Yup, a zoom of this length probably is not the greatest optically at 500mm, but it sure would solve some issues. Any thoughts on these long range zoom lenses? I have heard good and bad comments on Canon's 35-350 which is also a 10x zoom range. The Sigma does not start for a wide angle view so perhaps it might be a bit better than lenses such as the 28-300?? Or is this just wishful thinking?

-- Stanley McManus (stanshooter@yahoo.com), March 17, 2000

Answers

the camera has a street price of about $1000US on BH. don't know anything about the optical quality. BTW, they also came out with a new 180 f3.5 macro lens.

-- (sangdkim@msn.com), March 17, 2000.

Without testing the lens, there isn't any way to know. But I think the odds are good that it would be significantly better than the 28- 300 wonder zooms. Why? 1. This lens cost more than twice as much. 2. Sigma thought enough about picture quality to include a inconveniently large and solid looking tripod collar. 3. It's clearly targeted at the same customer base as the Canon 100-400L, 35-350L and the yet to be released Nikon 80-400 ED, so it had better be more of a lens than the run of the mill 28-300. The real question isn't whether it's better than those 28-300, but whether its sufficiently good to be worth its price.

-- chuck fan (chaohui@msn.com), March 17, 2000.

Does anyone have any experience with this lens yet? Knowing that Sigma tends to have compatible issues w/ Canon EOS bodies, I am only interested in the optical performance of the lens. Thanks.

-- Nguyen Thang (nguyentnt@hotmail.com), May 17, 2000.

A recent edition of the UK magazine 'Amateur Photographer' has a review of the lens including optical tests (lines per mm as a function of aperture and focal length for a high and low contrast subjects). The particular sample tested gave near prime quality at 50mm, and significantly less than prime quality at 100mm and 500mm. It also weighs a tonne (~2Kg).

(If I recall rightly the lens was supplied by Sigma, and so must have been cherry picked.) In addition, given sample variation in zooms, I would take the tests with a good dose of salt.

Leif.

-- Leif Goodwin (lgoodwin@racalinst.co.uk), June 20, 2000.

I've been using the Sigma 50-500 for about 8 months with my Nikon N70. Yes, it is heavy, but I use a harness set-up to keep the strain off of my neck. I am very happy with the photographic results from this combination. With the 1.4 Sigma converter and tripod the results are still terrific. The 50-500 gives me a great shooting range. I have only one nit to pick with it, the lens doesn't turn smoothly from horizontal to vertical shot. Even with the unlocking knob all the way opened the motion is very stiff.

-- Richard Carlan (nalrac1@aol.com), January 18, 2002.