When wildlife photographers discuss how they discovered the lens they truly trust, they typically do so without being asked. It happened at the edge of a forest during the deer rut, one of those dim autumn mornings when the mist sits in the hollows and a stag moves thru the treeline about as quietly as something that big can manage, according to Darren Spoonley, a wilderness documentarian who primarily works out of Ireland.
With the Sigma 150-600mm close enough to fill the frame, he was far enough back to be safe. The animal’s distinct pair of eyes during the rut, its antlers, and the breath it exhales in the cold are all keen. The lens never truly left his equipment after that. Many gear choices are made easier by that kind of scenario.
In the market, the 150-600mm Contemporary occupies an intriguing position. It’s not the fastest autofocus mechanism on the market, and using a handheld at full zoom requires patience and skill. However, in exchange, it provides a focal range that truly justifies its use in a wide range of shooting scenarios, including coastal work, where reaching a far-off island or isolating a wave crashing against a rock stack necessitates the kind of compression that shorter lenses just can’t match. For all of this, Spoonley has utilized it. Although he acknowledges that birding requires a waiting game that doesn’t fit his working style, he has also tried using it for bird photography. The lens worked. The glass was not the limiting factor; rather, it was temperament.
Build quality and consistency are what endure after seven years of consistent field use. This lens doesn’t need to be handled carefully or react poorly to Irish coastal weather, where sudden downpours and sea spray aren’t emergencies but rather conditions. Although it isn’t perfect, the weather sealing is adequate for the settings Spoonley functions in. Even at the further end of the zoom range, when less glass tends to soften or produce color fringing, the images remain sharp and contrasty because to specific coatings that handle chromatic aberration. It’s the kind of stuff that shows up when you compare frames in post and one lens regularly performs well while another requires editing repair work.
This focal range is available in a sports version from Sigma, and Spoonley has used it while on loan. Although he points out that the optical difference isn’t really anything you’d notice in typical field situations, the autofocus is quicker, the build is more purposefully protected against hard use, and edge-to-edge sharpness is somewhat better across the zoom range. The Sports variation most likely justifies the higher price for someone who shoots birds in flight or participates in fast-paced sports. The Contemporary version maintains its lead in the cost-to-performance calculation for the type of patient, observational wildlife work he undertakes.
