Price. Reach. Build quality. Zoom lock.

Heavy, particularly front-heavy. Very difficult to hand-hold. Slow. Slow-focussing, tends to hunt in low light or against busy backgrounds.

I used this lens for a year, and while it is a bargain at the price I finally found its aperature and weight too limiting. I have heard of people who can hand-hold this lens, but I never once got a good shot with this lens that wasn't from a monopod, tripod or some other firm support. Still, it's very sharp stopped down in good light and a good buy for the price.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Canon 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS
Sigma 120-300 f2.8 EX

Extended zoom range makes less lens changes to occur = less dirt in the sensor area.
Sharpness, contrast, colour tones, and almost total absence of chromatic aberrations.
Not to heavy for the focal range we're talking about (500mm top)
Construction quality seems very good.
Great value for the money.
Black/dark gray colour is more discrete.

Wheigt. Although is good for a lens of 500mm, is STILL a really heavy lens.
Moving barrel, works as a vacuum dust cleaner when retracting-extending the zoom. Possible dust getting inside the lens, so don't use often it in dusty environments.
Paint gets off the magnesium tripod collar, but paint is ALWAYS difficult to adhere in this kind of substance; just choose, pretty and neat? or lighter? I prefer lighter.
NO Image stabilization. Sigma... get on it quick please.
No focus range selector.
Lens cap difficult to place without removing the hood.

Just couldn't believe it!!!! Superb quality since 50mm till the 500mm end. At 500mm, and only if you search with an experts eye, you will see is a little bit softer, but only for the really professionals who want to make super-sized images..
Believe me, I sold a 70-200 f4 L USM from Canon, and my 10D has loved the change. Superb focus even with lower light (not low light), and some crisp clear, colourfoul and sharp photos. The AF speed, is just not as fast as Canon's, but in my first impressions, my 10D focus a lot better when compared to the number of shots with missed focus I had when using the 70-200 L f4.
Not sure if a Canon camera should use third party lenses? Try this one and change your mind. I thought that way too.

Customer Service

No need until now.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 100-400 L IS USM

Sharp Great Colour Zoom range Nice finish Sturdy tripod mount Comes with a hood and nice case

Heavy - but what do you expect - try picking up a Nikon 500mm! Needs good light due to limited aperature - not really a weakness but has to be taken into account when planning a shoot. Filter was had to find but I got one in the end and it was quite expensive

This is my favorite lens. I was aprehensive at buying it at first but all my fear were not valid. It produces pin sharp images with excellent clour everytime. As I shoot mainly wildlife it stays on one of my bodies most of the time. The other body has the new Sigma 10 to 20 on it, don't really need any other lenses. Ok. this lens is big and heavy but what do you expect for the range offered. I use it on a monopod or a tripod and get consistant results. It's such a flexible lens and has more than paid for itself 10 times over. Although this lens has been used for over 2000 shots it still looks like new and the finish has not deteriorated at all and its been used in some very cold and wet conditions. I can only prase this lens so go and get one and enjoy tele photography - but read a few technique books first as it needs some knowlege to use it to its best ability - don't try hand holding it !! All in all a fantastic lens.

Customer Service

Not much used but found them helpful on the phone with a few technical questions

Similar Products Used:

All nikon gear, D100, D70 D2x All nikon pro lenses at some stage Sigma 50, 105 Macros Sigma 10 20 wideangle zoom ( another excellent lens from sigma)

Well-made HSM High quality Zoom range (50-500mm is SWEET) Performs well wide open even at 500mm!

A little heavy (but we know that) f/6.3 maximum aperture doesn't let in a lot of light

Wow, this is a dandy! I love the HSM (it's so quiet I don't even know it's focusing sometimes) and it's built like a tank. I bought a monopod to use with it, and I've adapted to it quite well (although the momopod is a little hard to carry when I'm not shooting). The only real beef I have with it so far is that it doesn't open real wide, a liability for nighttime shooting, but I knew that when I bought it. All in all, not bad.

Customer Service

None needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6

Sharp. Great price for the range.

Front-heavy full extended. Slow at 500.

I owned this lens for over a year and used it quite a bit for wildlife photography. Optically, it's a wonderful lens for the money and I had no complaints. It takes very sharp pictures with no distortion at the long end---frankly, I didn't use the short end much, if at all. The shortcomings that made me finally sell the lens were its weight and balance---fully extended it is awkwardly front-heavy and it's just about impossible to use without a tripod---and its slowness at 500. Still, if you take a tripod with you everywhere, and if you take most of your shots in full daylight, this is an excellent wildlife lens.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Canon 400mm f5.6L Canon 100-400mm L

Focal range. 50-500 covers all the ranges I need for 95% of all my images. For wider shots. I switch to a 17-55 Canon and for even longer shots I plan on buying the 2X teleconverter for next season. Very crisp images with great saturation at longer focal lengths. AF is quick and precise except when things like branches are in the way of the subject. Constant manual focusing eliminates the problem completely though.

It is heavy, I mean heavy. Packing equipment into the bush I find myself leaving supplies (like a tent) behind to make up for it. It seems not to fit my camera perfectly and there is a little shimy. Does not seem to make any difference in the quality of the shot though. It is just a little annoying.

I bought this lens for the wide focal range since being outdoors looking for wildlife usually negates the ability to change lenses fast. Another reason I bought it is that changing lenses on my 20d usually has the effect of dust bunnies on the images and I hate to have to touvh them up in Photopaint. Exept for the need to switch to a much smaller lens to capture the huge landscapes here in Alaska it serves my purposes well. Being a grand out of my pocket at first I had some trpedation about buying it but now with a few months in the bush I do regret the purchase at all.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

none

-Sharpness and contrast at 300-500mm -Excellent image wide open -Excellent performance with 1.4 matched tc -Nice Color rendition -HSM works very well -Solid build and balance -10x zoom that performs to high standards

-f6.3, but you know that going in. -4 lbs, but you know that too. -86mm filters are expensive -No AF with tc's

From a handling perspective it is a very nice lens to use. It is very well balanced on the tripod. The collar is designed well, but it is a little tight. I think it will loosen up over time; if not I will use something to lubricate it (if I decide to keep this one). Zooming is very smooth and sure, and considering the size of the barrel it doesn't seem overly stiff (as some reports have indicated). The HSM works very well; it is silent, fast, and accurate in both S and C w/ and w/o dynamic AF. MF touch up is nice and very smooth w/ a good usable throw. The Sigma HSM's that I've had have the best MF feel of any AF lenses that I have used, and this is no exception. It seems built to the same standards as the 70-200 and 100-300 (which are very solid). I do wish that the TC maintained AF but there's nothing I can do about that. It is still nice to have HSM at 500mm even if it is f6.3. It was certainly a neat experience to be able to set up on the ground and shoot at three or four drastically different focal lengths without changing lenses. One thing for sure is that your technique has to be spot on because every little vibration shows up, and it is definitely more difficult than it looks. Makes me wonder when I hear people say that a lens is soft; do they realize that it might not be the lens I used an F5/Gitzo 2220/Bogen 488rc2 and LL technique (a la Moose Peterson). I tried various combinations of cable release/MLU/Self timer/on-the-ground and extended. Used AF and MF; matrix and spot metering. I used the matched 1.4x tc for some shots as well. Subjects were primarily along a river and included waterfowl and landscapes. It was a very cold, bright, cloudless day with a lot of contrast, so I shot Velvia 100. I am really pleased with the quality of the images in terms of sharpness, color and contrast...I was initially quite skeptical to be honest (a 10x zoom). Highlights: At 300, 400 and 500mm @f6.3 images were crisp; eyes sharp, good feather detail, leaves and branches are well defined. I didn't see any evidence of CA nor any noticable distortion. There is a very nice separation of subject from background that works to isolate subjects effectively. Color rendition seems pleasantly neutral to me. I think it may actually be a bit sharper at 500mm than at 400, but I'll have to shoot more before I know for sure. It could simply be tripod technique for individual shots. The important thing is that it is very good at long focal lengths. Stopped down to f8-f16 the images seem to be at their apex (no surprise there). In comparing these slides to slides taken with my other lenses in the 400mm range, I found the the Nikkor 400mm 5.6 AI was the best performer (sharpness and contrast) followed by the 50-500HSM, then the Sigma 400 5.6 Tele-macro, and finally the Tokina 400 5.6 ATX. That was a surprise because I didn't think that a 10x zoom could perform as well as a prime. That's is not a knock on those primes...I liked them very much when I had them. Obviously the HSM wins in the AF catagory...no contest. Drawbacks: Still only f6.3 so if it isn't sunny...your subject better not be moving too fast. Teleconverter-No AF so you have to be very good at focusing manually with all that magnification. Actually the images with the TC were pretty good, and I had to look at my notes to be sure of which shots were TC's. Wide-open there is a slight loss of contrast and edge sharpness, but closed down a stop or two it is hard to tell that the tc was used. Flare-You have to use that hood and try to keep the sun out of the shot. All those elements/groups...lots of light bouncing around. Falloff-There is a slight amount of falloff at 400 and 500 @f6.3 but it is only detectable in shots with corner to corner blue sky. Biggest Surprises: Bokeh...it is very smooth. Contrast...I figured it might be sharp, but I didn't think it would have such crisp contrast. Conclusions: Its a big lens, its expensive, it is only f6.3, and 50-200mm @f4 is somewhat superfluous, BUT it is a very sharp and very contrasty lens wide-open from 300-500mm (beating third-party 400mm 5.6 primes for image quality, which is a key point); has HSM focusing; for under $1,000; plus it maintains image quality (if not AF) with the matched 1.4x TC. It is also built very well and handles nicely. Overall, a great lens for general nature and wildlife use where image quality and versatility are important, but fast apertures aren't essential. Caveat: I didn't shoot many shots below 300mm, so I can't really comment on performance in that range. I didn't see any glaring weakness. Please remember that this is a completely subjective, general evaluation, not a scientific lens test or an advertisement. I didn't shoot MTF test charts or brick walls, I shot nature subjects...like I usually do.

Customer Service

Never needed it...I hear its good.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 Nikkor 300 f2.8 Nikkor 300 f4 Nikkor 400 f3.5 Sigma 70-200HSM Sigma 100-300HSM

- picture quality - zoom range - solid construction - hand held picture taking possible!

only for users with experience

It is a very solid construction, very well balanced, light (if you remember the zoom range 50-500mm!). Pictures are very sharp and contrasty in the range 50-400mm, at 500mm only the contrast decreases a little. Beware of some vignetting at all focal lengths at full open (it is gone at f11). Simply genial!

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

Not available

sharp fast contrasty no distortion and the COLOURS maaan! IT IS A DRAM come true..wow its close to or better than the canon 100-400 !!?? wow go for it!

NOPE! maybe weight!???= that goes with the pro

I have just been in Athens For The OL games and found out thatthis lens is a very sharp and contrasty for a fraction of the cost from a original Canon! Normally i use the old 35-350 L from canon but it was broken and i lended this one instead ! wow! what a lens ,i use it mainly on my monopod or even tripod and the shots i got from it was equal or even better than normal!The colours are somehow the most wonderfull i have seen for years!although this lens is heavy it really rules ! its absolutely high end in all categories-Mine is my workhorse No 1 Now!The Sigma 50-500 is super! (Sigma; please make it with a stabilizer !!??==) folks: BUY IT!

Customer Service

nope

Similar Products Used:

many types; canon 100-400 ..and more

The zoom range and reach, although not terribly sharp, is incredible. Some say it is heavy, but I don't find it so. I've hand held it many times. Adequately sharp around F4 at 75mm, and at F8 around 750mm. Quiet operation, easy to use.

Filters for this lens are ridiculously expensive. Not a pro lens, adequately sharp.

I use a DSLR (Fuji S2) and around 2 years ago could not decide between this lens and the Nikon 80-400VR lens - I eventually went with the Sigma. On a DSLR the lens works out to around 75-750 at F4-6.3 - I wanted a lens for sports, and also varied subjects. Bang for buck, I pretty much got what I asked for. Without the capability of changing ISO from 100 to 1600, I'd probably be disappointed in low light shoots. I have sold quite a number of prints, but I don't consider myself a pro shooter - I've printed many images at 20 by 30 inches, and they are fantastic. I also shoot elite level Australian Rules Football now thanks mostly to this lens. For sports, the 750MM reach is superb - the pro shooters with 600/4 lenses giggle at the lens, but shooting sports and being able to zoom from 750mm to 75mm is priceless. The lens does have it's pitfalls, but you get what you pay for. All in all, a very capable allrounder. Without wanting to self advertise, there are hundreds of images with this lens on my website.

Customer Service

Possibly the biggest weakness.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 80-200/2.8 AF (Push-Pull) Sigma 14/2.8