Sigma 150-600mm contemporary

rackhs said:
just keep loving this lens!! had a great day out on the weekend with it. Posted in the Birds forum, but thought I would just pop one in this thread because of the lens! This was a bit of a snapshot, handheld. Didn't realise until I got it into LR that it had even caught a fish!

Common Tern - Dinner TIme by rackhs, on Flickr
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Nice capture! I see you took it at Attenborough, must get back there at some point, not been for ages, is there a good spot for kingfisher there?

Swanseajack said:
I haven't posted a pic for a while, here's a Coal Tit from a few days ago.

Coal Tit in last of afternoon sun. by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
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Nice, Coal Tits usually visit my garden, but not seen them in for a few weeks, not the easiest ones to get a pic of here
 
michael23 said:
Nice capture! I see you took it at Attenborough, must get back there at some point, not been for ages, is there a good spot for kingfisher there?



Nice, Coal Tits usually visit my garden, but not seen them in for a few weeks, not the easiest ones to get a pic of here
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I'm lucky, their daily visitors all year long, along with Blue and Great Tits, Goldfinches, Siskins and Nuthatch's......... The Long Tails only seem to visit regularly from October > March and bugger off for the breeding season. I have only managed to photograph a LTT fledgling once, a quick grab shot.

Long Tailt Tit Fledgling. by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
 
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Hi Michael,

Apparently you can sometimes get them at the Delta hide. There is a stripped branch just a few feet in front of the hide that apparently they use. Unfortunately, didn't see any there when we were there but they had been spotted at 7am on the day.
 
Swanseajack said:
I'm lucky, their daily visitors all year long, along with Blue and Great Tits, Goldfinches, Siskins and Nuthatch's......... The Long Tails only seem to visit regularly from October > March and bugger off for the breeding season. I have only managed to photograph a LTT fledgling once, a quick grab shot.

Long Tailt Tit Fledgling. by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
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Just lovely!
 
Another one from the hide, about 3metres away

200mm f6.3 ISO6400 7D1

28588381414_0987575119_k.jpg
 
Phil-1 said:
You have done very well at IOS6400 what processing did you do?
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Thanks :)

I've been playing around with Google Nik Collection.

In camera I try and expose 1/3 or 2/3s right and bring it back in Nik or LIghtroom. This means I can reduce exposure on the subject if needed or leave and bring the background down a touch using Controls Points (masks) in Viveza.

I generally move onto Dfine2 but only apply a slight manual Noise Reduction. Finally I process with Output Sharpener Pro and use masks/control points again to isolate the subject for desired sharpness, then use masks/control points again for the background but instead of applying a sharpness I effectively unsharpen, local contrast, defocus etc (whatever works for the image) just enough to get rid of the apparent noise.

There are a number of steps unfortunately, but when you see how Google Nik Controls Points (masks) work then you can work on specific tones or colours within the selection area. I find it powerful for then applying sharpness, colour, brightness etc on specific areas of the image whilst leaving other areas almost untouched.

No doubt there are easier ways and its not perfect but I'm quite happy with the results.
 
AndyB1976 said:
Thanks :)

I've been playing around with Google Nik Collection.

In camera I try and expose 1/3 or 2/3s right and bring it back in Nik or LIghtroom. This means I can reduce exposure on the subject if needed or leave and bring the background down a touch using Controls Points (masks) in Viveza.

I generally move onto Dfine2 but only apply a slight manual Noise Reduction. Finally I process with Output Sharpener Pro and use masks/control points again to isolate the subject for desired sharpness, then use masks/control points again for the background but instead of applying a sharpness I effectively unsharpen, local contrast, defocus etc (whatever works for the image) just enough to get rid of the apparent noise.

There are a number of steps unfortunately, but when you see how Google Nik Controls Points (masks) work then you can work on specific tones or colours within the selection area. I find it powerful for then applying sharpness, colour, brightness etc on specific areas of the image whilst leaving other areas almost untouched.

No doubt there are easier ways and its not perfect but I'm quite happy with the results.
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Thanks. I use Adobe Light Room and Photoshop. I never try to shoot over IOS 800
 
I don't have the fund just now but sometime i'll get a long lens for my d750, i was reading this contemporary vs sport comparison (http://improvephotography.com/36962/sigma-150-600mm-sport-vs-contemporary-lens-review/)
and it seems to say a lot of good about the contemporary.

The size and weight seems much more manageable, i used to have a canon 70d and a canon 100-400 mark 1 and i have regretted selling it because my longest lens is now a 85mm so i need to find an alternative long lens.

A question for the folk on this thread, is the 1.4 sigma extender worth it?
 
I did look into getting an extender for this lens with my d750. But I got all confused with what would work what wouldn't. What would auto focus what wouldn't. In the end it made my head hurts.
I took the lens and body out this morning whilst walking the dogs and didn't notice really. Plus I have a bit of a bad back at the min and didn't trouble me.
 
Archie747 said:
Very impressive. Out of interest how much sharpening and noise reduction was applied?
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Thats a difficult one to quantify.

I am using both Lightroom 4 and Google Nik Effects.

I guess I now do the majority of work in Nik Effects primarily due to the Control Point masking capabilities. You can isolate the subject or background with these masks and therefore apply NR (Dfine), Colour (Viveza) and Sharpening (Sharpner Pro Output) independently within a reasonably specific range of colours, tones and textures. These can be applied with a positive or negative selection, for example I'll apply NR across the whole image then add a negative selection to the bird, then with Sharpening apply it to the bird and subtract it from any background over-selection that the mask may make.

Once back in Lightroom I might add a touch of clarity or a touch on some of the colour channels but its only ever minute changes at this point in the work flow.

So I don't have a specific procedure, infact I'm still trying to settle on the best workflow method using these two software packages. There is no doubt an overlap between them and maybe LR does somethings better than Nik and vice versa.
 
This is another shot for that sequence, moments apart. There were at least three Buzzards in the air above a woodland, some appear ringed as in the earlier images but the bird turning in midair looks unringed, not sure if its young and following the adult in-front or otherwise.

img
 
Some cracking images from this lens during the last two months, seems everyone is coming to terms with it.
I'm going to pop along to Jessops after work tomorrow and have a play with one ;) if it feels and looks as good as the images on this thread then I'll probably get a telling off from the wife when I get home.:eek:

Seems to be a bit of a bargain for £739 :)
 
Well,
I think the wife might kill me :eek:



just returned from Jessops and have a nice big white box to hide :D
File_000_zpsllivwnxc.jpeg



Wonder if she will notice the actual lens when I get it out of my bag ;)

I got a bit of a deal from Jessops with a the USB dock for half price and a half price 95mm filter as well. Hats of to the guy that sorted me out.
 
Scotty Pro said:
Well,
I think the wife might kill me :eek:



just returned from Jessops and have a nice big white box to hide :D
File_000_zpsllivwnxc.jpeg



Wonder if she will notice the actual lens when I get it out of my bag ;)

I got a bit of a deal from Jessops with a the USB dock for half price and a half price 95mm filter as well. Hats of to the guy that sorted me out.
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What filter are you planning to use? If its a UV or protection filter they ripped you off - you do not want to put one on the end of a lens this long, it'll kill the IQ!
 
odd jim said:
What filter are you planning to use? If its a UV or protection filter they ripped you off - you do not want to put one on the end of a lens this long, it'll kill the IQ!
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It's a UV filter, just for added protection to the front element coating, a filter is cheaper to replace than the element if it gets scratched.
 
Scotty Pro said:
It's a UV filter, just for added protection to the front element coating, a filter is cheaper to replace than the element if it gets scratched.
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It has a HUUUGE hood, you won't scratch it with that on.

If you stick a UV filter on it will be horrendous, as you increase the focal length the IQ degradation is magnified (long lenses are the worst lenses to use these filters on, the salesman should have known this really, but then there's a huge markup on these defunct UV filters). Do yourself a favour and don't use it :) (BTW, I have nearly 20 lenses, and in the same amount of years I've never used a UV filter, and never had a scratched element.)

Its a great lens, it would be a shame not to get the best from it.
 
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Thanks for the info Jim, I think I will try it with and without the filter and see what the difference is. I must say that the build quality is a lot, lot better than I was expecting, the finish on this Sigma is really nice.

Its a bit of a beast compared to a 70-200 f4 that I previously owned and I think I'm going to need a bigger bag :( as I cannot keep the lens on the camera and fit it into my current bag.

The Great North run is on tomorrow so I think I will pop along and try the lens out, weather looks promising as well.
 
I know I am not an expert but do wonder why Sigma have invested so much in heir 95mm UV filter if it is not suitable for the lens. After all a filter such as this could spoil the reputation if the company if it effects the lens so much.

As the lens is so large many of us have had to replace bags but still cannot get the lens, with body attached, safely in the bag without removing the hood which is another reason for using the filter for protection.
 
Fred Ward said:
I know I am not an expert but do wonder why Sigma have invested so much in heir 95mm UV filter if it is not suitable for the lens. After all a filter such as this could spoil the reputation if the company if it effects the lens so much.

As the lens is so large many of us have had to replace bags but still cannot get the lens, with body attached, safely in the bag without removing the hood which is another reason for using the filter for protection.[/QUOTE

In that situation use a lens cap?
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Fred Ward said:
I know I am not an expert but do wonder why Sigma have invested so much in heir 95mm UV filter if it is not suitable for the lens. After all a filter such as this could spoil the reputation if the company if it effects the lens so much.

As the lens is so large many of us have had to replace bags but still cannot get the lens, with body attached, safely in the bag without removing the hood which is another reason for using the filter for protection.
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Why? It has a lens cap?

(and I'm not referring to the Sigma filter, I'm referring to ANY uv / "protection" filter)
 
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