Sigma 500mm f/4.5 EX APO HSM

[scottbergerphoto]

I just got this monster, the Sigma 500mm 4.5 EX APO HSM for Christmas. It's my first long prime. I have been using the 100-400 IS L. Any do's and don'ts? Useful suggestions welcome.
Scott

[Jim_T]

Make sure you hold it steady :)

Nice lens. You'll have to post some example shots..

[IanD]

Scott,
Don't drop it!
:)
Great lens. Was looking at one when I picked up my 100-300 f4. It is a monster. See Tom if you need help carrying it.
Ian

[Canuck]

scottbergerphoto wrote:
I just got this monster, the Sigma 500mm 4.5 EX APO HSM for Christmas. It's my first long prime. I have been using the 100-400 IS L. Any do's and don'ts? Useful suggestions welcome.
Scott

Scott,

Hmmm...do and don't...
-Do use it and have fun!
-Don't drop it!
-Do post some pics u took with it here. We'd like to see how good the lens is.
-Do wonder about the amazing capability and technology that allows us to do this!
-Don't measurebate too much. Where's Belmondo and his rulers???

As you might imagine some are more serious than others and 99.9% of the time I just want a laugh and I'm happy. If you want more proof, look back thru the other posts I have made. It is my intention to join in on all the usual banter or silliness that goes on here. I recon I have been around here long enough for people that have been here some time to know when I'm serious and when I'm not, in the many posts I have made, in the 280s since the beginning of May, 03!

I have a few questions for you as I haven't used a lens above 300mm. I'm thinking it would be really hard to shoot handheld and therefore seems to be a tripod only lens, right? You could probably get some really decent pics of the moon and other bits of astrophotography, if you're interested in that. I'm kicking around the idea of a 2x tc for the Sigma lens to see what I can get out of it, other than 600mm. I'm referring to picture quality and how much the tc effects the pic. The other one is F4.5@ 500mm, that gives you a really shallow DOF at that size. I realise that's the max aperature.

Is there a chart floating about w/ F-stop and DOF chart floating about. I'm thinking this would be extremely useful for a lot of people on this forum including myself.

I was playing w/ pics I took at the Christmas Day deal I went to, and got to needing a short break. I have a lot more pics to play with. It is amazing how long it can take to process 50 RAW pics! Thanks!

[defordphoto]

Cool! Congrats Scott! Now we'll expect to see some pictures of fleas on the back of an Elk soon. :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

scottbergerphoto wrote:
I just got this monster, the Sigma 500mm 4.5 EX APO HSM for Christmas. It's my first long prime. I have been using the 100-400 IS L. Any do's and don'ts? Useful suggestions welcome.
Scott

Scott,
You are going to love this lens! I am still in heaven after a few months with it.. (although the weather hasn't been cooperating now for some time :( )

1. Obviously....... a Tripod :)

2. Bogen/Manfrotto makes a wonderfull alternative to the "Wimberly" that runs about $180.00 as opposed to the Wimberly's $450.00!!!!!

3. Don't loose your drop in filters.. getting replacements from Sigma can be an unusually tricky thing (did it come with a polarizer? Mine was used, so it didn't)

4. Just be prepared for an entirely new camera when you look through the veiwfinder! No other lens I have looks so clear and bright through the 10D viewfinder!

5. On brightly lit days,. with most of my other lenses I have found I need to underexpose by 2/3 stop while shooting RAW to prevent blown out highlights. So far with this lens I have NEVER had an overexposure.. under any circumstances.

6. The Sigma 1.4X and 2X t-cons work well with this lens.. (1.4X seems perfect with almost no discernable effect on image quality) Unfortunaely at f/4.5 even the 1.4x on the 10D results in ,anual focus. However, I was "partly" succesfull with the "tape trick" and the 1.4X

I say partly as with my copy of the lens,. when the tape trick is tried, there is a very scary almost continous focus hunting that can occur at times.. other times it is spot an and as fast as no T-con? I have stopped using it with tape for fear of burning out the focus motor.. but you may want to try it with yours.


If you have any Canon T-cons,. I would love to know how it works (if it works) with those.


And of course... HAVE FUN!