Build and handling

This optic is a considerable leap up from its predecessor and bears a strong resemblance in its construction to the much liked and well respected 50-500mm EX model. The conventional twin control rings have the focussing at the rear while the front ring controls the zoom feature, extending the barrel as it does so by some 64mm. The lens features a zoom lock to stop this extension when not in use.
The HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) and OS (Optical Stabilisation) features have made the lens a little heavier than the older 170-500mm, although it still comes in at a manageable weight of just under 2kg. And, with the supplied hood reversed on the barrel, the lens will still fit inside the majority of camera backpacks and bags. This for a 500mm optic, is extremely compact. The front optic though, at 86mm, is a large one, and makes filters an expensive extra, unless one of the 3rd party rectangular systems is used.

Control switches are all on the left side of the barrel and consist of an AF/Manual switch for the focussing and an OFF/1/2 switch for the OS system. With the HSM motor powering the autofocus it is possible to manually over-ride the autofocus without switching the AF off.
The OS, or Optical Stabilisation, is Sigma’s version of in-lens stabilisation and works well although it does operate with a slight whine and a minor clunk as it engages or disengages. It is only noticeable in quiet conditions though, and then only by the operator. It is certainly not intrusive. The No. 1 position controls movements in both horizontal as well as vertical planes while the No 2 setting compensates for movement just in the vertical plane, allowing for panning movement of the camera without interference. At the full extension of the focal range I found it possible to take sharp images down to around 1/100sec quite successfully. Good long lens technique is still a requirement though when using optics with this much pulling power.

500mm and f/8 at 1/1000sec hand held with the OS system active in Mode 1 rendered this young injured seal nicely.

To aid this, the lens is fitted with a fairly substantial tripod collar that can double as a carry handle, although it should be remembered that the OS system should be turned off when a tripod is employed.

Auto-Focussing speed is the biggest single improvement over the lens’ predecessor, with this one being very quick in comparison. Tracking moving subjects is a breeze with this model and it is even capable of catching up with them, something the older version seldom managed successfully. There is no sign of hunting until you get down to very low light conditions, something that bodes well for the contrast that the lens is capable of producing.

Optical Performance

Zoom ranges are something I go on about fairly often, and in keeping the zoom range down to 3.3x, Sigma have avoided the complicated compromises that go into, for example, their 50-500mm lens, and this has proved valuable in the image quality department. Contrast, although not stunning, is certainly good and, as has been mentioned, is certainly helpful to modern focussing systems. No noticeable distortions are recorded, not that telephoto lenses normally have a problem with this aspect.
Chromatic aberrations, the dreaded purple fringing that can mar high contrast areas of an image, hardly reared their ugly head throughout the test, despite some very high contrast situations, although on a full frame camera there is slight evidence of some blue/red fringing at the extreme corners at the longer end of the zoom. This is minor however and no incidences of flare were recorded, although the respectably deep hood was used throughout the period. These results were the same right across the full width of the frame. The lens also focussed down to a respectable 2.2m and still managed to produce high quality images.

This image, from a series capturing the seal’s rescue, was shot at 1/640sec and f/8, this time at the 150mm end of the zoom with the OS operating.

Verdict

With regard to features versus value for money, this lens has to be the telephoto zoom bargain of the century to date. With both a hypersonic focussing system and an optical stabilisation system, both of which work very well indeed, coupled with a good optical performance and reasonably compact dimensions, I can see this optic finding a lot of suitors. If you want the pulling power of a 500mm in a manageable package, and at a price that won’t break the bank, this one should be at the head of your compare list!

The plus points of the Sigma 150-500mm DG HSM OS are:
Fast focussing
Good stabilisation system
Excellent value for money
Relatively compact

The negative points are:
OS system slightly noisy
Tripod foot could be half inch longer to make more comfortable handle.

At 220mm and 1/250sec, using fill flash to illuminate below the peaked cap, this image was again hand held using the OS system and shows fine detail right to the edge in Emma’s hair.

150-300 at 150mm on Nikon D700

150-500mm at 300mm on Nikon D300

150-500 at 300mm on Nikon D700

Review by Ian Andrews .