Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS Sport

[Luskentyre]

The hides you are referring to are not meant for serious bird photography but are for observing wildlife and an occasional image of whatever. I photograph a lot in Spain from hides purposely built for bird / wildlife photography. If you go there with your 600mm attached to your camera you will get mainly head shots as the 600mm is simply too large a lens.
Rene de Heer
www.naturepics.co.uk

Most of the UK hides I visit (not all are RSPB) are used by reasonably serious photographers with a long lens - though few have a £/$10,000 + lens

I would like to learn more
One plus in a few hides I use is a 3/8 screw to take your own tripod head.
The majority by number Iareoperated by Wildlife Trusts.
I find getting small birds or even red squirrel to come consistently within about 10 feet of a hide requires someone putting food out to attract them. This does occur in a few privately run UK locations but does not come for free.

I’m not sure what qualifies for a serious photographer (I’m assuming you are referring to professionals), but I regularly come across plenty of photography enthusiasts within the hides that I visit. I’d say a 50:50 split between birders & photographers, with equipment ranging from consumer grade sigma/tamron zooms to the latest & most expensive primes (particularly at RSPB Minsmere). I’m more of a hobbyist myself, and I’ve never been comfortable with photographing from baited hides- nothing wrong with it per se, just not for me as my main aim is to get out & enjoy the experience rather than nailing the photo itself (which is a bonus, of course). In fact, I much prefer to walk around the reserve with my 500 pf, although I do use the hides, too, mainly early morning/late evenings.

Anyways, back to the original topic, I’m sure the sigma zoom will be interesting for those who want to work from hides, although not sure if I’ll get one as my dual camera 400/800 setup works quite well when I’m at a hide here in the UK.

 

[Marcelo_R]

The hides you are referring to are not meant for serious bird photography but are for observing wildlife and an occasional image of whatever. I photograph a lot in Spain from hides purposely built for bird / wildlife photography. If you go there with your 600mm attached to your camera you will get mainly head shots as the 600mm is simply too large a lens.
Rene de Heer
www.naturepics.co.uk

I´m leaned to side with @Rene here: 600mm could be too much FL for hides in Spain. Let me rephrase that: it might be when visiting hides where the feeders are at close distance and a bigger bird decides to start feeding on it.

A zoom is in my opinion a better tool for hides than a fixed FL (no matter what FL) unless you are 100 pct certain about the distance to the feeder/perching place and the size of the birds feeding. But, what if a bigger birdie decides to join the action? We've all been there I'd guess...

Obviously, it's the work of the hide managers to place the feeder or the perching places at reasonable distances based on what most people is bringing/using. But they are also aware that not every visitor is having at hand a long lens, so they compromise as well (bar the hydros, of course).

here's an example of what I'm trying to say:

This pic was shot at 25m of distance, using the Sigma 300-800 on a D5 @ 480mm...

MRC_7325 by Marcelo Cinicola, on Flickr


Had I used a longer FL, the framing would have been compromised and without doubt, I couldn't have got both in the pic, however, at that distance, a Kite-sized bird asked for more FL ... so I simply increased the FL to its max and got (from the same distance) this one shot instead (same location/hide, but at 800mm:

MRC_6843 by Marcelo Cinicola, on Flickr

I've shot from hides with 800mm, 600, 500, 400, 300 and with 180mm (both fixed and zoom lenses), I couldn't say what's best, it's always a different story... but if only one gear/tripod mount is possible, I'd say the 180-400TC is the best tool I could think of... even 300mm as the minimum FL could be on the edge for certain hides/species...

Krgds, Marcelo

 

[Rene]

I´m leaned to side with @Rene here: 600mm could be too much FL for hides in Spain. Let me rephrase that: it might be when visiting hides where the feeders are at close distance and a bigger bird decides to start feeding on it.

A zoom is in my opinion a better tool for hides than a fixed FL (no matter what FL) unless you are 100 pct certain about the distance to the feeder/perching place and the size of the birds feeding. But, what if a bigger birdie decides to join the action? We've all been there I'd guess...

Obviously, it's the work of the hide managers to place the feeder or the perching places at reasonable distances based on what most people is bringing/using. But they are also aware that not every visitor is having at hand a long lens, so they compromise as well (bar the hydros, of course).

here's an example of what I'm trying to say:

This pic was shot at 25m of distance, using the Sigma 300-800 on a D5 @ 480mm...

MRC_7325 by Marcelo Cinicola, on Flickr


Had I used a longer FL, the framing would have been compromised and without doubt, I couldn't have got both in the pic, however, at that distance, a Kite-sized bird asked for more FL ... so I simply increased the FL to its max and got (from the same distance) this one shot instead (same location/hide, but at 800mm:

MRC_6843 by Marcelo Cinicola, on Flickr

I've shot from hides with 800mm, 600, 500, 400, 300 and with 180mm (both fixed and zoom lenses), I couldn't say what's best, it's always a different story... but if only one gear/tripod mount is possible, I'd say the 180-400TC is the best tool I could think of... even 300mm as the minimum FL could be on the edge for certain hides/species...

Krgds, Marcelo

Cheers. I have always been an advocate of zoom lenses especially from hides . I used to have the Sony 600/400mm but thank god sold both of them. I now use the 300mm with converters and larger zoom lenses . On top of that the added bonus; air travel has become much more easy
Rene de Heer
www.naturepics.co.uk

 

[Rene]

I’m not sure what qualifies for a serious photographer (I’m assuming you are referring to professionals), but I regularly come across plenty of photography enthusiasts within the hides that I visit. I’d say a 50:50 split between birders & photographers, with equipment ranging from consumer grade sigma/tamron zooms to the latest & most expensive primes (particularly at RSPB Minsmere). I’m more of a hobbyist myself, and I’ve never been comfortable with photographing from baited hides- nothing wrong with it per se, just not for me as my main aim is to get out & enjoy the experience rather than nailing the photo itself (which is a bonus, of course). In fact, I much prefer to walk around the reserve with my 500 pf, although I do use the hides, too, mainly early morning/late evenings.

Anyways, back to the original topic, I’m sure the sigma zoom will be interesting for those who want to work from hides, although not sure if I’ll get one as my dual camera 400/800 setup works quite well when I’m at a hide here in the UK.

I’m by no means a professional photographer but take my photography seriously. I would get seriously frustrated if I spend a day in a public hide with people going in/out and not getting the images I want but I understand it’s not for everyone but I respect everyone who prefers enjoying being out and taking pictures…so basically enjoy yourself.
Rene de Heer
www.naturepics.co.uk

 

[MrFotoFool]

SonyAlphaRumors just posted some nice size comparisons of this lens with other telephoto lenses.

Sigma 300-600mm f/4.0 size comparison with the Sigma 500mm lens and Sony 200-600mm | sonyalpharumors

Sigma 300-600mm f/4.0 vs Sony 600mm f/4.0 vs Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 (via CameraSize) Here are a few size comparisons to give you an idea of the size of the new Sigma lens. It's basically the same size as the Sony 600 GM, but weighs 1kg more. The good news is that it costs less than

www.sonyalpharumors.com

 

[ElenaH]

this lens of E-mount can work with Megadap adapter on Z-cameras.
But I noticed through the years that Sigma lenses are slower than native, a bit shorter than described, are very sharp and have a very nice bokeh.

Ref. hides - I often used hides in Hungary. Some of them on the swamps of Tisza and some are so called "drinking pools" in the forest. In drinking pools 300mm were sometimes too long ....

 

[Jose Raposo]

It's an interesting lens for sure, not something that I would personally consider given some of the limitations as a Sony shooter but given the 600f4 capability at that price point it's pretty astounding.

In respect to the hides, I've done quite a bit of raptor shooting in hides in Portugal the hides are very similar to the systems used in Spain. I find that 600 is more often than not just too long a focal length for some of the larger raptors such as Griffons and Eurasian Black Vultures especially if shooting BIF, Cinereous vultures have wingspans up to 10ft, very easy to fill the frame with those guys. For some of the smaller raptors like Egyptian vultures and Black or Red Kites the 600 works fine. Most of my shots are taken with the 300, it's the sweet spot but I also use the 70-200 zoom for some really tight headshots especially for the Egyptian vultures, they have a tendency to walk the grounds and sometimes can approach a few feet from the hide.

 

[Tiago C]

Just watched Gerald Undone's review. I think his conclusion is "meh" and is very critical of the video capabilities, specifically the readout speed and rolling shutter. Too bad.

Lumix is more of a video-centric than photo-centric manufacturers, but they hit a wall trying to make a full-frame 8k camera. There is still no substitute to Sony/Nikon/Canon in this realm.

Hi Nimi,

Gerald's reviews are video-centric and he focuses a lot on lab performance as opposed to product use cases and field use.

My thoughts as a Lumix (S5II) user is that it behaves extremely well as photo camera. It worked brilliantly on a trip to Botswana last year and I will happily take it to Costa Rica this year. Very capable camera not just for video, despite the sluggishness some specs might suggest. AF is better than the on on a XH-2S I owned a while ago. I can only imagine the S1RII will be better. Of course I wished for a stacked sensor but I am happy to wait for it as I believe in the system is a good match for me.

In terms of value-for-money and lens options for wildlife and macro, the L-mount system looks like one stacked sensor away from being very close to Sony and Nikon.

AF and image quality differences between brands are becoming less significant IMO. Build, ergonomics, UI and firmware improvements become equally if not more important in some use cases; and Lumix is very strong here.

My main point is that even the L-mount Lumix system can be very sucessfully used a wildlife photography. I think more and more people will realise that after the release of the Sigma 300-600.

L-mount lenses of relevance, and not necessarily video-centric, I can think of:
- Lumix S Pro 70-200mm F2.8
- Sigma 70-200 f2.8 DG DN OS
- Lumix S 100mm f/2.8
- Sigma 105 f2.8 Macro DG DN
- Sigma 100-400 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 150-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 60-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS
- Sigma 300-600 f4 DG OS
- TCs (mentioned because they are much more afforable than TCs from most other brands)

 

[Nimi]

Hi Nimi,

Gerald's reviews are video-centric and he focuses a lot on lab performance as opposed to product use cases and field use.

My thoughts as a Lumix (S5II) user is that it behaves extremely well as photo camera. It worked brilliantly on a trip to Botswana last year and I will happily take it to Costa Rica this year. Very capable camera not just for video, despite the sluggishness some specs might suggest. AF is better than the on on a XH-2S I owned a while ago. I can only imagine the S1RII will be better. Of course I wished for a stacked sensor but I am happy to wait for it as I believe in the system is a good match for me.

In terms of value-for-money and lens options for wildlife and macro, the L-mount system looks like one stacked sensor away from being very close to Sony and Nikon.

AF and image quality differences between brands are becoming less significant IMO. Build, ergonomics, UI and firmware improvements become equally if not more important in some use cases; and Lumix is very strong here.

My main point is that even the L-mount Lumix system can be very sucessfully used a wildlife photography. I think more and more people will realise that after the release of the Sigma 300-600.

L-mount lenses of relevance, and not necessarily video-centric, I can think of:
- Lumix S Pro 70-200mm F2.8
- Sigma 70-200 f2.8 DG DN OS
- Lumix S 100mm f/2.8
- Sigma 105 f2.8 Macro DG DN
- Sigma 100-400 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 150-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 60-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS
- Sigma 300-600 f4 DG OS
- TCs (mentioned because they are much more afforable than TCs from most other brands)

I really enjoyed using the S9, but wasn't thrilled with the two S-prime Lumix lenses I took with me on my trip, so i moved on. I've never been a Sigma fan, I find them overly sharp and flat. I'm rooting for the L-mount and Lumix has the best stabe in the business, and they appear to catch up nicely on AF. There really isn't a great 6k video-centric hybrid on the market that doesn't weigh a ton, and I think the first one could be a Lumix. This ain't it tho. Maybe DJI.

Undone did a follow up video specifically on rolling shutter with real-life examples. His conclusion was that the camera has significant rolling shutter, no surprise, and that depending of what you shoot, it may make no difference. For me, video and stills, it makes a difference shooting at and from moving vehicles.

 

[Doug Herr]

My main point is that even the L-mount Lumix system can be very sucessfully used a wildlife photography. I think more and more people will realise that after the release of the Sigma 300-600.

L-mount lenses of relevance, and not necessarily video-centric, I can think of:
- Lumix S Pro 70-200mm F2.8
- Sigma 70-200 f2.8 DG DN OS
- Lumix S 100mm f/2.8
- Sigma 105 f2.8 Macro DG DN
- Sigma 100-400 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 150-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 60-600 f6.3 DG DN OS
- Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS
- Sigma 300-600 f4 DG OS
- TCs (mentioned because they are much more afforable than TCs from most other brands)

Another L-mount lens is the Leica 90-280mm APO, which I used on loan for evaluation.