sigma 150mm - 500mm DG OS HSM

[billy bones]

I've been looking at a few options of getting a Sigma 150mm - 500mm lens and have been trying to work out if there are older and newer versions of said lens that all share the same name? i.e. that as they improve the quality of the lens they don't give it any distinguishing reference in the title of the product so it's harder to tell if you are buying an older model or not?
can anyone help me out on this?
I have read some lens reviews that suggest this happens.

I am looking at two options at the moment and the writeup for each is quite different and while all the main points are the same the only difference I can see on the advertisements is that one weighs in at 1,910 g and the other at 1,780g.

so now I'm considering they would try to make it as light as possible so possibly the lighter version would be the better of the two or perhaps the extra weight is due to better newer components that are unavoidably heaver?

does anyone have any knowledge of this at all?

[William W]

There is only one model of that lens, as far as I know, introduced in AUS around 2008/2009.

My guess is some are taking the tech specs from Sigma Japan.


Whilst others are using Sigma USA as their source.


I’d further reckon that the lighter weight is: ‘lens only’ and the heavier is the conbined weight of: ‘lens and tripod mount assembly’.

WW

[Manfred M]

My wife owns the lens and I would suggest Bill's answer is likely the correct one; remove the weight of the lens hoopd and / or the mounting foot and you will easily lose the 130g / 4oz weight difference.

A word of warning; Sigma has had on and off quality issues with this lens. It's an okay lens, when it works.. My wife's had to go back to Sigma twice before it was 6 months old with onboard electronic issues.

[billy bones]

ok thanks guys

I'll look into some possible alternatives but the price range seems good. get what you pay for I suppose.

just out of interest Grumpy did the lens get fixed in the end? & how was the customer service from Sigma?

[Manfred M]

Yes it was fixed. Repair was by the Sigma importer in Canada, so I don't know how indicative it is of service levels elsewhere. Even with a rush, the turnaround was around 6 weeks each time. We were quite concerned as we were heading off to Namibia and the lens got back to us a couple of weeks before we left. The lens died again on the trip.

While the price was right, a lens that doesn't work when needed is not worth anything. Our lens came with a 10-year warranty. Usually that tends to indicate a well made product... We are not planning to buy any more Sigma lenses.

[William W]

remove the weight of the lens hood and / or the mounting foot and you will easily lose the 130g / 4oz weight difference.

. . . Hi Manfred: yes, the difference is probably the tripod ring and mount AND the lens hood, combined.

I'll look into some possible alternatives but the price range seems good. get what you pay for I suppose.

What camera(s) do you have and what are your purposes for a 150mm to 500mm lens?


WW

[inkista]

Roger Cicala of lensrentals.com, btw, noted that Sigma may have silently fixed the issues with the Sigma 120-400 HSM OS and 150-500 HSM OS. He had in late 2009 put the lenses on their "Hall of Shame" list (i.e., lenses with failure rates so high they couldn't afford to stock them), but had noted about a year later that they seem to have had the issue silently repaired by Sigma, so I would also say that if there's a way of figuring out the date of manufacture, that would be a good thing to check. Unfortunately I don't think it'll be as easy as Canon's datecodes.

[Geoff F]

That lens is a cost effective way to get you to 500 mm; but there are some limitations (aren't there always!)

Wide open is F6.3 but I would recommend working at F8 to F11 so that makes it a 'good light lens'.

The OS stabilisation is surprisingly efficient for such a long lens and I can produce good work when handheld; but with sensible shutter speeds.

The auto focus is rather slow; but what do you expect from a large reasonably priced lens.

I was photographing some garden birds in dull light yesterday and the results turned out better than I expected, after editing. I am about to post them on my Project 2013 thread.

And with regard to potential problems between lenses. A few earlier lenses did have quality problems, I had the numbers but can't find them now. Recent productions seem to be without these issues.

So I would recommend the lens, subject to my previous comments.

[rpcrowe]

When I was shooting with the Canon 10D, I purchased a really neat Sigma 28mm f/1.8 lens which I paired up with my 50mm f/1.8 Mk.I lens for low light shooting.

When I upgraded to the Canon 30D; I found that my lens would not work on the new camera due to Sigma's policy of reverse engineering Canon lenses.

"No problem", I thought. Sigma will upgrade the lens free of charge. WRONG, Sigma had replaced the lens in their lineup and would/could no longer upgrade the lens to use with newer Canon cameras. I continued shooting with it on the 10D which I had retained as a second camera. However, when I traded in the old and dying 10D on Canon's Loyalty Program the only camera I had left which could use the lens is my ancient D60 (not 60D) which I had converted to full time infra red photography. It is now pretty well locked on to that camera. It is not worth selling.

It's a shame because when paired with a camera it will work with, the lens provides pretty nice results. OTOH, it was the last Sigma I ever purchased.

[Manfred M]

Just for the fun of it, I weighed the Sigma 150-500mm lens. It being a Nikon mount might be a bit different than the Canon version:

Total weight - 1915g (including the foot / ring, hood, front and rear lens caps)

Individual component weights:

Lens body (no accessories)- 1680g
Foot / Ring - 135g
Hood - 70g
Front cap - 20g
Rear Cap - 10g

So it looks like the differences in weight in the two specs are the weight of the foot / ring assembly.


Good guess Bill...

[William W]

Just for the fun of it, I weighed the Sigma 150-500mm lens. . . .

haha!

If I had had one, I would have done that too!

WW