Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports Lens
The Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports is an incredibly versatile super-telephoto prime lens designed exclusively for full-frame L-Mount and Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. Weighing just 1370g, it’s remarkably portable for a 500mm lens, making it ideal for handheld shooting. Landscape and wildlife photographers will delight in the outstanding edge-to-edge sharpness, accelerated autofocus, and effective 5-stop optical stabilisation brought by Sigma’s latest technical innovations.
The key benefit of this lens is the combination of incredible reach with unmatched portability. At 500mm you can capture far-away subjects in stunning detail, be it a pride of lions on the savannah or players on a distant sports field. The modest F5.6 maximum aperture optimises size and weight, while still delivering beautiful background blur when focused up close. This lightweight construction allows you to hike with the lens on multi-day trips without fatigue. The weather-sealed design also ensures the optics stay protected in tough outdoor conditions.
Sigma’s state-of-the-art HLA motor gives this lens lighting-fast AF tuned for tracking erratic motion. When paired with compatible L-Mount or Sony cameras’ advanced subject tracking modes, you’ll have an easier time following birds in flight and athletes on the move. The customisable AFL buttons let you access key camera controls without taking your eye off the viewfinder. So whether you’re on safari, courtside, or in the bleachers, the Sigma 500mm F5.6 helps you capture dynamic telephoto shots like never before.
Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports User Benefits:
Easy handholding and transportation
Captures distant subjects in great detail
Balanced size and light-gathering
Sharper shots at slower shutter speeds
Unique perspective for tighter portraits
Soft backgrounds isolate subjects
Works with the latest mirrorless features
Durable for outdoor/adverse conditions
Improved handling via custom controls
Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports Lens Features In Detail
Remarkable Reach In A Portable Design
Despite having a super telephoto 500mm focal length, this lens weighs just 1370g. The modest maximum aperture of F5.6 strikes an ideal balance between light-gathering power and small size. You can easily transport this lens on backcountry hikes and shoot handheld for extended periods. The compact design also takes up less space in your kit bag.
Fast And Precise Autofocus
Sigma’s High-Speed Linear Actuator (HLA) AF motor offers speedy, near-silent focus that’s optimised for mirrorless cameras. This advanced system drives the lens elements directly without gears, resulting in exceptionally smooth and accurate autofocus to keep fast action sharp. The Focus Limiter switch further improves AF response time.
Effective Optical Stabilisation
In-lens optical stabilisation provides 5 stops of correction to reduce image blur from camera shake. This allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and still get crisp handheld photos. The stabilisation remains consistent whether you are panning horizontally, vertically or on the diagonal axis. Two OS modes are available – Mode 1 for general shooting and Mode 2 for smoother panning shots.
Weather-Sealed Metal Body
The lens features splash and dust-resistant seals throughout its external chassis to withstand use in inclement weather. The body also incorporates lightweight and durable magnesium alloy and Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) plastics that perform well in extreme environments from cold mountains to hot deserts.
Intuitive Physical Controls
Easy access manual control rings for focus and aperture let you make adjustments without fiddling through menus. The aperture ring is de-clickable for smooth adjustments when recording video. Three customisable AFL buttons allow you to configure preferred settings. A lock switch prevents accidental changes to the aperture.
Superb Optical Performance
A total of 20 elements in 14 groups incorporate high-quality FLD and SLD glass to reduce distortions and aberrations for exceptional sharpness and clarity across the frame. Multi-layer Super Spectra coatings minimise lens flare and ghosting, while a rounded 11-blade diaphragm creates pleasing bokeh.
Compatible With 1.4x And 2x Teleconverters
The L-mount version allows pairing with Sigma’s dedicated 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for even greater reach up to 1000mm, without losing autofocus capability. This gives you a significantly extended telephoto range in a highly portable package.
What Is The Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports Lens Best Used For?
Wildlife Photography – The ultra-telephoto 500mm reach combined with fast precise AF allows you to capture detailed shots of distant birds and animals. Effective stabilisation also supports handheld shooting.
Sports Photography – Swift autofocus tracking keeps a sharp focus on athletes as they move erratically on the field. You can pair AF customisation buttons for easy drive mode changes.
Aviation Photography – The compact size makes it easy to take this lens airside and photograph aircraft taking off, landing or performing aerial displays with incredible image quality.
Nature Photography – Use the close minimum focus distance for unique telephoto perspectives of flowers, insects and landscapes. The weather-resistant build allows working comfortably in rugged outdoor environments.
Astrophotography – Mounted on a tracker, 500mm gives high magnification views of constellations, galaxies, nebulas and other celestial objects even from light-polluted areas.
With its unbeatable combination of exceptional reach, advanced features and portable rugged build, the Sigma 500mm F5.6 excels at capturing far-away action accurately and in great detail across a variety of photography fields.
Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports Lens Review
The Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports Lens Prime definitively proves that large sensor mirrorless systems can deliver professional super-telephoto performance in an extremely portable form factor. Weighing merely 1,370g, it represents an outstanding engineering achievement – retaining the highest optical quality and rapid autofocus speed despite its significantly compact dimensions compared to an equivalent DSLR lens.
Ultimately, Sigma deserves high praise for making once highly specialised and expensive super-telephoto performance so astonishingly accessible within a tough, go-anywhere body. In doing so they have delivered unprecedented creative possibilities for mirrorless camera owners needing massive 500mm reach for compressing perspective to isolate small, fast-moving subjects within far-flung scenes. So whether you shoot motorsports, aviation, safaris or birding, this outstanding optic could fulfil your most demanding photographic ambitions while remaining astonishingly easy to carry wherever the action takes you!
What’s In The Box:
Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens
Lens Hood (LH1034-02)
Front Cap (LCF-95 III)
Tripod Socket (TS-151)
Rear Cap (LCR II)
