Sigma 150-500mm OS for bird photography

[visprod]

I am planning to buy a Nikon-mount Sigma 150-500mm OS lens for bird photography, as other prime lenses are not within my budget. What is your opinion about the lens? Is it a good investment? I found some fantastic images created with this lens on 500px: http://500px.com/search?utf8=✓&q=sigma+150-500mm

Also, what body would you recommend with the lens? I currently have a Nikon D3100. Should I upgrade the body?

Also, how does it compare with the Sigma 50-500mm OS?

 

[dwa1]

visprod wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon-mount Sigma 150-500mm OS lens for bird photography, as other prime lenses are not within my budget. What is your opinion about the lens? Is it a good investment? I found some fantastic images created with this lens on 500px: http://500px.com/search?utf8=✓&q=sigma+150-500mm

Also, what body would you recommend with the lens? I currently have a Nikon D3100. Should I upgrade the body?
Also, how does it compare with the Sigma 50-500mm OS?

Most Nikon birders would not recommend that lens. The 50-500 OS would be better, but still not the best. I would consider the Nikon 300mm AFS f4 then add the 1.4 TC when your budget permits.



Regarding the D3100 body... A "must" for me is the AF Fine Tune feature. Otherwise, if you want to use AF, then the lens and the body must be in perfect AF calibration (with is seldom the case - especially after much usage). For BIF, at least a D300 or better body is needed. Looks like the new D7100 may be good for that (but maybe not as good as a D300 or D300s). But many are trying the D7100 for BIF.



If you want to learn about the best lenses for birding with Nikon gear, I would suggest that you read Craig's (Guidenet) posts on this. Here is a recent post on a DX Birding thread.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/51149773



Good luck with your quest for knowledge.


Wayne

 

[2esetters]

Repost your question on the DP Review Nature and Wildlife Forum. There are excellent birders posting on that site and I'm certain you will get some great advice.

 

[hoof]

visprod wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon-mount Sigma 150-500mm OS lens for bird photography, as other prime lenses are not within my budget. What is your opinion about the lens? Is it a good investment? I found some fantastic images created with this lens on 500px: http://500px.com/search?utf8=✓&q=sigma+150-500mm

Also, what body would you recommend with the lens? I currently have a Nikon D3100. Should I upgrade the body?
Also, how does it compare with the Sigma 50-500mm OS?

I own and have used extensively a Sigma 150-500 OS on a D90 and D7000 camera.

Like others, I wouldn't recommend this lens for birding. It's a great airshow lens, but birding tends to have you shooting at medium-to-close range, and this lens isn't that hot in that range at 500mm. It's fine at 350mm and below, but I'd use a Tamron 70-300 VC over my Sigma for that range, as it's much smaller/lighter, and just as good.

The Sigma's strengths are 350mm and under (which it rivals my better lenses wide open), and decent long-distance 500mm, especially in situations where your limit to IQ is really the atmosphere (e.g. thermal distortion effects). It's quite clear that the lens designer didn't optimize the 500mm focal length for test chart distances, which is why it gets poor marks in reviews. Unfortunately, test-chart distances are typical for birding (especially with small birds). On the other hand, they did optimize it's long distance performance (> 100 meters) at 500mm, as my copy rivals my APO astronomical telescope in IQ in distance shooting, which in turn gives my better glass a run for its money.



With the 50-500, they rectified this test-chart shooting deficiency, by ensuring 500mm performance at test chart distances are adequate. That alone makes it a better birding lens (IMO) than the 150-500, especially since it has better OS.



Ironically, one of my better shots was done at the 500mm setting with the 150-500, and near minimum focus distance:












However, it was with a tripod, mirror-lockup, OS off, not a typical use-case for a lens like this (at least not for me, as I'd typically use my telescope when using a tripod). So you can get good images with this lens at 500mm, but it's much harder than with other lenses, like the 300mm F/4 AF-S + TC combo.



A few other 500mm shots, mostly taken at optimal distances for that focal length: