New Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG OS

[GerryNick2]

Since the press release concerning the launch of this lense I must admit to a bit more than a passing interest in it and have been pondering over whether it would give me the extra reach and an edge over my Canon 100-400mm.

Reading the reviews on the older 170-500mm there seems to be a lot of conflicting views over whether it will AF when attached to a Canon 30D or 40D given the f6.3 aperture and the issue of Canon bodies shutting off AF when detecting a maximum aperture above f5.6.

It has been suggested that Sigma use their own smart chips which reports the aperture as f5.6 and not f6.3, i.e a bit like using a third party tc.

I know a lot of WAB members use both the current Sigma 50-500mm and the 170-500mm so would welcome feedback on whether any problems have been experieced with AF on Canon mid-range bodies. Do you for example need very good light for AF to work at the 500mm end etc.

Views would also be welcomed on whether you consider purchasing the 150-500mm would be a wise investment when it becomes available in April or would I be better off saving my money and sticking with the 100-400mm + 1.4tc.

Gerry

[glsammy]

They auto focus just fine. I've read some rather ill informed comments that because it's F6.3 @ 500mm, then autofocus doesn't work. Utter rubbish. I've no idea how it's done, but rest assured it works and works well in all light levels. Just look where I shoot. Dark gardens, dark woodland, with high ISO settings and slow shutter speeds. The one thing I can rely on is the autofocus. Snaps in immediately.
I use a 20D plus others I know have used it with 30D, 400D, 350D.
The 170-500mm doesn't have the HSM motor and doesn't focus as fast as the Bigma does.
One thing I find curious about the new listings is that they're not marked as EX lens, which is usually Sigmas mark for top quality. Why they've done this is a mystery to me. Perhaps they'll be a lot cheaper.

[GerryNick2]

Thanks for the reassurance Graham with regard to the AF. Will have to wait until April now and see what the reviews have to say about it before making my mind up on whether to purchase.

Gerry

[Willrow]

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

Thanks for the reassurance Graham with regard to the AF. Will have to wait until April now and see what the reviews have to say about it before making my mind up on whether to purchase.

Gerry

Gerry,

You may be interested to know that at Focus on Imaging, at the NEC, Birmingham on Sunday, I had the opportunity to handle a prototype of the new Sigma 150-500 lens, the quality seemed very good (almost EX) and I was informed that it has just been priced at £750 RRP, but this will obviously be discounted at dealers.

We shall all wait patiently for the reviews, but with the optical stabilization, hypersonic motor and the advantage of being able to take tele-converters, this could prove a big seller for Sigma if the image quality is up to their usual general standard, and I can't see why it should'nt be.

Hope this helps a little.

Willrow.

[glsammy]

If that price is right, it's listed at more than £100 cheaper than the Bigma. (£899.) You can get the Bigma retail for around £700 mark, If the 150-500 goes the same way, it sounds a bargain at that price level. I'm still bemused as to why they've not made it EX though..

I wouldn't rely on the use of tele-converters, the Bigma is also supposed to be compatible but the results are at best mediocre and at anything other than best, utter rubbish!

[GerryNick2]

Originally Posted by Willrow

Gerry,

You may be interested to know that at Focus on Imaging, at the NEC, Birmingham on Sunday, I had the opportunity to handle a prototype of the new Sigma 150-500 lens, the quality seemed very good (almost EX) and I was informed that it has just been priced at £750 RRP, but this will obviously be discounted at dealers.

We shall all wait patiently for the reviews, but with the optical stabilization, hypersonic motor and the advantage of being able to take tele-converters, this could prove a big seller for Sigma if the image quality is up to their usual general standard, and I can't see why it should'nt be.

Hope this helps a little.

Willrow.

Thanks for the info.

The price certainly looks good but whether it is a success is going to depend a great deal on the image quality. I hope it is not just a re-engineered 170-500mm, the image quality on this one was very poor and not even close to the 50-500mm. The 150-500mm has 21 elements in 15 groups compared to the 170-500mm's 13 in 11 groups and the bigmas 20 in 16 groups so one would assume the extra glass would contribute to sharper images (may be wrong).

Weight is something to give careful consideration to, at 1910g it is heavier than the bigma at 1840g and a massive 600g heavier than the 170-500mm and the Canon 100-400mm. No doubt this is attributable to the extra glass and the addition of OS.

Like Graham I am suspicious of the absence of the EX factor which usually denotes that the lens has superior optical quality and exterior finish.

Whilst it would be nice to have a 500mm range with reliable AF, if the image quality is not up to scratch I will stick with my Canon 100-400mm + third party TC even though I often have to revert to MF in poor light and high contrast situations.

Certainly be interesting to see what the reviewers come up with when they get their hands on the first batch released.

Gerry

[Fourwings]

The lack of EX status could be a major factor in influencing the price, its certainly a bit of a mystery as to why its not an EX lens.
I certainly wont be running out to get one, I am totally happy with my Bigma, it does the job admirably and gets me excellent results time after time.

The price also suggests that it may well be just an updated version of the 170 - 500mm "coffee grinder", in that case its not going to get close to the Bigma in terms of image or build quality.

The biggest bonus of this new lens coming out will be that it may drive the price of the conventional Bigma down still further. My advice would be to forget the temptation of OS, it really isnt necessary, and get a standard Bigma.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

Thanks for the info.

The price certainly looks good but whether it is a success is going to depend a great deal on the image quality. I hope it is not just a re-engineered 170-500mm, the image quality on this one was very poor and not even close to the 50-500mm. The 150-500mm has 21 elements in 15 groups compared to the 170-500mm's 13 in 11 groups and the bigmas 20 in 16 groups so one would assume the extra glass would contribute to sharper images (may be wrong).


Gerry

Ive been shooting with the little bigma (170-500) for about 3 years now and this hasnt been my experience - there is a little chromatic aberation at the edge which is a factor for full frame users but this isnt visible to the sensor with a 1.6 crop (as in my 20D), the build quality is fine and has stood up well to 3 years of very hard use - and IQ was indistiguishable from the 50-500 i hired to make a side by side comparison.

the only thing that is a problem on little bigma is the focussing which is noisy (hence the other nickname given to this lens - the coffee grinder) and inacurate in low light.

If this new lens is essential an OS little bigma but has HSM foccusing i wouldnt let the lack of EX glass worry me for a minute.

[GerryNick2]

Originally Posted by glsammy

If that price is right, it's listed at more than £100 cheaper than the Bigma. (£899.) You can get the Bigma retail for around £700 mark, If the 150-500 goes the same way, it sounds a bargain at that price level. I'm still bemused as to why they've not made it EX though..

Whilst at a photographic event today I had the opportunity to handle the full range of Sigma lenses. Whilst there I posed the question as to why the new 150-500mm OS had not been given the EX designation. It would seem that the Sigma reps in the UK had asked the same question. The answer given was that the EX designation would in future be reserved for zoom lenses with a fixed aperture throughout their entire length. The UK Sigma Rep. was also fairly adamant that the image quality of the 150-500mm would be on a par with the bigma if not better, we shall see.

Gerry

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

Whilst at a photographic event today I had the opportunity to handle the full range of Sigma lenses. Whilst there I posed the question as to why the new 150-500mm OS had not been given the EX designation. It would seem that the Sigma reps in the UK had asked the same question. The answer given was that the EX designation would in future be reserved for zoom lenses with a fixed aperture throughout their entire length. The UK Sigma Rep. was also fairly adamant that the image quality of the 150-500mm would be on a par with the bigma if not better, we shall see.

Gerry

Mmm, interesting. Does that mean they're going to drop the EX for the Bigma and the other variable aperture zooms? That wouldn't make any sense. What about the warranty? EX glass gets 3 years, if your buying genuine UK stock that is, whilst non EX only gets one year.

I'm not sure Sigma really know what they're doing!