Sigma 300-800mm

Hi there,i Plan to get myself a New Lens for Motorsports ,a 500 mm from canon is in selection but i also thought about a 300-800 from Sigma,i did a Quick Search but Found no sports Images made with the lens,found only wildlife and some Surfing shots ,does anybody use this Lens for Motorsports ?
Thanks.

Nope..i don't own either, but i'd bet good money the Sigma doesn't focus/track fast enough for motorsports. The 500 f/4 on the other hand would; throw on a 1.4x tc if you need, and you almost match the Sigmonster.. at 700 f/5.6.. plus IS..and weather-sealed and L build, and resale value, and white and..and..and!

1Tanker wrote in post #12481303
Nope..i don't own either, but i'd bet good money the Sigma doesn't focus/track fast enough for motorsports.

Based on what?

Can I take your money?

Here's a flickr page with it being used to track surfers:
http://www.flickr.com …/80882106@N00/p​ool/page2/

and here's the POTN sample archive with 2 motorsport pictures at the end:
https://photography-on-the.net …hread.php?t=597​062&page=9

Problem is people with this lens don't use it for motorsports, but rather for birding... But if it can track BIF and surfers, it can track cars.

But the Sigmonster will always be at f5.6 whereas the 500 f4 at 500mm is f4 which will give you faster shutter speeds when needed.

Neilyb wrote in post #12481363
But the Sigmonster will always be at f5.6 whereas the 500 f4 at 500mm is f4 which will give you faster shutter speeds when needed.

But the 500mm will always be 500mm whereas the sigmonster can be anything from 300-800mm Personally I'd rather have that amount of flexibility than 1 extra stop of light.

But the 500 makes a great 700 5.6 if needed. It has IS for those handheld moments (tell me you handhold the 300-800 often?). Dont get me wrong, I would love a 300-800 but not for sports, zooms have flexibility I would love.

Neilyb wrote in post #12481531
But the 500 makes a great 700 5.6 if needed. It has IS for those handheld moments (tell me you handhold the 300-800 often?). Dont get me wrong, I would love a 300-800 but not for sports, zooms have flexibility I would love.

But then it would only be 700mm :P

I don't have either of those and I'm not planning on getting one because I have no use for it, lol, but if I were to get one, it would probably be the sigmonster for birding... I don't shoot sports

Both are good lenses but something as big as the sigmonster may be better to rent and try it first.

Okay, what about a Canon 600mm f4 IS?

^^ A true Beast.. and the king.

HaroldC3 wrote in post #12481803
Okay, what about a Canon 600mm f4 IS?

Got one - love it, but it's HEAVY!
For it's price and versatility the Sigmonster is pretty awesome, however you do loose a little IQ - IS - light - af speed and accuracy. Not knocking the Sigma - the Canon is simply better.
Before I get a tirade of criticism from Sigma lovers I have tried various long Sigmas and sorry but at the focal lengths I have compared, the Canons win - at a price! After all I wasn't going to fork out for the 600 without having a look at the opposition!

thank you for your help so far, i`d guess i will stick to a 500 and a 1.4 tcon if extra reach is needed,600mm might just be a little tight to start with.

you could try and pm/email gasrocks he has both the 500f4IS, and the sigmonster...although it looks like he hasn't been active on the board for a month or so...may be worth a shot still...

I think the reason the 300-800 isn't much used for motorsports is down to its physical length and lack of IS. The length makes it a bit cumbersome for following moving targets (not saying it can't be done, but it's not the best tool for that job).

I had the Sigmonster for a long time, and now use the 500 f4 IS and 400 2.8 IS for birding. The sharpness of the Sigmonster compares well with the 500 f4. The 500 is faster focusing, but the Sigmonster's HSM is no slouch and can catch BIFs too. At fast shutter speeds, I turn off IS anyway so the Sigmonster has no disadvantage here.

If I have to shoot motorsports or surfing (or other outdoor sports in daylight), I'd opt for the Sigmonster over the 500 f4/400 f2.8 mainly because of framing flexibility. Adding/removing TCs from the big whites takes too long a time, and that can result into lost decisive moments. A quick twist of the Sigmonster's zoom ring can optimize composition in a split second.

That said, I'd opt for the 500 f4 IS for general birding because of IS, portability and weather sealing.