DSLRs may be in demand, but they certainly are not being produced anymore. This means that accessories, such as additional lenses, will likely bear the brunt of the decline. Although there has been no official announcement, Sigma has discontinued several DSLR lenses over the years. And now, the latest to join the list is the company’s Sport lens, the Sigma 60-600mm f4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM. The DG HSM initial stands for hyper sonic motor, which is compatible with DSLRs alone.
Although Sigma has not launched an official report on this, Asobinet, a Japanese publication, saw the discontinued tag of the Canon EF version on Map Camera, a Japanese camera store’s website. Other Japanese stories, such as Kitamura Camera, Yodobashi Camera, and Bic Camera, all have the lenses in stock at the moment. On Sigma’s official page, you can see the lens, but when you try to buy it directly, it shows the link is broken.
Asobinet quickly points out that this is the end of the 60-600mm HSM lineup, as Sigma has also discontinued the Nikon F and Sigma SA versions of the lens. Canon Addict, however, reveals that while the Sigma 60-600mm HSM has stopped production, people can still purchase the remaining stock (there are only 17 left so far) from Amazon in the United States.
We can’t reach out to Sigma because they cut us off in the past for truthfully stating that their lenses have issues. We have said so for other companies, too. However, they took it personally and chose not to include us in their press listing. So, what we are writing is based on the facts provided and what we saw on the internet.
Coming back to the Sigma 60-600mm HSM, we did have the opportunity to test it when it was launched in 2018, just when Nikon and Canon shifted to mirrorless. In our review, we stated that the lens, with a wide focal length, can do wonders in the hands of the right photographer. “With lightning-fast autofocusing capabilities, near diamond standard build quality, and images well worth their weight in a print, this lens is the one that many photographers should reach for,” we wrote. So, while the lens was exceptional, it did not make sense for Sigma to continue to cater to now a defunct market.
There is already a Sigma 60-600mm f4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, a brand new lens for the mirrorless mount. However, one of the biggest sacrifices was the autofocus and sharpness, which can be missed sometimes. So, while it is heavy and expensive, it is a matter of what users want more: autofocus or versatility.
The cessation of the production of DSLR lenses only proves that they continue to sell (at least for the time being), and their age may come to an end soon. A DSLR is good in various cases, but then there are some features it can’t beat from mirrorless, such as low light capabilities on people of color or better processing capability (albeit with AI). This is not to say that DSLRs are bad; it’s just that, with time, they are being forgotten by camera manufacturers. There is a sliver of hope that maybe, as the mirrorless market gets even more saturated, some may turn to a DSLR and try to reinvent the wheel.