Why you’ll be able to belief Digital Digicam World
Our knowledgeable reviewers spend hours testing and evaluating services and products so you’ll be able to select one of the best for you. Learn the way we check.
When you’re in search of a light-weight lens that may do the whole lot from tremendous wide-angle landscapes to telephoto wildlife, then the Sigma 16-300mm f3.5-7.1 Up to date lens may very well be for you.
The world’s first-ever mirrorless lens to boast an 18.8x optical zoom, the Sigma 16-300mm is an APS-C lens out there for L-Mount, Sony E, Fujifilm X and, as an EOS R-series person, I used to be delighted that it is also out there for Canon RF.
I attempted out the RF mount model on my APS-C Canon EOS R7 and my full-frame EOS R5 in crop mode. As an APS-C lens it has an efficient full-frame focal size of 24-450mm on L, E and X cameras (with their 1.5x sensor crop) but it surely’s a 25.6-480mm on Canon RF-S (with Canon’s 1.6x crop). So with out additional ado, here is my preliminary findings…
Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C : Specs
|
Mount |
L-mount, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF (APS-C) |
|
Autofocus |
Sure, HLA |
|
Picture stabilization |
Sure (6 stops at 16mm, 4.5 stops at 300mm) |
|
Aperture vary |
f/3.5-22 (16mm) / f/6.7-45 (300mm) |
|
Macro |
1:2 at 70mm, 1:3 at 16mm, 1:4 at 300mm |
|
Coatings |
Oil and water + anti-reflective |
|
Aperture blades |
9 rounded |
|
Filter |
67mm |
|
Measurement (DxL) |
73.8×121.4mm |
|
Weight |
615g |
Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C : Design & Dealing with
The lens is good and compact for an optic that boasts such an expansive zoom vary, and is simply 121.4mm in size when collapsed all the way down to its 16mm mark. It additionally has a quite slender cylindrical 73.8mm barrel diameter and takes 67mm filters. The lens additionally encompasses a bodily lock change to cease any zoom journey if you’ve stowed it away.
Trying on the rear steel mount exhibits a rubber seal for mud and moisture resistance, although as one among Sigma’s Up to date lenses it does not function full weather-sealing like its Artwork sequence.
Picture 1 of 4
Sigma that is the world’s first mirrorless lens to boast an 18.8x optical zoom, and to squeeze such a flexible zoom vary right into a compact design does inevitably imply the lens racks out when zooming and just about doubles in size on the most 300mm setting – although it does collapse down very properly for storage.
The Canon RF mount model I used has solely the Lock change on the lens barrel – there is not any switches for AF/MF or OS modes, which is a little bit of a disgrace. On the EOS R7 you may have a phsyical AF change on the digital camera physique itself, however for different EOS R our bodies you may want to change between auto and guide focus in menu.
The lens barrel will get barely wider on the zoom ring, which makes it simpler to find and switch when you may have a watch to the viewfinder. The big knurled rubber ring for for the zoom operation makes it grippy and it’s totally clean to show, too.
The guide focus ring sits near the rear mount, presumably as a result of most individuals shall be utilizing autofocus for many on a regular basis situations. It’s the identical digital fly-by-wire model guide focus ring as discovered on Canon’s RF lenses, although not like Canon glass there is not any management ring. The lens does, nonetheless, come bundled with a gentle case and plastic lens hood.
Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C : Efficiency
The lens comes filled with Sigma’s new OS 2 optical picture stabilization system, able to producing sharper photographs with as much as 6 stops of stabilization on the extensive finish or 4.5 stops on the telephoto, finish based mostly on CIPA tips.
The lens implements a high-response linear actuator (HLA) autofocus motor, and in my assessments was very fast, snappy and quiet when specializing in an R7 physique. Spectacular!
Sigma says the lens excels in macro images and I had the chance to attempt it out on some colourful crocus flowers that had been bobbing up within the Sigma HQ in Tokyo. To render your topic on the largest out there shut focus ratio of 1:2 (half life-size), the lens must be set to the 70mm mark. It is also price noting that the utmost magnification is 1:3 at 16mm and 1:4 on the telephoto finish.
Personally, I feel it will have been addition to incorporate some markings on the lens barrel to indicate the totally different magnifications at totally different focal lengths, which was one thing I preferred on the older Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro for DSLRs that I used at school.
Picture 1 of 2
I used to be in a position to take some check photographs with the brand new Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C in each JPEG and RAW to get a greater understanding of the lens. Taking pictures extensive at 16mm exhibits a bit of barrel distortion and vignetting, which have largely been corrected within the in-camera processed JPEGs of my R7, and zooming in to 300mm confirmed little or no distortion however a bit of vignetting. Once more this was corrected by the in-camera processing on my digital camera.
I did see a bit of little bit of purple and yellow chromatic aberration (additionally known as fringing), which was current within the JPEGs and RAW recordsdata, although it actually wasn’t too unhealthy contemplating its fairly frankly ridiculous zoom vary.
Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C : Early verdict
I actually loved my time in Japan testing out the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C. It is a formidable journey lens and actually is a superb resolution in case you’re in need of house (or weight) and solely have room to take one lens in your travels. Sigma already has a pedigree for superzoom lenses, with its prior Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 C DC Macro OS HSM, although this time goes a bit of wider making it much more versatile.
I feel its value level of $699 / £599 (Australian pricing to be confirmed) is bang on the cash, too, and for its expansive zoom vary and macro performance you definitely get lots of lens in your cash.
It is a notably good funding for EOS R customers, the place there is not one other lens prefer it in vary. You do in fact have the Canon RF 24-240mm and RF 18-150mm however these do not come shut by way of zoom flexibility, although are admittedly extra compact choices.
The large issues to contemplate with this lens are that it prioritizes zoom vary flexibility and flexibility over picture high quality, so in case you’re in search of the easiest top-of-the-line high quality then it will not be for you. Its quickest apertures vary from f/3.5 on the extensive finish to a reasonably sluggish f/7.1 on the telephoto, so in case you’re seeking to {photograph} fast-paced sport or blur backgrounds with a large aperture then this lens will not be the choice towards say a 50mm f/1.8 lens.
Nevertheless, in case you’re available in the market for a journey lens you could carry on all day for landscapes and journey photographs, each extensive angle at 16mm and zoomed in at 300mm, then it is a good possibility. Its tremendous quick and quiet autofocus and 1:2 macro capabilities additionally bolster its worth additional and make it good worth for cash.
Do you have to purchase the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-7.1 | C?
✅ Purchase it…
- You are in search of a flexible journey lens you could carry on all day
- You could have restricted house however need to shoot extensive landscapes, distant topics and macro
🚫 Do not buy it…
- You are in search of a razor sharp lens with the easiest lens
- You want quick and wider apertures for shallow depth of subject results