Sigma 150-500

Yup.

Have a search through this section and you'll find a few threads about or referring to it.

To sum up my experience of it...

It's not perfect. A little soft wide open at the long end but sharpens up OK a stop or two down (f/8 - f/11).
Not the fastest, so not ideal for fast moving subjects unless you're happy upping the ISO (I'm a D700 user so happy up to 1,600 or even 3,200).
Can be slow to acquire focus but once "locked on" can follow fast enough.
Not light but compared to faster lenses, not heavy!
OS works a treat, even on a crop body (where it has the AoV of a 750mm), it's handholdable down to 1/125th, with care and at the beginning of the day, 1/60th.
Significantly better in terms of sharpness than the 170-500 all through the FL and aperture range.
Biggest plus is the price, especially when compared to the body makers' lenses. OK, £720 isn't exactly cheap (Mifsuds' price) but compare it to a Canon or Nikon lens...
 
I'm also very tempted by this lens, especially as the London Camera Exchange just around the corner from where I work has them in stock for £699.

It frustrates me though that many consumer lenses go "soft" either when fully open or at their maximum zoom. I have the Nikon 70-300vr and read that it goes soft from around 280mm. Ok, that last 20mm may not give much more reach, but it's remembering not to use it that causes the problem... and the same would apply to the Sigma.

Can anyone give an indication as to at what focal length the 150-500 starts to go soft...?

Some examples at the 500mm end would be great, if anyone can oblige..?
 
Try these from my Flickr stream (click on the image to view higher resolution)

500mm focal length




450mm focal length:


You can see all my photos taken with this lens here check the EXIF data (photo properties) to see the focal length of each.

Have a look at pixel-peeper.com they index flickr photos by camera body / lens so you can see the image quality of lenses on particular bodies (I regularly get hits from them on myh photos).
 
D_Ninety said:
I have the Nikon 70-300vr and read that it goes soft from around 280mm. Ok, that last 20mm may not give much more reach, but it's remembering not to use it that causes the problem... and the same would apply to the Sigma.

Can anyone give an indication as to at what focal length the 150-500 starts to go soft...?
Click to expand...

What do YOU think of YOUR images with YOUR 70-300? I rarely use mine wide open and have never noticed any marked softness at 300mm, even around the edges on my D700.


The long Sigma starts getting a little soft (wide open) at 450mm or so. As I say, stopped down a little, it's fine for prints up to A4 and acceptable up to A3.
 
I use one on my Canon 50D for Motorsport & Wildlife. Obviously the more you spend the better results you will get but for the price I'm 100% satisfied

One of my first test shots (through a window) .....

test_sq.jpg
 
I've had my Sigma for 10 months and it is one cracking lens, I shoot virtually all the time at 500mm and a lot of the time at max aperture and I don't think it is soft. Have a look at this one 1/250 f10 handheld ISO 200

http://SPAM/c3whur/Slimbridge/Img_9134.jpg Too big for the forum
 
I would think hard about using this on a ff camera such as the 5D. I suspect it may show up its shortfalls more than the examples shown on here!

It may be worth forking out the extra cash for a Canon L lens, which have the added benefit of greater residual value!!
 
I used it side by side with a good 50-500 (non OS of course) and found the 150-500 to be in second place, a shame as OS gives you more flexibility by the IQ has to be the key.
 
Nod said:
What do YOU think of YOUR images with YOUR 70-300? I rarely use mine wide open and have never noticed any marked softness at 300mm, even around the edges on my D700.


The long Sigma starts getting a little soft (wide open) at 450mm or so. As I say, stopped down a little, it's fine for prints up to A4 and acceptable up to A3.
Click to expand...


I like the 70-300 and it goes everywhere my camera does. It's a good lens and personally I'm happy with the quality. I hope that I'll like the 150-500 just as much too, and there are some good examples posted here which give me that confidence.

I'd be interested to read the OP's thoughts on this lens?
 
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