We asked award-winning nature writer and photographer Andrew Fusek Peters to test the new SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens and share his initial thoughts on SIGMA’s latest compact top performing ultra telephoto zoom lens.  He is what he said. 

The SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens by                                 Andrew Fusek Peters

I’ve had about a month to really try out the Sigma 100-400 lens in Canon fit on both my full frame bodies and a crop sensor body. At first, although I loved the lightness of the lens, I was struggling with locking on for focus and also achieving sharpness but that quickly changed when I caught two swans flying straight past the sun overhead and the focus was spot on.

On my Canon 6d2, the colour rendition was fantastic, turning a reflection of autumn trees on Walcot Light into a painting framed against morning storm light.

During a visit to our local nature reserve Venus Pool, a flock of lapwings flared against the colourful leaves and a little egret caught a fish, with each water droplet flung up by its fishing, turned to frozen ice and showing that once focus locks on, this lens hits the spot with ease.

 

The last shot of a heron taking a pike was using the lens on my Canon 7d2 – a great moment but for me, the lens works best on full frame bodies.

As a walk round and a high quality budget set up it pairs fantastically with a light-weight-full frame. I think the proof is in the pudding with this lens and the pictures speak for themselves. I would happily see them in the newspapers and camera magazines and a couple of these will make their way into my next book The Hill & Vale of Home.