When the L-Mount Alliance formed, it allowed companies like Panasonic to jump into full-frame mirrorless with a list of lenses already available. But, one thing the L-Mount family was missing was a zoom, with optics from Leica topping out at 280mm and, later, Panasonic at 300mm. When Sigma started converting its line-up of lenses to mirrorless, however, the L-Mount family gained a super-telephoto, the Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN Sports.

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The lens launched as the longest modern L-Mount, while competing with optics like Sony’s 200-600mm in E-Mount. Eager to see how Sigma’s lens fare as the longest L-Mount, I tried out the Sigma 150-600mm with the Panasonic S5 on birds and winter sports. Here’s how the lens held up.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Autofocus

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Sharpness

Lens Character

Color Rendering

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

If you want a 600mm lens on L-Mount, the Sigma 150-600mm is currently the only option. It’s not a bad one, with great image quality and a sturdy build, but at least on the S5 the autofocus isn’t perfect.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Longest reach among current L-Mount lenses

Customize the speed of the zoom ring

Great stabilization

Slightly lighter than Sony’s 200-600mm E Mount

Lovely mix of detail and, at 600mm, bokeh

Weather-sealed

Cons

Autofocus isn’t the best

Use of the AF limiter switch is a must

Gear Used

I used the L-mount version of the Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN Sports, tested with the Panasonic S5.

Innovations

The Sigma 150-600mm is the company’s first Sports lens to migrate over to a mirrorless mount. But, it’s also the L-Mount zoom lens with the longest reach that’s currently available. So far, zooms from Panasonic just reach 300mm and Leica 280mm. On E-Mount, it’s a bit less unique, competing with optics like the Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS or the Tamron 150-500mm f5-6.7 Di III VC VXD.

Tech Specs

LensRentals lists these tech specs for the 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN Sport:

“F” Low-Dispersion Elements4Angle of View16.4° to 4.1°Aperture Blades9, RoundedAutofocusAutofocusBrandSigmaDiameter4.3″Extra Low-Dispersion Elements2Filter Size95.0mmFocal Length150.0-600.0Groups/Elements15/25Hood IncludedYesImage StabilizationYesItem TypeLensLength10.4″Lens TypeSupertelephotoMacro Reproduction Ratio1:2.9Max Aperture5.0Maximum Magnification0.34xMfr. Model Number747969Minimum Aperture22.0Minimum Focusing Distance1.9’MountL MountTripod CollarRemovableWeight4.3 lbs.

Ergonomics

At nearly five pounds, the Sigma 150-600mm makes me wonder, “Can I skip my arm workout now?” It’s actually not too bad to hike around with. I hiked four miles in my longest stint with this beast — half around my neck, half inside a backpack — and I didn’t regret my decision to bring it along. Where I started to feel the weight was training this lens on a bird and then, well, just waiting for the bird to do something interesting.

But, all of this is rather expected — and in fact, better than the competition. Sony’s 200-600mm lens is actually four ounces heavier. So, while I think you should maybe start doing some arm curls while you wait for this lens to ship, the weight is manageable and not a deal-breaker.

Photographers will need a larger backpack for this lens — the lens will need a vertical slot, not side-to-side. It’s roughly 10.5 inches long. The front is big enough to require 95mm filters.

The lens widens out quickly from the mount, then features a bank of control switches. These controls include an auto to manual focus switch, a focus limiter, stabilization mode, and a custom mode switch.

Next up is the tripod collar. It’s not removable. But, a dial loosens the collar, and it then clicks nicel...