Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

[DanC.Licks]

I have a Sports version of the Sigma 150-600mm here to try out. The questions to be answered are:
How does it compare at 600mm (actually only about 560mm) with the Canon 400/5.6 + 1.4x Extender III?
How does it compare with my 600mm telescope at 600mm?
How well does it do with the Canon 1.4x compared to the scope with the EC-14 attached?
How well and how fast does the AF work?
Partial answers here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/42162009@N04/albums/72157673225203114

More to come....

[zuiko-holic]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

Unfortunately I get a "Page not Found" error.

Probably the link is bad?

[DanC.Licks]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

Ooops.... OK now?

[Ian]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

The Canon 400 offers the most resolution in your shots but of course it has less reach. The single focal length Canon should be better than a zoom anyway. Without being too critical they all look good.

Ian

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

I have a 600mm Sigma and the images from that look good when taking well lit subjects at reasonably close distances.

More and more I'm finding that atmospheric haze (pollution) is reducing image quality.

[DanC.Licks]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

Ian,
The shots at 400 mm were closer to the target. From the same standpoint, naturally it cant come close to the 600 scope. The scope cleans up, but has some big disadvantages that go with using something conceived for astro-photography for terrestrial photography. I agree, in general the Sigma looks good and is a fine piece of kit!
Graham,
I always say our worst enemy is air! I hate the stuff! When it is still and clear even the 2x TC on the Canon 400 can deliver!

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1675/24898906901_25cbcf9eb5_o.jpg

But a little too much of the wrong kind can turn the best Big White Monster into mush!

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

A few years ago, and just for the sake of trying, I put the Sigma 600mm, with a Hoya 2X TC & an Olympus 1.4X TC on, together with the electronic TC switched on: [6720mm in 35mm Eqv]





This is what I got out of it, on a dull wet day through dirty double glassing:



Resulted in this crop of the white van's VIN plate at the end of the road:

[DanC.Licks]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

Have completely redone all my tests, repeating each series several times to rule out anomalies. Very interesting...
The Sigma is looking better all the time.

[DanC.Licks]

Re: Sigma 150-600 Sports on E-M1

Did some focus speed comparisons today. I set up the camera so I could go back and forth from two targets, one 10 and the other about 40 meters away. The positions were blocked so I did not have to look through the view finder, just rock the camera up and down after each shot. I also wanted to see how much juice the Sigma consumes in focusing, so IS was off and no pictures were displayed, only the info panel on the screen. Silent shutter. Focus priority was off, so it would only fire if the shot was in focus.
I shot first with the Sigma and shot until the first green bar on the battery indicator went out, still two showing. Original Oly battery, about three years old.
I got 1018 shots (!) , with the average time between shots 3 seconds. I didn't run the Canon as long, only about 380 shots, but the battery was still showing full. Average time between shots was 3.9 seconds. Neither lens had the focus limiter on. The Canon is faster with it on as it can't get lost looking in the foreground. The Sigma is the same with it on or off. Very seldom gets lost.

Moon tests tonight, though the air does not look all that good. Did some last night, also not really clear, the scope against the Sigma, both with 1.4x TCs, and the Sigma was just slightly less sharp stopped down a stop, but produced more pleasing images, better contrast.