Anybody fancy using a Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8?

StewartR

StewartR

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I've been offered a (barely used) Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 and I'm trying to get my head around whether there would be any demand from people wanting to hire it.

This is the beast:

photo_200-500_large.jpg

Photo © Sigma imaging (UK) Ltd 2011

The size of this lens is hard to grasp. It is 73cm long - that's roughly twice as long as a Canon or Nikon 500mm f/4. It's 24cm in diameter, so you could fit a 70-200mm f/2.8 sideways inside its hood. And it weighs 16 kg, so when it's packed for transport in a suitably large Peli-type case I expect it would weigh about 30-35 kg. (Though apparently there are other ways to transport it...)

Here's another illustration of how big the lens is in use.

sigma-200-500.jpg

Photo © juzaphoto.com 2009

So - if you had the opportunity to hire one of these, would you? And what do you think it would be worth for, say a week's hire?
 
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Has someone airbrushed the tripod out of that shot? How you could hold 16kg steady for a shot is beyond me,and my puny muscles!
 
Does it need a power pack of its own, can't imagine a camera battery powering the motors in that beast
Not that I would want to hire it thanks, but what mount is it?
 
It comes with a battery.....
Click to expand...

Thanks, guessed it might have its own power source

Not being daft now, but can imagine getting pulled by the old bill every time you went out with it
 
That'd be large.

Pretty specialised and gym membership also required. With the range of lenses you already have and todays high ISO capability I just can't see the business case stacking up but I could be wrong.
 
Yeah, it does look more like a piece of hi tech military equipment than a camera lens. :eek:
 
I'd love to have a go with one of these lenses. I've had a very brief play on the Sigma stand at FoI but having a go in a bird hide would be a different matter. You'd certainly get lens envy from everyone with one of those.

As for a rental cost for a week. With all the postage and insurance included I expect it to be £250 minimum if not more so I can't see there being a huge market for it.
 
I would LUV to try it wheather I would as purely a hobbyest is another question, how much would it be for the normal 3 days? I am guessing from the pics its a Canon fit?

I luv the easy carry handle on the top :lol:.
 
Probably not the lens to use around London, as you will get noticed :lol:
 
I'd love to use it purely for 'willy waving' - i.e just turn up casually with that badboy where there are others using normal long lenses, handholding etc. I doubt there is much of a market for hire though.
 
To be fair he looks in decent shape, decent enough to hold that for a little while even at 16kg.
 
No, I wouldn't rent it. Without an appropriate mount and tripod it would be unusable. Much more likely to rent a Canon 800 if you did it...
 
I tried this lens in Birmingham during the photo imaging event. Brilliant piece of kit but first of all you will need a big car, thn one assistant to help you out..(kidding)
 
CAn you imagine walking round Focus on Imaging with that on your camera! You'd be the best tog there!
 
Never, ever seen anyone use one. That should tell you something :D.
 
Do you think that would hang comfortably from my sun sniper strap?

Seriously it's a beast but I'm not sure there'd be much call for hire other than for novelty value.
 
Rent it to the old bill as a surveillance lens!
 
That is mental!
Does it come with somebody to carry it, if you hired it out?
 
shabba said:
I'd love to use it purely for 'willy waving' - i.e just turn up casually with that badboy where there are others using normal long lenses, handholding etc. I doubt there is much of a market for hire though.
Click to expand...

[Crocodile Dundee] Nah! That's not a lens. THIS is a lens [/Crocodile Dundee] :)

Flats said:
Absurd lens in every way! Why they thought to even manufacture it is beyond me.
Click to expand...

Presumably for the same reason anyone manufactures anything - because they can make money.

Personally I'd love a go at one, but I am not sure how much I would pay.
 
sigma-200-500.jpg


That's blokes arm was tiny-weenie a week ago before getting that lens...


Can you imagine the strain on the camera with that thing haning on it :bonk:
 
That is mental, you would need the arms of arnold whats his name to lift that onto a tripod!! whats the picture quality like with it??
 
when I was chatting to sigma guys a couple of years ago, well, they said the MOD had just bought 15 of them.

I'd imagine that that's why sigma made it ;)


Stewart, I'd love to bill rental for one to a client some time.... but no, I could see how it wouldn't leave your warehouse too often...
 
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Just make sure that you use the tripod mount on the Lens and not your camera body.
 
Nope, the sheer size and weight would not be worth the flexibility of the zoom. I'd prefer a prime telephoto lens instead that would be far more manageable.

John
 
It's a great lens for image quality but the downside is it's to damn heavy is there a tripod and gimbal head combination that could take it and how far would you like to carry it i think i will stick with my :naughty: light weight 600mm f4 i.s
Regards
Richard
 
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