Alternative to the Sigma 150-500mm

c22w1

c22w1

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Chris
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Hello all

Is there a good alternative to the sigma 150-500mm lens at or around the same price bracket?
I now use a Nikon D7000 and Canon 7D but having had 3 different Sigma lenses strip gears in the past on a Sony body I am doubtful of the build quality and don't want to risk spending 100s of pounds on a lens only for it to happen again?
Thanks
 
c22w1 said:
Thank you for the fast response but its still a sigma and I don't feel comfortable with that brand?
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May I ask why?? Ive had the sigma 150-500mm for a few months now and its performs very well

check my Flickr or web site for some images

Les :shrug:
 
The focus gear stripping was an issue with the Sony, not Sigma.

The same problem doesn't exist on canikon.
 
The 150-500 uses their HSM in-lens motor - so you won't get issues with gear stripping.
 
Anyway, when I had both I preferred to crop my 70-300VR rather than use the 150-500, that was with a D90.

And before anyone says, my copy of the Sigma was equally as good as any other I've seen shots from.
 
Phil Young said:
Op. Being a brand snob means the above and more pricey :)

Incidently, why do you have a canon and a Nikon body?
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I'm no brand snob and dont understand where that came from? I have had lenses from Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Minolta, Sony, Canon and Nikon in the past but only ever had problems with Sigma hence my original question and my reason for not wanting to spend, what is to me at lease, a lot of hard earned money on that particular brand. The problems were all while I used the Sigma lenses on a Sony A500 body and I appreciate that it could have been a fault of the body but why did it not affect the other manufacturers lenses (Minolta, Sony, Tokina and Tamron)?

My reason for having bodies from Nikon and Canon:- originally had the Canon 7D and was never happy with the noise handling at higher ISOs. Nikon were supposed to be far better in that respect and when a D7000 came up at a very good price I couldnt resist the opportunity to try both out against one another and then decide which I wanted to keep. That decision was not as easy as I had hoped and they are both excellent but at different things and I now find myself the position of not wanting to get rid of either.
 
I don't think there's anything comes close vfm wise to the sigma in that focal range to be honest? Unless your going to look at a canon 100-400 or a nikon 80-400, both of those will pinch it optically but at a much higher price. I sold my sigma 150-500 when I got my 500 f4, big mistake to be honest and for £450 second hand I may well pick up another in due course
 
c22w1 said:
I'm no brand snob and dont understand where that came from? I have had lenses from Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Minolta, Sony, Canon and Nikon in the past but only ever had problems with Sigma hence my original question and my reason for not wanting to spend, what is to me at lease, a lot of hard earned money on that particular brand. The problems were all while I used the Sigma lenses on a Sony A500 body and I appreciate that it could have been a fault of the body but why did it not affect the other manufacturers lenses (Minolta, Sony, Tokina and Tamron)?

My reason for having bodies from Nikon and Canon:- originally had the Canon 7D and was never happy with the noise handling at higher ISOs. Nikon were supposed to be far better in that respect and when a D7000 came up at a very good price I couldnt resist the opportunity to try both out against one another and then decide which I wanted to keep. That decision was not as easy as I had hoped and they are both excellent but at different things and I now find myself the position of not wanting to get rid of either.
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Appreciate brand snob is a bit harsh since you have genuine reason to be concerned. Take that one back.

My advice on the matter either way is to buy your lens second hand since the optical quality won't deprecate in much if at all and nor will your resale price.

Sounds like you had some major bad luck.
 
There's a Tamron 200-500 zoom which is the closest comparison to the 150-500 Sigma.
 
Which sigma lenses? If it was the one body then it points to an issue with the body...

I use a 10 year old sigma lens with a sony body. It should have dropped to bits by now if they were that bad.

It's the high speed AF option that used to kill them. After a couple of years sony removed this option altogether and I think they reduced the torque on the AF motor. Sigma blame sony and vice versa. I'm pretty certain some non sigma lenses were chewed up by some bodies too. I also think a few people ate sigma lenses with canon bodies but it is a long while since I've heard of people mentioning gear stripping. It seems to have all but stopped.
 
srichards said:
Which sigma lenses? If it was the one body then it points to an issue with the body...
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The biggest 'offenders' were the Sigma 70-300 budget lenses, particularly with the AF Fast option on the A700, but other lens / body combinations had the same failure.

It was much less of an issue with Canon / Nikon mount versions as a much larger proportion of then use in-lens focus motors, I believe.
 
I've got a Sigma 150-500 OS and the wife has a 120-400 OS and both are very sharp and get used a lot. I shot over 3000 photos in a weekend on a 5D3 and 7D at an airshow with no problems whatsoever. I did have a 150-500 replaced under warranty for an unknown fault but I think it was a body problem on my 7D rather than the lens that was the problem. It still worked perfectly on my 5D3 but they replaced it with a new one to be on the safe side anyway.

I had a Canon 100-400 L at the same time as I had 2 bodies at the time but when I sold a body I didn't need both. After much testing ie. sharpness, OS/IS, IQ handling, AF speed etc. I decided to keep the Sigma cause it was better on my body at least. Other than the Sigma 120-400 OS, the Canon 100-400 L and the Sigma 50-500 OS I don't think there's anything else that compares favourably. Out of those the 150-500 is by far the best value IMO.
 
Thanks to everyone that has taken time to reply and the Sigma does appear to be the way to go,I have seen it for £568 delivered on procamerashop.co.uk anyone used them at all? Seems a very good price for a new lens, second hand sell for more. It doesn't bother me in the slightest buying imports, they were made in Japan etc after all.
 
Personally, I wouldn't buy a Sigma without seeing it and checking it. While I've not had any problems with any of mine, there are enough first hand reports of troubles to make me want to see and test the actual lens I'm buying before I fork out for it.
 
Really depends on your budget.

I am off to western Scotland in a month and wanted more reach than I currently have.

I have just bought the old non OS Sigma 120-300 f2.8. Added a 2xconverter with a 1.4 to come.

Now with both a crop and full frame body I have a great combo for just over a grand.
 
Nod said:
Personally, I wouldn't buy a Sigma without seeing it and checking it. While I've not had any problems with any of mine, there are enough first hand reports of troubles to make me want to see and test the actual lens I'm buying before I fork out for it.
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Just when I thought everything was now fine with Sigma and all the problems had been sorted out I find they obviously have not?
Why do we have to spend £1000s to guarantee decent lenses? I'm ready to throw the towel in and go back to compacts, much less hassle....
 
c22w1 said:
Just when I thought everything was now fine with Sigma and all the problems had been sorted out I find they obviously have not?
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I've got/had five Sigma lenses and have had no issues with them at all.
 
Chris, as I said in the latter part of my post, I haven't had any problems with any Sigma lens I've owned (or still own) but some people have so I would always buy a lens that I had personally checked to make sure I got a good copy. For me, that rules out any far Eastern shops - I would rather spend a bit more and be able to sort any problems in hours rather than days or weeks.
 
same here, had my 150-500 for a year maybe, god knows and used it pretty much every week, its always focussed on servo as its used with cars, bike and birds and is swift and fast to focus and shes a good one as far as I can see.

Build quality it feels and looks solid as a rock, my only gripe, the lens hood could be more beefy feeling.. bar that, superb lens
 
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