I have several Sigma lenses for the Nikon cameras I’ve owned. They’ve always performed well for me and come in at a lower cost then the camera manufacturer lenses, so when I bought my new Sony A7 IV I wanted to give some of the Sigma e-mount lenses a try. I bought the Sigma 100-400mm primarily for shooting some of my daughters sporting events.
The Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount is a powerful and versatile telephoto zoom lens designed for use with full-frame mirrorless cameras. With its impressive range, compact design, and advanced features, this lens is a popular choice among both amateur and professional photographers. In this review, we will take a closer look at the Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens and evaluate its performance in various shooting scenarios.
Design and Build Quality
The Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is designed with a compact and lightweight body that measures only 3.4 inches in diameter and 7.8 inches in length. This makes it easy to handle and carry around, even during extended photo shoots. The lens is constructed with high-quality materials, including a durable metal barrel and a sturdy bayonet mount that ensures a secure and stable attachment to the camera body. The lens also features a weather-resistant design that protects it from dust and moisture, making it suitable for use in challenging outdoor conditions.
The lens features a zoom ring and a manual focus ring that are both smooth and easy to operate. The zoom ring is located closer to the camera body, while the focus ring is located closer to the front of the lens. This placement makes it easy to switch between zooming and focusing without having to adjust your grip on the lens. Additionally, the lens features a customizable AFL (Auto Focus Lock) button that allows you to lock the focus on a particular point or object, even if you move the camera.
Optical Performance
The Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is equipped with a range of advanced optical technologies that ensure sharp, clear, and detailed images. The lens features 22 elements in 16 groups, including one FLD (âFâ Low Dispersion) and four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements. These elements help to reduce chromatic aberration and distortion, resulting in images with accurate color rendering and minimal fringing.
The lens also features a Super Multi-Layer Coating that minimizes ghosting and flare, even in bright sunlight. This coating is particularly useful when shooting backlit subjects or scenes with a high contrast range. The lens also features a rounded 9-blade diaphragm that creates a smooth and natural bokeh effect, making it ideal for portrait and wildlife photography. Here’s a sample shot from one of my daughter’s basketball games – I’ll post more photos when I try this lens out in different environments:
Autofocus Performance
The Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is equipped with a fast and accurate autofocus system that ensures sharp and clear images, even when shooting moving subjects. The lens features a stepping motor (STM) that provides quiet and smooth autofocus operation, making it ideal for video recording. The autofocus system also includes a focus limiter switch that allows you to adjust the focus range to suit your shooting needs. This switch is particularly useful when shooting distant subjects or scenes with a complex foreground.
Image Stabilization
The Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens features an Optical Stabilizer (OS) system that provides up to four stops of shake compensation. This system helps to reduce camera shake and blur, particularly when shooting handheld or in low-light conditions. The OS system also includes two modes: Mode 1 is designed for general photography, while Mode 2 is designed for panning shots. The mode switch is located on the side of the lens barrel, making it easy to access and adjust.
Shooting Performance
The Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is a versatile lens that is suitable for a wide range of shooting scenarios, including wildlife, sports, portrait, and landscape photography. The lens offers a powerful zoom range that allows you to get up close and personal with your subject, even from a distance. This is particularly useful when shooting wildlife or sports, where it may be difficult to get close to the action.
The lens also performs well in low-light conditions, thanks to its maximum aperture of f/5-6.3. While it may not be as fast as some of the prime lenses on the market, the Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is still capable of producing sharp and clear images, even in challenging lighting situations. Switching over to continuous shooting mode on the camera, this does provide fairly rapid shots.
One of the standout features of the Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is its autofocus performance. The autofocus system is fast and accurate, even when shooting moving subjects. The focus limiter switch is also a useful feature that allows you to adjust the focus range to suit your shooting needs.
In terms of image quality, the Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens produces sharp and detailed images with accurate color rendering. The lens is particularly good at controlling chromatic aberration and distortion, resulting in images with minimal fringing.
Overall, the Sigma 100-400mm E-mount lens is a high-quality telephoto zoom lens that offers excellent performance in a compact and lightweight package. Whether you’re a wildlife photographer, sports enthusiast, or landscape shooter, this lens is a versatile and reliable option that will help you capture stunning images with ease.
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