My Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN review: perfect for wildlife, sports, aviation, solar, lunar and more! Order the Sigma 500mm f5.6 from B&H: bhpho.to/3TysUJs or WEX UK: tidd.ly/43kx4YL Sell your used gear to MPB at: bit.ly/3ULU9yL Buy used gear from MPB at: prf.hn/l/YLqwRAP Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop Gordon’s retro gear channel: kzread.info Equipment used for producing my videos DJI Osmo Pocket 3: click.dji.com/AIOhqT-LWUFDq-bGk8hD4Q?pm=link Panasonic Lumix S5 II: amzn.to/3Hf5IcI Sony A6400: prf.hn/l/pRO0wp5 Sony e 24mm f1.8: amzn.to/2TqWNzk Rode NT USB mic: amzn.to/3AdHcUp Rode Wireless Go II mic: amzn.to/3xkCvGo Rode Lavalier Go mic: amzn.to/3ygzzKY Godox UL150 light: amzn.to/2VpVbXE Godox QR-P70 softbox: amzn.to/3yQfGdF MacBook Pro 14in (16GB / 1TB): amzn.to/3PrKbPV 00:00 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 introduction and rivals 02:24 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 design, controls, accessories 05:59 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 stabilization 06:48 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 coverage, TCs and APSC 09:09 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 optical quality 09:57 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 bird photography 11:21 - Sigma 500mm f5.6 verdict and samples Music: www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Another quality review. Thanks Gordon.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

With the the advancements in in-camera high ISO processing, image stabilization and denoise software, I am quite excited to see this trend in fixed focal length telephotos with smaller apertures. While I love me a good zoom, whenever I have one in hand, I spend most of my time fully extended. All that extra weight, and cost of IQ for flexibility. While a reasonably priced telephoto prime seems a great bit of kit.

Nice! With the great high iso performance of today's cameras, a 5.6 is a good compromise when it comes to size and weight!

Always a pleasure watching your reviews. I'm going for the 500/5.6 based on weight bearing capacity of my bones and joints! If it performs as well as the Nikon 500PF I enjoyed I'll be happy.

@cameraprepper7938

4 ай бұрын

It is better than the Nikon an other reviewer told.

@medicineman4040

4 ай бұрын

Fingers crossed! @@cameraprepper7938

Hello, super video. Thanks. Does this lens only accept sigma teleconverters or are the ones from Panasonic possible as well?

@cameralabs

22 күн бұрын

We're talking L mount, right? I'll try to find out. Are you sure there are any Panasonic TCs for L mount?

Can you use the manual focus ring to override autofocus in scenarios where autofocus keeps grabbing on to day a tree branch or a bush rather than the bird or animal you’re wanting to focus on? This lens seems to very similar to my beloved Nikon 500mm pf but I now shoot Sony (bad don’t have 600mm f4 budget) and that’s a major flaw for my shooting with lenses like the 200-600mm that you can’t bump focus with the manual ring. This would be an easy replacement for that if it has that functionality.

@cameralabs

6 күн бұрын

Good question, but I'm not sure, and it may vary depending on L-mount and e-mount versions, and the body you have it mounted on. Sorry I can't confirm without having it in front of me again.

I have the Sony 600 GM F4, but this is still tempting for when I want to be more mobile. As wonderful images as those big primes provide, they do get heavy to carry and hold. With this sort of light super tele lens, the promise of mirrorless starts to be realised, and makes a full frame Sony outfit for wildlife photography lighter than that for Micro four thirds.

Iv'e turned 70 now and own the Sony 200 - 600 which I use with a Sony A7iv. I will be replacing the Sony with this lens to make a wildlife photography walk with my camera a bit more pleasurable. I have only once used the Sony once zoomed back to the 200 setting, so see no problems with the fixed focal length. I also own a Sony 6700 and can stick on that if I need a bit more reach.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Exactly! I only ever use a big zoom at the max setting!

@aaronmoore3050

3 ай бұрын

I also like the LOOK of this new Sigma. It looks very modern, and fits mirrorless cameras aesthetically a lot better. Of course a lot of people adapt old lenses, but it always looks goofy on mirrorless. I can't think of a better looking tele in terms of a modern look.

I know what you mean about the weight advantage of a lens like this. I got rid of the sigma 150-600mm as i hated carrying it (heavy and conspicuous), and got the GM 100-400. So much easier to carry, and with crop mode on the a7rv, i dont miss the extra reach.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Exactly, a lot of people comment without actually having tried using any of these lenses for long in the field. The 150-600 and especially the 60-600 are beasts to use all day.

On my other channel (Figmento Films) I just spent 6 weeks bench marking the S5II against my Canon R7 and i found the S5II kept up and exceeded it, particularly in buffer limit (200 vs 119). I may get this lens for my S5II or the imminent S1 upgrades, especially due the unrestricted burst and use of TC.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I would see if you can try it out first, since I found the lens on my S5IIx didn't have a great focused hit rate for birds in flight. I'm hoping it's firmware thing.

As always Gordon wonderful review that was really really good now see if you can convince Sigma to make it A Canon mount that would really be good .

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I wish! Sadly it's not Sigma's decision, it's Canon's licensing.

@garymeredith2441

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs Gordon I suppose this is another good reason that maybe I should go switch to Sony but I have so much money tied up in my Canon equipment I would really hate to try to sell off everything I have of Canon just to switch to Sony but I'm really looking at doing that thank you I'm always Gordon I love your reviews you do wonderful work .

damn, I might have to go with one of these haha

Do you think this would be good for hand held vlogging?

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

It's arguably the best lens for that

@timoteiafanasie4894

4 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂 best comment

This is a small, light and sharp lens. It is expensive, so one would only buy this if they can sell the photos or have means to justify the price. For people looking for something more affordable and versatile, the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM is a tempting proposition!

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Yes, the 150-600 is half the price, but larger and heavier.

@aaronmoore3050

3 ай бұрын

Primes are crazy expensive, even used. This sigma is extremely tempting, tor lots of people. The Canon RF 600mm f/4 costs $10,000 more than the sigma, while not offering loads more. This sigma will bring Canon and Nikon holdouts to Sony. I'm 99% sure I'll be getting this lens (and a Sony body), for birding.

I sold the big, heavy Sony 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 G Lens last year, I was tired of the size and weight plus the IBIS issue. Now I have ordered the new Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens. I only got the Sony 200-600mm because there was no other alternatives at the time, I do not like zoom Lenses, I only like to use prime Lenses of the very best quality.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Sounds like this lens is for you! I do like the Sony zoom, but it is quite large. What IBIS issue did you experience?

@cameraprepper7938

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs Sometimes/often when photographing on longer distances 20+ meters, then the IBIS in the Lens and and in the A7RIV do not work properly together, which even with fast shutter time gives slightly blurred images, it is a known problem to Sony for Sony A7R series cameras, but Sony have not commented the issue in public. At closer than 20 meters there was not as much of a problem. I had a similar problem with the Canon 7D ( some other Canon models did not have the problem) and the Canon EF 300mm 4.0 L IS USM which had problems a longer distances, but rarely a closer distance. So I think is most likely is a software issue in the cameras and a bad IBIS "balance" in the Lens.

@cameraprepper7938

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs Sometimes the Sony software in the Sony A7Rseries cannot cope with both stabilizer in a Lens and in the Camera body, so you get "anti-stabilized" slightly blurred images, Sony are aware of the problem, but they have not yet told it in public. I received my Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN Sports Lens last week, it is excellent, i went for long hikes in the nature, just holding the camera with the 500mm in my hand all the time with no problems.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@cameraprepper7938 glad you're enjoying the new Sigma!

@cameraprepper7938

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs Thank you, the Sigma 500mm even fits in my old small Lowepro backpack, for the Sony 200-600, I had to buy a large, heavy backpack

Thank you for testing it on L-Mount!

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

Thank you for the review, very sharp lens, love the images.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Well I am first in line at my local Camera Store for this lens . A portable 500mm f5.6 can't wait to get my hands on it thanks for the review Gordon 👍

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

You're welcome, I really liked using it and am seriously considering it myself!

@CamillaI

4 ай бұрын

Yes, it is the light weight quality for wildlife I am looking at . I had the Sigma 500mm f4 but that was too heavy excellent quality though @@cameralabs

Great idea but on high end Sony E mount camera fps will be limited to 15… not the end the world but you won’t be able to take advantage of the crazy 60+fps the cameras can do.

@cameralabs

3 ай бұрын

Very true

Sigma are always prioritizing the quality of their lens.

Thanks Gordon! Sound solid. How fast will it autofocus for sports?

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

On the right body, very fast.

@steven871

4 ай бұрын

THANK YOU @@cameralabs

It's really unfortunate that this isn't available in Canon RF, Nikon Z or even Fuji X mount. 😢

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I agree. Hope they can do it in the future

You are one of the few KZread photography people that actually knows what they are talking about. You seem pretty objective as well which is fantastic.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! I've been reviewing camera gear now for over 30 years, so it's easy to be objective. I just want to present the facts.

@MichaelDrips

4 ай бұрын

I truly appreciate your objectivity as well as your knowledge of photography. Far too many reviewers are fanboys or imagine that by owning a camera they are suddenly a photographer. I started my photography career in 1967, so I'm often a wee bit too harsh on today's knuckleheads but I do try to pass out a bit of photography wisdom here and there. Keep up your excellent work and yes, I will be buying your book shortly.@@cameralabs

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@MichaelDrips thanks, and hope you enjoy my book!

The Bigma will always be the 50-500 f/4.5-6 EX to me. Hard to believe that model is 20 years old! And like then, the competition was always "a slower, definitely heavier, and probably more flexible supertele zoom vs. the lighter, brighter, but less flexible 400 f/4 or 500 f/5.6 primes." The more things change...

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I know, i felt a bit naughty using the bigma name!

@kefkafloyd

4 ай бұрын

​@@cameralabs Yes, but you're a man of history, so a little cheekiness is allowed. My Bigma had a tragic accident at Montreal's Trudeau airport in 2009. It fell out of a bag, hit asphalt, and something inside the zoom train jammed. I sent it to Sigma for service and while they fixed it, the lens was never quite right afterwards. It developed a backfocus issue that our cameras couldn't compensate for at the time. That combined with its merely adequate optical performance at the long end meant it had to go. Wound up selling it on after getting the (original) Sony 70-400G. I took a lot of great airplane photos with the Bigma, some of which were published in aviation safety magazines. Still, it was one of the truly accessible telephotos in the early digital era.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@kefkafloyd it certainly was a classic, sorry to hear about your incident!

Coming soon to OM System at double the price!

I'm $8k invested into Canon mirrorless. If Sigma releases this lens in 600mm, I'll be buying into the Sony mirrorless ecosystem for specifically that lens.

That legendary Canon lens you mentioned is under $1k! The only thing Sigma went so wrong with this nice lens is it's price! Dark aperture primes meant to be cheaper than zooms! It should have been under $2k indeed!

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Yes, the Canon 400 5.6 can be picked up used at some bargain prices. I wouldn't describe this as a dark aperture prime though, f5.6 is middle ground for a 500. It's a world apart from those Canon f11 primes for instance.

@networm64

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs I agree but neither of those zoom lenses are too dark either.The only real advantage of this lens over those is it's weight, but you lose the flexibility in return.They should have been at the same price. With such a big price gap, if the weight is the consideration why shouldn't go with the Sigma 100-400mm? It's thirds of the price and even lighter! Just 100mm difference is nothing to count comparing other advantages. Sigma could make this lens a bargain to sell it like hot cakes. But they chose to sell it to a few.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@networm64 I own the Sigma 100-400 and the quality from this 500 is much better, but I do hear what you're saying.

If Sigma makes Lenses like this from now on, then we cannot use the nickname "Bigma" any more. "Sigmall" maybe... 🙃

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Hah, yes, we should start thinking of some more new names...

thanks bro! the most important thing that I wanted to know is that it has a lens with a “trunk”, and for me this is a sign of an amateur level, I thought about selling my 200-600 Sony and now I’ve completely changed my mind, thank you again! Photolev

@cameralabs

2 ай бұрын

A trunk?

Please Sigma, throw X-mount users a bone and make this for Fuji!!!

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Yes, that'd be nice...

And still not convincing me to upgrade my canon 400mm f5. 6

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I LOVED the 400 5.6 and if you've seen my solar eclipse tutorial you'll know I've used it on two totals, once with film, once with digital. It's also great value if you can pick up a used copy, but as far as new lenses are concerned, I really like this Sigma.

the images look darker than I like.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

That's due to the metering of the camera I used.

What a strange lens!!!!

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Not if you're into wildlife or sports photography!

another sigma that isnt on x mount :(

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

There's lots I'm afraid

For a 500 mm 5.6 is to slow. Check out the Nikkor 500 4.o IF-ED P ...

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

Sure, but it's only available for Nikon. Sigma also did a 500 f4 a while back that was nice. But a 500 f4 is a giant, heavy and expensive lens. Lenses similar to that already exist so I like that this addresses middle ground too.

@robertlawrence7958

4 ай бұрын

You have totally misunderstood the whole idea of this lens. Did you actually watch the review? Or maybe you watched it with the sound turned off. There is a whole world of difference between this lens and an f4. I am delighted that lens manufacturers are introducing these lighter weight primes. I wish Canon would follow suit or at least give RF mount access to third party manufacturers. Very thorough review as always Gordon.

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@robertlawrence7958 thanks, yes, it's aimed at those who want a smaller, lighter and cheaper long prime without dimming the aperture too much. I really enjoyed it.

@gregoryrogalsky6937

4 ай бұрын

@@robertlawrence7958 Glad your delighted with slower primes. Personally, I miss my Nikkor 300 2.0 IF-ED AI-s and wish Nikon or even sigma would come out with another version using the high tech lens design reducing the weight but still giving me f2.0 with 300 mm.. and Ill take the Aspherical matched 1.4 TC-14c while they are at it. If it's built in, all the better. As far as a 5.6 500 mm, just to slow with not much background blur and no 3D pop. Useless for wildlife at dusk and dawn. Granted it is light, but at what cost. ? But if that is your kind of thing. Enjoy this lens from Sigma. For the price you could but a used Nikkor 500 f4.IF-ED P and nice trip to go use it somewhere.

@robertlawrence7958

4 ай бұрын

@@gregoryrogalsky6937 I agree with a lot of things you have said. My main wildlife lens is a 800mm f5.6L IS Canon optic. Yes, it is a superb lens, pin sharp (when used properly), and it produces sublimely smooth oof background rendering. Because of its focal length it can be considered on a par with a 600 f4 and probably superior to a 500 f4. HOWEVER.....it weighs a ton! Combined with a decent tripod I'm lugging around a hell of a weight which, at 68 years of age, post stroke and post replacement knee surgery, gets extremely tiresome. Would I prefer a 500mm f5.6 to that, not necessarily, will I get rid of my 800, not likely but I can certainly see the benefits of the smaller lens. For wildlife I combine the 800 with a 100-400 f5.6 and that is one of the most versatile lenses that Canon produced but I don't like Canon's current trend of producing slower aperture zooms. I do use an f2.8 zoom for my sport images but when it comes to my 400 prime the factors indicated above means that I chose the f4 DO lens over the f2.8. (that plus the obviously big price difference). I can get outstanding images with good background separation from both the f4 400 prime and the 400 f5.6 zoom, particularly when you have the opportunity to be selective in applying the physics of the lenses, focal length, sensory size, distance from lens to subject, subject to background etc but I also appreciate that there will be times when we don't have control over those parameters. In every instance, given identical circumstances the faster lens will usually give a better result and I fully appreciate that. I absolutely agree with your reference to dusk and dawn photography for wildlife and I have been extremely vocal in my opinion of the Canon 200-800 zoom as being of little use to me with an aperture of f9! Even with good technique, rock solid tripods and the use of bean bags for proper support I still struggle with my f5.6 lenses. I live in Wales after all. But hey, it can be done. I have photographed badgers at dusk using both my current 100-400 and my previous 400 f5.6 and have had success doing so. So I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this lens. No lens is perfect and no lens will be the "best" for every situation. At the end of the day this lens isn't available for Nikon or for Canon bodies anyway so neither of us will have to lose any sleep over it. Best wishes.

What the heck is wrong with sigma there are 50 videos out on this lens not one of them is done by a wildlife photographer no offense Gordon but this is a wildlife lens and that's how it should have been tested not taking pictures of a pier

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

I agree, I'm not a wildlife photographer, although I did show lots of photos of birds - and in flight too. I can only play to my strengths and experiences, hence the tests I do. The pier test is to be consistent with all my other lens tests, and unlike reviews which shoot charts, my main optical test is done at a longer real-life distance. The sharpness I illustrate is applicable to any subject shot at that distance, and again I included closeups of birds and other animals too.

@longrider9551

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs Gordon I think your great I am really just perplexed by Sigmas decision not to give a few copies to someone like a Steve Perry

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@longrider9551 yeah I know what you mean. I think Tony and Chelsea got one though and they're into bird photography.

@longrider9551

4 ай бұрын

@@cameralabs the big question we want to know is hit rate, if I take 100 shots of a fast moving bird, what is the hit rate, can the lens keep up with first party glass, that is the achilles heel of some 3rd party glass. For some types of photography like portraits that is not so critical but for 3K Sigma has to be on point ✌ TY for understanding

@cameralabs

4 ай бұрын

@@longrider9551 with the Lumix S5iix, my hit rate was low, but on Sony bodies it'll be much higher.