Sigma’s very first zoom lens for Nikon Z mount could be the ultimate 'one-and-done' superzoom for crop-sensor photographers
After a long wait, the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary is finally coming to APS-C Nikon mirrorless cameras
The Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary is finally coming to Nikon Z mount. Digital Camera World reviewer Matthew Richards said this APS-C all-in-one zoom lens ticked all the right boxes for a ‘superzoom’ when he reviewed the Canon RF version back in 2025. But, as is often the case, a Z-mount variant has taken a while to come into fruition.
That all changes today. APS-C Nikon photographers can take advantage of the world’s first mirrorless lens with an approximate zoom ratio of 18.8x, delivering a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 24-450mm. From wide-angle to super-telephoto, this ‘one-and-done’ lens will cover everything from landscapes to wildlife.
It also boasts a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 at 70mm for frame-filling close-ups, while Sigma’s High-Response Linear Actuator motor is designed to produce “exceptionally fast, smooth and accurate autofocus”. A boon for a super-telephoto lens like this is optical image stabilization, providing up to 6 stops of stabilization at the wide end and 4.5 stops at the telephoto end.
There’s also a rubber gasket around the mount to provide some weather sealing, which Sigma rates as dust- and splash-resistant with a water-repellent coating. According to Sigma, communication speed optimization and the lens’s AF drive have been specifically designed for the Z mount.
The lens is also designed to minimize flare and ghosting, as well as focus breathing. It comprises 20 elements in 14 groups, including 1x 'F' Low Dispersion, 4x Special Low Dispersion, and 4x aspherical elements. The aperture is controlled via a 9-bladed diaphragm, with a max aperture of f/22-45, while the filter sports a 67mm thread.
This lens brings the total of Sigma lenses available for Nikon Z mount to four, with the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN | C and Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | C also available. The Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary will have an RRP of $769 / £599 and is set to launch on November 5.
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Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.
With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...
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