In my mind, I thought long lenses were long. I thought to frame a detail from across a field required complex and heavy lens assemblies. I was wrong. Recently, I had the opportunity to test the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports ultra-telephoto prime lens. This Sigma 500mm was built exclusively for mirrorless cameras with E or L Mounts. My first impression was that this 500mm lens wasn’t all that long or heavy, and it came with an aperture ring. I was more than a little bit surprised.

My surprise continued when I saw the crystal-clear photos I could take with the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports ultra-telephoto prime lens. I started my career in news and journalism. My earliest long lenses for a B4 Sony Beta camera turned even the most detailed image into mush. If you were to ask me about interesting lenses before I tested the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports ultra-telephoto prime lens, I’d have pontificated on the powers of the wide-angle range. After testing the Sigma 500 during a crazy Easter Egg hunt, I am convinced this lens is special and not just for wildlife or sports photography.

I like to think photography and film, the ability to manipulate time, and image compression are the hallmarks of novel and interesting images. The SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports ultra-telephoto prime lens allows users to seriously compress an image without the overwhelming feeling that the effect is dominating the subject of the photo. It is then the viewer sees the photograph freely and brings their own emotions on a journey through the image. They feel it rather than see it. Maybe I’m being too philosophical for a review.

Hand-held shooting with the Sigma 500mm lens

Sigma has done something cool with the 500mm lens. They designed the optics using low-dispersion glass elements to create an unusually compact lens with excellent aberration correction. But this is still a lens that is a touch larger than a 70-200mm zoom if a touch lighter in the hand. To swing the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports ultra-telephoto prime lens around one needs not only high-speed Auto Focus with HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) but also Sigma’s OS2 optical stabilization algorithm. The combination of all of these decisions means photographers can feel comfortable shooting hand-held with the 500mm. In fact, I never felt like I had to put this lens on a trip. The OS2 was that good.

OS2 – optical stabilizer function

The SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports has 5.0 stops of optical stabilizer. There are two OS modes: Mode 1 is suitable for general shooting, and Mode 2 is ideal for panning shots. In Mode 2, there is an OS2 algorithm specially designed for panning shots which enables effective image stabilization even when the camera is moved vertically or diagonally, irrespective of the horizontal and vertical orientation. I found Mode 2 helpful for my Easter shoot with children running around looking for Easter Eggs. The potential for found sugar treats is akin to an Olympic sport with little speed demons running at top speed. If one is not fast enough, you will miss all the good shots.

High-speed AF with a linear motor HLA

I’ve used a few of Sigma’s lenses that feature their HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) for high-speed AF. Trust me when I say this AF is extremely fast and quiet. For those who specialize in bird photography, hats off to you for a difficult subject, you will appreciate the speed and silent Auto Focus on the Sigma 500mm. In many ways, I could let the system work for me in a way where I could focus on the framing. One may need to experience Sigma’s HLA to see its speed. This lens can be used for professional sports photography as well as wildlife photography. This is 100% a professional lens and the resolving power of such lenses. 

Excellent backlight resistance

I found the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports to be difficult to flare or cause ghosting. I shot in the bright sun with and without the front lens hood. When I look at my images now, the overall look feels crispy, even when I used an older Sony A7s III for my test camera. According to Sigma, “the 500mm uses refractive lenses in its optical system to prevent flare and ghosting that are characteristics of diffractive optical elements, allowing for clear images without concern for flare or ghosting even in backlit conditions or when a light source is included in the image.”

Aberrations?

I did not see any longitudinal aberration evidence of color shifting from out-of-focus foreground and background elements, nor did I see any fringing or color shifting of any kind during my time with the Sigma 500mm. All I found were crystal-clear images with accurate color and a whole lot of detail.

Bokeh

Even with a 5.6 aperture, the 500mm can deliver a good amount of Bokeh. To me, the Bokeh, or out-of-focus details, showed a little bit of a “cat’s eye” effect and a touch of “soap bubble” effect but very minimal at f/5.6. When stopped down these very subtle effects cleared up very well. I’m doing a bit of pixel-peeping here and splitting hairs. Overall, I found the Bokeh to be pleasing and the shift between in-focus to out-of-focus areas to be smooth and lovely.

Full range of customizable functions

Like many modern and professional lenses, the Sigma 500mm is equipped with a Focus Limiter switch; the lens enables users to limit the focus driving range during AF when necessary, allowing quick and precise focusing. Additionally, the Sigma 500mm features three AFL buttons , which users can assign to various functions via the menu on selected cameras. For the L-Mount version, the SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 can be used to set OS operation or the focus limiter range for the Custom Mode switch

An Aperture Ring

I learned to shoot on film and all the analog nature of that medium. I don’t think I’ve ever really missed having an aperture ring. After a couple of moments, the muscle memory of using an aperture ring returned to me. I forgot how much I prefer an aperture ring over an on-camera dial. The SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports aperture ring can switch between smooth or clicked operation. The clicked ring reminded me of my first film camera but I switched the ring to smooth for more accurate image exposure. One can also lock the aperture.

SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens

I enjoyed the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens and have found a new appreciation for long lenses. This lens creates images with incredible sharpness and detail. If I were a professional sports photographer or serious wildlife photographer, I’d give this lens a good, hard look. The features speak for themselves while keeping the overall camera and lens package small and easy-to-use hand-held.

I remember a friend of mine, a wonderful photographer and filmmaker, saying that for every 10 yards he gives a subject, the subject reveals ten times the truth. If one backs off a bit—easy to do with 500mm—you can capture a truthful candid photograph more easily. Below you can find more example photographs from my time with the SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens.