Sigma 150 - 600 mm Sport lens for a Canon 7DII Camera

[mjschocken]

I'm interested in getting a little more reach for my 7DII camera for wildlife photography. I currently have the 100 - 400 mm II which I have no issues with except it doesn't always provide enough reach for far-away subjects.

I'm interested in perhaps getting a Sigma or Tamron telephoto zoom lens. However, when I looked up the Sigma 150 - 600 mm Sport lens, it was described as a "full-format" lens. What does that mean when it describes a lens? Is it compatible with my 7DII crop sensor camera?

Also, does anyone have both the Sigma Sport and the Canon 100 - 400 mm II lens? Does the Sigma lens compare favorably to the Canon lens with regard to image quality and perhaps other aspects in your opinion? I'll read comparison reviews but I'm interested in personal experience as well. But first, I need to know if this lens is compatible with my camera.

Thanks. 

Mark

[ebiggs1]

I don't have anything against the renting of lenses but it is money you could have put towards buying the lens. I have only rented lenses that I can not or never could be able to afford.

My experience with all the 150-600mm super zooms is they are all nearly identical.  You could be happy with any of them.  The exception right now is the Tamron G2 is just a tad bit better so why not?  This is probably just because it is the latest offering.  Perhaps Sigma will update it's 150-600mm "C" and become a tad bit better.  Bottom line either is very good and really a choice you need to make.  Maybe some day Canon will see the error of it's ways and come out with one, too. Hard to believe they have given up that part of the market as brand-N has one in this class.

BTW, these are good used lenses to buy.  They don't get a lot of use and people are generally pretty careful with one of them.

I picked up a used Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 lens for $400 a while back.  I got this one for a friend who was looking for a super zoom, too. It's OK, pretty nice for $400 bucks actually.  I have had several of them. They are hit or miss but if you get a good one it is very good. Two of the three that I have/had were awful.  The one I kept is really a nice lens. So, you might check around and see what's out there used.

[mjschocken]

I'm renting a Tamron SP 150 - 600 mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens at your suggestion.   While jury's still out, I do like it.  It doesn't weigh a lot more than my Canon 100 - 400 mm II (4.4 lbs to 3.6 lbs).  I attach a northern harrier and osprey in flight.  The harrier was in very low light so it's pretty grainy.  The osprey was pretty far away so I had to crop a lot and the cropped image still looks pretty good to me.  Well, I'll be using it a couple of more times before I decide on it.  Just wanted to say thanks for bringing it to my attention. 

Mark

[ebiggs1]

"I'm renting a Tamron SP 150 - 600 mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens at your suggestion."

Not at my suggestion.  I prefer buying the lens when it is one of these relatively cheap lenses.  Why, because the rental could have been applied toward purchase. Now it is just a receipt.  But I want to know if I want one!  Yeah, I get it, but if you keep everything in perfect condition and all the paper work and box, etc, you can sell it on if it isn't a keeper.  Plus this way the 'trial' period can be somewhat longer than the normally week rental.  Rent for longer than a week and my way really makes more sense. I have kept some lenses for months, impossible to rent reasonably. It is easy to get 75% to 80% re-sale back.  I do it all the time for the last 16 years. So many I have lost count.

The only lens I ever rented is the truly high dollar ones I can't afford.

The  Tamron SP 150 - 600 mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 is the best of the crop right now.  Probably because it is the newest.  It has the dock and fairly well built.  I really wish Canon would do one.

About the weight, you have these noobs that complain about the weight and then you find out they are using a lens nearly or just as heavy. It is what it is or get out of the game.

[RexGig]

My wife and I use a Sigma 150-600mm Sport, though she uses only Nikon cameras, so our big Sigma Sport is Nikon mount. (I have both Canon and Nikon cameras, the latter to enable our sharing Nikon-mount lenses.)

It is not only that the Sigma 150-600mm Sport is heavy, at about 2900 grams, but that its point of balance is so far forward. The newer 60-600mm Sport weighs just a bit less, at 2700 grams, but has a more-user-friendly balance point. I am considering adding a 60-600 Sigma Sport, in Canon mount, after having handled one at a local demo day.

I believe that I would rather use a 60-600mm Sport, than add my Extender 1.4x III to my EF 100-400L II IS. I love my EF 100-400L II IS, but believe that my Extender is a better partner for my EF 300/2.8L IS.

[ebiggs1]

The reason you see a less than ideal balance point on the big Siggy Sport is, you are using a 7D.  If you had a 1 series the balance is nearly perfect.  It might be the fact the Sport is a pro level lens and the 7 series are semi-pro models which are not a heavily built. Just a thought.