The new Sigma Gallery

A series of initial test bird photos from the new image-stabilised Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO lens

 

A short article on this important new 'birding lens' appears in the June issue of Birding World.

 

Please scroll down to see the selection of initial test bird images below. In essence, the lens seems very sharp and the autofocus very quick and accurate. This new lens ticks all the birders' boxes!

                        Photos below - and more photos added July 2008

- click for the latter: Australia July 2008 

And for a set of pictures by Adam Lewis, added December 2008, see:

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157611151121483/  

 

The new Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens is the first comfortably hand-holdable, image-stabilised 500mm lens. It also has the versatility of zooming back to 150mm, and it has been very competitively priced at about £650. Even at full aperture at full zoom (many of the samples below), hand-held image quality and sharpness seems very good; stopped down a little, even better. Autofocus is fast and reliable (even working well on low-flying Swifts at Titchwell on a particularly gloomy day), and close-focus (2.2m) is excellent too. Of course, it does not quite match the image quality of the big Canon or Nikon 'primes', but it is a zoom, not a prime, and it is vastly less expensive and much less heavy than those!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens

Initial test images:

 
 

Barn Owl. Salthouse, 5th June 2008 (Sue Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 403mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/500sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.)

 
 

Dunnock, Cley, Norfolk, June 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f16; ISO 200; 1/50sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped. Note the slow shutter speed on this hand-held image.

 
 

Woodpigeon, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f16; ISO 200; 1/60sec; one-shot AF; handheld; cropped.  Note the slow shutter speed on this heavily-cropped, hand-held image.

 
 

Firecrest, Kelling, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/200sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Egyptian Goose, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 439mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/1250sec; AI Servo; handheld; uncropped.

 
 

Mallard, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 370; 1/800sec; AI Servo; handheld; uncropped.

 
 

Greylag Goose, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 267mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/1250sec; AI Servo; handheld; uncropped.

 
 

Lapwing, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f10; ISO 200; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Coots, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 403mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/800sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Coots, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 403mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/800sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Black-headed Gulls, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 247mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/2000sec; AI Servo; handheld; uncropped.

 
 

Black-headed Gull, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 198mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/2500sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Black-headed Gull, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 229mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/2000sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 198mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/2500sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Black-headed Gull, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 229mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/1250sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 
 
 

Swifts, Titchwell, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 250; 1/1250sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped. These were taken on an exceptionally dull evening, but the autofocus performed very well.

 
 

Woodpigeon, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/125sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Meadow Pipit, Salthouse, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 200; 1/500sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Robin, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Robin, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/320sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Dunnock, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/640sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Dunnock, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Wood Warbler, High Kelling, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/25sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped. Note the slow shutter speed.

 
 

Greenfinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 200; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Greenfinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 439mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/320sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Greenfinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/200sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Greenfinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/200sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Chaffinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Chaffinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/200sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Chaffinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

Chaffinch, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f8; ISO 400; 1/640sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/320sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/320sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/320sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 

 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/200sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f9; ISO 400; 1/400sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 
 

House Sparrow, Cley, Norfolk, May 2008 (Steve Gantlett). Canon 40D + Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm; f6.3; ISO 400; 1/500sec; AI Servo; handheld; cropped.

 

 

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