The experimental binary isotropic collision-induced light scattering spectrum of the gaseous sulfur hexafluoride is measured in absolute units in the 30-210 cm(-1) frequency range. The contribution of dipole-multipole mechanisms is computed in a semi-classical way. From comparison with experiment, the independent component E of the dipole-octopole polarizability tensor is estimated. This evaluation is compared to a recent theoretical ab initio calculation.(C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.