Compare lenses

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM vs Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM if you want a brighter f/4.5 (0.3 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds. Pick the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary if you want a fit on more cameras (39 against 22 in this guide).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM	Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary
Maker	Canon	Sigma
Focal length	100-400mm (zoom)	100-400mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	100-400mm	100-400mm
Maximum aperture	f/4.5-5.6brighter	f/5-6.3
Made for	Full frame	Full frame
Mounts	Canon EF	Canon EF, Nikon F
Stabilised	yes	yes
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	4.0×	4.0×
Cameras it fits	22 in this guide	39 in this guidefits more cameras

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM: 100-400mm.

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary: 100-400mm.

Aperture

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM: f/4.5 wide open.

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary: f/5 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

22 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM fits 22 and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary 39.