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Sigma 170-500 APO - poor quality lens or is it me? (1 Viewer)

 
scottthehat said:
the sigma is pleanty good enought to produce top quality shots.
if it had vr i would have 1 in a heartbeat.
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/wrenclose.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/SJB10042a.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/IMGP7174.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/SJB19021.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/SJB10933.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/internet site 200kb pics/IMGP8069.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/...and stuff/birds of prey/peregrinefalcon80.jpg
Click to expand...

Presumable this is not the lens the OP is talking about Scott as one of these shots is at 150mm and his lens is the 170-500 !!!!
 
Roy C said:
Presumable this is not the lens the OP is talking about Scott as one of these shots is at 150mm and his lens is the 170-500 !!!!
Click to expand...
hi roy, yes they are sorry the falcon in flight was the siggy 150-500mm(wrong pic posted, but the rest were with a 170-500mm have had 3 in pentax mount and 1 in nikon mount.
 
Thanks for adding the sample photo's Scott.
Illustrates very well what I have found, by use. Not a bad lens when the birds are sitting
almost on the lens hood.
 
Do Not Waste Your Money On Sigma Products

I purchased a Sigma lens for my Canon EOS 7D and I can honestly say it was extremely poor quality. I used it three times in less than a month only for the focus ring to break on it and spew parts onto the floor. So less than a month old I sent it back to Sigma under warranty only for them to tell me I broke it, I had not broke it, it was poor quality and not fit for purpose, so Sigma told me that I would have to pay £75 to repair it. I told them to stick it and put the poor quality lens into the bin. I have thirteen Canon made lenses and not one of them has broke on me, my oldest lens is six years old now. So, from my experience you buy Sigma you get cheap and nasty quality with a useless warranty. My recommendation is always by your camera manufacturers lenses only. Be warned, spend a bit more and get quality, don't cut corners as it will cost you in the long run.
 
hmmmm i cannot for the love of me see how you managed to buy a sigma 170-500 lens still under warranty ,they have been out of production for nearly ten years now .

if it was a mistake on your part and it was a sigma 150-500 your looking at a new cost of around £650 so theres no way i would tell them to stick it in the bin ,even if you stood the repair bill you still have a lens that would sell for over £400

and not actually owning any at the moment but having dealt with sigmas service centre before i have ALWAYS found that they will go out of there way to accommodate and help you as and when required ,

its also a strange way to make your first post on a forum BTW ?/??
 
with Pentax Q7

Here are some captures with my tiny Pentax Q7 and Sigma 170-500;
 

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sorry but i beg to differ ,2 years ago the son of the previous owner took over sigma and has turned the company around ,the new ranges of lenses are nothing at all like sigma of old ,which a lot of us have had problems with over the years .

i have one of the new sigma 150-600mm sports lenses and the i.q is right up there with the top L glass and the top nikon glass ,and being fully programable by the owner is a new way forward to .

you are also complaining about the quality you got from a really old design of lens that was basically made for film or 1st generation digital .there is no comparison to up to date glass and build quality
 
imagonman said:
Yes, I'm a bit behind the times here in this post. Hopefully the OP has made a decision by now!;) Also, not on the bleeding edge of technology that's for sure! It's all I could afford @ the time. Paid $300 and sold for $550 after a 9 month stint of ownership. Just sharing MY experience w/ said lens {170-500}. In the hopes it helps someone out there possibly contemplating the purchase of the 170-500 apo/dg. I know they're old designs but the price is well below the other choices out there as well 2day! As far as the newer Sig zooms that are popular 2day [150-500 & 50-500's} their respective IQ is terrible. IQ Close up, good as any lens w/ that mag. factor but beyond 35 ft. forget it as I said.
Now, the New Sport & Contemporary are on my radar as is The Tamron 600 zoom. Need to know the best next move here as I will not be buying a $8-10K L prime anytime soon:-C The Canon glass in contention is/was 1-400 IS mki & 400 5.6 L's as well. So am reading up here on these threads, garnering info, opinions and quantifiable evidence b4 makin a move.
Thanks for your insight and help!
Click to expand...

I've had 1 day to try out the 150-600 in shocking light, it outperformed my expectations by a mile. I doubt very much that a leans costing $10k is anywhere near 8 times better, I doubt they are even twice as good.

Don't write off the new Sigma lenses, the 150-600 Sport is a fantastic, value for money lens.

Even the weight of the lens isn't a negative, I would love it to be lighter but it isn't and is still easy enough to hand hold all day long for me.
 
as with micks post listen to real time users not the knockers and doubters ,look at my photos on flickr ,i hide nothing and explain things as i see and find them exif data is not hidden either .i have now had a month with mine in different conditions and with two bodies to choose from .starting to get accustomed to it and have adjusted M/A to suit though there is still work ongoing in that respect
 
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