Hi all - I have been contemplating the purchase of a sigma 50-500 lens - the only problem is it is heavy (around 4 pounds)  I usually shoot anything past 250 with my tripod but because it allows me to stay in the 70-150 range on the same lens I could keep it on instead of switching all the time.  Right now I use a 2.8 50mm - a 4.5 18-200 and a 75/300 so this will allow me to have a full spectrum.  The price is pretty fair - I was going to buy a 10-20 wide angle but I really do think I will get more use out of this now - as the wide angle would be more for messing around with.

Any thoughts?  I will be using it on a Sony alpha 700.

Attached is the best scale pic I could find - I can get the lens for around $1100 new Canadian

I have considered this lens in the past as it has good reviews for what it is, but was reticent because of the weight so i'll give you advice i give everyone wanting new equipment like this... go pick the thing up attached to your camera and have a play for 10 minutes or so around the shop (or just outside if the guy lets you)...

I've read a lot about the BIGMA on the Minolta/Sony Forums on DPReview.   Examples shown are impressive, as the lens enables you to get up close & personal with birds/wildlife in general. 

Many owners of this lens appear to handhold it much of the time, even though it is on the heavy side.

I tried out a used Sigma 135-400 APO and that was a monster of a lens to me.  When its fully extended, it look like a bazooka or rocket launcher.  Detail captured was awesome though .

Looking forward to seeing some of your captures with the Bigma

Oh and my A700 is shipping today!  Woohoo!

J:biggrin:E

For the money the lens is going to be hard to beat and from a few shots I have seen compared to my Canon 100-400 they stand good comparison.. I dont know what the A700 is going to be like for noise at higher ISO as this will be one thing to take into consideration at shooting at 6.3 at the 400- 500 end of the zoom

Yes, if you can find locally, play with it in the store - it's their job to show you anything you wanna see. Not a bad price

I was about to say you might also wanna look at the Sigma 80-400 OS lens - Optical Stablizer - but I can't seem to find it anymore...
I LOVE mine, about the same money, but nowhere yo be found...
-Lew ;-)

I use an f/4.0 Sigma 100-300, full frame size on my DSLR's.  It is not so heavy as the big one you have but does a very fine job.

The secret I learned about such lenses is practice, practice, practice.   I am  not so steady as in years past but had a lot of time shooting, rifles and handguns.  Practice was the key.  Steadiness in a lens is similar to rifle shooting except you cannot predict the place the shake will be when the  shutter is pulled as is possible with a rifle.

The same sort of hold, breath control, etc. seem to help a lot. 

Best wishes with the Bigma.    TomDart.

There used to be some formula photographers used to pass around to each other and I've forgotten it.

Something like - when using long length lenses, keep your shutter speed at least twice the focal length. Meaning, if you're at 100mm, keep your shutter speed no less than 200th or 250th a second, get it?

And if you're tired... Good luck... And get a monopod...

-Lew ;-)

Quote -

Oh and my A700 is shipping today!  Woohoo!

J:biggrin:E

You will love the A700 it really is a powerful unit  - I always go for the underdog - no live preview but that kinda defeats things - it's a pet peeve of mine when I see ppl taking pix with their point and shoot 2ft away from them with just looking at the lcd screen.  I want to scream at them "look through the glass!!!" haha  I realize the live preview can be useful but not having one is more of a deterent for people not to come up to me and say "does that take movies as well?"

I will get some pix up.

here it is.

test files: (all shot free hand - well using my body-pod lol - and the image stabilizer on board the sony)

http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test1.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test2.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test3.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test4.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test5.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test6.jpg
http://onitech.ca/bigma_test/test7.jpg

They are big