p.4 #1 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
arbitrage wrote:
Just watched the PP review of the S1RII. Non-stacked sensor with significant rolling shutter make that camera at best a 9FPS camera to use for any type of fast motion. Even to get that you give up AF-C tracking but do get AF-C with subject detection.
The S1RII could have put pressure on the others if it had a stacked sensor. Maybe in another 6 years it will in the SRIII
No question that your are a talented and accomplished Bird in flight stills photographer.
I think that may skew your thinking though.
There are plenty of photographers who don't care about bird in flight.
I have used A7RIVa with class leading amounts of rolling shutter for Osprey.
In flight, but the most challenging type of Osprey in flight: lot's of nest landings.
Now, you don't need to point out that Osprey and Swallows are very different.
That is a use case and not at all niche.
So Leica and Panasonic users have an affordable option. If they had similar wants as you, they would either be cursing the 15fps and lack of TC use for their Sony, Canon's closed off mount, or wishing there was a Nikon version.
The other thing that won't appeal to you is: In Power Focus Mode, turning the ring allows for constant speed focus pulling (useful during video shooting) and the focus speed can be changed in two steps.
We'll have to wait and see if this proves to win a few buyers.
p.4 #3 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
Choderboy wrote:
No question that your are a talented and accomplished Bird in flight stills photographer.
I think that may skew your thinking though.
There are plenty of photographers who don't care about bird in flight.
I have used A7RIVa with class leading amounts of rolling shutter for Osprey.
In flight, but the most challenging type of Osprey in flight: lot's of nest landings.
Now, you don't need to point out that Osprey and Swallows are very different.
That is a use case and not at all niche.
So Leica and Panasonic users have an affordable option. If they had similar wants as you, they would either be cursing the 15fps and lack of TC use for their Sony, Canon's closed off mount, or wishing there was a Nikon version.
The other thing that won't appeal to you is: In Power Focus Mode, turning the ring allows for constant speed focus pulling (useful during video shooting) and the focus speed can be changed in two steps.
We'll have to wait and see if this proves to win a few buyers. ...Show more →
I re-read arbitrage's post and he only said this camera would be a 9FPS camera for fast action and a few other details about AF-C. He never said anything about BIF vs. bird on a stick, not being able to get usable pictures for BIF, or anything about Leica and Panasonic users. That was all you.
p.4 #4 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
galenapass wrote:
I re-read arbitrage's post and he only said this camera would be a 9FPS camera for fast action and a few other details about AF-C. He never said anything about BIF vs. bird on a stick, not being able to get usable pictures for BIF, or anything about Leica and Panasonic users. That was all you.
I may be guilty of combining thoughts from the two 300-600 threads.
I never mentioned bird on a stick though.
My point, that I did not nail on my first try, was that I used A7RIVa, in electronic shutter (failed to include that detail)
for birds in flight. I did include Osprey and the obvious point that Osprey and Swallows are very different.
So I used ES, with the very slow A7RIVa sensor read speed, at only 10 fps.
That would mean SI RII, even with rolling shutter, would be much better for that purpose.
While a big, slow bird, Osprey on landing, flap wings fast enough that the 40fps of the S1 RII would be welcome.
So while landing Osprey would not be considered as fast action, it's not static either.
For some users, the S1 RII would fill their needs.
Just as some do use A7RV for birds, wildlife, and action of an unspecified speed.
p.4 #6 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
Choderboy wrote:
No question that your are a talented and accomplished Bird in flight stills photographer.
I think that may skew your thinking though.
There are plenty of photographers who don't care about bird in flight.
I have used A7RIVa with class leading amounts of rolling shutter for Osprey.
In flight, but the most challenging type of Osprey in flight: lot's of nest landings.
Now, you don't need to point out that Osprey and Swallows are very different.
That is a use case and not at all niche.
So Leica and Panasonic users have an affordable option. If they had similar wants as you, they would either be cursing the 15fps and lack of TC use for their Sony, Canon's closed off mount, or wishing there was a Nikon version.
The other thing that won't appeal to you is: In Power Focus Mode, turning the ring allows for constant speed focus pulling (useful during video shooting) and the focus speed can be changed in two steps.
We'll have to wait and see if this proves to win a few buyers. ...Show more →
I've shot swallows with A7RIV and A7RV. You can shoot anything with anything.
Personally I want a camera that can shoot the slowest thing to the fastest thing without compromise. This is why I wouldn't choose the S1RII nor the A7R series as my primary camera.
I prefer not to have to be jumping back and forth between MS and ES depending what flies by me at any given moment.
Ironically the best system for the 300-600 may be Nikon if one can adapt an L-mount version to a Z9/Z8. You will get 20FPS, you can use TCs. Better than anything else. Not sure if a good adapter exists though??
p.4 #7 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
I think it's a great lens. But I think it would have been cooler if they had stuck with a 600mm f/4 like they did with their older DSLR 500mm f/4, if they could keep the weight lower. 4kg is a lot. Handholdable but not comfortable.
p.4 #8 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
arbitrage wrote:
I've shot swallows with A7RIV and A7RV. You can shoot anything with anything.
Personally I want a camera that can shoot the slowest thing to the fastest thing without compromise. This is why I wouldn't choose the S1RII nor the A7R series as my primary camera.
I prefer not to have to be jumping back and forth between MS and ES depending what flies by me at any given moment.
Ironically the best system for the 300-600 may be Nikon if one can adapt an L-mount version to a Z9/Z8. You will get 20FPS, you can use TCs. Better than anything else. Not sure if a good adapter exists though??...Show more →
The L mount is quite large diameter, complicating things.
Sony's smaller diameter mount makes adapting easier.
Well there's a question!
Sony implements the 'Stop Work' instruction for 3rd party lens and TCs.
As posted on FM, this can be fooled allowing manual focus use.
Fooling needed as just fitting and trying to use, photos can't be taken, even MF.
So what happens with an E mount 3rd party lens, TC and Megadap on a Nikon?
p.4 #9 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
Cool lens and good price but its massive and with the Sony caps I can't see buying this. If 30 fps and TC, sure, a 600 GM replacement for half the price. But its way too heavy, even my 200-600 weight and size I don't like anymore since getting the 300 GM.
Feb 25, 2025 at 10:28 PM
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p.4 #10 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
arbitrage wrote:
I've shot swallows with A7RIV and A7RV. You can shoot anything with anything.
Personally I want a camera that can shoot the slowest thing to the fastest thing without compromise. This is why I wouldn't choose the S1RII nor the A7R series as my primary camera.
I prefer not to have to be jumping back and forth between MS and ES depending what flies by me at any given moment.
Ironically the best system for the 300-600 may be Nikon if one can adapt an L-mount version to a Z9/Z8. You will get 20FPS, you can use TCs. Better than anything else. Not sure if a good adapter exists though??...Show more →
I don't believe there is any adapter that would let you use L-mount lenses with AF on Nikon Z cameras. There are a couple of quite primitive adapters that let you use L-mount lenses on Nikon Z, but they are not even close to allowing AF. Perhaps someone will make one someday, but the ones I have seen don't even have a lens release button let alone AF.
p.4 #11 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
I think we should see some image results in the next couple of days from Jared Polin… It will be interesting to see the sharpness compared to the native glass.
p.4 #12 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
Just think that this lens might find some appeal with Astrophotographers too, the relatively wide aperture would make it useful for Galaxies and Planet photography.
p.4 #14 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
Just saw Petapixel (Chris) interview with CEO of Sigma. When asked about Sony limitations, there wasn't much said. All he said "it's difficulty for me to make comment, I know customers... we'd like to do our best."
Not sure what this means, but to me it sounds like there are some difficulty with that and will probably not happening any time soon.
p.4 #15 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
It’s a shame the limitation exists, I can understand that Sony is doing it to protect Lens sales, but it only affects lens sold for the a1/a9 series. I doubt anyone (even Sony) knows how many lenses are being bought by a1/a9 users or how much they would lose to 3rd party sellers if the restriction was lifted.
It’s unlikely that removing the restriction would result in more a1/a9 sales but it would benefit existing users of these cameras, and would be seen as a positive gesture by Sony.
p.4 #16 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
j4nu wrote:
Something's off though in my eyes, they don't look that good - but lenstip has a history of using minimal jpeg sharpening, so maybe that's it.
I suspect Jared Polin will have a full review up by the weekend and normally posts the RAW files, if so that would be a better test.
p.4 #17 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
ASC_1900 wrote:
Just saw Petapixel (Chris) interview with CEO of Sigma. When asked about Sony limitations, there wasn't much said. All he said "it's difficulty for me to make comment, I know customers... we'd like to do our best."
Not sure what this means, but to me it sounds like there are some difficulty with that and will probably not happening any time soon.
It means: "Unfortunately, it's out of our control. Of course we realise that customers would prefer no limitations and if it was up to us, there would be no limitations. I could say more, but let's just say that would not be wise."
p.4 #18 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
I get that the Sigma 300-600 is 2lbs heavier but at $6,000 compared to $13,000 and with the zoom capability, one has to question what markup that the two companies are making on these lenses.
If Sigma can make a 300-600 for less than half the price of the Sony 600 then it would suggest that Sony is over-pricing their lenses…. I doubt that the cost of that 2lbs differential is $7,000
p.4 #19 · New release Sigma 300-600mm f/4 Full frame
LiveShots wrote:
I get that the Sigma 300-600 is 2lbs heavier but at $6,000 compared to $13,000 and with the zoom capability, one has to question what markup that the two companies are making on these lenses.
If Sigma can make a 300-600 for less than half the price of the Sony 600 then it would suggest that Sony is over-pricing their lenses…. I doubt that the cost of that 2lbs differential is $7,000
The first thing to understand is that price and cost are 2 very different things. The only relationship between them is that the price must always be greater than the cost, otherwise the company is losing money and should not even build the lens.
If Sony can only manufacture 100x 600GM lenses per year (random number, I have no idea) and sell them all, then it means the lens is not overpriced. It actually means it's underpriced. If a company can lower the cost and increase the price and still sell a lot then the company is doing very well, it's like a dream scenario.
The correct price is always the one that maximizes the company profits. Overpriced would mean that the price is so high that the sales plummet in a way that the company is making less profit than with a lower price. You see? But too low would also mean lower profit.
If you plot a graph (y-axis = profit, x-axis = price), it would look like something like a parabolic function almost, starting at negative, then reaching an optimum (and positive) and then going down to 0 and negative again (when it's too expensive, it means they don't sell anything that they built => also a loss).