Good telephoto lens?

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by longm1985

I've found that fluid heads are fantastic with long lenses. My ball head just happens to work, but that's more of an exception, not a rule.

I have the same ball head on a monopod too for shooting motorsports, which I usually do at Road America. That's a fantastic combination. Absolutely no help to your situation lol

If I'm out shooting wildlife shots or sports, I use a sturdy monopod with a gimbal head for the big lenses. It supports the weight and allows me plenty of movement. But it's pretty much useless for any sort of longish exposure shots.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by capt_slow

My local Samy's Camera had the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Sports lens for rental, so I took it out for a spin. The Contemporary version of this lens wasnt up for grabs.

ISO100 600mm, f/10, 1/640s


ISO200 210mm, f/10, 1/80s


I havent had time to ID the differences between the Sport and Contemporary versions of this lens, but I agree this thing is big and heavy. The Canon 100-400 I rented last time could at least fit in my bag, but this Sigma lens has its own bag! As expected, I'm probably going to need a beefier tripod as this setup is prone to wobble, but I can work that out.

I'm also running into some whitebalance issues at 600mm, when subjects are really far away (40 miles). Not sure if its just me, the UV filter, or the lens.

Sport version of lens are mostly to support the USB dock and some glass improvements but not worth the price delta. Here's a comparison of the differences.
https://improvephotography.com/36962...y-lens-review/

And a technical analysis on the IQ and measured distortion.
https://www.opticallimits.com/canon_...0f563c?start=2

With tele's, distortion is the worse act the edges of the focal length so stay inside 180 and 550. You won't have the fringing and softness on the sides as you are shooting cropped.