Sony 500mm f/4.0 G Telephoto Prime Lens

Comments about Sony 500mm f/4.0 G Telephoto Prime Lens:

I have used this lens for about a month .I am still testing it.This is a very unique lens .The best image is at full open aperture . The image quality starts to drop at f8.The image still looks great even with a 2X converter lens at full open aperture at F8 at 50% crop .The image gets a little sharper at f10.The more I use this lens the more I like it.

Comments about Sony 500mm f/4.0 G Telephoto Prime Lens:

The package when it arrived, was a whole lot bigger than I expected.The lens contradicted my general assumption in many ways, such as the soft leather hood that goes for a lens cap, or the fact that the protective filter at the front end is part of the lens assembly itself.The sheer weight of the lens, and the amount of glass it contained surprised me. Then, as I attached my a77SLT camera to it and attempted to click a few shots - I got convinced of one fact - I've never had a long lens that is this sharp or this rich in colour saturation.Subsequently, I have taken it out on several birding trips around Vancouver, including a six or seven mile hikes. The camera is heavy, and it is not easy to quickly attach it to tripod. Neither is it easy to hand hold it for pictures.As a solution, I use a Manfrotto heavy tripod with a Gimball head and have the lens and camera attached to it all the time when I am out in the field. I carry the contraption over my shoulder, with the camera behind me and the three legs of the tripod ahead of me. The balance is good, but the weight can make your shoulder muscle sore after a while. A soft padding os some sort would be good.I can then lower the tripod on the ground in a few seconds and click off shots. The results are, relatively speaking, out of this world. The thing is, I never had a 500 mm prime lens. What I had before were Sigma zooms, and a Sony 70-400 zoom. All of them are good, but they simply cannot hold a candle to this lens.The autofocus is silent and instant. I played around with various autofocus settings of the camera, and in difficult situations, even manual focus. Each time, I was highly impressed by the lens. The Bekeh are out of this world.I have not had it for long, but it does appear solidly constructed. Externally its a beautiful looking lens, and often draws notes of admiration from passersby.What can I say, it is expensive and not for mere mortals, but I'd rather have this one than a an extra second hand car.