I recently purchased a Lumix S5 ii and am used to a Lumix FZ300 and FZ2500 with their superzoom capabilities. I needed a 600mm lens for my S5 ii, but with the ability to shoot at 60mm also. I like an all-in-one lens and this is the one !
I have not been disappointed with the purchase.
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This is one heavy lens, noticeable more considering the FZs’ light weight. I will still take my FZ2500 when I want to travel light to say, a busy car show. However, when I want full-frame, high ISO performance and superior quality wildlife images, I take my S5 ii and 60-600mm lens. When the lens hood is fitted this lens looks huge and attracts comments.
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I have also purchased a Movo GH800 gimbal head and Geehome 66-inch monopod. This lens can be handheld and get some great low light shots with the IBIS and OIS, but the arms ache after a short time. Then camera shake plays a part! A gimbal head and monopod make for a great compromise of maneuverability, portability, and stability out in the field. A tripod is better for those one-spot shooting locations.
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The image quality is excellent and is sharp from center to corners when the focus and stabilization is there. Zoom lenses have come a long way in the last 25 years. I initially took a couple shots through my patio door and was disappointed. However, without that glass in the way, the same shorts were stunningly sharp at 600mm and much, much better than my 1 /2.3 sensor FZ300 at 600mm. I have noticed some softness in low light when running at 12,800 ISO. This can be countered with some of the AI sharpening software available today. The high ISO performance is really good and I have no problem using Auto ISO with aperture priority and not worrying about noise. I have taken some beautifully detailed cropped shots of the moon, especially with the S5’s Hi Res mode (96 MP)
The S5 ii focus system works well with this lens. Not Sony-beating at all, but good enough. After all, the L-Mount Alliance has a vested interest in working well with the cameras.
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I love the slide zoom feature and rarely use the zoom ring. The zoom locking feature is very useful since the lens will drift under gravity. In reality, I haven’t used anything other than 600mm focal length, though I can foresee many times when pulling out a little will get me that shot. I’m mainly into long range wildlife photography at this moment.
I have replaced the ARCA mount with the iShoot foot for the Sigma 500mm lens, as the Sigma foot is a little short. It’s not easy to use as a carry handle nor to get the balance right with my gimbal, especially at 60mm focal length, and have a full length Arca plate engagement. The iShoot is much longer. I do use the included lens strap and always have that around my neck in case something falls unexpectedly.
The lens fits, on its own, across in my backpack, with the lens hood reversed. I don’t use the fabric hood cover, nor the foam-padded carrying case. If I want to protect the glass, I have the plastic lens cap and the hood does a superb job of frontal protection in normal use.
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This lens is not cheap but compare it to some 600mm prime lenses out there and it isn’t that expensive at all. Then you have the wide zoom range available as well. For a sharp, L-mount 60-600mm lens, this is the one to buy. Heck, it’s actually the only one, but it's awesome! 😊
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No regrets!
| Produttore | Sigma |
|---|---|
| Numero modello articolo | 732969 |
| Dimensioni prodotto | 27,94 x 3,05 x 3,05 cm; 2,49 kg |
| ASIN | B0BS77WM4G |
| Aggiornamenti software garantiti fino a | sconosciuto |
