Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6

[Panza]

This is very tempting as far as focal length goes, but when it is more expensive than the original Canon lenses the point in buying Sigma is lost I think.
You loose the zoom but get IS and improved image quality (maybe not with the 2.0X but still).
Has anyone tested this zoom ?
--
Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 $6200
--
Canon EF 500 f4.0 IS $5300
Canon EF 1.4X $270
Canon EF 2.0X $270
Total $5840

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

Uh, way out of my legue. Can't help you with this one, but I'm curious what others have to say! :-) I know CDS has a 500mm f/4L IS. He'll probably post something. I've never heard of anyone with the sigma though....... guess we'll have to see what happens! :-) Thanks for starting this thread!

[mvonditter]

This is very tempting as far as focal length goes, but when it is more expensive than the original Canon lenses the point in buying Sigma is lost I think.
You loose the zoom but get IS and improved image quality (maybe not with the 2.0X but still).
Has anyone tested this zoom ?
--
Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 $6200
--
Canon EF 500 f4.0 IS $5300
Canon EF 1.4X $270
Canon EF 2.0X $270
Total $5840

I know that the 1.4TC works like a champ with my 100-400L IS. (see moon picture in another thread here)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Uh, way out of my legue. Can't help you with this one, but I'm curious what others have to say! :-) I know CDS has a 500mm f/4L IS. He'll probably post something.

;) :mrgreen:

The Sigma is simply amazing... it delivers on the promise of "primelike" image quality... in a flexible zoom.

I owned the Sigma 500mm f/4.5 for a few years and it too is a stellar lens,. this monster zoom is it's equal in many ways,. and obviously offers the longer focal length plus zoom.

It has three readily obvious downsides..
1. Size... its physically the largest AF lens you can put on your camera (with the exception of the out of this world Canon 1200mm of course)

2. f/5.6 is fast for 800mm... but not for 500mm and under.

3. No IS.

The plusses,. for certain types of photography it is so many lenses in one. 300mm, 400mm, 500mm 600mm and 800mm all in one lens. With a 1.4X TC it will still AF on a 1 series @ f/8 (or so I have been told,.. it is not supposed to suffer from the TC anomoly that hinders the Sigma 500mm prime.) The ability to be shooting at 500mm,. and without cahnging lenses or adding TCs being able to switch to 300mm or zoom up to 800mm is amazing... I can think of many times using my prime where this could come in handy. In fact I almost hate to use a 1.4X t-con with my Prime 500,,... even though the image qaulity is still nearly perfect,. I get very frustrated when suddenly my lens is "too long" and I don't have time to pull the T-C off.

There are a few people who own this lens over at the FM forums.. you may want to ask some of them for more first hand info. Many of them have owned Canon primes and stll think this is the ultimate birding lens.

In fact,. Mike Hatam who sold me his Canon 500mm f/4L IS replaced the Canon with this very lens.


One more time though.. this lens is HUGE. It makes the beefy 500mm look positively diminutive. So be carefull.

[CyberDyneSystems]

P.S. B&H current price on this lens is shocking.. it sold for $5,500.00 for years.. I've seen it for as low as $3,800.00 NEW from Henry's in Toronto... (within the last 10 months)

If it were to sell used I'd expect to be under $5,500.00 for sure in mint condition.

[condyk]

This lens, along with the Sigma 800mm prime, has produced the best images I have ever seen ... bar none.