Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO

worthy of an investment or not

Longest lens i have at the moment is 55-200 nikon as i sold the 70-300 with my old camera

I can pick on of these up for £579 new from SLRHUT

Its not going to be a portrait lens, but thinking it might be use fully whilst out and about (near my car due to the size and weight), for taking shots of the dog running about, or whilst on the speedboat of the persobn ski-ing or wake/kneeboarding

it will fit in my new bag too, with room to spare  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I looked at this before and decided its not worth it, my other half does professional photography and a lot of gundog work (for the Kennel Club tests regularly) and we take these items when we are both there to do it:

1x D300 w/ 70-200 VR f2.8 (Main lens for #1)
1x D300 w/ 55-200 VR f5.6 (Main lens for #2)
1x D200 w/ 50m f1.4
1x D40 w/ 18-55 kit

Never needed anything longer except for when we were shooting the HPR tests up on the moors, we just got a bit closer.

Edit: Its not a bad lense at the end of the day but unless your dog is miles away you won't be using the full extent of it and it will be starting to get "slow". Fast moving cocker + distance = recipe for sadness.

sort of thinking the same thing, I want something with a little more reach though Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

npinks wrote:

Its not going to be a portrait lens, but thinking it might be use fully whilst out and about (near my car due to the size and weight), for taking shots of the dog running about, or whilst on the speedboat of the persobn ski-ing or wake/kneeboarding

Get a bit closer

I'm tempted to cash my 18-55 and 55-200 and get the 18-200 and a 2x converter.

I've had a couple of sigma lenses and found the sharpness a bit unpredictable.
Sometimes pics would look ok, some not. Admittidly they were wide zooms but still, my two cents...

Not keen on Sigma either although I do have a fantastic 70-200mm F2.8 one. The older version of the nikon 80-400mm comes in at around £939 or the AF-s version for around £1900 on camerapricebuster. The Sigma you are looking at means you may well have a few light problems at f5.6-f6.3 and work with a high ISO most of the time. Also check out on youtube focus speed I don't think it is the fastest on the planet.
Having said that for the price it might be an option worth looking at Ex 2010 Freelander2 GS-e Diesel manual Silver owner

I never understand people buying a decent camera then trying to save dosh on lenses. You can have the finest camera in the world but if you put a cheap lens on it the pics will look crap.
I always advise starting with the absolute best lens you can afford, the camera is not so important.
That said it depends how perfect you need the results to be.....

I agree with Snappa, I went lenses first then body, now gone to full frame and wide angle shots are immense, however, my 70-200 doesn't seem to reach anything

The Sigma at 500, will be giving you around the reach of a 750 lens in comparison and you will need fast shutter speeds and a rock steady tripod to catch anything that moves.

As others have said, get closer.

My sigma 24-70 f2.8 is a really nice lens

Though I need to get it repairs as there is a little sideward movement, I think it might have been knocked by previous owner, so that's £100 fix

Still pondering but think the 50-500 might have better usability Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I had a Sigma 24-70 2.8 and it was not that great.

I have heard others saying their sigma lenses are ok so maybe its the QC thats not as good as some of the major manufacturers.

I would say go in the shop with a laptop and try the lens out on your camera inside the shop, outside, shoot as much as you can in 10 mins with varying apertures and focal lengths then have a look at the shots in the shop on your laptop. If the shots look good then buy the lens!

Would it be best to save the money and go for another fixed aperture zoom Nick? Would help with zooming whilst holding focus... 2012 DISCOVERY 4 GS AUTO ORKNEY GREY
2012 FREELANDER 2 SD4 GS AUTO BALTIC BLUE - GONE
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Sigma have a poor reputation for quality control. They seem to be turning it around with their most recent Art lenses which are cracking bits of kit. Haven't heard if it's rippling through to their older products, so I'd want to be buying from someone who would swap it no questions asked if I thought I'd been sent a dodgy example.

Do you really need the reach of a 500mm?
If you could stretch the budget I'd go for a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a 2x teleconverter. Then when you don't need the long focal length you get the advantage of the big aperture

I have this lens that I bought a while ago

Nikon 55-200mm f4/5.6 G ED VR got it brand new for £90 something quid

It's entry level, plastic, but was wondering if extension tubes might be a way forward

If so, which one would I still have AF-S or lose things with tubes,

Don't know much about them  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Extension tubes will give you close up capabilities, Extenders give you extra reach, which is what you're after.
Sorry, don't know if you will keep the autofocus, quite possibly but extenders (decent) are not cheap.