Sigma 50 500mm F4 5 6 3 APO DG OS HSM Review | 54 Data compared

The LensTip review highlights the Sigma 50–500 mm f/4.5–6.3 APO DG OS HSM (popularly known as the "Bigma") as a highly versatile and uniquely ambitious 10x ultra-telephoto zoom lens. A key pro of this upgraded model is the introduction of an efficient optical stabilization (OS) system. This system strongly mitigates the handling issues of its non-stabilized predecessor when shooting handheld at extreme focal lengths. The lens boasts solid and robust build quality, a silent and reasonably quick Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus, and a remarkably short minimum focusing distance that provides a useful substitute for macro photography. Optically, it delivers good to very good image resolution in the frame center across virtually all focal lengths, alongside commendable correction of aberrations like low distortion, minimal coma, negligible astigmatism, and low vignetting on APS-C/DX sensors. However, the massive zoom range introduces notable engineering trade-offs and cons. The lens's maximum aperture drops to a relatively slow f/6.3 very early in the zoom range, starting around the 220 mm focal length mark. At the extreme 400–500 mm telephoto range, image resolution noticeably degrades at...

The Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens is praised by The Digital Picture for its unmatched versatility, offering a 10x zoom range, effective Optical Stabilization (OS) for handheld shooting, and fast, silent HSM autofocus. While delivering decent sharpness in the center at lower focal lengths, the lens is noted for its high-quality build and impressive close-focusing capabilities. Conversely, the review highlights the lens's slow maximum aperture range (f/4.5-6.3), limiting low-light performance. Furthermore, it experiences reduced sharpness at 500mm, with noticeable chromatic aberration and vignetting that often require stopping down, while its 2 kg (4.3 lbs) weight and 95mm filter size add significant bulk and cost.

However, the lens presents significant drawbacks regarding its extreme size and substantial weight, coming in at approximately 6 pounds (1,970 grams). This hefty build makes prolonged handheld shooting difficult and necessitates a tripod or monopod for most users. Because of its wide diameter, it takes up a massive amount of space and can cause friction in standard camera bags. It also requires very large and potentially expensive 95mm filters. Finally, while autofocus is adequate once locked on, the massive zoom range can cause the system to occasionally hunt in the wrong direction, requiring the photographer to manually intervene to speed up the process.

The Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM is a highly versatile telephoto zoom lens praised for its unique 10x optical zoom span, making it an excellent all-in-one choice for wildlife, motorsport, portrait, and landscape photography. Weighing nearly 2 kg, it is lighter and more compact than a 500mm prime lens, making it manageable for all-day hiking. Key strengths include its impressive sharpness even when shot wide open at 500mm and F6.3, a solid tripod collar with a built-in grip and dedicated carrying strap, and an effective optical stabilizer (OS) with two modes that allow for successful handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds. Additionally, the lens features a full-time manual focus override and a lock switch at 50mm to prevent lens creeping, although no creeping was observed during testing. However, the lens does come with some notable drawbacks and compromises. Its auto-focus tracking is quite good and handles tracking moving wildlife well, but it is not lightning fast compared to a dedicated prime lens, and performance may drop on consumer-oriented camera bodies. A major criticism is that Sigma failed to...

The BirdGuides review of the Sigma APO 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM highlights its versatility as a 10x super-zoom for wildlife photography, offering excellent focal range flexibility. Key pros include effective OS stabilization, fast HSM autofocus, robust build quality, and good sharpness when stopped down, particularly for handheld shooting. Conversely, the lens is heavy and physically long, making extended handheld use challenging. Key cons involve performance limitations in low light due to the f/6.3 aperture at 500mm, with sharpness decreasing at that maximum focal length.

The Sigma 50-500mm f4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM is a highly versatile full-frame 10x superzoom lens that delivers surprising field performance, particularly exelling in the 200-400mm focal range where sharpness is at its peak. Tested extensively in the Canadian Rockies, the lens is praised for its quiet Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus system, which is fast and accurate even in lower light. Its optical stabilization (OS) provides a crucial 2-to-4-stop advantage for handheld wildlife photography. Furthermore, it boasts impressive close-focus capabilities across all focal lengths, allowing photographers to easily fill the frame with small subjects like flowers or birds. However, the massive zoom range introduces significant compromises. Its weakest focal range is between 50-150mm, where it suffers from decreased sharpness, edge vignetting, and chromatic aberration (color fringing) in high-contrast light. The massive 95mm front element makes filtering difficult and expensive, color contrast can appear slightly flat out of the camera, and the lens requires physical refocusing every time the zoom setting is changed. It is also a bulky piece of glass that demands flawless technique and a highly robust tripod for...

📸 This What Digital Camera Review praises the lens's huge 10x focal range and robust build quality. The pros include fast, quiet autofocus via the HSM mechanism and an efficient two-mode optical stabilization system. It also provides excellent versatility for both full-frame and APS-C format sensors. ⚠️ However, the review highlights several notable cons regarding weight and optics. The major flaw is a severe drop in sharpness at 500mm, where MTF performance falls to an unacceptable 0.17 cycles-per-pixel. It is a heavy lens that becomes physically hard to hold when fully extended by 85mm. Lastly, the zoom ring is quite stiff and easily obstructed by the lens hood.

The Popular Photography review of the Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM lens highlights its position as an upgraded, stabilized successor to the original "Bigma". Priced at a street value of $1,600, this full-frame lens stands out for its unmatched 10x zoom range, which transitions into a sweeping 75–750mm equivalent when mounted on an APS-C sensor DSLR. The addition of an optical image stabilization (OS) system is highly praised, proving effective during testing by allowing handheld photography at shutter speeds 2 to 4 stops slower than conventional limits. Furthermore, the review praises its outstanding macro capabilities, showcasing a competitive maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.71 at the 200mm mark, and commends its overall superb construction quality and removable tripod collar. However, the review also notes a few performance trade-offs. On the downside, optical sharpness numbers follow an expected downward trajectory as the focal length increases. While the lab test scores were excellent at 50mm and 100mm, they fell to "Very Good" at 200mm and dropped further to "Good" at 300mm, proving to be slightly softer than the competing Canon 100-400mm...

However, the review points out several distinct drawbacks (cons) that come with this lens's unique design. The most notable disadvantage is its slow maximum aperture, which drops quickly from f/4.5 at 50mm down to f/6.3 at the telephoto end. This slower speed restricts background blur compared to fast prime lenses and often requires users to bump up their ISO settings. Physically, the lens is a burden to carry, weighing a hefty 1,970 grams (nearly 4.4 lbs) and featuring a massive 95mm front filter thread. While a plastic 86mm step-down adapter is included for crop sensors, it causes severe corner vignetting if used on full-frame cameras, and the reviewer warns that polarizers can easily get stuck in the adapter if screwed in too tightly.