SIGMA 50-500mm f:4.6-6.3 EX DG HSM APO

I just bought this SIGMA 50-500mm zoom telephoto.  I got mine from a friend at work, and I know its history.  It has been very well cared for.

Last summer I borrowed the SIGMA for a week while I was vacationing with the most wonderful woman in the world.  We spent the week in a small rustic cabin on Seventh Lake in the central Adirondacks.  I had a great time shooting with the lens, but frankly, I was not careful enough at that time to make the sort of outstanding images of which this lens is capable.

Last summer I tried snapping things in a hurry and on dark rainy days.  The SIGMA 50-500 isn’t really designed for that sort of low light grab work.  Since then I’ve learned a lot about light, shutter speed, the relative stability of tripods, and what one should expect from a 500mm telephoto lens.  Now I am ready to take the sort of images this unique lens is meant for.

I have snapped a few basic shots since I got the SIGMA home, but nothing yet that really shows it off.  I’ll be taking lots once our weather decides to moderate a bit more.  I can tell you this though.  The SIGMA 50-500 EX DG HSM APO is a very unique lens.  Back in the day, the manufacturing process didn’t allow vendors to make lenses like this with good optical properties.  These days, they practically do miracles by the old standards.  This lens isn’t something you see around every day–yet at least–but it takes great pictures.

At a little over four pounds, it’s very light as 500mm lenses go.  Vibration reduction (Image Stabilization for Canon fans) would be a great benefit, but for the price, you just can’t come close to the performance of this lens anywhere else.  It comes with a carrying and storage bag, but you can’t have a body attached while it’s in the bag.  On the other hand, this lens can be carried with a body attached without too much effort.  I wouldn’t want to hike with it, but it’s OK for half-day birding trips and things like that.

Now I’m saving for the SIGMA 2x teleconverter ;-)

Here’s a link to an excellent review of this lens.  You can get the SIGMA 50-500 on Amazon.com.

Amazon.com treats me great.  If you decide to get one of these (or anything else from Amazon.com) it helps me put more time into this if you remember to use my links to get there.