Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS USA

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

You really can't beat this lens for the price. Yes, it is heavy but I knew that going in. I use it for alot of sports and the f4 makes it tough indoors, but again, I knew that and don't have the money for a f2.8 in zoom comp. Focus speed is great and I have gotten some great detailed shots. The lens creap is a pain at times but you can lock it at 50mm, best when transporting or reviewing images.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I shoot a little bit of everything nature wise from birds to dragonflies and this lens in combination with tubes has covered my every need.

Sharpness wise it's not a prime but being able to zoom in or out means I more often get the shot then if I was stuck with a prime and had to move closer or farther from the subject maybe scaring it off.

This lens I use for shooting butterflies, dragonflies, birds and more. For the butterflies and dragonflies I use 36 to 68mm of ext tubes but you do have to Manual focus and I do recommend using a sturdy tripod for this lens. For me it's the perfect tool to cover such a wide range of subjects with relative ease.

No real cons about this lens after 7 years of use my first one was stolen and I ordered a new one and I think it's sharper then the first one was.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

This lens is very versatile and great for shooting birds, which are 90% of the subject matter that it gets used for. The sharpness wide open or at maximum zoom is noticeable softer than at f/8- f/11. This a little restrictive since its already a slow lens and birds move fast. The bokeh isn't very pretty compared to some other lens of similar focal length made by canon. Autofocus isn't super fast, but upgrading to Canon 7D has seemed to help with that. For the 500mm focal length I think its the best option in terms of cost and quality. IS/VR/OS would be nice though.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

If you can get over the weight, it is a very flexable choice. IS would be nice, however for those of us that have a steady technique it performs very well with out the IS.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I love shooting sports! This lens worked wonders.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

With its wide range, the Sigma 50-500 provides an excellent platform for my wildlife and nature photography. I don't need to take a selection of lenses with me and it is carriable around the neck mounted on my Canon EOS450D (or Rebel as I believe it is called in the USA). No need for a monopod or tripod.
It is definitely one of my favourite walking companions !

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

The Sigma 50-500mm lens is quickly becoming my "first-shoice" lens. The quality of glass, speed of focus under most conditions and great range has made it the one lens I can always depend on to cover what I need. The size of this lens compared to other lens with the same focal length is a rearl plus.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I use this lens regularly on photo assignments in all kinds of conditions. As far as bang for your buck and sheer versatility, there is no other lens like it on the market. I use other pro lenses and L-series glass, but I find myself coming back to this lens over and over. I've shot with it in minus 20 degree winters in Canada, to tropical rainforests in south america. I've beat this lens up time and time again, yet it still works flawlessly and produces incredible images. Some might argue the benefits of primes or more expensive "pro" lenses, but I'll take the Sigma on assignments before all else. The only reason I don't give this lens 5 stars is because "technically" there are other lenses out there that will produce better images. But again, I would forego that slight difference in quality for the versaility and usefulness of this lens.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

It's a bargain and the quality is excellent. It is totally flexible, from that 50mm shot that shows the landscape to that intimate shot at 500mm. Awesome range, excellent build quality, and for the price beyond anything you can buy at thousands less.Yes, it vignettes on full-frame sensors, it may be a tad soft at 500mm, but with skill and patience, there is nothing on the market today that can compare as to value for money.If you don't have [$] to buy a Canon 500mm f/4 then get this excellent lens. Course, the Canon 500mm f/4 can't shoot at 50mm.The one lens I use most often, simply because I can frame the subject instantly without having to change lenses, and thereby missing the opportunity that the light provides.I would recommend this lens to anyone.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I needed a single lens which would cover a range of subjects from near to far without carrying a lot of gear. This lens has performed well for me though it's pretty heavy and at maximum zoom, you'll need at least a monopod. Resolution and saturation are good though at lower zoom, quality falls off somewhat. Autofocus is a little bit slower, particularly in low-light conditions. It's a good alternative to my 100-400 when I want to reach out farther (while packing less gear)though very similar in performance to the 100-400 with a 1.4x extender and about the same weight. (This is a really loooong lens at maximum zoom)Overall, the 100-400 with a 1.4x is clearly a better overall choice for sports or wildlife but the wider field of view on this 50-500 really comes in handy from time to time.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I bought this lens in Aug. 2006 and have had it for about 6 or 7 months now. A friend of mine recommend this lens and raved about it so much that I decided to stray from the L series glass that I normally prefer. After all, with the price tag $600 below and length 100mm above the closest Canon equivilent, I figured I would give it a try. I wish I hadn't. I ended up spending the money to buy the L glass anyway. The autofocus is slow and inaccurate. Nothing worse than going out to capture 300+ images and the ones that should be spectacular are soft. After that, I kept it on manual focus always. It helped. I was also disappointed at the contrast it produced. Normally, shooting in the warmer hours of the day would cure that, but I was still not impressed. I have gotten some good images out of this lens, but I much prefer my L....and I am reluctant to take the $500 loss that selling this one would bring......And I compare images between the two and at f4 the Canon was sharper. At f9 and f11 they were comparable. Weight was not an issue, as most of these long lenses are heavy, and after carrying around a 500 L IS for a while, you wish for the 4 lbs of this thing.Overall, I would say that if you can't wait for the other $600 go ahead and get this one. You will end up with some good images, just not as good.

Problems Encountered: Could definitely use IS. Focus and Zoom are easily confused. LOW contrast. But you get what you pay for...

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: 100-400 L IS

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

I just bought this lens it is brand new. Before I started using I setup several test to check the lens beside the canon 100-400 5.6 IS lens. I was very amazed to find that is just as sharp as the canon, in some cases sharper. It gives you a big edge at 500 mm when shooting birds, focus is fast and accurate. The lens is not a problem to hand hold. If the lens was the same price as the canon I would buy the Sigma again. Its the only lens in my bag that is not a canon l series. If all Sigma lenses are as good as this one there will be more in my bag in the future. I would love to have a canon 600 f4 IS but this one is not a bad choice. (I love It)

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon 100-400 mm Is 5.6

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

The Sigma AF 50-500mm f/4-6.3 APO EX DG HSM produced a quitegood performance during the tests - despite its zoom rangeit managed to keep the optical quality on a high level(apart from minor exceptions). So an extreme range combinedwith an extreme tele setting with a decent quality ispossible even at a budget. You may argue that the lens isn'tcheap in absolute terms but it certainly is so regarding theoverall package. Besides its optical qualities the lens canalso convince with high build quality. A very impressivepackage all-in-all!

Problems Encountered: Nonetheless I would like to end this report with a few wordsof caution - at 50mm the lens isn't exactly fast with a max.aperture of f/4 so good quality portraits (with decentbackground blur) are somewhat out-of-scope. You should alsobe aware that the extreme tele setting isn't reallysomething for hand-held photography. You can achieve goodquality results using fast shutters speeds via high ISO (seealso the sample shots) but the composition is very tough dueto the camera shake. When considering this lens it is a goodidea to plan the extra bucks for a good monopod at least. Ifthis is no option you should probably better check out oneof the available image stabilization lenses.

Items I Recommend: Canon

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

Even at 4 pounds I shoot handheld shot frequently. Zoom and focus rang [ minimun 3.3' to 9.8'] makes it everything from macro [grin] to the long distance lens it is, a go to lens. Have carried it to South Africa twice and got shots I would have missed otherwise [did not have to change lens for various range shots]. The included neck strap is highly recommended, does not put pressure on the Canon camera mount ring. Teleconverter is an interesting add-on but suggest a mono-pod or tripod. As with most TC's manual focusing is required. Don't expect extreme sharpnest when using one. I recently bought a Canon 100-400IS and feel except for the Image Stabilization I gave up the difference in zoom range for too much more money. Highly recommended

Problems Encountered: Downside is the lens needs some sort of friction to keep it from sliding out to maximun range if the lens is pointed/carried lens down. The zoom lock on the lens only keeps the lens at 50mm. Like most large zoom lens, it is a light hog

Items I Recommend: Circular Polarizor, UV filter to protect the lens.

Comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Canon EOS:

Got this a month ago from B&H & I'm very pleased with it.Figured I'd best buy it now as the prices seem to have beensteadily rising maybe $50 per yr. Amazingly sharp for the focal length-sharper than myinexpensive 70-300 canon. Works well with teleconverters.Autofocus is okay w/o TC, spotty with. Some refocusing isnecessary after changing zoom. I don't need the 50-100range, but the rest of the zoom range is helpful whenframing small stuff. Great for a junior birdman. The tripodmount slips nicely into an Arca-Swiss quick release mount.

Problems Encountered: No real problems, just the compromises of such a big lens atan affordable price. Yes, its several times the weight of my20D, its bulk meant a switch to a backpack camera bag, agood tripod is mostly required, but I love the darn lens.I've been happy to haul it on hikes even if I think it'sdoubtfull I'll use it.

Items I Recommend: UV filter, Sigma 2x TC, Sigma or Tamron 1.4 TC