Conclusion

The new Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is a unique lens that delivers versatility, performance and optical quality in spades.

Sigma have further refined the build quality of their Sports lenses, with the new 60-600mm utilizing a complex mix of magnesium and hi-tech plastics. Consequently this lens is smaller, lighter and slightly faster than the well regarded and very similar Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports optic, whilst offering a much more versatile focal range at the short end, although it is admittedly more expensive, especially in the UK.

It's also undoubtedly a very heavy lens that you won't want to hand-hold for too long, best suited to use on a tripod/monopod or other available support. The tripod mount/collar is much improved on the one that ships with the Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens, and it ships with a high quality lens hood, shoulder strap and padded case.

Focusing was very quick, accurate and reliable on the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR camera that we tested the lens with, while manual focus over-ride is a great feature, as is the effective built-in optical image stabilisation system that's worth up to 4 stops.

The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is very similar to the Sigma 150-600mm in terms of image quality, that's to say outstanding for this type of lens. It's tack-sharp at both the centre and edges of the frame when stopped down by one-stop at all the focal lengths, with performance only really dropping off at the maximum 600mm focal length. Obvious vignetting at wide-open apertures throughout the range is the only other real optical issue of note, although this can be easily corrected in post-production.

The only real black mark against the Sigma 60-600mm's otherwise good name is the asking price - at $1999.99 / £1899.99, it's $200 more in the US and a whopping £600 more in the UK than the Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens - so if you don't see any benefit in the extra 60-150mm focal length that the 60-600mm offers, you'd be better off choosing the 150-600mm lens from a financial point of view.

Overall, though, the 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is another high-quality addition to the ever-expanding Sigma range of premium lenses, and one that offers something different to the other hyper-telephoto contenders, and is therefore a worthy winner of our Highly Recommended award!

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	5
Value for money	3.5