| PERFORMANCE
IN THE FIELD
I use this lens on a tripod 99% of the time. You’ll definitely
want to consider one of the bigger tripods (I use a Gitzo G1325)
and a pro ball head, as vibrations are magnified tremendously
when using big glass. Personally, I use an Arca-Swiss type quick-release
plate from Wimberley and their “Sidekick” gimbal arm mounted
on a Kirk BH-1 head. When I am not with a tripod, I'm usually
using this lens from a beanbag. Hand-holding is possible for
very short periods, or longer if you have a hydraulic left arm.
| |
| Sigma
500mm f/4.5 EX HSM on a Gitzo G1325 tripod with Kirk Flash
X-Tender
|
The
Sigma 500mm f/4.5 lens produces images as sharp as any I’ve
seen. The images have good color and contrast. Image quality
is decent wide-open, but best around f/8, as you might expect.
One
thing to keep in mind is that with any new lens, there is a
learning curve. The miniscule depth of field, even at small
apertures means that you have a lot less margin for focus error
compared to shorter lenses. You may think that the lens is not
sharp at first, until you realize that you weren’t actually
focused on what you thought you were! Light fall-off in the
corners is minor, and virtually nonexistent on a digital body.
AF
performance without a TC is good in most conditions with a CAM
1300 or CAM 2000 body. AF performance with a TC is ok when there
is ample light. I often use MF override with my TC. One thing
to consider is that there is no AF-lock button on the lens.
That means if you have AF tied to your shutter-release button
and are in AF-C mode, expect the lens to try to “fix” your adjustment.
COMPARISON WITH THE COMPETITION
The only alternative to this lens (500mm focal length) is the
Nikkor 500mm f/4.0 AF-S II, or a mirror lens. Mirror lenses
have inherent image qualities that many people find unpleasant,
like low contrast, and are slow (f/8 or more).
The Nikkor 500mm lens is first-class; you can’t go wrong with
it, in my opinion. Nevertheless, here’s my feature comparison
chart that will outline some of the major differences between
these two “big boys”.
| |
Sigma
500 f/4.5 EX HSM |
500mm
f/4D ED-IF AF-S II Nikkor |
Dimensions
Length x Max Diameter |
350x123mm
|
396x140mm |
| Weight |
3.1kg
- 6.8lbs |
3.4kg
- 7.5lbs |
| Aperture
range |
f/4.5
- f/32 |
f/4
- f/22 |
| Minimum
focusing |
4m |
4.8m |
| Filters |
46mm
drop-in
Polarizer included |
52mm
drop-in
Sold separately |
| AF
lock button on lens |
No |
Yes |
Focus
motor |
Internal.
HSM. |
Internal.
AF-S. |
| Diaphragm
blades |
9 |
9 |
| AF
with TC |
No* |
Yes
(TC14E) |
| USA
street price |
$4199** |
$7100 |
*
Sigma’s TC’s mount properly but disable AF with this lens.
AF is possible with other TC’s, as mentioned in the review.
** A newer “DG” version of this lens has just been announced,
with coating improvements for digital SLR users. All other
specifications appear the same. |
|
