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Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras |  | Brand: Sigma
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,470.00
Buy New: $979.95
as of 7/31/2010 02:43 PDT details
You Save: $490.05 (33%)
New (9) Used (5) from $921.00
Seller: Continental Digital Pros
Rating:  69 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Optical Zoom: 3.3
Maximum Focal Length: 500
Minimum Focal Length: 150
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.2
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 3.7 x 3.7
MPN: 737-306
Model: 737-306
UPC: 150000581686
EAN: 0085126737559
ASIN: B001542X64
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Incorporating Sigma's original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function. | | • | An ultra-telephoto zoom lens covers a telephoto range up to 500mm and allows short perspective. | | • | Three SLD glass elements and a rear focus system provide optimum image quality throughout the entire zoom range. | | • | Super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting. | | • | HSM ensures quiet and high-speed autofocus. |
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Product Description
This ultra-telephoto zoom lens covers a telephoto range up to 500mm and allows photographers to bring the subject close and short perspective. Sigma's original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower. It is ideal for sports, wildlife and landscape photography with handheld shooting. Three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for chromatic aberration. This lens is equipped with a rear focus system that minimizes fluctuation of aberration caused by focusing. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The addition of the (optional) 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters produce a 210-700mm F7-9 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens or a 300-1000mm F10-13 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens respectively. A removable tripod socket (TS-31) is included as a standard component.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
 Good lens but not what I needed July 24, 2010
dhunckyn (Albuquerque, NM)
I had this lens for about a week but sadly I am returning it. I was too sure what to expect when I ordered it but was hoping for something a little sharper.
My biggest complaints are that:
1. If shooting something over 50ft away it always seemed to be soft or at least not as sharp as I wanted.
2. In order to get the speed I wanted I had to turn ISO up to 1600 or more and on my D80 this just doesn't perform the way I would like on a D3 or D700 I'm sure I would have been happier.
3. While the auto focus was very quiet it was also very slow, shooting hummingbirds and dragonflies had to be done manually
the good:
1. In bright daylight I was able to get some great shots of dragonflies (handheld) and Polar Bears (on tripod) at the local zoo, even at 500mm.
2. The 150-500mm is a very useful range for zoom
Sigma 150-500 July 15, 2010
Zip Skip (Las Vegas, NV)
I love it so far. Haven't had the time to take as many photos as I'd like but the tests I've done I'm happy with it. It is a bit heavy but shooting hand held is pretty doable considering the OS (anti vibration system).
Great for the price July 14, 2010
coach52
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchased this lens primarily for sports photography and I have taken several hundred pictures at speed boat races and summer football. I find the os to be a little slow for fast focus so I turned it off for the boat races and the photos were very nice. I was able to use the os for football and this also resulted in good quality prints. I am pleased with this lens, particularily as its cost is about one sixth the cost of the comparible Nikon lens.
 Heavy, Big, but has it purpose July 14, 2010
G. Kriadis
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A little disclaimer...I'm just a weekend enthusiast and not a pro. I bought this lens because I wanted the 500mm reach and Nikon doesn't have anything in its line up beyond 400mm; and certainly nothing in this price range. Tamron has an equivalent lens but they do not have the Optical Stabilization and believe me, at this range you "really" want the OS.
This lens is heavy, there is no way around that. She's a beast! A monopod is highly recommended. Also it is relatively slow with regards to the FStop rating so outdoor photography is certainly where it's best suited. I primarily use this lens for wildlife and for that it works great.
If you don't mind the obvious weight and want the reach I highly recommend this lens. For the price you cannot go wrong. Just make sure you have somewhere to store it because the case that comes with it is rather large.
Happy shooting!!
Good Lens - Great Value July 9, 2010
Albert J. Valentino (New Jersey)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am writing this review from the perspective of a former user of the Nikon 80-400VR (2 years) and Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 (3 years). The Sigma 120-300 is incredible piece of glass that is even sharper than Sigmas 300mm f/2.8 prime. The Sigma 120-300 works very well with a matching Sigma 1.4x TC which is how I used it 80% of the time. Even with a TC is matches or slightly exceeds the 150-500 in the overlapping range but is obviously much faster glass and thus freezes motion and blurs backgrounds better. But the range is more limited, the lens is heavier, costs 3x more and doesn't go to 500mm which is what I wanted. The hood and tripod collar construction is inferior to the faster pro lens. For example, the hood can easily be crushed in your hand like a plastic cup, and the tripod collar cannot be removed without removing the lens but both are functional and quality is very acceptable at this price point.
The Sigma compares favorably to the Nikon 80-400 in that is focuses faster since it has a built in HSM motor. 150-500mm is more desirable range than 80-400, at least for my needs, and I shoot DX format. I also own a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 which pairs much better with a 150-500 than either of these two lens mentioned above - the Nikon 70-200 performs very well with a Nikon 1.4x TC so I have a 105 - 280mm f/4 as well. With proper technique the Sigma matches and possibly exceeds the sharpness of the Nikon 80-400 but again, it has a better/different range.
The lens seems sharpest at 150-400mm and a tad soft near the 500mm end so you definitely need to stop down with f/9.5 being a good compromise if you have the light, else f/8. OS works very well and unlike other reports mine (purchased in June 2010) does not make very loud clicking sounds when OS is engaging. It is important to wait until OS is engaged which may take about a second else your shots will not be sharp. The best way to tell is to look through the viewfinder with the shutter pressed halfway and wait until gyro is spinning and the 'obvious shake subsides'. Then squeeze, don't press the shutter by rolling your finger down.
Tip, the zoom ring is stiff and can be aggravating to turn. However, instead of using the zoom ring to zoom, instead grab the end and use it like a push-pull zoom. This method works very well and very smoothly. Also, with long lenses you must avoid shutter speeds of 1/8 - 1/60 sec unless you are using some type of mirror lock up since mirror slap vibration with FL's over 100mm are a known cause of slight blurring.
This is not a pro lens but a very good lens with a very good range that will take very good pictures if, and only if, you exercise good long lens technique. With manual focus a Sigma 1.4x TC can work if stopped down and when you are not after large prints but smaller, or especially web-sized images. With such a narrow field of view the slightest movement can cause blur - the nature of all long lenses. This lens is a great value, I just wish they could have made it an f/5.6 instead of f/6.3 and I think most people would not mind paying about 20% more for that half stop. Also, the lens has a zoom lock to prevent lens creep which is great. I only wish sigma also included a limit switch like the Nikon 80-400 has and which is very useful for faster focusing.
Note: At the time of this review Sigma has issued a notice that there may be a problem with some lenses with regard to Auto Focus (keeps hunting) with serial numbers between 10674301 and 10972000. Mine is in this range but does not have the problem. If yours does have the problem it may be best to return/exchange the lens since Sigma service will return the lens to Japan to be fixed instead of repairing in the US and this can take 4-6 weeks - see report here [..]
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
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