Sigma 150500mm DG HSM Lens

Recently I bought a 150-500 mm Sigma DG HSM Lens. The results are poor. I think it is a very bad lens. When I shot the photos, the images are not sharp, rather blurred to some extent even with the help of a tripod. However, close objects, say up to about 50 feet, are giving good results. May I know whether it is the problem with the lens or with me while shooting? Any tricks to take sharp pics through the Sigma 150-500 DG HSM Lens?

I have not had any issues like that with my Sigma 150-500 OS. one thing to try is using
the Center Focus Point Only. I found that helps a lot. Expecially on Moving objects.
Does switching the Image Stabalizer from Mode 1 to Mode 2 or Off change anything?

--Evan

aftab_alam wrote in post #14320105
May I know whether it is the problem with the lens or with me while shooting?

Welcome to the forums.
We need pictures to see what is going on before we can help.

You really do need to post up a picture that shows the problem. There are many reasons that an image looks soft, especially the long lenses. To better help you we need to see what your real issue is. But some common reasons:
1. Shooting at too slow a shutter speed. The rule of thumb is that the shutter speed should be the reciprocal of the focal length when hand held. Even tripod mounted a fast shutter is better. So at 500mm your shutter speed should be 1/500th for a full frame camera or 1/800th for a crop camera.
2. focus/recompose issues.
3. wrong AF mode. is the problem seem with moving objects or stationary objects.
4. Front or back focus issues. Do you have a body that can MFA?

BTW, welcome to the forum.

post some pics...if your taking pics of birds that are 500ft away...they're not going to look that great when your zoomed in at 100% to look at the tiny subjects in the image

Yeah, and post an uncropped version of the image in question, together with the exit/settings. We'll help you get razor sharp images out of the 150-500mm.

aftab_alam wrote in post #14320105
Recently I bought a 150-500 mm Sigma DG HSM Lens. The results are poor. I think it is a very bad lens. When I shot the photos, the images are not sharp, rather blurred to some extent even with the help of a tripod. However, close objects, say up to about 50 feet, are giving good results. May I know whether it is the problem with the lens or with me while shooting? Any tricks to take sharp pics through the Sigma 150-500 DG HSM Lens?

I owned a 150-500 and had pretty good image results with the lens. Like many other owners, I found that the lens produce nice sharp images at f/8, but I also had some great results at f/7.1 if you need a little more shutterspeed.

Lots of factors could be involved when you don't get sharp photos with supertelephoto lens:

• Do you have previous long focal length (400mm or longer) and heavy lens experience?
  
• Are you filling at least 1/3 of your frame with your subject?
  
• What is the lighting and weather condition like?
  
• Are you getting fast enough shutterspeed to freeze the moving subject?
  
• Are you using the correct AF mode? One Shot vs. AI Servo? Center point vs. other focus points?

Yea, Muteki, I have some improvement after I switched over to center focus point. However, the photographs are still not very sharp as expected.

I did everything with settings available in Canon 550d, even selecting center focus point. All shutter speeds with combination of ISO is giving the same results - blurred pics. Only those objects up to 25 feet are giving very good results.

I have tried everything, all settings of shutter and aperture with ISO. But failed. Only closure subjects are giving good results.

I am attaching the photographs of a bird shot from a distance of 100 feet only through Sigma 150-500 mm APO DG HSM Lens. See the blurred and low quality image. I have tried all settings of shutter/aperture/ISO, but the same blurred images, even by using tripod. Weather was fine, early morning tender sunlight.

Thank you, Evan Edler, your suggestion has improved the image quality at least to some extent, but still the images are not satisfactory.

Sirrith, please see the attached photograph.

Are those crops or full frame shots, show the full frame