My wildlife photography lens: the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary

I’m quite often asked by non-photographer friends about my setup for bird and wildlife photography. How can I get such close-up shots? How are they so sharp when they’re clearly taken at a distance?

The answer is: my telephoto lens. About a year ago I invested in Sigma’s 150-600mm Contemporary lens. I did this because I’d started regularly visiting RSPB sites and other nature reserves and wanted to be able to photograph – to a high standard – the wildlife I saw.

The Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary retails at roughly £800. To put this into perspective, a professional sport or wildlife photographer’s 600mm Canon lens may cost in the region of £12,000. Sigma’s higher-spec version of this lens, the 150-600mm Sport, comes in at about £1,250.

As a superzoom with a maximum focal length of 600mm (a bit more in crop sensor mode), this lens allows photographers to fill the frame with their subjects even at a reasonable distance. It has a maximum aperture of f/5-6.3, which is pretty decent for the price and gives good blurred backgrounds. It doesn’t hold up well in low light, but that’s to be expected. I’ve always found the image quality to be pleasingly sharp.

Being a more ‘affordable’ telephoto lens, there are a few issues. The autofocus, for example, isn’t the quickest or most accurate, making birds in flight or smaller subjects a frustrating challenge to capture. It’s heavy, although I find it comfortable enough to carry around and shoot handheld (not everyone will feel this way).

If your goal is to take high-quality, print-worthy photos of wildlife in the, er, wild, a lens like this with big-zoom capability is pretty much a must. And if you’re on a budget, you could do a lot worse than the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary. Personally, I love it – flaws and all.

Value for money: *****

Performance: ***1/2

Here’s a good guide to some of the best lenses on the market for bird and wildlife photography.