Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM AF Lens for Sigma SLR Camera

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

A well designed, engineered and manufactured lens. Optimally balanced, the action is quiet, and smooth. The manual focus ring has the perfect 'feel'. All in all a great lens for the profesional or amature photographer.

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

I use this lens with a Sony A100 currently and used it previously with a Minolta 5D. I agree with the other reviewer that a neck strap for the camera is pretty useless with this large a lens. I find the included hand grip mount the most convenient way to carry this camera/lens. I used it on a trip to Antarctica this past year and got very nice images when shooting faster than 1/200 second. The large zoom range makes this very convenient for all purpose wildlife photography. I would only switch to a wide angle for scenic shots. The 50mm lower range is essentially a portrait lens focal length with the digital camera and has too narrow a field of view for scenic shots.Any digital camera used with this lens should have built in image stabilization especially if you shot mostly hand held shot like I do. ihave not critically evaluated the lens for distortion but haven't found anything objectionable for wildlife photography.

Expertise: Advance amature

Problems Encountered: The lens did fail during the middle of my Antarctica trip with a grinding noise and then locking but I sent it back to Sigma and they repaired it without charge even though I think it was beyond the 1 year warranty. A clear filter is critical. A second camera is critical on an important trip as well as a back up lens. I had a Minolta Z3 but not the latter on that trip. I will in the future also carry my older 75-300 mm lens.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Minolta 75-300mm, Sigma 500mm mirror lens

Items I Recommend: Filter. Use included grip/tripod mount to carry lens and camera.

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

I recently purchased the Sigma 50-500 AF lens for use with my Canon EOS Rebel camera for a trip to Yellowstone. I am a strictly amateur photographer. I was seeking an AF lens to extend my experience beyond my 300 mm lens. Obviously, cost was a factor and the issues of lens size, weight, AF speed were all known in advance. I had minimal time to practice in advance of Yellowstone.The lens proved to be the highpoint of the trip. It meet all expectations and the value for me was met in the first day of use. The ability to readily take pictures of the distant wildlife with clarity was amazing. The 300 mm lens would have been inadequate for nearly 30% of the wildlife pictures. Also, I did not find the AF speed excessively slow. I was able to capture eagles in a soaring flight. I acknowledge that running animals were not possible but I'm not sure that I could move the camera fast enough anyway.The EOS-Sigma 50-500 was the standard camera-lens combo for my entire trip. I was shotgun most of the trip to allow rapid car exit and photo-op. My wife's Panasonic Lumex 12x point & shoot complemented with the below 50 mm shots. Those two cameras were a great combo. Thanks to B&H for the great trip.

Problems Encountered: Several nuisance problems. The EOS-Sigma 50-500 combination is obviously big (duh...) and heavy. I wish that I had a different camera strap. This combination is best slung down along your side and pulled up for shots. My camera strap was the standard front of the neck version. I wish B&H would have advised on that.You have to keep the 50-500 in the lock mode between use. The weight will drift out the lens. When a quick shot comes up, you find yourself at the 500 mm range. You quickly learn to keep the lens locked at 50 mm and flip the unlock for distant zoom.I was definitely annoyed by the lens cap. I would have preferred a lens cap that was easier to detach. I spent the majority of the trip without using the lens cap but I was constantly concerned about dust coming up to dirty the lens while I was walking with the camera by my side. I am over 6' and anyone under 5'6 would have a problem with the camera slung so low to the ground that the lens would certainly get dusty. The lens cap is so clumsy that you will miss shot opportunities.My wife and her sister could not handle the EOS-Sigma 50-500 weight for freestyle use. It was my camera the entire trip. If you are a one camera family, buy the spouse a point & click to complement your Sigma 50-500 arrangement.

Items I Recommend: Different camera strap