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Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:42 AM PDT The Sigma 50-500mm is something of a specialty lens. I say this because, while a 10x zoom seems like a good investment, you really need to have a reason to pick up this hefty, useful tool. The price is moderate for quality glass but the size is something else. Here, take a look:  That's the lens with hood attached. It's a two piece hood which helps with packing, some. I'll get to that. Who is this lens for? Someone who:
  Specifications From Sigma's site
In Real LifeSo the lens is big an impressive on the outside, but what is it like to use? First, the lens is big, have I mentioned that? Using a tripod or monopod will be advisable for most. I was silly and used the lens mostly handheld except for a few shots from a tripod. I often braced myself against something. Thankfully the lens comes with Optical Stabilization (the OS in the name) and it works fairly well. The lens is not cluttered with a lot that isn't needed. On the side are switches for automatic/manual focus, different Optical Stabilization modes and one more switch to lock the barrel so it will not creep forward while being pointed down, such as when walking with the lens. The two rings control manual focus and focal length. The lens has a rear focusing element, meaning the barrel will not rotate when focusing. This helps when attaching filters to the long end of this monster. Speaking of filters, you will need a 95mm filter, although a step-down adapter to 86mm is available.The lens comes with an attached lens mount which can be removed when the lens only when the lens is not attached to a camera. Otherwise, the mount can be rotated to a position above the lens and the formed top of the mount actually makes a decent carry handle (see image on left). While the collar moves easily and locks tightly, I would have liked a detent or two to know the lens is dead-on with a 90 degree angle. As you can see from the image above, the lens is intimidating when looking straight down the barrel. The lens has 22 elements in 6 groups and that creates a lot of the weight. I was able to hand-hold the lens and camera (tested on a Canon 7D) for only short periods without bracing. I'm not a body builder, but I regularly hefty a Canon 28-300mm L lens and am used to shooting for hours with it. This lens is a step above in weight and was found on my shoulder often. I found the focus speed to be adequate and once within range, it was fast. But with the range involved, it would often take a 'while' to get a lock. 'While' means there were a couple of times when I took over focus to speed up the process, especially if it missed the mark and then hunted all the way in the wrong direction. I was satisfied with the speed with which it locked on elk and other large targets and the rate at which it held focus on flying birds and planes. Chromatic Aberration was present in what I found to be acceptable limits. It could be improved but I also know with this many elements and the range it covers, that is part of the compromise. Take a look at the samples below to judge for yourself. I was overall satisfied with the results. While I am not comparing it to a 500mm prime lens (which would be unfair) it is a lens I would like to own and I was not happy having to send it back to BorrowLenses.com. The zoom function was quite smooth and my lens seemed to be fairly new, which would certainly have an influence. Along the barrel are minimum focus distance listings as well as magnification ratings. These are both useful to take guesswork out of certain aspects of shooting in a controlled manner. The manner in which they are laid out is also uncluttered. On the downside for this lens are its size and weight. I have covered the weight but the size is also important. I use a f-stop Satori EXP as my main pack and for carting around this lens I used the large insert. Along with my Canon 7D with the Canon 28-300mm L lens attached, this lens was not the easiest to fit in along side this setup. The main reason was the diameter of the lens. It is wide and takes up just a bit more than normal space in a camera bag. It's not a lot, but if a bag had two spaces, side by side, and you placed two of these lenses in, there would be friction. If your bag space is limited, see if you can borrow a copy to make sure it fits in with your set, so you know what you're getting yourself into. SamplesAll sample shots were shot handheld, except as noted. I have not edited the images to give an accurate representation of what came out of the camera. Click on each image to download a full size JPEG version (all images are Creative Commons Non-Commercial Copyright Peter West Carey). Photos were taken in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Langley, Washington; Everett, Washington and Point Reyes National Seashore, California. ISO 500, 413mm, f/6.3, 1/800  ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/800  ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/160  ISO 100, 500mm, f/7.1, 1/500  ISO 100, 413mm, f/10, 1/125  ISO 100, 203mm, f/29, 1/8  ISO 100, 287mm, f/32, 1/6  ISO 100, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/200  ISO 100, 500mm, f/20, 1/10  ISO 100, 75mm, f/11, 1/250  ISO 100, 500m, f/13, 1/40  ISO 100, 50mm, f/8, 1/800  ISO 100, 203mm, f/14, 1/1000  ISO 100, 500mm, f/14, 1/1000  ISO 100, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/100  ISO 100, 203mm, f/13, 1/200  ISO 320, 373mm, f/6.3, 1/3200  ISO 100, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/2000  ISO 640, 500mm, f/9, 1/800 (Tripod used)  ISO 100, 500mm, f/10, 1/200 (Tripod used) ConclusionThe Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM is a capable lens that fits a niche. It's not for everyone but if you shoot outside and are looking for a longer lens to capture wildlife or distant subjects, this lens is well worth your consideration. I enjoyed using the lens even when it was a drag on my shoulder. Life is compromise and I would gladly carry this lens if I knew I had the subjects to shoot with it.My copy of the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM was lent to me from BorrowLenses.com for the purpose of writing this review. Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips. Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips. Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM [REVIEW] |
Posted: 13 Mar 2012 07:17 AM PDT  A Guest Post by Elizabeth BullI don't consider myself to be a blogger, but I’ve found that my business blogs are my most powerful marketing tools. This may be quite a strange concept in the digital world, with the likes of real-time website analytics, visitor tracking and such, but in my business we don’t measure the success of our web presence by the number of page views we receive or the number of comments posted. Instead, I measure its success by the type of clients that we book and how educated they are about our products and services when they approach us. About UsI own and operate two successful Melbourne-based photographic businesses. The specialty of both businesses is photographing people in a relaxed manner, which illustrates their own personality and style. Lizzy C Photography primarily shoots weddings, while Commercial Focus was established to serve the commercial and corporate photography market.Educating the ClientWith two busy photographic studios, it can be hard to stay on top of the constant stream of enquiries. Our blogs help to illustrate our photographic style and show potential customers the type of clients with whom we typically work. As a result, most potential clients are already educated as to our products and services before they ever contact us directly. We don’t need to do a hard sell; they’ve seen the images and heard the story. They contact us because they know that we are right for them and, in many cases, know exactly what they want and how we can help them achieve it. A result of this we do not need to spend time that we don't have responding to tyre-kickers. The blog helps us to attract like minded clients It's Hard to find the Time – But it's Worth it!As a photographer, it can be difficult to find the right words to accompany the images; however the overwhelming positive feedback I get from my clients, both current and future, tells me that it is all worth it. Even potential clients love hearing the inside story, so much so that they often feel like they know them and mention them by name when they come in to meet us!How it Works:Lizzy C PhotographyAfter we have finished photographing a wedding, we publish a selection of the best images in a story format on the blog as a special sneak preview for the couple, their friends and their family.As many as a 100 images are carefully selected to both represent our style of photography and to tell the story of the day. I assemble this collection of images and write the accompanying words, which tend to be my thoughts and personal insight into the couple and the wedding itself. This is one job that I don't feel that I can outsource, because I feel that it's the personal touch of someone who was there on the day that makes it so effective. (That doesn't mean that I don't want to hand it off sometimes; some posts can take a whole day of work to put together!)  We find storyboarding the images in a blog post illustrates to our clients what we do much more effectively than one hero image in a web gallery. It Helps get the Word OutI encourage couples to send the blog post to their family and friends. We often receive heartfelt comments from people close to our clients.The following lovely comment was posted on our blog by a family member: As Jessie's aunt living in England viewing these very special photos was as good as being there with all the family and friends for a very unique day. The photos capture a real sense of the day's fun and beauty with everybody looking happy and relaxed. It Helps with SalesWhen the couple eventually visits my studio for a viewing session to see all the images from their wedding day, the images featured on the blog tend to be their favourites because they've had time to develop a connection to them, and because they are usually the images that best capture all the highlights of their special day. As a result, the blog images are often the ones that make it to the wedding album. As an added bonus for us, many wedding suppliers such as venues, florists, caterers, and so on, send the blog post to their client base to showcase their involvement in the wedding. This leads to a strong referral base for our business and has been a big part of our success.We have found that many of our clients spent time browsing through the weddings featured on our blog before making contact with us. This is good for us, because helps us to attract new clients that are similar to our past clients. (In other words, clients that we enjoy working with!) Commercial FocusOur blog for Commercial Focus isn't actually called a blog anywhere on the site. We refer to it as our featured clients or client showcase to fit with the style of language used throughout the site. In spite of this, it works pretty much the same way as the Lizzy C Photography blog. Potential clients get the opportunity to see what we've done for other clients. We typically display multiple images from the same client job, along with a short written brief and feedback from the client, to provide a detailed overview of the shoot and the finished product. Most of our current clients are excited at the idea of being featured on our site. (It certainly doesn't hurt their brand awareness!) We encourage clients to visit the "featured client" post throughout the site with thumbnails and descriptions on the front page and the gallery page.  Elizabeth Bull has established and built two successful Melbourne photography brands through her unique shooting style for her wedding and commercial/corporate clients. Connect on with Elizabeth on Facebook and Twitter. Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips. Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips. I Don’t Do any Advertising; All I have is a Blog |
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