Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO - any good?

This lens is being sold at a good price. Does anyone know if it will work on a canon eos 600d?

Also, what a pleasant coincidence that you are both going on the same tour. Will you do a joint blog? :D

I own the 150-500 and can confirm that it works with the Canon 600D.
It's not as 'sharp' as the Canon lens - any canon lens.
I bought mine direct from Sigma UK at far less than you can buy it online and a bucket load cheaper than the shops!
I do find that the Sigma doesn't hold it's clarity, I ran it along side the Canon 100-400 at a fixed object at 200,300 and 400mm. You can see a loss of colour, but that can be put back in RAW processing no problem.

yes, it's good for the money and has 100mm more reach than the Canon, but I wished I'd got the Canon 100-400mm even though the AF isn't as good as the Sigma, build quality and clarity knock the Sigma easy.

Oh, and don't believe all the 'bull' people say about the push/pull of the Canon. I've spoken to pro's and none have ever had any issue with dust or water. If you can afford it, go for the Canon.
 
OK - I'm jumping in now!

I have a Sigma 50-500mm (the Bigma) & the Canon 100-400mm - the Canon for clarity knocks the Sigma into a cocked hat - particularly at the longer end of the lens - the Sigma gets a little 'soft focus' when it's at 500m and it weighs a ton too - I think that on my 40D as it was at the time weighed 8Kg alone which was the hand luggage limit for internal flights in South Africa (as it was they didn't care).

I use the 100-400mm on my 5D now and I love it - it's a clear as a bell across the whole range - I have not had a dust problem despite the 'push/pull' zoom technology (as the previous poster mentioned too) - yes it's pricey but it is a glorious lens for Canon users!
I will get my paws on the new 200-400mm with built in 1.4x extender soon for a play - let you know what that's like too - it's stupidly expensive though that one!
 
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Hmmm.... Everything is more expensive in Australia so add 15%+ to whatever you guys paid for your lens.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think that if I had a Ferrari, I would buy the matching racing tyres. Since my model of camera is a Toyota Corolla, and my wallet is comensurate with my camera, I will gravitate towards the cheaper Sigma rather than the much better Canon. :D
 
I think that if I had a Ferrari, I would buy the matching racing tyres. Since my model of camera is a Toyota Corolla, and my wallet is comensurate with my camera, I will gravitate towards the cheaper Sigma rather than the much better Canon. :D

But remember - if you upgrade your camera to a Ferrari, it will still take average photos until the lens gets upgraded.

:p

Hix
 
Really? My first yellow fever vaccination more than 25 years ago put me in bed for 24 hours. The one last week had no effect whatsoever.

Is this your first time? Maybe once the body has become accustomed to it you don't react again?

But its still better than catching yellow fever itself.

:p

Hix
 
Really? My first yellow fever vaccination more than 25 years ago put me in bed for 24 hours. The one last week had no effect whatsoever.

Is this your first time? Maybe once the body has become accustomed to it you don't react again?

It is my first one and I think that is the problem.
 
Hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow. From memory it didn't last too long.

Did you get all the other shots they recommended?

:p

Hix
 
Yes, if they've got a vaccine I've had it!

I'm much better now but it started last Wednesday, 1 week after the vaccination and I stopped getting fevers & muscle pain yesterday!
 
yes, it's good for the money and has 100mm more reach than the Canon, but I wished I'd got the Canon 100-400mm even though the AF isn't as good as the Sigma, build quality and clarity knock the Sigma easy.

I have a Sigma 50-500mm (the Bigma) & the Canon 100-400mm - the Canon for clarity knocks the Sigma into a cocked hat - particularly at the longer end of the lens - the Sigma gets a little 'soft focus' when it's at 500m and it weighs a ton too


Oh dear, more confusion!
 
If you can afford it, get a Canon L series. The quality of the images will be so much better.

:p

Hix
 
the canon 100-400 is nearly 10yrs old, the sigma 150-500 OS HSM is like two.
The AF on the canon is old and dated, the sigma is better and faster.
Canon has the clarity, sigma is soft. Sigma's build quality is questionable at times.
The 200-400 1.4x lens is....... amazing! I don'tt own it, I tried it out.
 
If my photos aren't good enough I could go back to Africa and try again more than once for the price of the 200-400 :)
 
Sigma is entering a new era and their new generation of lenses (I mean the ones JUST releeased) are considered pro quality. However, there can be some issues with all their previous models, including the one discussed here (150-500). I say "can be" because it is hit or miss - it may work fine for you for years or it may go under within a year.

Here are the two issues:

1) They may not be future compatible if you upgrade bodies. In other words, Canon may come out with a new body in a couple years that the older Sigma lenses will not work on. This has happened time and time again. A Canon lens will always work with future upgrades.

(This is one of the things Sigma is fixing on their new releases. They have a "lens dock" you can buy that has a USB to plug into the lens to download firmware upgrades for new bodies).

2) It may just die and be unrepairable. This happened to me last year. I bought a used Sigma 100-300 f/4 in good condition (a constant f/4 aperture, so it was a professional grade lens). It was well built and very sharp and I loved it. But the autofocus just stopped working after less than a year and Sigma said repair parts were no longer available. Thankfully I did not pay very much for it, so it was not a huge loss. But if I had bought it new I would have incurred a major loss.
 
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