outline how you cropped them. it's so beneficial for those learning!!! <3

[guyjackson]

That is without a doubt the best review of a camera lense that I have seen posted on any channel. The fact that I own the lense is definitely a plus. The time and effort you put into this video is amazing. I own all three of the lenses that your friend owns and totally agree with him on the quality of the equipment and its results. Thank you for the video. I plan on purchasing the 90D at some point after the new year.

[garretduthie]

I've had the sigma 600 for over a year now. I use it with my r6, it has gotten me some amazing results. The focus pulsing is real and can be frustrating at times. It did open up a world of wildlife photography that never existed for me before. If you are on a more limited budget I highly recommend!

[JustAnotherDronePilot]

I appreciate this video a lot. I actually have purchased this lens after doing a bit of research and looking at what I wanted to get. I currently own a Nikon 75-300mm 5.6-6.3, and the Sigma 150-600mm fits what I was working up to. You actually going into detail about user error and fixing the ISO/Aperture/etc really helps me understand the limitations of the lens and how you shoot your photos. There are other YouTube videos where others are quick to blame the lens without providing the appropriate background information, while going straight to, "you wouldn't have this issue if you were using x lens or y lens."

To me, this video fully encompasses an understanding of the limitations of the lens, while also showing just how capable of a lens it is, and I appreciate actual photos rather than just an explanation. Overall, very detailed information, and I'm going to have to come back to this video a few times to make sure I understand your explanations. I still consider myself more of a hobbyist when it comes to photography, but I'm getting there with understanding all the settings.

Thank you again Duade!

[bwanaron]

I watch a lot of camera gear videos on YouTube and yours are definitely the best. Your knack for good explanation and depth of real-life testing sets you apart. Even with its faults, I will probably buy this Sigma lens to mate with my older Canon 5D Mark II. I am a retired professional studio photographer but an amateur bird photographer, and it looks like this lens would be perfect for my new hobby. I'm glad I discovered your channel.

[shphotography]

I've owned this lens for 2, 5 years now, started out using it on my Nikon D7200 then on a Nikon D800 and a Nikon D810, now I'm using it on my Nikon D850 and it has delivered crisp and sharp images on all the cameras I've used it on. I'm keeping this lens for sure and as a complement to it I have the Sigma EX 120-300 f2.8 wich is also a great lens, I've had the same auto focus issues you mentioned in the video but still not so much it's a headache so to say... Thanks for a great video I really enjoyed watching it! - Best regards, Stefan from Sweden.

[edwardfoster]

My experience has also matched yours. I started using the Sigma 150-600 on an 80D, and it was such a step up from the kit 70-300 that I was thrilled with it. It can take amazingly sharp photos, but it is a bit slow and not always easy to focus. I just recently purchased an R6. I am able to get a fairly good keeper rate on birds in flight, if they are 20 meters and beyond, but little birds and birds close up... it just can't keep up. On birds that are stationary though it is really good, far from perfect (but then again, so am I) but for the price, I am satisfied and will keep it until I can find something that works better that I can afford.

I appreciate your channel and your work. Watching one of your videos feel like hanging out with one of my buddies. Thanks for all you do!

[ggwildlife]

Hi Duade, this was a top quality video, it covers absolutely everything that any photographer could wish to hear, the downfalls were great to listen to due to user error etc, so detailed, i love mine its pin sharp on my 40D, 7D, 90D & my 5D mkIII you covered a lot of variants that i have also come across which made me smile a few times, thank you once again for a quality video.

[fgb]

OK I watched this entire video Duade. I watched it with GREAT interest because I own a Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary and have it on my venerable Canon 7D Mark II. Actually I have owned two Sigmas. My first one got knocked pretty badly when I fell and thereafter, even using micro-adjust, it never was the same again.

So...I sold that lens and bought...wait for it...ANOTHER Sigma 150-600mm. That's the one I have now and it has been much better than my first one even before I knocked it. I could not agree with you more. My bird photography teacher recommended this 150-600mm zoom as a way for me to get out to 600mm without having to pay an arm and another arm to get a Canon 600mm prime.

I value the flexibility of zoom which you touched upon. Recently I was out in the field and an immature Bald Eagle appeared about 50 yards away from me and proceeded to fly right at me. I started to shoot it at 600mm but as it got closer and closer, I hastily took my zoom ring and backed out! Because of that I got a super image as the eagle flew literally right past me - I'd say it was about 5 yards away. I would never buy a prime lens given my age, arm strength, income bracket, and lens needs.

Okay. Now - I have two Canon 7D Mark IIs, one I bought new and one used. I keep this Sigma on my best one and have my wonderful Canon 100-400mm Mark II lens on the used one. This is a permanent arrangement (I could never get the hang of switching lenses in the field). As a result I can compare the two lenses almost every time I go out. If I am going to be in the woods photographing small passerines I definitely want the Canon 100-400; it can auto-focus INSIDE of twigs and branches to get the bird. If I am going to be on the seashore, or open country, where I expect to see birds at some distance I use the Sigma.

Frankly the Canon 100-400mm is in a class of its own. I bought mine soon after I began to photograph birds in about 2018 and that was a superb investment. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Built like a tank, probably nuclear bomb proof. Heavy. But I just love it and if/when I got to Canon's mirrorless cameras I can still use it. The Sigma is up against stiff competition as a result but I am more and more surprised and pleased with it. It's a perfect adjunct and when you put it on the Canon R5 I really perked up! I would be wanting to do that for sure b/c the cost of the Canon camera alone would be a big investment for me, and hence I would not initially be able to buy the Canon RF 100-500mm; although down the road I would be looking forward to it - esp. since it appears to be a worthy successor to the 100-400mm (which as I'm sure you know was specifically designed for the Canon 7D).

So that's my tale. I hope this helps.

[bielseproducoes]

The funny part is that I'm not even a bird or nature photographer, but I watched the entire video very interested and captivated by your photos and the peaceful atmosphere that your video conveys. Thank you for so much effort and at the same time, naturalness.

[mountainshadowknives]

Incredible review on this lens! I just got this lens about two weeks ago for my 90d. I have only used it minimally, however the times that I have had time to use it, it has given me great results. I will agree that the auto focus seems to lack slightly in low light conditions, but overall it is a great lens that has given me some tack sharp shots! I would highly recommend this lens for anyone getting started into wildlife photography. At a very affordable price, it is well worth the money for this nice of a lens.

[thehainanchannel]

Hi Duane, it’s videos like this that keep people coming back to this channel, really well done. I’ve had the sigma 150-600 for just over a year and I’ve been both very pleased, and extremely frustrated with it. Under ideal conditions, good light, optimal distance, little movement etc it works great and produces excellent images. In other situations, like a dull overcast early morning, I’ve come home with a bag of noisy, blurry images. I shoot on a 6D mark 2, (saving for an R6), and balancing high ISO and shutter speed sometimes feels like a game of attrition. The focus hunting has me grinding my teeth sometimes, (thanks for the tip on SS). If you live in a country like Australia, with bright sunny days and lots of light that’s great, but if you like somewhere like the UK or Ireland this lens can be difficult.