SteveRemy's reviews

  • Sigma 1.4X TC-1401

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp and crisp Loss of F Stop not noticeable
    Focus response a little slow (for still photography so far) but will experiment further with sports shooting

    I purchased the Sigma 15-600mm Sports lens and it came with the 1.4x Converter. I struggled with the 150-600mm in keeping it steady on the monopod photographing an Australian rules football match (AFL) and the result was good but less than impressive (partly due to the photographer and the weight of the lens). I've been using the Nikon 200-500mm for photographing local AFL football games with great results but needed the extra focal length to cover the large football ground which is why I bought Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 Sports. Disappointed with my photographic efforts with the Sigma, I tried experimenting with the Sigma 1.4x converter when I got home with the Nikon 200-500mm F5-6.3 and the results were mind blowing. With the relatively lightweight Nikon 200-500mm and the Sigma 1.4x converter, I get a 280-700mm focal range and the images are clean and crisp with my Nikon D5. I would like to share some of the images taken if Imaging Resource allows me to do so.

    reviewed April 10th, 2022 (purchased for $274)

  • Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports

    10 out of 10 points and recommended

    I purchased this lens in March 2022 with some trepidation as one of the local Melbourne camera stores was offering a great deal. I was eyeing a Nikon 600mm F4 second hand but that was still unaffordable so biting the bullet, I opted for the Sigma 150-600mm OS HSM Sports that came with the Sigma TC-1401 teleconverter. I do a lot of amateur football sports photography and need a lens that can give me a maximum focal distance - I have a Nikon 200-500mm F5.6 that has done the job admirably and I recently rented a Nikon 500mm F4 that is breathtakingly sharp (which made it hard to go back to the Nikon 200-500mm zoom). For those who are unfamiliar with Australian Rules football (AFL), the oval (or football ground) is huge almost double the size of a soccer or American NFL pitch which makes it difficult to capture the play that is on the opposite side of the ground. A professional AFL game is usually covered by at least two sports photographers, one at each end of the ground but at an amateur game only one. I've used the Sigma 150-600mm OS HSM Sports only once so far for sport and was impressed by the sharpness and autofocus response which is on par with the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6 (though a not as quick as the Nikon 500mm F4). However the weight of the lens is an issue (for me) even with a monopod and I will need a little more practice to get used to keeping the lens stable but the in-built optical stabiliser does a great job in keeping the image sharp as tested with the Nikon D5. In this regard, I would recommend the Sigma 150-600mm OS HSM Sports for amateur sports photography as the results are great.

    I have also done some extensive field tests using the lens with my Nikon D800, D850 and D5 and the results are amazing hand holding the lens. At a shutter speeds of 250-2000th/sec and ISO between 200-4000, the image quality is amazing and crisp and bokeh superb - on par (I think) with prime lenses and with little to no vignetting. The minimum F-Stop of 6.3 at 600mm is not an issue and with the TC-1401 teleconverter, this is further reduced to F9 minimum and again, not an issue (for me) as the images are still super sharp. Wildlife and macro photographers will not be disappointed with the clarity this lens delivers.

    I've read and watched a few reviews on the Sigma 150-600mm OS Sports with reviews mixed on the quality of the images - in my view, I think Sigma has quietly improved the build quality in recent years resulting in improved image quality as I can't fault this lens since I started using it.

    reviewed April 15th, 2022 (purchased for $1,680)

  • Nikon 600mm f/4D ED-IF II AF-S Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Fast reactive focus, tack sharp images, balanced on monopod and exceptional bokeh
    None so far

    I purchased this lens second-hand from a wildlife photographer in near mint condition. This lens is over ten years old but when I did a on-the-spot shooting test during the purchase, I immediately fell in love with this lens. I'm an amateur sports photographer and I've been coveting a 600mm F4 Nikon lens for over five years but the cost of even a second-hand lens is cost-prohibitive but the ED-IF II F/4 for it's age and price, I got the bargain of the century.

    I couldn't wait to try out the lens out at a local amateur AFL football match and I wasn't disappointed. Focus was super-responsive (using the camera back-button focussing) with my Nikon 4DS and the image tack sharp at F4, ISO600 and shooting at 2000 shutter speed on a very dull cloudy day. The bokeh with this lens is exceptional - the best I've seen in a telephoto lens.

    reviewed April 6th, 2024 (purchased for $2,500)