Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports vs Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD for Sony E: A Detailed Comparison

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports and the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD are two super-telephoto zoom lenses for Sony E-mount cameras with full-frame coverage. They are both designed for wildlife, sports and landscape photography, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.

In this comparison, we will look at the main differences between Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports vs Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD, based on various sources¹²³.

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

Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Table of Contents

The Differences: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports vs Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

Focal Length and Aperture

The most obvious difference between these two lenses is their focal length range. The Sigma 150-600mm offers a 4x zoom ratio, covering from 150mm to 600mm, while the Tamron 150-500mm offers a 3.3x zoom ratio, covering from 150mm to 500mm. This means that the Sigma lens has more reach and magnification power than the Tamron lens, which can be useful for capturing distant or small subjects.

However, the Tamron lens has a slightly faster aperture than the Sigma lens at the tele end, with a maximum aperture of f/6.7 at 500mm versus f/6.3 at 600mm. This means that the Tamron lens can gather more light and create more background blur than the Sigma lens at the same focal length.

Both lenses have a variable aperture that changes as you zoom in, meaning that they lose some light and depth of field control as you increase the focal length. The Sigma lens has a maximum aperture of f/5 at 150mm and f/6.3 at 600mm, while the Tamron lens has a maximum aperture of f/5 at 150mm and f/6.7 at 500mm.

Optical Performance

When it comes to optical performance, both lenses have complex optical designs that use various special elements to reduce chromatic aberrations, distortion and flare, and improve sharpness and contrast.

The Sigma lens has 25 elements in 15 groups, including four FLD and two SLD elements, while the Tamron lens has 25 elements in 16 groups, including six LD and two XLD elements.

Both lenses also have optical stabilization systems that can compensate for camera shake and work in conjunction with the in-body stabilization of certain Sony cameras.

Sigma 150-600mm lens has an OS switch with three modes (mode 1 for general shooting, mode 2 for panning and mode 3 for erratic movement), while the Tamron 150-500mm lens has a VC switch with three modes (mode 1 for general shooting, mode 2 for panning and mode 3 for framing).

According to various reviews and tests¹²³, both lenses deliver excellent optical performance overall, but they have some differences in terms of image quality.

The Sigma lens is sharp across the frame at most focal lengths and apertures, but it loses some sharpness at the corners and edges at 600mm, especially when shooting wide open or stopped down beyond f/11. The Tamron lens is also sharp across the frame at most focal lengths and apertures, but it maintains its sharpness better at the long end than the Sigma lens.

Sigma 150-600mm lens has some vignetting at all focal lengths when shooting wide open or close to it, but it can be easily corrected in post-processing or by stopping down a bit. The Tamron lens also has some vignetting at all focal lengths when shooting wide open or close to it, but it is less noticeable than on the Sigma lens.

The Tamron 150-500mm lens has some barrel distortion at the wide end and some pincushion distortion at the tele end, but they are less noticeable than on the Sigma lens. The Sigma lens also has some barrel distortion at the wide end and some pincushion distortion at the tele end, but they are not very severe and can be corrected in post-processing or by using the Lens Aberration Correction function on supported cameras.

The Sigma lens has some chromatic aberrations at all focal lengths, especially at the edges of the frame and when shooting against bright backgrounds or high-contrast scenes. They can be reduced by stopping down or by using the Lens Aberration Correction function on supported cameras. The Tamron lens also has some chromatic aberrations at all focal lengths, but they are less noticeable than on the Sigma lens.

The Sigma 150-600mm lens has a super multi-layer coating and a water and oil repellent coating to minimize flare and ghosting, but it can still show some flare when shooting against strong light sources or backlighting. The Tamron lens has a BBAR-G2 coating and a fluorine coating to minimize flare and ghosting, and it handles flare better than the Sigma lens.

Autofocus Performance

Sigma 150-600mm and Tamron 150-500mm lenses have fast and quiet autofocus performance, suitable for both stills and video shooting. The Sigma lens has a hypersonic motor (HSM) that provides smooth and accurate focus, while the Tamron lens has a voice coil extreme-torque drive (VXD) that provides quick and precise focus.

They also have a focus limiter switch that allows you to choose between three focus ranges: full (0.58m to infinity), close (10m to infinity) and far (30m to infinity) for the Sigma lens, and full (0.6m to infinity), close (15m to infinity) and far (25m to infinity) for the Tamron lens. This can help speed up the autofocus performance by limiting the focus range to the desired distance.

These two lenses also have a manual override (MO) function that allows you to manually fine-tune the focus after autofocus. The Sigma lens also has an AF/MF switch that allows you to switch between autofocus and manual focus modes, while the Tamron lens does not have such a switch.

They both also have three customizable AFL buttons that can be assigned various functions via the camera menu, such as AF lock, AF on, eye AF, etc.

Build Quality and Handling

Both lenses have high-quality build and design, with metal mounts and dust- and splash-resistant construction. However, the Sigma lens is more robust and weather-sealed than the Tamron lens, which has fewer seals and no freeze-resistant design.

Sigma 150-600mm lens is heavier and bulkier than the Tamron lens, measuring 10.5 by 4.3 inches (HD) at its shortest setting and weighing 4.6 pounds, while the Tamron 150-500mm lens measures 8.3 by 3.7 inches (HD) at its shortest setting and weighs 3.8 pounds. This makes the Tamron lens easier to carry around and handhold than the Sigma lens, especially for long periods of time.

The Tamron 150-500mm lens does not stretch when zooming, keeping its length at all focal lengths, however the Sigma lens does, adding nearly 4 inches in length at 600mm. This suggests that compared to the Sigma lens, the Tamron lens may be more steady and balanced.

The Sigma lens has a dual action zoom system that allows you to zoom by rotating the zoom ring or by pushing or pulling the lens barrel. The lens also has a zoom torque switch that lets you adjust the resistance of the zoom ring from smooth to tight.

The Tamron lens has a conventional zoom system that allows you to zoom only by rotating the zoom ring. The lens also has a lock switch that can prevent zoom creep or lock the lens at any focal length.

The Sigma lens has a focus ring that rotates smoothly and precisely, with an AF/MF switch that allows you to switch between autofocus and manual focus modes. The Tamron lens has a focus ring that rotates smoothly and precisely, but does not have an AF/MF switch.

Tamron 150-500mm lens comes with a petal-shaped hood that can be reversed for storage, as well as a tripod collar with an Arca-compatible foot that can be removed or rotated for different shooting angles. The Sigma lens comes with a petal-shaped hood that can be reversed for storage, as well as a tripod collar with an Arca-compatible foot that can be removed or rotated for different shooting angles.

The Sigma lens supports 95mm front filters, which is relatively large for a telephoto zoom of this range. This makes it harder to find and use filters such as polarizers or neutral density filters. The Tamron lens supports 82mm front filters, which is relatively small for a telephoto zoom of this range. This makes it easier to find and use filters such as polarizers or neutral density filters.

Conclusion

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports and the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD are both excellent super-telephoto zoom lenses for Sony E-mount cameras with full-frame coverage, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.

Sigma 150-600mm lens is more expensive, heavy and bulky than the Tamron lens, making it more cumbersome and tiring to use. It also requires large and expensive filters, and does not support any teleconverters for E-mount to extend the focal length further.

However, it offers more reach and magnification power than the Tamron 150-500mm lens, which can be useful for capturing distant or small subjects. It also has a more robust and weather-sealed build, a more versatile dual