Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 Auto Focus APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

I am in absolute LOVE with the Sigma 500 lens as we refer to her in our household. Tired of listening to my husband's continuing "we need a telephoto lens", I sent him here on Amazon in search of the best lens in our limited price range. I was floored when he sent me the link to this lens, he assured me it was comparable to Canon lenses in the thousands of dollars but for a fraction of the cost. I gulped, but this lens is a gift to each other for our Crystal Jubilee Wedding Anniversary (our 15th). And we only live once... well in his case twice.. so I bit the bullet and ordered the lens, with overnight delivery as I had a goal in mind... I wanted this lens in time for the July 9th 2013 Cardinals baseball game. Where we had phenomenal tickets - all the way across the field in Homer's Landing. This lens is OUTSTANDING. We attached her to a Canon T4i where she did the work to take phenomenal photos. I owe her the credit - I just clicked the buttons. I've uploaded several photos into the customer photo section, be sure to check them out. A few notes: * She's HEAVY. Plan to brace yourself, and TAKE A TRIPOD. * She balances perfectly on her stand! Even when a T4i is attached. * The autofocus is SMOOTH and RAPID when attached to the T4i. I took many continuous photos for stop action pitching and hitting - remarkable photos indeed, CONSISTENTLY in focus! * The adjustment rings are stiff - this is a good thing, when you set 500mm, she'll generally remain in 500mm until you very intentionally move her to a different focal length. I rate this Sigma lens a full 5 stars in my book, where the comparable Canon lens would be far superior, I cannot anywhere near justify spending many, many times the price for the Canon lens when the Sigma is a very capable lens in this class. UPDATE: We have now added the VANGUARD GH-200 Tripod Heads pistol grip head to our camera gear. The pistol grip head is a GREAT tool when using the Sigma lens!

Being a Sigma fan, I decided to give this one a go, as I really wanted a super zoom to round out my glass collection. Its first use was at an airshow, which featured the Blue Angels. I found the image stabilization to be first rate, and held focus even as jets flew by at speed. The zoom ring is a little stiff going from 150mm, but I would prefer that to being too loose. Image quality is great, but probably not up to the quality of a Canon L that costs twice as much. It is a "slow" lens, and I would only recommend it for bright shoots with plenty of ambient light. It is fairly heavy, but I had no problem hand holding it for two hours during my shoot. All in all, a quality super zoom that will satisfy all but those who just have to have "the best" and are willing to pay for it!

I just purchased this lens, the reason for purchasing this lens was to photo Bald Eagles, I'm tired of trying to get good pictures when the Eagles are 200 plus yards away. I have plans on going down to the Conowingo Dam in M.D. to photo, however you don't dare go there without a 400mm lens or above for fear you may get laughed out of the place, and for fear that making a 160 mile round trip was a waste of time. After reading weeks of reviews on the lens I along with most people was questioning if the focus at 500mm would let me down. The Canon 400mm is a great lens however I wanted the extended distance. I'm not in this for a profession just a hobby so I'm not looking to spend $5,000-$10,000, I decided to make the leap yes buying this lens was a leap for me. The 1st thing I did was go out on a humid day and take some photo's of a tree with leaves off in the distance on an overcast morning to me this was perfect to try and make the lens not focus, I figured with the overcast day, and the leaves(low contrast) there would be no way I would get a sharp clear focus for sure I figured there would be softness around the edges, well I was wrong the leaves and bark are clear, and sharp at 500mm. The last photo I took was handheld with the stabelizer on I could not tell the difference from the 1st photo's taken on a tripod from the handheld photo. The lens has a rough unfinished feel to it which adds to making the grip more sure. The weight is a bit heavy, but my guess is when your building a large lens with everything that this lens has its going to be a bit heavy, if you want a light lens then get one that is made out of plastic. If you decide on getting this lens I would get a filter not too expensive under $20.00, why take a chance of scratching the lens. All in all the lens focuses with no problem, is quick, and quiet.

This lens gives you 500mm magnification but at a cost: it is affordable but just too heavy--nearly 4 lb--making it difficult to hold firmly to shoot flying birds. It also gets tad soft at 500mm. According to me, a better option would be : Canon 100-400mm L class lens+ 1.4EX III telephoto extender. This combination provides tack sharp images even at maximum magnification (effective 600mm on full-frame DSLR) and is also easier to hand hold.

Sono molto, molto soddisfatto! Un super tele con qualità dell'immagine e resa cromatica buonissime! Facilmente utilizzabile anche a mano libera, grazie anche alla comoda impugnatura. Consigliato a chi non vuole spendere un patrimonio per un obiettivo originale. Servizio Amazon come al solito eccellente, con consegna prima del termine indicato.

So happy to find an alternative to the new options to upgrade what I have. The product is working well now and can not wait to take it out to try on the next trip.

De toute évidence c'est un poids lourd qui manque d' ouverture. Pour le reste rien a redire. Beau rendu, la double stabilisation (horizontal-vertical ou simplement verticale) est efficace, mise au point un peu lente en 500 mm mais c'est un peu normal). Focale de bonne facture avec un rapport qualité prix défiant toute concurrence. Livrée avec un pare soleil,une poignée, une housse de protection ainsi qu'une dragonne.Excellente acquisition a faire pour la photo animalière ou sportive.

Robusto, leggero, compatto ed estremamente maneggevole in tutte le situazioni. Ottimo lo stabilizzatore. L'ho comprato per foto naturalistiche e personalmente mi trovo molto bene. Ho una 7D ed ho provato anche a 'spingerlo' un po' abbinandolo all'estensore di focale Sigma x1.4 e l'ho trovato eggreggio. Considerato il costo rappresenta una valida soluzione per chi necessita di focali lunghe, peso contenuto e buona qualità a costi accessibili.

Pour qui veut faire de la photo animalière sans trop se ruiner, fait des photos de qualité plus qu'acceptables, mais sans bien sûr égaler ses grands frères (beaucoup plus chers!) de Canon. Pas vraiment lumineux mais ce n'est pas une surprise si on lit bien les caractéristiques d'ouverture, assez lourd aussi donc ne prévoyez pas un trek en forêt avec, sauf si vous êtes sportif bien entrainé :) Livré avec son PS et un sac de protection, conception solide et sobre.