Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM - Bigmos

It's large enough to say that your XSi is on the lens and not the lens on the XSi

By the way, sometimes I use it on my XTi, and it works very well on that body too. My 7D at 18mp sometimes outresolves the lens at or near 500mm, but on an XTi or XSi, that won't really be a problem.

gabebalazs wrote in post #9829389
It's large enough to say that your XSi is on the lens and not the lens on the XSi

Funny..and true. It kind of looks like a bazooka when it's extended out to 500mm with the hood on. I took it to the beach last summer to try and get some seagulls and wave runners.....felt like I was going to blow them out of the sky/water

I used this lens with the 40D and was reasonably happy about the quality. But recently used it with my 5dMKII and I am ecstatic about the quality

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/21096178@N03/4​415619242/

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riyazi wrote in post #9829454
I used this lens with the 40D and was reasonably happy about the quality. But recently used it with my 5dMKII and I am ecstatic about the quality

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/21096178@N03/4​415619242/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/21096178@N03/4​420419937/

show-off (said dripping in jealousy)

I went to a local camera store today. They said this lens is pretty much useless without a tripod or mono pod. Is that true? And also said that taking pictures of birds would be very hard since it is such a slow lens.

Could I request something? Could I have a picture taken with a regular lens, and then a photo of the same thing taken with this zoomed all the way in ?

Thanks for all the help guys

NothingRemains10 wrote in post #9830645
I went to a local camera store today. They said this lens is pretty much useless without a tripod or mono pod. Is that true? And also said that taking pictures of birds would be very hard since it is such a slow lens.

go to the same store...bring a laptop...show em this thread

then proceed to go online to b&h or adorama while in the store...and order one

Sounds like you got lame advice. Like Dre said, look through this thread for proof. Maybe ask that salesman to look at this thread and tell you how all these GREAT photos were produced with this "useless" lens.

The OS (Optical Stabilization; same as Canon's Image Stabilization) helps keep the lens steady for usage without a tripod/monopod. You still will want to keep shutter speeds as high as possible as with any other lens while shooting birds (or sports), but the OS helps this lens be very hand-holdable. Also, if it's a bright day where you can keep shutter speeds faster than 1/1000, the lens becomes even more hand-holdable. For my Bald Eagle photos in this thread, I was using a tripod, but mainly because I knew I would be stationed in the exact same spot (an observation deck at a dam) for upwards of 6-8 hours, so the tripod simply held the weight for me while I wasn't shooting. Had I desired, I could have easily NOT used a tripod and still got great pics, which is exactly what I do when walking around local lakes or woods looking for birds, but I didn't feel like hanging my camera/lens around my neck for that long period of time.

The 150-500 OS is not the absolute best birding lens out there, but it is very capable of putting out good images if the photographer does his/her part. To get a noticeably better birding lens, you either need to go with a Prime (like the 400L 5.6 that does not zoom and does not have OS / IS) or spend lots more buckos.

Can some of you folks suggest a decent economical Tripod & Head for this lens. I am 6ft. 2in. so i need a tall tripod to prevent having to bend down.

Regards,

While a tripod is a good thing to have, I do most of my bird shots with a monopod--once in a great while I'll do handheld. The thing is, when the bird moves--takes off or is passing overhead, you can yank the monopod up and it actually acts as a kind of stabilizer itself. I don't have any shots of birds taken with a normal lens or at the 150mm mark. If I'm out to shoot birds, I'm using the other end of the lens reach.

Both shots with 150-500mm at 500.

Takeoff on Canon 1DM3, ISO 640, 1/1000s @ f11, with monopod but it was hanging from the camera as I lifted it up to catch the movement.

Late afternoon (almost dark) seagull with 7D, ISO 800, 1/400s @ f7.1, with monopod at shortest length.

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Boy Amazon is slow! I ordered mine on Wednesday and it won't ship until Monday???

Now, let me show you a tougher target. These shots were with the Canon 1DM3 and the Sigma 150-500mm at 500mm and I was swiveling the kit on a monopod trying to freeze this bug in flight. both shots ISO 1000,
1/320s @ f7.1 (essentially wide open).

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Charles, do you keep the OS on when you use a monopod?

Clay, did you buy directly from Amazon? Or is it coming from another retailer that also uses Amazon? I only ask because Amazon is always fast when they have what I'm buying, but if it's coming from another retailer (like 17th St, B&H, Adorama, etc...) then Amazon has nothing to do with the shipping time.

Silverfox, I think the Bogen Manfrotto 055xprob is a very nice set of legs. It's medium weight (not light for sure), but very stable. Looks like full retail is $180, and I bet you can beat that if you shop around. The head is more tricky, depends if you want an Arca Swiss compatible head or just a regular head with a quick release plate. I like the AS compatible heads much better, but they will cost more. For the more economical regular heads with QR plates, I personally like the Bogen Manfrotto 488rc2 or 488rc4. There is a newer model now, the 498 series, but I've never used it (I assume it's as nice or nicer than the 488 though as that is what it replaced). I think those heads go in the $90 range without QR plates or $120 with the QR plates (I suggest going with the QR plate models, it's much easier to quickly remove your camera if necessary). Hope this helps a little.

amyandmark3 wrote in post #9831456
Charles, do you keep the OS on when you use a monopod?

I don't usually turn it off. I think monopod use should be OK because it doesn't make the lens as solid as the tripod would and, frankly, I think a tripod is overkill for what has become a very nice walkabout lens. Too much stuff would defeat the purpose.

Painted Turtles

A good tripod/head combo for me has been a few different things. The head I prefer is the Cullmann Magnesit 35Nm. It's more than capable of holding the weight of the Bigmos and more. It is rated to hold 66 pounds, and while I haven't put 66 pounds on it, I've put some heavy weight on it, not only a gripped body/Bigmos, but a pair of Stellarvue 20x85mm binoculars as well. And for those who want to know, the binos are actually 20x100mm stopped down to 85mm, so they're heavier than typical 85mm binos.

I've also put a gripped body, Sigma 180mm f/3.5 macro on top of a macro rail on top of it, and it holds perfectly.


Tripods, well, I'm a little silly when it comes to tripods. Coming from a mechanical background I know that there are better and there are worse; however, most decently-priced tripod legs are okay. So far I've used three different sets of legs with great results: a set of Dolica Proline carbon fiber, a DynaTran 858, and currently a Manfrotto 055XPROB. All three do quite well for holding gear, but to be honest, a tripod is just three legs and a hub. like I said, I'm silly about tripods. If the legs don't flex under a fair amount of weight, it's good to me.

The DynaTran is heavy, but I prefer it to be. It's oddly the same exact dimension as the Manfrotto 055XPROB, imagine that. I stood them side by side and extended them, each leg extension was the same height, and with the column extended, they were exact within a millimeter or two. But, the 055XPROB has the added joy of a horizontal center column, which is why I bought it. I wanted it for getting ground-level macro work.


So, to make a long story short, here's my take on tripods and heads, for any amount of gear or weight: Either something you know is going to be good, like the 055XPROB, or even the 055X that doesn't have the horizontal center column, or a set of DynaTran 858 (which is an excellent tripod) or similar. Put the Cullmann on top and you're all set to go.


Now, if you want to know about gimbal heads, that's a different story. I bought the "India" gimbal (as it was tagged years ago, since it comes from India), changed the saddle plate and dovetail plate for something that mated better, changed the knobs, and turned it into an excellent gimbal. Smooth, perfect motion. A lot cheaper than a Wimberly or similar, and works just the same.

What can I say, I'm a cheap bastard.