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New Sigma "OS" lenses (1 Viewer)

Fowl Mouth

Just a guy with dogs
I just received my 2008 Sigma lens brochure in the mail, and low and behold, two new lenses with Sigma's "Optical Stabilizer" technology are listed.

No longer in the flock is the older 80-400 4.5-5.6 OS. It's now seemingly replaced by the 120-400 4.5-5.6 OS with one extra lens element.

Also, although the 50-500 "Bigma" remains, a new variant is listed. The new sibling is a 150-500 5-6.3 with OS.

This is news to me, and who knows how they will perform, if any better than their repspective predecessors. One thing that seems promising is the reduced zoom range. It seems that lenses that abide by the 3x rule tend to retain sharpness across the full range better than those that really strech the limit.

I scanned a couple of pages...
 

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Sorry, the second pic is smaller than it should be!?!

Basically the new 150-500 "Bigma" is 33mm/1.3 inches longer, and 70g/2.5 oz heavier than the 50-500. It sports one extra element with one fewer group. One of the four SLD lenses is gone, leaving only three.

Do I want one? I'll wait to see the reviews.;)
 
That's very interesting indeed. I currently have the Canon 100-400 on loan and have to give it back next month and will be in the market for a long tele zoom with IS/OS. I'd assumed I'd buy the same lens (or maybe the 300 F4 with T/C).

The 120-400 seems to have HSM (an improvement over the 80-400) and the Bigma finally has OS...................

I may have to rethink things a bit here......if these are significantly cheaper than the Canon L lenses they have to be worth considering.
 
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That's very interesting indeed. I currently have the Canon 100-400 on loan and have to give it back next month and will be in the market for a long tele zoom with IS/OS. I'd assumed I'd buy the same lens (or maybe the 300 F4 with T/C).

The 120-400 seems to have HSM (an improvement over the 80-400) and the Bigma finally has OS...................

I may have to rethink things a bit here......if these are significantly cheaper than the Canon L lenses they have to be worth considering.


Stuprice,

Although there's a bit of time before I'll be in the market for a $1000+ birding lens, my sentiments mirror yours. The 100-400 L (hello dust) and 400 5.6 L (darn it, that bird's too close) seem to be safe bets for IQ. Still the "Bigma" is no slouch. If a new version of this affordable 500mm monster has OS and sharper optics (fingers crossed) than the 50-500, count me in.
 
I can't find any info on Japanese sites either.

If these lenses see the light of day I'd say they'd be cheaper than the Canon 100-400 at least, by how much is up for conjecture.

They don't appear to have Sigma's 'EX' designation though.............
 
Is this bogus? I went to a Sigma site to download a brochure and these lenses were not there. How is it that nobody knows anything? And where did you get the brochure from? Just curious and looking to get the information straight. Thanks.
 
Is this bogus? I went to a Sigma site to download a brochure and these lenses were not there. How is it that nobody knows anything? And where did you get the brochure from? Just curious and looking to get the information straight. Thanks.

Try this link or this.

Should be interesting to see the prices. I'm fairly lucky in that these things tend to be released in Japan first. Not that I can afford one this spring mind you.
 
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Is this bogus? I went to a Sigma site to download a brochure and these lenses were not there. How is it that nobody knows anything? And where did you get the brochure from? Just curious and looking to get the information straight. Thanks.

Like I said, Sigma sent it to me.

I went to Sigma-photo.com and ordered a lens brochure through the mail. They sent me half a dozen brochures. This info was in one labeled "Lens Catalogue", with the date <2008.01> printed on the back.
 
With the minimum focal length of the zoom range changed from 50mm to 150mm for the new 150-500mm OS, it should be possible for Sigma to supply a deeper lens hood for this lens, which should help improve the contrast. The lens hood of the Bigma was not very effective at 500mm...
 
1.9kg - looks pretty solid. Perhaps Sigma's claim of a 4 stop gain due to OS is a touch optimistic? Hopefully it'll be sufficent to make it hand-holdable in reasonable light.
 
Hi,
I just bought a longer metal 86mm lens hood for my Bigma and it improved contrast and helps to protect lens better than rubbish plastic petal hood.
Cheers
Brian
Ps looks like something else on my shopping list now?
 
EX Designation

Perhaps these will not be as super expensive as people expect. Both the 50-500 and the 80-400 where branded EX (Superior build and optical quality in Sigma parlance). Neither of the two new super zooms have this. But lets hope optical quality is not compromised.

Patrick
 
Perhaps these will not be as super expensive as people expect. Both the 50-500 and the 80-400 where branded EX (Superior build and optical quality in Sigma parlance). Neither of the two new super zooms have this. But lets hope optical quality is not compromised.

Patrick

It would be strange if Sigma kept the 80-400 and 50-500 EX models on the shelves whilst selling the new (apparently non EX) lenses more cheaply. It doesn't make sense. The 80-400 is an EX but doesn't have the HSM, the 50-500 is an EX but doesn't have the OS. I don't think anyone would buy them if they were more expensive than the new models. I wouldn't anyway.........

Over at dpreviews and other forums people seem to be quoting a figure of $1500 for street price of the 150-500. Someone they knew heard someone else who had heard a Sigma rep mention something........

In Japan the 50-500 retails at around ¥120000 and the 80-400 at around ¥150000. If I were Sigma I'd keep the 50-500 and price the new 150-500 higher, discontinue the 80-400 and replace it with the 120-400 at around the same price.

I can wait a few months anyway. Should be interesting.......
 
Are these two lenses perhaps newer versions of the non-EX 135-400mm and 170-500mm with added OS? The 120-400mm is near enough to the 80-400mm to cover that model but the 50-500mm is sufficiently different in range and EX designation, which is why it's still available?
 
I'm pleased to see the New Sigma lenses will have HSM for pentax but not OS:-C filling a large void in pentax's lens range. There is also a 70-200 f2.8 HSM for Pentax
 
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