Cheap, long, and not awful.

I really really would prefer a sharper lens, and yes, I've used this on a heavy 'pod, etc. STOP IT DOWN TO AT LEAST 11. Always

Good if you can stop down and there's no wind. I've seen problems when there was wind, the barrel isn't stiff enough then. It's not GREAT, just good.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

Nikor 70-210

.sharpnes .colour .price .build "though not too pro. type" .case

86c ? AF noise

Great lens , for the price even better !! colours seem to come out rather good , the AF is a bit slow but nothing that would keep u from buyin' this lens,

Customer Service

not yet :)

Similar Products Used:

Canon : 135mm f/2 L , 70-200 f/2.8 L 28-70 f/2.8 L 24mm f/3.5 L "tilt shift" 75-300 f/4-5.6 Usm IS Tokina :28-70 Atx Pro SV

- Price, price, price, price, price. - Excellent telephoto range. - Optical quality. - APO glass. - Hood and soft case (very nice!) included.

- Slow (needs tripod + fast film or ISO 800 setting on a D100) - Lens creeps, no zoom lock. - Focus ring isn't smooth - 86-mm business end means any filter will be hard-to-find and outrageously expensive. - AF could be faster

This is an excellent telephoto zoom for its price (at least as far as Nikon mounts go), but it's bulky (though not as much as pro lenses of this size) and a bit on the slow side. To compensate for these deficiencies, a sturdy tripod and fast film (400 or, even better, 800) are a must, if you want to get the most out of this lens. Fortunately Sigma provides a quick-release tripod collar that "feels" very professional. The AF is not bad but certainly not a speed champion, meaning that using this lens to shoot flying birds (or airplanes) is not the easiest task in the world (albeit still feasible, as a matter of facts, I've done it with good results.) The optical quality is excellent, the lens is very sharp (especially when stopped down at f/8) from 200 to about 420, but visibly softer at both ends, especially at 500. The construction is nice but of course there's a lot of plastic, although not the cheap/light type seen on Nikkor G lenses. The focus ring is very sensibly located nearest to the camera and therefore easy to access when you focus manually. The zoom ring is not completely smooth but it's not too big of a problem. By my experience, the only other Nikon mount in this price range as good as this one is the Tamron 200-400 f/5.6. I have extensively compared the two and found the Tamron better (and faster @300) in the 200-300 range while the Sigma has an edge from 300 to 400. Yes, of course the Sigma also gives you an extra 400-500 range, but it can only be used until 450 and then it gets too soft for my tastes. The Sigma also wins on color faithfulness, thanks to its APO glass. I read concerns from other reviwers about using a 2x teleconverter with this lens. Well, I found no problems whatsoever coupling this lens to a Tamron MC-7 (7-element 2x TC), although I have heard (but I can't confirm it) that none of the smaller 4-element TC's can be used with this lens. I guess the Sigma APO EX TC's are fully compatible (but of course quite expensive.)

Customer Service

Never used so far. None of my Sigma lenses ever had problems (am I lucky or Sigma gear is actually that reliable?)

Similar Products Used:

- Tamron 200-400 - Nikkor pro-gear (rented)

Great zoom range Rear auto-focus ring in perfect spot Case AND hood included (no such luck with other brands) Quick release tripod collar

Weight, tripod use neccessary Odd sized filters (86C) hard to come by and pricy.

This truly a good lens. The 500mm of zoom allows you to reach out and touch someone. I got a few head shots of bears from a (relatively) safe distance. Even though it's a 500mm, it is fairly easy to transport; it's smaller and lighter that older 500mm lenses I've seen. The focusing ring is near the base of the lense, so you can focus with your thumb and not have to adjust a circular polarizer; should you find one. The pics I took had very good color and definition. The only problems I had came along with taking shots in low light and with using auto-focus in the woods, not the lens's fault. This is a great buy for those who do outdoor work but can't or don't want to get too close to their subjects.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

none

Good range - distinguished from most lens in this class by being able to go not just to 400mm, but all the way to 500mm. Good clarity Good autofocus operation and acceptable manual focus operation Tripod mount Hood included Case included Four-year warranty Significantly lighter than brighter 400mm or 500mm lens alternatives

Nothing that would cause me to reject this lens for any serious work: Manual focus (although rarely needed) could be better if geared down like Sigma's new 120-300mm f2.8. Small maximum aperture (mitigated by using good low-light films like Provia 400) 86mm objective lens requires very expensive filters (if you feel the need to use any)

I am thoroughly pleased with this lens. I was apprehensive about buying it because I had never handled one or checked it with my N80 body. I was also concerned about comments here regarding its autofocus speed and small maximum aperture. Having now photographed a soccer game and several wildlife subjects (including a black bear under the canopy of dense forest), I have no reservations about recommending this lens to any Nikon users. I suspect versions for other brands are equally suitable. Using Fuji Superia 800 print film, I have gotten very good results - virtually indistinguishable from my more affluent shooting partner's F100 and 80-400 VR combination. The Sigma focuses very accurately as a general rule. In identical situations, my partner's VR searched just as much as my Sigma before settling. Results using Fuji Sensia 100 slide film have also been very good with the camera on a tripod. Admittedly, the aperture is too small to use slow film in low light. But even a $7,000 500mm f4 is going to be limited under these circumstances. I think it's a great lens, even at street prices of $450 to $600. I wish there was a 4.5-star rating to assign to this lens. I can't give it the perfect 5 because there are better lenses than this out there. But 4 stars is under-rated, too.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 80-400 VR Sigma 70-300 Macro Super

1. PRICE 2. Fair to good image quality 3. PRICE 4. Sweet spot between 300-40mm 5. PRICE 6. Industrial tripod collar 7. PRICE 8. Customer Service 9. PRICE 10. Great carrying case and hood provided.

1. Optical quality is shy of a pro level, but workable. 2. Full zoom brings on some serious distortion as will 150mm. 3. What is that filter size....82c or something like that - YIKES! 4. Zoom creeps terribly. 5. Slow AF - hunts alot especially in lower light conditions.

Is it fast? Nope! Is it top notch optics? Nope! Is it heavy? A little. Does it take decent pictures? Indeed! Is it professional grade (whatever that means)? Nope! However, it is $609 at B&H and that in itself is an amazing reason for carefully considering the purchase of this fine zoom lens. I bought mine just over a year ago after trying an associate's unit. I liked it, but was a little disappointed with the sharpness near 170mm and at full zoom. I asked him how much he paid for it and he told me...my jaw dropped to the bottom of the canoe we were on! I had reneted a Canon 400mm f4 for this trip and it was like carrying a baby around with me. In the end the proof was in the pudding! The ratio of keeper images to throw-aways was almost identicle for both the L glass and the Sigma. This is not to say that if you have the money and the drive to go pro...it's L glass all the way! However, for those of us on a tight budget this lens will get you seeing visions of hummingbirds, far off boats, airplanes, and just about any other distant object dancing lazily in your mind as you wait for the FedEx person to tap your chamber door and hand over the lens!

Customer Service

Awesome! Called Sigma prior to purchase to confirm compatability with my back-ups, an Elan 7 and Rebel 2000, and engineer was truly helpful.

Similar Products Used:

1. Canon EOS 400mm f/4 L 2. Sigma 50-500 f4/6.3 APO EX HSM 3. Tamron 200-400 f/5.6 LD-IF

sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp... nice looking (haha) zoom range

heavy zoom creep plastic body - too much

I have bought this lens about 2 monhts ago, and since then have made about 10 rolls of film with it and i can say that its AN ABSOLUTELY GREAT PIECE OF OPTICS. knowing myself as a really demanding photographer, this lens didnt disappoint me in almost every aspect. i have pictured many object with this lens: insects, sunsets, people, and mostly flowers. in summary, the sharpness was more than great. it was sharp as a diamond shape. with that, the firld of sharpness was pretty short, and its due to the long focal distance, but with the aperture more than 11 it became deeper. the central sharpness was exellent, e.g. on my pictures with flowers, made from the distance of more than 5 meters from the object, every detail and every point can be seen on every leaf. the colour reproduction is perfect, very natual looking. speaking about technical aspects, there are some weaknesses but not a big problem to me. first, the zoom creep is annoying but doesnt haPPEN if u dont leave the lens with its face down. pretty heave but come on - its 170-500!!!!! the absence of 2.8 aperture makes this lens cheep, but in the most cases its ok, maximum u can use up to 3200 asa. expensive, but great films. outer lens diameter is enormous - i think 82mm, and its bad for filters. everything else was very good. in a few words - this lens worth it, without any BUT.

Customer Service

-

Similar Products Used:

none

It's the best you can get for cost. Wish I could afford better, but can't justify it until I get better.

No zoom lock! Walking with it on a tripod will extend the zoom. Hard to reach manual focus. Tripod mount too far to the rear, not really balanced. Lens hood strips easily about $20.00 for replacement-not bad (EBAY seller got me)!

Pick this lens up in Ebay. Let's face it it's not $2000 glass. I have taken several bird pictures and they are pretty sharp. Sigma says you can't use a tele converter with it for fear of hitting internal lens. I experimented with 1.4 and it does not appear to be a problem. 2x won't work it will hit the glass.

Customer Service

Great! Updated lens to Elan7 specs with no questions

Fantastic value! Amazing sharpness and color for the focal length and price.

There is no weakness. This is a terrific 170-500mm f5-6.3 lens. If you want faster glass, faster focusing, a shorter minimum focal length, and other features you are looking at the wrong lens so do NOT buy this one. However, be prepared to spend 2 to 20 times as much money on your "dream lens."

I purchased this lens for the purpose of shooting NCAA football (I just got my first season media pass) and having shot one game (108 frames) I am truly AMAZED. I do not have a spare $4000 or more to spend on a lens right now so the 300mm f2.8 or 600mm f4 were absolutely out of the question (Minolta G lens). I bought the Sigma hoping for the best and expecting the worst and I was THRILLED when I got my prints back from the lab. The color, contrast, and sharpness were very good and the autofocusing was accurate and did not seem to be lagging. TIP: I don't remember where I read this (it may have been this website) but somebody that bought and reviewed this lens tested it and stated that it has a "sweet spot" at f8. My lens arrived the day before the first game I photographed so there was NO time to test it, so I set my aperature at f8 and let the onboard computer decide on a shutter speed (Kodak Supra 800 film). This upcomming week I am going to try it out wide open and see how things look, but the results look VERY good at f8 and I still have f1.7 to spare (f6.3 at 500mm).

Customer Service

I spoke with a technician about this lens before I purchased it and he was VERY helpful. He suggested NOT using a teleconverter with this lens due to the possibility of the lens element comming into c

Similar Products Used:

Tamron 70-300mm f3.5-5.6 (LD glass and also a very good value)

Price, Sharpness, Contrast, Colour detail

It''s heavy, but it''s also a 500mm lens, so it is predictable.

This is a great lens at any price, but a real deal for the price it is offered. I used it on a Whale watching expedition off the west coast of Vancouver Island on a cold and grey day with my F100 and a mono pod on a boat. Mostly shot at 500mm with ASA800 film and stopped all the action at F8 or better. Images show good contrast and colour and are sharp. Consider using a tripod for most of your work, although I did some birds in flight that were hand held and acceptable. Like most others on the review the AF worked well.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 70-300mm