Sigma 150-600mm Sports on Nikon 1

When I first tried the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports on the Nikon 1 V3 using the Nikon FT-1 adapter, I was unhappy. The focus accuracy was very poor, leading to unusable results.

However, after the Nikon 1 V3 firmware upgrade this spring, the focus issue was gone, and I found the lens to be much more usable on the Nikon 1 camera. Here is how they look when mounted. The FT-1 adapter is between the camera and lens:

Of course, I wouldn't recommend buying this lens solely for the use on Nikon 1. But if you already have a Nikon DX or FX system, you may consider sharing the lens with a Nikon 1 camera as well.

But how does it perform? Do you get any real reach benefits over using the much smaller and more portable Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (my review)? After all, if using the enormous Sigma 150-600mm Sports does not give you any more details, it is better to leave it at home and bring the CX 70-300mm. To find out this, I have compared them.

FT-1 third party lens compatibility

The Nikon FT-1 adapter allows you to put F-mount lenses on Nikon 1 cameras. When it comes to using Nikon brand lenses on the adapter, there is an official list of compatibility from Nikon. Interestingly, Nikon also made a similar adapter for the Nikon Z mirrorless system that superseded Nikon 1.

However, when it comes to using third party lenses, there is no official list or support from Nikon. To help you decide which lens to get for using with the Nikon FT-1, I have made a list of lenses from Sigma and Tamron, describing how they work on Nikon 1 cameras. This was tested using the Nikon FT-1 with firmware 1.2, and the Nikon 1 V3 with firmware 1.1. Future firmware versions may yield other results.

About the results: I first describe if the lens works on the FT-1. A "no" here means that you cannot use the lens at all on the adapter. The camera repeatedly shows a message saying "check the lens", and there is a clicking sound from the lens. You can not even use the lens for manual focus. You can, however, mount the lens using a dumb adapter without any electronic contacts at all.

Think Tank Glass Limo bag for Sigma 150-600mm super telephoto lens

A good camera bag is important. And anyone who buys a long telephoto lens may find themselves back at square one, since it will not fit into any of your existing bags. I was faced with this problem when getting the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports.

Normally, I like to use sling bags that go diagonally around the torso. However, for a long and heavy lens, it is mostly necessary to get a proper backpack. I also wanted a bag that fitted the Sigma 150-600mm lens with the hood extended, ready for use, and with the camera mounted. That means the internal section needs to be almost 0.5 meters long, not leaving many choices.

But one bag which is up for this is the Think Tank Glass Limo. The inlay picture shows how the bag is supposed to be used: It can take the Canon 600mm f/4 without a camera, or the Canon 500mm f/4 with a camera mounted:

CX vs DX for bird photography

When it comes to bird photography for hobbyists, there are two quite new choices: The Nikkor CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (my review) for Nikon 1 cameras, and the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports for DX cameras with an APS-C sensor size.

The lenses are pictured below in the transport positions, as compact as possible, with the Nikkor CX 70-300mm being the smallest, obviously:

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports

I like the Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (my review) for use on Nikon 1 cameras. It is very light and compact, and performs well. It is easy to bring along as a handheld birders lens.

However, there are times when you need more reach, and there are times when you need better low light performance. Nikon 1 cameras generally perform well up to ISO 1600, but not so good above that.

The solutions can be: To get an even longer lens for use on Nikon 1 using the FT-1 adapter, or to get an APS-C based system with better high ISO performance. In this article, I will look into both.

We recently saw the launch of the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3, which could have been an alternative for use on the adapter. However, the lens does not operate on Nikon 1 cameras at all with the Nikon FT-1 adapter.

Sigma also launched a lens with very similar specifications, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports. It comes at twice the price of the Tamron lens, but adds enthusiast friendly features such as splash and dust proofing, water repellant front and rear lens elements. It seems like the perfect long zoom lens for bird and wildlife photographers on a budget.

Here are the two lenses, the Nikon CX 70-300mm in the foreground, and the much larger Sigma 150-600mm in the background:

Bag for Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

Camera bags are very personal things. A bag that works well for me, might be totally wrong for someone else.

I like sling camera bags. The kind which you wear diagonally, and slip under the right arm for quick access to the contents.

Since getting the Nikon CX 70-300mm lens (my review), I have been looking for a sling bag for it. I was looking for a bag into which I could slip the lens, mounted to a camera, and with the hood mounted, ready for use. However, not many bags are large enough.

One bag which does fit, though, is the Tamrac Velocity 7x. The bag comes with two internal dividers, which can be placed wherever you want with velcro:

Sensor size is the new megapixel race

The camera industry is in a crisis. People have more or less stopped buying basic compact cameras, since mobile phones take good enough pictures anyway. Also DSLRs are seeing less sales.

There are two areas which still see good sales: Premium compacts and mirrorless cameras.

Panasonic used to be king of the premium compact line, with the Lumix LX7, and the Leica rebranded version. However, Sony raised the bar significantly with the RX100 series of cameras with a larger 1 inch sensor.

Panasonic's answer was the Lumix LX100, with an even larger sensor, however, now the camera is getting worringly larger than the predecessor. Also Canon wants to take part in this segment, with their Canon G7 X, also sporting a 1 inch sensor. Both of these cameras have significant issues, though: The Lumix camera lacks an articulated LCD screen, and the Canon lacks an EVF.