Bigma

[Bigbill]

Hewwo from Cold Sheffy,,,,

Can anyone who has used or owns a Bigma lens(Siggy 50/500) please post an honest review ,i,m about to look at buying one,and i,m told it may be a tad slow,in that it struggles to get light in on anything but bright sunny days,
any input greatly appreciated.

Shine On

[oRGie]

have you seen this thread    

[Bigbill]

OOooops,,,nah i hadnt,,,,,,,,,
its not quite conclusive though is it ?

Shine On

[Oldboy]

As with most lenses that go to F6.3, which the Bigma does at 500mm, then you do need bright conditions otherwise you will struggle to get focus. Jessops have it for £699 with a collect at store service option. It's the best value lens out there and worth every penny.  

[skellum]

I tried selling mine a while ago on e.bay but it didn't reach my reserve of £ 500.  so I have decided to keep it for now. It is a very good lens but has its limitations.

[bones615]

Had mine a couple of months now, bought 2nd hand so i could resell with no loss if its no good, its the mutts nuts & not going anywhere but ive not used it in poor light apart from the moon shot but i had everything in manual then.

Simon

[Simple]

Hiya Bill,
I love mine! Nothing comes close for the money.
My last 4 pictures in the gallery were all taken with it.
It is a heavy lens and you will feel that when you use for a full day at eg. an airshow.
But handholding is not a problem if you get used to the weight. I normally set the
camera to Shutterspeed priority and the speed to 1/500 with the ISO on Auto. That
makes shooting on a cloudy day no problem.
Negatives??? Not many, the black special coating lets go and makes the lens look a bit ragged on the outside.
I never had a focussing problem with my D70 or with my D300. But I found that sometimes the object is too close for the full 500mm to focus. turning it back to 480mm
normally does the trick.
The tripod support is nice and big and makes an ideal carrying handle.
For wildlife I find it ideal, and it is pinsharp at 500mm

[Mick]

I agree totally with the above comments, it's superb value for money.   Had no problems with the black coating on the lens, but it has started to peel a bit on the tripod mount.  Very versatile, and stays on my camera as a walkabout.  All my shots are hand held.  Click images to view bigger size.

Focal length 417mm
ISO: 800
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
FNumber: f8



Focal length: 266 mm
ISO: 800
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
FNumber: f8




This one I can't find the Exif, or the original, but I think was around 200mm



There's more in my wildlife gallery  Wildlife

[Bigbill]

Hewwo from Chilly Sheffy(old uns on the moors say a harsh winter is coming)

Thanks loads for the above,thats more like it,,,,
i will be taking the plunge,mainly for birds and stuff.

Shine On

today we will hammer Palace !!

[Bigbill]

Hmmmmmmm,
Took the decision to get one,looked at Js webby,,,,,,,and,,,the nearest place that has one in is London,,,,so,that would still be far cheaper than any where else,but it seems so damn stupid,
i actively want to give Js the required amount,and i cant because they wont do home delivery,,,,,MADNESS !!
So,as things now stand,i wont be getting one.

Any ideas welcome

Shine On

0114 267 9616

[Oldboy]

Hmmmmmmm,
Took the decision to get one,looked at Js webby,,,,,,,and,,,the nearest place that has one in is London,,,,so,that would still be far cheaper than any where else,but it seems so damn stupid,
i actively want to give Js the required amount,and i cant because they wont do home delivery,,,,,MADNESS !!
So,as things now stand,i wont be getting one.

Any ideas welcome

Shine On

0114 267 9616

On their web site they have a collect at store option, use that and you can collect from your local store.  

[Bigbill]

Thanks Old Boy,

Tried all that,it only applies if they have it in stock,
Only one who has is The Strand in London,
So thats me out of the picture.

Shine On

[anglefire]

Not necessarily - I'm in London on Monday - and probably Sheffield on Thursday - though I'm not sure where the strand is compared to St Pauls where I will be.

[Bigbill]

Hewwo from Chilly Sheffy,

Mark,i,m stunned by your offer,,and thanks in buckets for that.
However,ive not given up as yet,also,i,m now thinking about the 150-500mm,talking of which,now this really does annoy  me,its not available in store,its home delivery only !
Now what sort of business approach is that ,the 50-500 says on the site its for pick up in store,which it isnt(unless you mean just the one store in London) and the 150-500 ISNT available in store at all,yet it is for home delivery !!!! Errrmmm,,,,,,,maybe i,m a bit thick,i dunnno,
I would much prefer Js to prosper,we need the high street stores,but,how in the hell can they operate like this,i,m trying to give them £800 and its rather bloody difficult !

Shine Off

[greypoint]

The 150-500mm has had mixed reviews on Birdforum [always a good place to look for user input on long lenses] - not sure if it's as good as the 50-500mm.