The problem was at its worst at 150mm and f/5 it reduced significantly when we stopped down to f/7.1, and disappeared more or less completely at f/10 and smaller. Vignetting might be most apparent in test scenarios – pictures of evenly-lit, plain surfaces - but here we were able to discern plenty of vignetting even in scenes with lots of detail. The only exception to that is vignetting, which is very pronounced at the wider aperture settings. Photo demonstrating the noticeable vignetting around contrasted edges (Image credit: Dave Stevenson) Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM review: Performance In fairness, this is a lens for general wildlife and sports applications rather than being dedicated to the kind of fine-manual-focus work that astrophotography entails, but its size, and slightly less-than-perfect smoothness, can be tricky. It's very narrow, a shade under 2cm wide, which makes it a little awkward, and it also runs directly underneath the tripod shoe, making it even harder to grab hold of if the lens is mounted straight on a tripod. If we were forced to pick out a niggle it would be the focus ring. Usability-wise we have few complaints, of course, the lens' center of gravity changes a bit when you zoom in or out, which is something to be aware of if you have a carefully balanced tripod, but overall this is a well-constructed and balanced bit of kit. The collar and foot can be removed, and Sigma has thoughtfully included a rubber collar that fits over the back of the lens when the tripod mount isn't attached, to stop the locating screws from getting snagged on things. The tripod foot is well-built, and also serves as the mounting point for the included lens strap. When in use, we didn't have any problems with the lens creeping backward when pointed upwards. At longer focal lengths, it locks the lens but disengages if you grab the zoom ring. The switch itself has different strengths, at 150mm it fully locks the lens, preventing it from extending in a bag. This has its limitations - you can’t lock the lens at any focal length, only at the detents marked on the lens, which are 150mm, 180, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500 and 600mm. The part that moves is pretty heavy, which could be bad news for astrophotography fans who have their lens pointed upwards, but thankfully Sigma includes a zoom lock switch. The Sigma 150-600mm zooms externally, which means the physical length of the lens gets longer when you zoom in. This isn’t much, but every little adds up. A quick visit to the scales reveals the hood adds a shade over 100g to the lens' weight. You get a lens hood that proves useful in day-to-day use, but which you'll likely want to avoid if you’re mounting this lens on a star tracker due to its weight. The front element in question has a 95mm filter thread on it. Internally, the lens has 20 elements in 14 groups, with the large front element blessed with an oleo-and hydrophobic coating that should see off water and oil. It weighs slightly more than Sigma's own 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM (the 70-200 weighs 1.8KG this is 100g heavier at 1.9KG), despite offering three times more reach at its zoomed-in focal length. If you've ever used a telephoto lens before, much less one with a super-telephoto reach like this, lifting the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 from its box is very much a 'wow' moment. The size of the lens, while compact for its focal length, is still startlingly big to the uninitiated telephoto users (Image credit: Amazon)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |