Sigma 800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM
£4,499.00
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The Sigma 800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM is a big and expensive telephoto lens and most of us will probably never be able to afford to buy one, but does the reality actually live up to the dream?
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You may be thinking that the Sigma 800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM weighs a ton but at less than 5kg, it’s actually quite reasonable. That may still sound ridiculous, but this lens is not designed to be handheld. It’s not only the weight but the focal length that makes this lens cumbersome. At 800mm you ideally need to be shooting at least 1/800sec, although using a monopod or tripod means you can get away with a few extra stops. The minimum focus distance of 7m means this lens is for distance shots only, although you can pick off some tight details if you shoot at the minimum distance.
Filters are out of the question for the front optic (at around 157mm you’d be lucky to even find one), so instead the lens uses a 46mm drop-in filter – as the name implies the small filters drop into the back of the lens rather than attaching to the front. A polariser comes supplied with the lens if you are ever in bright enough conditions to be able to use it. There’s also a focus limiter so you can speed up the focusing time when you’re shooting a subject in a particular distance range. The hypersonic motor focusing is great – really smooth, fast and quiet as you should expect on a lens in this price range and with a massive manual focus ring you can easily do it yourself too. It’s not like using a cheaper telephoto lens – you’ll be able to lock-on really quickly with the minimum of search and virtually no noise at all.
We tested the lens on the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II as its full-frame sensor tends to highlight weaknesses in lenses very quickly, and it proved itself to be a top quality lens. The most important settings on this lens are wide-open at f/5.6 up to around f/8, as very few users will ever manage to shoot anything above that. Sharpness is great at these settings.
Using a monopod really helps, particularly when you need a greater depth-of-field and have to lower the shutter speed. Bright sunlight helps, when you can get enough light to make sure your shutter speed is high enough to prevent camera shake. The autofocusing is surprisingly good and the AF locks on with no trouble at all.
Compared to the price of other pro-quality lenses it really does offer good value so, if you are in need of a super-long lens then this may the solution for you.