These are the best Sigma telephoto lenses when you want long, stabilized reach, fast and reliable autofocus, and rugged builds for wildlife, sports, aviation, portraits with compression, and event coverage—across full-frame and APS-C—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize optical stabilization (OS) that plays well with your camera’s IBIS for 5–7-stop real-world steadiness, fast motors (HLA/Linear stepping/HSM depending on mount) with a focus limiter and customizable buttons, weather sealing (Sports line is the most robust), internal vs external zoom (internal balances best on monopods and gimbals), tripod collar quality (Arca-compatible feet save time), teleconverter compatibility (TC-1401/TC-2001 on select lenses), restrained focus breathing if you shoot video, manageable weight for hikes, and minimum focus distance for near-macro detail at the long end. Mirrorless full-frame anchors start with the Sigma 70–200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS | Sports (E/L): pro-speed AF, excellent OS, sealed build, and beautiful bokeh—your courts/field/event workhorse; pair it with the Sigma 100–400mm f/5–6.3 DG DN OS | C (E/L) for featherweight reach that still focuses confidently and travels light. When distance decides the shot, the Sigma 150–600mm f/5–6.3 DG DN OS | Sports (E/L) is the field king—tough sealing, dual OS modes, limiter, and custom switches—while the Sigma 60–600mm f/4.5–6.3 DG DN OS | Sports (E/L) adds one-lens flexibility from sideline to small birds without swapping. Need prime sharpness and speed in a portable barrel? The Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS | Sports (E/L) brings “big-glass” reach with excellent OS and a hike-friendly weight for birds and field sports; portrait and stage shooters can add the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art (DG HSM or DG DN depending on mount) for razor detail and creamy separation, and the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 Art (“bokeh master”) when subject isolation is the look. DSLR users (adapts well to mirrorless) still get fantastic value from the Sigma 120–300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports (fast indoor field/rink staple), the Sigma 150–600mm f/5–6.3 DG OS HSM in Contemporary (lighter) or Sports (tougher) versions, the Sigma 70–200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports, the ultra-versatile Sigma 60–600mm f/4.5–6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports, and even the Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM | Sports for uncompromising reach and AF authority. On APS-C, the same full-frame zooms become wildlife machines (e.g., 150–600 DN ≈ 225–900mm FoV), while fast short-tele primes like the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | C (E/X/MFT) deliver compact, low-light portraits; for DSLR APS-C, the Sigma 50–100mm f/1.8 DC HSM | Art is a unique constant-f/1.8 “indoor sports + portrait” zoom that replaces a bag of primes. Video-first teams should favor the DG DN OS zooms (70–200/2.8, 100–400, 150–600, 60–600) for quiet drives, effective OS, and better breathing control; add the 135/1.8 Art for cinematic tele cuts and remember the Sports line’s programmable switches for fast AF behavior changes mid-take. Practical buyer tips: build a two-zoom spine (70–200/2.8 DN OS + 150–600 DN OS for fields/wildlife, or 70–200/2.8 + 100–400 for travel leagues), pick 60–600 DN OS if you hate swapping, choose the 500/5.6 DN OS when you want prime-like reach without prime weight, and keep teleconverters only for bodies with strong AF (start with 1.4×); standardize plates/feet, and if you hike far, weigh the extra stop of the 70–200/2.8 against the f/4 and slower long zooms you’ll actually carry. Shooting tips: use AF-C with a limiter to cut hunting, set decisive shutter speeds (≈1/1000–1/2000s for action; 1/500–1/800s for perchers), run TAv or Manual + Auto-ISO to hold motion, brace OS/IBIS for handhelds but disable stabilization on locked supports if you see drift, pre-focus to likely flight paths, and exploit close-focus at the long end for detail-rich “near-macro” backgrounds. Whether you’re isolating midfield tackles in the rain, tracking raptors at golden hour, compressing mountains at 300mm, or pulling creamy tele portraits at f/1.8, the best Sigma telephoto lenses combine stout stabilization, fast, confident AF, and field-ready builds—so you bring home sharp, polished images and footage without hauling unwieldy super-tele rigs.