The Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports ($2,999.99) lens for E-mount and L-mount systems should appeal to wildlife photographers who want telephoto reach without the burden of a massive, heavy optic. It’s lighter than any other full-frame lens that covers the same focal length and draws sharper images than value-minded options like the $1,499.99 Sigma 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, an Editors’ Choice award winner. The 500mm costs almost twice as much as that zoom and its maximum aperture is a bit underwhelming for a prime, but it’s still a worthy investment for enthusiasts and professionals who want to shed some weight from their outdoor photo kit.No Weight Training RequiredIt has been years, but I think my arms are still sore from schlepping the 7.3-pound Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sports lens around for its review. The 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports is the first telephoto prime from Sigma since then and its f/5.6 formula makes for a far more practical lens in terms of size and cost.
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(Credit: Jim Fisher)
By the numbers, the 500mm F5.6 Sports weighs a bit over 3 pounds (with slight differences between the L-Mount and E-mount versions) and measures 9.2 by 4.2 inches (HD). Those reasonable dimensions are a feat for a 500mm lens, especially since all 20 elements in its 14-group optical formula are refractive. That characteristic makes for cleaner bokeh than from lenses like the old Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF for SLRs. Nikon continues to employ diffractive optics in some of its mirrorless lenses, including the Nikkor Z 600mm F6.3, but manages to make its lightweight Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S ($3,249.95) with just refractive elements. The miniaturization trend for photo gear extends beyond Sigma.Materials play a part in the carry-friendly design, too. The barrel uses a mix of light-but-tough thermally stable composite plastic and magnesium. In testing, I mostly used the lens with the compact Sony a7CR. I wouldn’t typically choose that camera to pair with a telephoto prime, but ended up enjoying the experience. Together, the camera and lens weigh about the same as a typical telezoom, around 4.1 pounds.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
Telephoto primes tend to be sharper than comparable zooms and many offer extra-bright apertures, but you pay for both aspects. The Sony FE 600mm F4 GM is a little longer than the 500mm F5.6 and gathers twice as much light, but it costs an arm and a leg ($12,999.99). Although Sigma lenses undercut Sony’s first-party options on price as a rule, this disparity is staggering. Of course, the 500mm F5.6 doesn’t have that much brighter an f-stop than a zoom, so don’t expect the low-light capabilities of lenses like the FE 600mm or the FE 400mm F2.8 GM ($11,999.99).Several zooms for the E-mount system cover the 500mm range. You can look at the Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 ($1,999.99) or the Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 ($1,999.99), for example, both of which have excellent optics and fast linear focus motors. The more affordable Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 and Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 Sports respectively have a little less reach and slower focus drive. The Sony and Tamron options are available in E-mount, while the Sigma sells its zooms for both E-mount and L-mount systems.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 800 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The type of photos you plan to make should help you decide between a teleprime and a telezoom. Photogs who capture field sports from the sidelines should lean toward a zoom. The wide-angle coverage is handy if a play develops near you, while the long end means you can capture action downfield. Wildlife hobbyists can also benefit from a zoom. Even if you take most of your images at 500mm or longer, it’s a real advantage to be able to zoom out to find a bird in a clump of branches before you zoom in to get a photo. Using a prime for wildlife subjects requires more practice and skill, especially if you’re close enough to it that fills the frame. Of course, professionals after the sharpest possible images will always favor primes, no matter the discipline. For what it’s worth, I only tend to struggle to find a subject with an 800mm or longer lens, but that comes after years of using prime lenses to capture images of songbirds.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 400 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Sturdy ConstructionThe 500mm F5.6 DG DN Sports is fully weather-sealed, meaning you can use it in rough weather. I had the opportunity to test the lens on a day with heavy, wet snowfall and didn’t encounter any problems. Using the included, reversible lens hood is wise for both bright and rainy days since it reduces the chance of flare and protects the front element from drips and drops. It adds a few inches to the height of the lens, however, so you might want to leave it at home. Otherwise, the lens has threads to take 95mm front filters, and the front element sports an anti-smudge fluorine coat that makes it possible to clean fingerprints with just a microfiber cloth.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 5000 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Sigma builds in both a tripod collar and foot. You set the collar with a thumbscrew, and the barrel has detents that click at plumb 90-degree increments. Removing the foot requires a hex wrench, so it’s not as easy to take off or put on as that of some other lenses. I don’t mind it for handheld photography, however, as it makes for a convenient carry point for your camera. The foot has dovetail cuts too, so you can attach it directly to an Arca-Swiss tripod head without an additional release plate.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The old 500mm F4 is for SLR cameras, but, as mentioned, the 500mm F5.6 Sports works with mirrorless cameras from Sony (the version I tested) and L-mount bodies from Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The two versions look identical save for the mount, but there are a couple of differences in tech. The L-mount version works at full drive speed with compatible cameras (up to 30fps with the Lumix S5 II), as well as supports rear teleconverters to get to 700mm F8 (1.4x) or 1,000mm F11 (2x). Sony cameras don’t support teleconverters for third-party lenses. And if you have an a1 or a9 series camera, the lens tops out at 15fps continuous focus drive. If you need those features, Sony sells an FE 300mm F2.8 for $6,000 that’s quite light, supports rear teleconverters (it can turn into a 600mm F5.6), and tracks at up to 120fps with the a9 III.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 2500 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Ample On-Barrel ControlsThe 500mm Sports might be small for its focal length, but it still has plenty of room on its barrel for controls. The control panel on the left includes toggles for the focus mode (AF/MF), focus limiter (Full, 10 meters to infinity, or 3.2-10 meters), stabilization mode (Off, Mode 1, Mode 2), and Custom settings (Off, C1, C2). For E-mount bodies, the Custom toggle doesn’t do anything. For L-mount cameras, you can connect the lens to the Sigma USB Dock UD-11 ($59) accessory to configure them. With this lens, the dock can only change the focus limiter distance and the optical stabilization settings, so I don’t think E-mount owners miss out on much.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
A manual focus ring with a ribbed rubber finish sits just ahead of the control panel. It has a linear response and requires a 180-degree throw to move from the nearest focus point to infinity. Focus breathing is evident, but not a real-world concern for a 500mm lens; its focal length makes little sense for the rack focus video shots in which a change in angle would be distracting. Precise manual focus is readily achievable here, though autofocus is far more practical for the types of wildlife subjects you likely want to capture with a super telephoto. The lens uses Sigma’s HLA linear motor tech, the same type as in the 60-600mm Sports and recent primes like the 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art. In testing, the lens jumped right to the plane of focus with the a7CR.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
An aperture ring is also on the barrel, slightly ahead of the focus ring. It works with either third-stop clicks from f/5.6-32 or continuously. A nearby Click On/Off switch changes the response. The ring has an A position to move the f-stop control to the camera body and a corresponding Lock switch that keeps the ring set either to the A position or its manual range. You need to apply a bit of torque to move between the A and manual settings even if the lock is not set, so the chance of twisting too far beyond f/32 and inadvertently reaching the A setting is minimal.The zoom has a trio of function buttons, all of which do the same thing. They sit at 90 degrees apart so you can readily access them no matter how you hold your camera. They control the AF-L function on most cameras by default, but you can change it to AF-ON or something else if you prefer. Exactly what you can map to the button varies from camera to camera, but you usually have plenty of choices—the a7CR offers three dozen options, for instance.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
Optical stabilization is on board, something I consider necessary for a lens this long. Without it, you would contend with a very shaky picture in your viewfinder. The image stabilization (IS) works in two ways: Mode 1 is best for when you are holding the camera still, and Mode 2 is for situations in which you need to pan to follow a moving target. The system should provide 5.0 stops of compensation per CIPA standards. I managed a few perfectly sharp handheld shots at shutter speeds of 1/15-second with the 60MP a7CR but had to extend to 1/60-second for tack-sharp results every time. You need faster speeds to freeze action anyway, so that shouldn’t be a concern. One note: Because the stabilization system uses an electromagnet, you should keep the lens at least two inches away from a pacemaker or any other implanted medical device.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/640-second, ISO 800 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Close focus is not at all a strong suit of this lens, likely a trade-off for the lightweight optical formula. The 500mm F5.6 focuses as near as 10.5 feet (3.2m) for a meager 1:6 life-size magnification ratio. The Sigma 150-600mm Sports is better here since it gets 1:2.9 reproductions at its 180mm focal length.Sigma 500mm F5.6 Sports: In the LabI tested an E-mount copy of the 500mm F5.6 Sports along with the 60MP a7R IV and Imatest software to check its optical performance. The narrow angle of view requires me to use the smaller edition of my two SFRplus test charts, however, which lacks the precision to properly handle a high-pixel sensor. Even so, Imatest shows very good contrast for the lens at f/5.6 (3,900 lines) and f/8 (4,100 lines). For comparison, the Sigma 60-600mm manages around 3,000 lines for the same chart and camera body at the 600mm focal length, while the Sony FE 200-600mm (4,000 lines at 600mm f/6.3) is on even footing with the Sigma 500mm.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 250 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The lens loses some contrast against a strong backlight, so I recommend using the included hood to suppress flare for shots in which the sun is just outside the frame. Pointing the lens directly at the sun induces aggressive flare at f/5.6, but the effect lessens significantly at f/8. As for sunstars, the trick with a telephoto lens is to get the sun (or another bright, specular highlight) small enough in the frame. When I tried to get the effect with sunlight coming through a holly tree, I noted multipoint stars at f/16-32 but wasn’t too impressed by their tines, which split apart into streaks and showed some false color. Generally speaking, telephoto lenses aren’t ideal for sunstars, so I don’t hold it against this one.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/250-second, ISO 2000 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
I don’t see much distortion in images. Out-of-camera JPGs look perfectly correct, and Raw files show just a slight amount of the barrel effect. Camera-processed images don’t reveal much of a vignette either, though I can see some darker corners in evenly illuminated scenes at f/5.6. Sigma already has a Lightroom correction profile for the lens that effectively compensates for both. It’s not yet available to the public but should be soon. For reference, the image below is a Raw conversion with no vignette corrections.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Bokeh is a more qualitative aspect of a lens that comes down to aesthetic taste. The 500mm F5.6’s backgrounds are fairly clean, and I couldn’t spot any false purple or green color (LoCA) in focus transition areas. I didn’t see any onion skin effects in the specular highlights, either. The bokeh shape is round toward the center, but the optical vignette causes cat’s eye shapes toward the periphery. Stopping down to f/8 allows the 11-blade aperture to draw rounded highlights across the frame.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 6400 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The highlights show soft edges, too. Altogether, the bokeh is about as distraction-free as you can find. Just remember that you are more likely to point this lens at scenes with busy, ugly backgrounds. When I tried to hone in on songbirds hiding in clumps of bare tree branches, the f/5.6 aperture didn’t blur away the trees but still prevented them from taking center stage like they would on other lenses with more characterful bokeh.
Sony a7CR, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 1250 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
A Super Telephoto That Won’t Weigh You DownIn line with the camera industry’s trend toward smaller and lighter, the Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports fills a gap for E- and L-mount system photographers who want a manageable full-frame optic with enough telephoto reach for wildlife. It’s a lens you will look forward to taking outdoors and can use in whatever type of weather you encounter. A relatively narrow aperture is a drawback, but the lens is still on even footing with heavier zooms like the Sigma 150-600mm Sports in light gathering. The versatile 150-600mm Sports ultimately remains our Editors’ Choice winner since it performs quite well for half the price, but if you want especially sharp results and have the experience to handle a telephoto prime, the 500mm Sports is a fine alternative.
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