Hands On of the Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN S - A dream for bird & sports photographers
The Olympics are just around the corner! That means we can look forward to seeing what lenses will be released this year! With this extremely compact full-frame telephoto fixed focal length with a fabulous 500mm, a first bolide is coming onto the market for Sony FE and L-Mount.
Table of contents
Who is this Lens for?
This 500mm telephoto lens is particularly suitable for wildlife and sports photographers, but it is aimed more specifically at pitch-side photographers who want to take close-ups and headshots of players and athletes.
Sigma 500mm in combination with the S5iiThe size and weight
If you think of super telephoto lenses, you might still have waist-high bulldozers in your head, but you won't find that here! At just under 1.3kg, the Lens is light and 23cm long, not much longer than the recently introduced 70-200 f2.8 from Sigma.
Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN S - L Mount
- Lens of the sports line
- 500mm focal length
- Aperture of 5.6
- Compatible with teleconverter 1.4x & 2x
- Filter thread of 92mm
- Weight 1,3Kg
Features
What does this telephoto focal length actually offer us?
Buttons and rings
An aperture ring with lock button and declick switch are not only good sound, but we who often produce videos for you are particularly pleased. But the AFL button, which we can set freely in the camera, is also on board!
Autofocus and close focusing distance
The fast autofocus of this Lens is the HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motor and is therefore perfect for demanding sports & bird photographers. Of course, the autofocus can also be limited, how could it be otherwise!
Image stabilization and custom settings
Image stabilization is also handled by the OS2 algorithm, which can be used in modes 1 and 2. Mode 1 is aimed at generally calmer situations, while mode 2 is aimed at action-packed situations and is designed to stabilize up to 5 f-stops.
Weatherproof & other functions
All buttons, switches and rings on this Lens are protected and have a water and oil-repellent coating on the front element! The tripod clamp on the Lens is not only practical, but also removable and with Arca-Swiss, this can also be locked in 90° steps. But there is more! The Super Tele is compatible with the Teleconverter 1.4x & 2x, so you get up to 1000mm!
What do the abbreviations mean?
Sigma uses a lot of abbreviations in its lens designations, which are not always immediately obvious.
- For example, the abbreviation DG stands for lenses that are optimized for full-frame format
- The DN stands for the optimization for the mirrorless system, as these have a lower flange focal distance than SLR cameras had
- OS stands for the built-in image stabilization
Short predecessor comparison, or rather product comparison?
The Sigma 500mm has a longer history and looks back most closely to the Sigma 500mm f4, which was still "mega large" and heavy. This still had a plug-in filter, whereas the new one comes with a 92mm filter thread!
The new lens has 11 aperture blades, which the old Lens did not have, with 9 blades! The bokeh is therefore somewhat softer and rounder due to these 2 blades.
Conclusion:
Finally no mirror telephoto lens with this focal length and a form factor that is extremely attractive and certainly a Lens that comes at the right time and will give us photographers great moments!
