Sharp, contrasty & quick A/F-well balanced, with great finish & large lens hood

Its a heavy lens & best results are obtained when tripod mounted.

If you are in the market for this focal length then this lens is well worth cosidering-it is cheaper than a Nikon & professionally made & delivers the goods.

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Similar Products Used:

Nikon 800 F 5.6 & Nikon 600 F4

Excellent optics, solid construction, effective HSM autofocus in most conditions

huge (goes with the 800mm territory); needs autofocus on-off switch, closer focus

Fairly small for an 800 f5.6, but still very large -- portability (or lack thereof) should be a consideration for anyone contemplating a lens of this focal length. It weighs more than 10 pounds -- lighter than most 600 f4 optics but still very tiresome to lug around.

Optics appear to be excellent -- sharp, contrasty, very little flare in strongly backlit images. Results are quite acceptable with the Sigma 1.4X EX converter (= 1120 mm f8), although you lose autofocus with the Nikon F100. Good optics notwithstanding, the handling and support bugaboos that affect all long lenses are certainly apparent at these focal lengths. You need excellent tripod support and meticulous technique to bring out what this thing is capable of (incidentally, the Wimberly Sidekick and Arca-Swiss ball head combination works superbly, although the Sigma 800 is really pushing the manufacturer's specifications for the Sidekick).

This lens focuses closer (7 m) than the Nikon 800mm, but it would be a lot better for wildlife work if the closest focus was more like 4 m. I've used it with the Kenko autofocus extension tube set successfully, but there is often some autofocus 'hunting' that seldom occurs when the extension tube isn't attached. I wish Sigma would either improve the close-focus distance or include a dedicated, robust extension tube of about 40 mm.

In short: if you REALLY need this much focal length, it's a very solid performer if you give it the solid support any long lens needs.

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Similar Products Used:

old Leitz 560/5.6; Nikon 400/5.6; Sigma 300/4 macro