Sigma F4 300-600mm sports lens experience

[RBB]

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I'm not a particularly experienced wildlife photographer, but I'm fortunate enough to live in the wild, with wild boar, deer, and the occasional wolf right on my doorstep. I've also been on three game drives in Africa. In my experience, it makes quite a difference whether you're photographing from a car or backpacking. When I'm out and about at home, it's usually very early or late, just barely before dusk. I appreciate the f/2.8 then and don't want to carry 4 kg. I usually have the Sigma 70-200 with a 1.4 teleconverter and the Q2 in my bag. That's light enough to wander around for a few hours.

In a wildlife reserve in Africa, I find it more difficult. There's a lot of dust in for example Tanzania, so you don't want to constantly change lenses, and zooming is very convenient for that. During my last trip, I used two cameras (SL2 & SL2s), with the Leica 100-400mm on the SL2, sometimes with a 1.4mm teleconverter. I left the 90-280mm at home because of its size and the fact that you can't use a teleconverter on the lens. On the SL2s, I used the Leica 24-70mm. If I were to go again now, I'd choose the Sigma 500mm f/5.6, given its manageable size and weight, and a 70-200mm f/2.8mm on the other camera. There's always enough spare room for the Q2 to go wide.I definitely wouldn't take a massive 4kg 300-600mm lens with me. It has to be in a bag, carrying around and on the plane, and it's not versatile enough to be my only lens.

Sometimes 400mm isn't enough 😉 (black Rhino)

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

But lucky enough sometimes it is

And sometimes 70mm is almost to long (white rhino)

 

[KarinK_Photo]

57 minutes ago, RBB said:

I'm not a particularly experienced wildlife photographer, but I'm fortunate enough to live in the wild, with wild boar, deer, and the occasional wolf right on my doorstep. I've also been on three game drives in Africa. In my experience, it makes quite a difference whether you're photographing from a car or backpacking. When I'm out and about at home, it's usually very early or late, just barely before dusk. I appreciate the f/2.8 then and don't want to carry 4 kg. I usually have the Sigma 70-200 with a 1.4 teleconverter and the Q2 in my bag. That's light enough to wander around for a few hours.

In a wildlife reserve in Africa, I find it more difficult. There's a lot of dust in for example Tanzania, so you don't want to constantly change lenses, and zooming is very convenient for that. During my last trip, I used two cameras (SL2 & SL2s), with the Leica 100-400mm on the SL2, sometimes with a 1.4mm teleconverter. I left the 90-280mm at home because of its size and the fact that you can't use a teleconverter on the lens. On the SL2s, I used the Leica 24-70mm. If I were to go again now, I'd choose the Sigma 500mm f/5.6, given its manageable size and weight, and a 70-200mm f/2.8mm on the other camera. There's always enough spare room for the Q2 to go wide.I definitely wouldn't take a massive 4kg 300-600mm lens with me. It has to be in a bag, carrying around and on the plane, and it's not versatile enough to be my only lens.

Sometimes 400mm isn't enough 😉 (black Rhino)

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

But lucky enough sometimes it is

And sometimes 70mm is almost to long (white rhino)

 

 

[KarinK_Photo]

Hi RBB,

thanks for joining in! 
Nice images you shared. You must live in an exciting part of the world 😉

[RBB]

Hi, just like you in the exciting Netherlands 

[jaapv]

On 11/15/2025 at 2:57 PM, KarinK_Photo said:

 

Yes, a vehicle is convenient for tourist containment and makes for easier shooting of habituated animals in the more visited parts of national parks. I just calculated that I must have been on over nine hundred drives over the years…😳However the real experience in the bush is on foot, setting out on sunrise, resting over the midday and after sunset pickup and driving back with a spotlight. 😇