Sigma 50-500 lens, any good????

ReynoImages · #1 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 10:24 AM

Ive just seen that a few of you are using the Sigma 50-500 lens. Is it a good lense? What is the image quality like? Im looking to upgrade to a Nikon D200 and one of these lenses and am looking for some advice. If anyone is using this combo, Id really appreciate some info / opinions and some images you may have taken to have a look at. Thanks guys.

nightshade · #2 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 10:35 AM

Most of your questions can be answered in the photographic forum Reyno
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...igma-time.html
take the time to study these previous responses

Boddie · #3 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 10:38 AM

I think the general concensus is that its a rubbish lens.

Only joking - the results speak for themselves. Many members have submitted beautiful results and no owner has ever slated this legend.

glsammy · #4 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 11:09 AM

I agree with Boddie, it's utter rubbish!

That's why I use one all the time, I love to punish myself..

Here's a few shots with mine:

Either hand held or with a Monopod.

Boddie · #5 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 11:13 AM

Check out Barbara's results too.

Have a look through her Gallery http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...s/barbara.html and you will probably see the transistion from pre-Bigma to Bigma. Great advert

Ollie · #6 (**permalink**) 29-12-2006, 11:21 AM

Here are a couple of mine taken with the Sigma 50 - 500 tripod mounted with a Canon 350D
I rate it very highly.

Roger

AlphaZeroOne · #7 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 03:23 PM

I am seriously considering buying on of these lenses for use with my 400D. I have noticed that prices can vary but I have yet to see anything under £648. Does anyone know where this lens can be bought any cheaper?

Given that the 400D is a DSLR, the xxmm is multiplied by a factor of 1.6. So at 500mm this would equate to a 800mm lens (if I have got my sums right). I am I right in thinking then that using a tripod is a must for this lens or can it be used free-hand.

Ollie · #8 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaZeroOne

I am seriously considering buying on of these lenses for use with my 400D. I have noticed that prices can vary but I have yet to see anything under £648. Does anyone know where this lens can be bought any cheaper?

Given that the 400D is a DSLR, the xxmm is multiplied by a factor of 1.6. So at 500mm this would equate to a 800mm lens (if I have got my sums right). I am I right in thinking then that using a tripod is a must for this lens or can it be used free-hand.

You have got your sums right as far as I am aware. Some people can use the Sigma 50 - 500 mm lens very succesfully hand holding. Graham (glsammy) have posted some excellent hand held shots with this lens. Myself I find that up to 300mm I can handhold but after that either a tripod or monopod is best. Sure Graham will come in on this and point out some of his hand held shots for you when he comes on line. I don't know where you would find it any cheaper in the UK.

Roger

GuyF · #9 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 04:01 PM

Nightshade gave a very good link where I think that lense can be bought for £639. You can find the link in the thread 'Does This Sound Good'.

AlphaZeroOne · #10 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 04:37 PM

Thanks both! I will look for the thread. Your shot of the Yellowhammer is just great Ollie and is just the kind of detail that I would love to be able to achieve. Thanks again.

speckled wood · #11 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ollie

Here are a couple of mine taken with the Sigma 50 - 500 tripod mounted with a Canon 350D
I rate it very highly.

Roger

The Yellowhammer shot has to rate as one of the best shots that I have ever seen, would be interested to see the original shot.

glsammy · #12 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ollie

You have got your sums right as far as I am aware. Some people can use the Sigma 50 - 500 mm lens very succesfully hand holding. Graham (glsammy) have posted some excellent hand held shots with this lens. Myself I find that up to 300mm I can handhold but after that either a tripod or monopod is best. Sure Graham will come in on this and point out some of his hand held shots for you when he comes on line. I don't know where you would find it any cheaper in the UK.

Roger

Thanks Roger. I have got some good hand held shots at surprisingly slow shutter speeds, but I've also got dozens of failures as well! I always try to use my mono-pod if possible, if not, like in flight shots, then hand held it has to be.
So you can use it perfectly well hand held, but if the shutter speed is slow, some sort of support is recommended, as with any lens.

Here's a couple hand held:

This one 1/125sec. F8.0.

In flight:

AlphaZeroOne · #13 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 08:50 PM

This is just amazing! The quality of these shots are just spot on. How much of this is down to the lense and how much to your undoubted skill as a photographer. Do you use any flash equipment - the detail is so precise. How do you edit the after shot - PS. Do you shoot in RAW. Oh, and one last question, do you offer field training days cos if so you will have one student just gagging to try to emulate your results and drain you of every last tip and grain of knowledge! Fantastic.

glsammy · #14 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 09:05 PM

Crikey, I'm blushing!!

Firstly, I hardly ever use flash with the Bigma. I use it often with the Sigma 150mm Macro, but your normally too far away for it to be effective with the Bigma.
I always shoot in RAW, and use either the Raw converter in Photoshop CS2, or Rawshooter Pro. I generally use Rawshooter Pro. I just convert to jpeg and then do the balancing of levels etc in photoshop. I used to convert to tiff first, but I don't bother with that when doing images for the web. I can always re-use the RAW file if I want to print.

As for field training, I don't regard myself as good enough for that..I'd gladly go on one from Kev Lewis for example..(hint hint Kev!!)

If ever your near Nottingham and wish to go somewhere around here, I'd be glad to go with you.

geordie1970 · #15 (**permalink**) 25-01-2007, 08:16 AM

There is one for sale on ebay at the mo for £250 only 4hrs to go!!!!.Seller has no feedback but it could be a bargain

ron1863 · #16 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 07:51 AM

Your best bet, if you want to save money is ebay. I have bought two lenses through ebay and have had no problems. Anyone owning such a good and expensive lens is bound to have taken care of it.

eBay.co.uk - sigma 50 500, Camera Lenses, Film Camera Accessories, Photography items at low prices

eeyore · #17 (**permalink**) 01-02-2007, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron1863

Your best bet, if you want to save money is ebay. I have bought two lenses through ebay and have had no problems. Anyone owning such a good and expensive lens is bound to have taken care of it.

eBay.co.uk - sigma 50 500, Camera Lenses, Film Camera Accessories, Photography items at low prices

while i agree that ebay is a great place to buy cheap gear i'm afraid that the second half of your post isnt always true - many people owning such a lens will take care of it true , but for everyone of them there will be another who has dropped/scratched/dowsed with salt water etc, his good and expensive lens and will be looking to offload it onto a hapless mug.

for instance i am on little bigma number three - number 1 died when i rolled a floating hide over which photograping grebes , while number 2 was written off by salt spray while photographing gannets from a RHIB at grassholm - I didnt of course put these on ebay - I was fully insured so replacement was not an issue but not everyone has my moral standards

as far as buying a bigma cheap goes i would be suspicious of anything whch is under about 400 notes - also watch out for older series bigmas not being compatible with digital bodies (they would need rechipping which is very expensive if you cant prove you bought the lens new)

you might be better off either buying second hand from a dealer such as mifsuds or camtech - where you will at least get a warranty , or new from an ebay trader for a very competitive price.

tetsu · #18 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 12:51 AM

hi i've just registered on this site because i found this link through google when searching to buy a 'Bigma' (Sigma 50-500) I am also looking to buy this lens, and been look for quite some time!!!

Cheapest i've managed to find is £578.99 Uk based or £561.64 importing from Japan but you will have the cost of postage on top.

I have purchased some lenses off of ebay, and you don't always get what you pay for! If you can try and pick up the lens and pay cash on collection, that way you can inspect it and still walk (well run) away if you are not happy, worse that happens is you get bad feedback! Deedums, but it's best to see what your paying for, especially if it's over £200 because paypal won't cover it!

Have noticed that there a few Bigma's on ebay from Japan at £475 but with a postage cost of £50... this still works out cheaper than a UK buy, but i think it's best to pick up.

If any one manages to find the Bigma for under £500 brand new in the UK post asap, or if you have one for sale which has had lots of t.l.c then let us know... i'm sure we'll fight for it!

tetsu

FungiJohn · #19 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 01:32 AM

Yes, It's a very good lens .... and only two days old

John

nightshade · #20 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 08:13 AM

There were a few in use at Slimbridge but also an equal number
of 100-400 Canon "pumps"
One chap said the first company he approached for his Bigma
wanted to charge seperately for the lens-hood(£30)

Seajay · #21 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 05:40 PM

I agree with Eeyore. I have bought and sold hundreds of items on e-bay and it CAN BE a matter of caveat emptor. As for photographic items I have been lucky but have heard stories of those who haven,t. Think about it. Expensive items that can be sold five times over - a nice scam. As Eeyore says watch the price and the goods could be damaged
or damaged or lost in transit, so insure against loss should you go down this avenue. If the seller will not allow you to collect the item - run a mile! Always check the seller's feedback espescially with an expensive item. Remember items from abroad can be charged duty and can work out dearer than you would pay in this country should H M Customs collar you plus should you be lucky and evade the duty there could be problems when you go on holiday when the item has a serial no. where duty has not been paid. Finally when you buy from a recognised retailer or someone you know you are getting a bona fide item not a copy.
As for the Bigma I have only recently acquired mine (from Warehouse Express) and I am most impressed. When I opened the package I was amazed at the quality of the engineering then picked it up! It was heavy. It needs a lot of light but with a tripod it can still produce beautiful bird pictures on a lousy day. It took me a while to get to grips with it but now I am over the moon with it! One word of warning keep the strap around your wrist. I dropped mine and the cost of repair? £205! But I still love it. I've just posted a couple of images in the Gallery which take 48 hrs to show so check those when you can and if

a beginner can produce those then the lens speaks for itself. (That's if I've done it right!)

glsammy · #22 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seajay

I agree with Eeyore. I have bought and sold hundreds of items on e-bay and it CAN BE a matter of caveat emptor. As for photographic items I have been lucky but have heard stories of those who haven,t. Think about it. Expensive items that can be sold five times over - a nice scam. As Eeyore says watch the price and the goods could be damaged
or damaged or lost in transit, so insure against loss should you go down this avenue. If the seller will not allow you to collect the item - run a mile! Always check the seller's feedback espescially with an expensive item. Remember items from abroad can be charged duty and can work out dearer than you would pay in this country should H M Customs collar you plus should you be lucky and evade the duty there could be problems when you go on holiday when the item has a serial no. where duty has not been paid. Finally when you buy from a recognised retailer or someone you know you are getting a bona fide item not a copy.

It's not all doom and gloom on ebay, or buying from abroad. I bought my Bigma from Digital Rev, based in Hong Kong. They supplied a vaild invoices, and there was no attempt to evade customs, in fact I paid the customs due, which they promptly reimbursed. The lens had a fault from new, I was able to get it quickly repaird by Sigma on producing the invoice and the customs certificate, with no problems at all.
By buying from Digital Rev I saved a total of £120 from the best UK price I could find. So by all means be wary, but there can be bargins out there, if your selective where you go.

eeyore · #23 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 10:59 PM

true but you were buying new from an ebay trader - i was talking about the second hand "bargains" that are out there

glsammy · #24 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore

true but you were buying new from an ebay trader - i was talking about the second hand "bargains" that are out there

Yep, your right of course. I was just trying to balance a little of what Seajay was saying re buying from abroad, not specifically buying second hand.

speckled wood · #25 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glsammy

I agree with Boddie, it's utter rubbish!

That's why I use one all the time, I love to punish myself..

Here's a few shots with mine:

Either hand held or with a Monopod.

Fantastic shots.

Rest assured that in my hands, hand held, tripod, monopod whatever the results would be mediocre, badly exposed, spoilt by camera shake and noisy and with a fantstic high IS Canon prime lense little little better. The truth is that the vital element is the person behind the lense.

Life is full of injustices, I passed my driving test first time after about half a dozen lessons, my next door neighbour had more than a dozen tries before she passed, she is ten times a better driver than me.

SW