Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM SLD Ultra Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital DSLR Camera

by Sigma

• Designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras; 3 Years Warranty
• 10x high zoom ration ultra telephoto zoom lens
• Offers Sigma's OS System allowing handheld photography even in low-light situation
• HSM ensures a quiet & high-speed auto focus,3 year warranty
• Four SLD glass elements provide optimum color correction & sharpness throughout the entire zoom rangeSpecifications

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches ; 4.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003A6H2Y8
• Item model number: 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 Nikon
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 3, 2010

Product Description

Style: Nikon Digital DSLR Camera

Sigma's APO 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM is an advanced optical design of this 10x power high-performance zoom lens that covers the standard-to-super-telephoto range, now with the added advantage of Sigma's own Optical Stabilization which offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible. Sigma is the only one to offer OS for Sony and Pentax mount where the image is stabilized in the viewfinder if chosen.

For many photographers, having an "all-in-one" lens is an absolute dream. Especially for nature photographers, the idea of a lens suitable for landscape photography at the short end of the zoom range, while still having enough reach for wildlife is a great option. Add to that, the ability to close focus on small objects in the field such as flowers and it's the perfect backpackers' lens. Four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide optimum color correction & sharpness throughout the entire zoom range and super Multi-Layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting and assures high image quality throughout the entire zoom range. With no need to change lenses, there is less chance of dirt or moisture entering the camera and fouling the imaging sensor.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 142 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Focus-Focus October 4, 2010

By R. J. Hoover

Style Name:Canon Digital DSLR Camera|Amazon Verified Purchase

Just received the lens. Using with a Cannon EOS XTi.

Pros
- Sturdy feel to the lens
- Impressive focal length range.
- Good picture quality throughout the range (speaking as a non-pro)
- OS pretty good. Taking acceptable quality hand-held shots at full extension in bright sun.

Cons
- Autofocus not working out-of-the-box. Of note that this lens was NOT in the serial number range specified by SIGMA's customer alert.
- Very poor response time on queries to SIGMA's tech service.
- Some (minor) vignetting noticable at longer focal lengths.
- Does not work with my TAMRON teleconverter even though this TC does function with my Cannon lens.
- Heavy

Returning the lense for replacement through AMAZON due to the autofocus issue. Will see how well the next one does.

UPDATE:
Received replacement lense from AMAZON with working autofocus. Took it out today for extensive testing and am well pleased so far. Focal range is impressive and am getting good shots throughout the range. OS function gives reasonable good shots even when hand held at 500MM. Normally use with a monopod however.

Tempted to upgrade my rating from 2 to 4 stars however will leave it at 3 for time being. Issues:
- Continued poor SIGMA customer service. My email requesting Tech assistance after first lens' failure is now 5 days old with no response from SIGMA. In same period I returned original lens to AMAZON, got a replacement and tested it (kudos to AMAZON Customer Service). Had similar poor response experience with SIGMA when I was originally researching the lens.
- Some residual caution about reliability of the autofocus function. Seems to be a fairly common issue with this lense. I'll withhold judgement until I have a bit more field experience with the lens.

NEW UPDATE:
Took lens overseas for several weeks of heavy-duty use. Still pleased. A few (minor) comments:
- Autofocus still working however does tend to have difficulty in finding the perfect focus point for "busy" backgrounds. Tend to use manual focusing a bit more than I would like.
- Range for this lens is impressive as previously indicated. Great for wildlife photography. The 50MM low end is however not quite good enough for the wide/scenic shots. Find myself carrying a good point-and-shoot camera to get those scenic vistas as too much trouble to keep changing lenses.
- Never did get a response from SIGMA tech service. Academic now - however can't help wondering if they really exist. Not looking forward to dealing with SIGMA if the lens ever needs maintenance.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE
Currently 1.5 years after purchase. Autofocus not functioning. 12 days turnaround time for repairs through SIGMA New York -- with $44 to FEDEX for shipping/boxing. Better impressed with SIGMA customer service than I have been in the past.

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I am amazed May 13, 2010

By Eric Zhang

Style Name:Nikon Digital DSLR Camera|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've had this lens for a few days and am very pleased with it. Given the fact that it's covering such a wide range, I didn't expect it to have very high IQ, yet I am pleasantly surprised. I measured it against my super sharp Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII with TC-17, both @ 340mm f/6.3 and f/8, and the IQ is about the same on a D300s, even though on a full frame D3s, the 70-200mm + TC-17 is slightly sharper. This is quite remarkable, because 70-200 f/2.8 VRII is one of the best lenses Nikon has ever made, and it can produce better pictures at 100mm than the highly regarded Tokina 100mm macro lens I own, and even when shooting macros, the 70-200 + TC-17 + Canon 500D combo is comparable to the Tokina 100mm.

Image color is great, with vivid contrast. I had a few bird shots at fully extended 500mm and they turned out to be great pictures. CA is minimum too, only slightly visible when fully zoomed in, and no worse than my 70-200+1.7 combo. Focus is fast, even though it has always been a challenge for me when shooting sports and moving animals. Build is very solid. It's about the same length as the Nikon 70-200mm VRII without the hood, and about 20% wider. Maybe I am already used to the 70-200mm, this lens is not as heavy as I expected, maybe just a little heavier, and certainly handheldable. The OS certainly helps, and I can shoot handheld 500mm at 1/30sec with good image quality. The OS can be turned to 'off', '1', or '2'. When not shooting at high shutter speed, I used '1' only and I suppose '2' is for shooting from moving car on a bumpy road. I haven't tried manual focus yet. Zoom in and out is a little tight, and that might be the only negative I can find with this lens so far. It's not hard to get used to it, so not a big deal, and you can be sure that lens creeping will never be a problem, even though it still comes with a zoom lock.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase. With an unmatched covering range of 50 to 500mm, it is a great lens for shooting kids sports, which is the main reason I bought this lens. With the high IQ, it's also a great lens for shooting birds. I think it's well worth the money.

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Lens June 22, 2010

By Campby

Style Name:Nikon Digital DSLR Camera

Rented this lens for my son and nikon 500mm f4 for myself for yellowstone photo vacation. Honestly the 50-500 was considerably more useful. OS seemed to be better or at least equal to nikon vr, only slightly less sharp, contrast and colors are also very good. Size difference is huge and he was able to get shots before i could manuver the huge nikon lens. Autofocus was snappy and acurate, he was able to get spot on pictures of golden eagles at 500mm in flight free hand held. I grabbed his camera to jump into a riverbottom and get pictures of a bull moose, that's when i realized just how good this lens seems to be. 6.3 is a little dim but with ISO performance getting better less of an issue. I've always had issues with non-nikon lenses hunting but didn't experience it or at least it was small enough it didn't leave an impression. Distortion seems aceptable and after i review the photos a bit i will likely purchase one.