Sigma’s New $6,000 300-600mm f/4 Lens Is Somehow a Bargain

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Sigma’s New ,000 300-600mm f/4 Lens Is Somehow a Bargain

It’s bizarre to think that a $6,000 lens is a bargain, but that’s precisely what Sigma’s brand-new 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens is, thanks to the landscape in which it exists. Telephoto primes with an f/4 aperture can be extremely expensive, way more than $6,000, and Sigma’s new lens zooms. It’s a highly appealing lens, and Sigma targets an absurdly aggressive price point.

This new professional lens is aimed squarely at high-end professional users, although its $6,000 price point will put it within reach of deep-pocketed enthusiasts. This is in stark contrast to something Sony’s 600mm f/4 GM or the Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM, both of which cost $13,000 and are not viable options for anyone but the most demanding professional photographers. Nikon’s 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens for Nikon Z cameras is even pricier, setting photographers back $15,500. Granted, that lens does have a built-in 1.4x teleconverter.

A large, white telephoto camera lens with a black grip section and mounting bracket. It features various adjustment rings and buttons, suited for professional photography, especially wildlife or sports. The lens is positioned horizontally. — The Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens is very big and heavy, but it sure looks impressive.

Sigma’s 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens offers the same focal length and aperture combination at 600mm at a fraction of the price. It also zooms out, making it significantly more versatile, especially for unpredictable subjects.

Before I get too carried away, there are some drawbacks to the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 lens, at least on paper. The Sigma 300-600mm f/4 is a behemoth. Sure, it’s not Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 huge, but it’s a big boy. The 300-600mm f/4 weighs nearly 8.8 pounds (just under four kilograms) and is 18.5 inches (470 millimeters) long. It weighs up to two pounds more than the three 600mm f/4 primes mentioned above and is longer than all except the Canon RF lens, which is two millimeters longer than Sigma’s new zoom. While two pounds doesn’t sound like much, it’s like having an extra Nikon Z8 camera attached to your lens (or a somewhat small pineapple).

A skier in a blue and white jacket and helmet navigates down a snowy slope, leaving a trail of snow in the air. The background is blurred, showing indistinct buildings or structures against a wintry sky.

A skier in mid-air performs a trick with blue Fischer skis, wearing a blue jacket, black helmet, and goggles. The background is dark and blurred, suggesting motion and speed.

Sigma has considered this, of course, and has thoughtfully designed the lens so that its center of gravity is toward the camera, which can make a lens feel less hefty when handholding. The lens is built from a lightweight magnesium alloy, and the hood is carbon fiber. Sigma has tried to keep the lens as manageable as possible, but we’re talking about a 300-600mm f/4 zoom lens for full-frame cameras that sports a whopping 28 elements, some of which are gargantuan.

The Sigma 300-600mm f/4 is also unlikely to be quite as sharp as a 600mm f/4 prime lens, all else equal, as is the nature of zooms versus primes. While the gap between the two has closed considerably in the mirrorless era thanks to considerable advancements in optical technology, it is reasonable to expect a gap to remain. Sigma has shared plenty of sample images, and they look outstanding. However, you cannot have everything regarding lenses. You must give to get; photography equipment is consistently transactional like that.

A skier in mid-air navigates a snowy slope, kicking up a wave of powder against a clear blue sky. The dynamic motion captures the thrill and freedom of skiing in a winter landscape.

A skier in a blue and white jacket and black pants makes a sharp turn on a snowy slope, with snow spraying up from the skis. The skier is leaning to one side and holding ski poles, creating an action-packed scene.

A skier wearing a snow-covered jacket and yellow pants glides down a snowy slope. Snow is dramatically spraying up around them against a backdrop of blurred evergreen trees.

The big test will be autofocus performance, which PetaPixel will rigorously test during hands-on time with the lens, but Sigma has pulled out all the stops. The lens features a High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) motor with “high thrust” that can quickly and precisely move internal optical elements and achieve “outstanding” focus accuracy, per Sigma’s promises. The company’s other recent pro-oriented lenses have focused very well, so there’s little reason to worry about the 300-600mm f/4. Sigma’s sample photos show plenty of high-action scenarios, but we can’t know the “hit” rate based on curated sample photos.

For now, let’s assume that Sigma has done Sigma things with its new 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens, meaning that it will be impressively sharp, will swiftly autofocus, and is built to withstand the rigors of demanding professional workflows.

If it ticks all these boxes, the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens will be an extremely compelling option for sports and wildlife photographers with L-mount and E-mount cameras, whether they are looking to buy it outright or rent it for a specific trip or event. A lower purchase price means renting the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 will be much more affordable than a 600mm f/4 prime.

A red squirrel with tufts on its ears sits on a mossy log, holding and nibbling on a nut. The background is dark and blurred, highlighting the squirrel's reddish-brown fur.

A red squirrel with a bushy tail sits on a moss-covered branch, holding a nut in its paws against a dark, blurred background.

A small duck with a reddish-brown head, green eye stripe, and gray patterned body floats on rippling blue water, bathed in sunlight.

For Sony shooters, there is one more thing to consider: the same dreary reality they’ve dealt with forever: continuous shooting limitations with third-party lenses.

Regardless of which Sony camera you have, including the blazing-fast a9 III, the 300-600mm f/4, like all other third-party lenses, will not continuously autofocus faster than 15 frames per second. This is a massive drawback and cannot be ignored. The L-mount version, a first-party lens for that system, does not suffer from this restriction. Further, the L-mount version works with Sigma’s teleconverters.

While the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports still has plenty of appeal for Sony shooters, it is uniquely excellent within the L-Mount system. It provides L-Mount photographers with a truly professional-grade super-telephoto lens and one that is more versatile and way more affordable than the prime competition.

A bird of prey with brown and white plumage soars in a clear blue sky. Its wings are fully extended, showing the contrasting colors and feather patterns, while it gracefully glides at a high altitude.

A red kite soars through the sky over a patchwork landscape of fields and hedgerows, with distant hills in the background under a clear sky. Its wings are outstretched, capturing the sunlight.

Sigma has long pushed the envelope in myriad ways, whether through cheaper or better versions of existing lenses or groundbreaking offerings that stand alone in the marketplace. We didn’t name Sigma the Photo Company of the Year in 2024 for nothing, and the Japanese company is coming out swinging in 2025.

While the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens will not be Sigma’s best-selling lens ever for many good reasons — $6,000 is a lot of money — it may very well be its most impressive. Sigma is doing something very special in Aizu.

Image credits: Featured image created using a public domain asset. All other images courtesy of Sigma.

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