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The reality of wildlife photography | Michael Ginzburg for Sigma

Reading time: 7 minutes - November 05, 2021 - by Michael Ginzburg - as part of the Online Fototage in November 2021

Who hasn't experienced this? The long-awaited photo trip is just around the corner. We read reports, watch a few YouTube videos on the subject and sooner or later ask ourselves whether our equipment is enough, or whether we should buy a new camera or a longer telephoto lens. After all, you want to get the best out of your trip.

This is usually the time when I get the question "Which lens is the best?" before workshop trips. This question is just as helpful for those asking as the question about "the best car" in my opinion, it would make much more sense to ask "Which lens will give me the best results?" or "Which lens will work best for me, given my level of experience?".

Far too often, when choosing telephoto lenses, attention is paid to laboratory tests and very theoretical values, which in practice, for most of us, are unlikely to play any role at all. Handling is all too often disregarded in the selection process.

And this is where the SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports comes into play for me.

Michael Ginzburg

The mother of all telephoto mistakes - too big, too heavy, it stays in the room

What good is a telephoto lens if you can't take it with you in the field, on a hike or on a boat trip because it's too heavy or too bulky?
The best lens is the one you can have with you. For me, it's quite clear these days - focal length range (zoom range) before speed! At 2100g and less than 27cm long, the SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports can cover a huge focal length range with extremely good imaging performance and can cope with just two lenses in a small and light backpack on most trips.

The tripod clamp is not a handle - handling tips.

Even if the tripod clamp tempts you to hold the lens by it when taking photos, this is the worst possible holding point. The resulting acute angle in the elbow does not provide a stable hold and causes unwanted blurring. With telephoto lenses, it is advisable to hold the lens as far forward as possible in order to support the heaviest lens element and reduce unwanted movement of the front of the lens. Very similar to shooting with an air rifle at a funfair. I reach into the lens hood from below with my fingers, while my thumb stabilizes underneath the lens hood. By holding the lens like this, I can keep it steady for longer when free-standing and also support it with my elbow. Give it a try! Even if it feels unfamiliar at first, you will immediately notice the difference in "the steady hand" in the pictures.

Sigma 150-600mm

Zoom or hold or simply both with the dual action zoom?

This is the first pitfall with most lenses: The zoom ring is logically not at the very front of the lens. This means that you are constantly moving your holding hand back and forth between the zoom ring and the front of the lens, resulting in a lot of movement in the lens and therefore very likely a higher reject rate due to blurring.

The dual-action zoom provides a remedy, because it allows me to hold the lens stable on the lens hood and operate the zoom by pulling or pushing without having to change the position of my hand. That alone is a wonderful help for taking razor-sharp pictures from the hand at a focal length of 400+ mm. But the dual action zoom is also a great feature for those who shoot from a tripod or monopod.

Sigma 150-600mm Walrus

When shooting with a long focal length from a tripod, the cause of blurring or imprecise focusing is often the vibration transmitted via the tripod or caused by the camera body itself when shooting. This can be remedied by exerting a little pressure on the viewfinder with your head and weighting the front of the lens from above with your holding hand, thus reducing the vibrations that vibrate along the lens. Thanks to the dual action zoom, you can also zoom and stabilize without having to move your hand.

The SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports is compact, comparatively light and offers a lot of telephoto power at an affordable price. That's why I can no longer imagine my kit without it and it always complements the large fixed focal lengths when I have to climb, can't move flexibly to frame the picture and therefore need the large zoom range or when weight and size matter more than light intensity.

Sigma 150-600mm Michael Ginzberg
Sigma 150-600mm Michael Ginzberg

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS S Sony FE-Mount

  • Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S | Sports
  • with high-speed autofocus
  • OS function
  • Internal focusing
  • AFL button (3 buttons)
  • Zoom torque switch
  • supports DMF and AF+MF
  • Super multi-layer coating
  • Water and oil repellent coating (front lens)
  • Focus mode switch
  • Focusing range limiter
  • OS switch

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