Sigma 500mm 5.6

[BillCB]

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[frankchn]

Hovering Hummingbird. Leica SL3 + 500/5.6 S. 1/2000 f/8 ISO2500.

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Edited March 24 by frankchn

[balzani_shots]

Hello,

So I bought the Sigma 500mm f5.6.

Took a couple of shots yesterday from my window and went out today for testing. The camera body used is a SL2. 

First, only the IS of the lens seems to work as the option on the camera is not available. The L-mount alliance is not much of an alliance...

I`m struggling to get sharp photos and it seems that the problem is that the stabilization isn`t what I expected to be, because when I use faster shutter speeds, the results improve.

But it`s not easy because the f5.6 isn´t the best... 

Although, even at 1/2500s, at longer distances the contrast isn`t what I expected. It can be atmospheric haze or the lens isn`t performing as it should.

Any suggestions on improving the IS or I just made a bad choice and should have gone fot the Leica Vario Elmar 100-400mm taking advantage of the IS of the lens and OIS of the camera altogether ? 

Thanks in advance

Best regards

Carlos

[BernardC]

12 hours ago, balzani_shots said:

First, only the IS of the lens seems to work as the option on the camera is not available. The L-mount alliance is not much of an alliance...

The control to turn IS on and off is only on the lens. That's the same as for AF/MF. If there is no control on the lens, Leica enables menu items to control these functions.

The same thing happens the other way: if you put a lens that has no AF/MF or IS switches on a Lumix or Sigma body, you still have access to those functions via the menu.

You can't turn lens and body IS on and off separately, even if your body and lens have the same branding. The camera chooses which one to use (or both). As far as I know, other brands behave the same, although I'm sure there's an obscure counter-example.

12 hours ago, balzani_shots said:

Although, even at 1/2500s, at longer distances the contrast isn`t what I expected. It can be atmospheric haze or the lens isn`t performing as it should.

That's almost always an atmospheric issue. You can test again early in the morning when the temperature difference between the ground and air is lower.

 

[balzani_shots]

9 hours ago, BernardC said:

The control to turn IS on and off is only on the lens. That's the same as for AF/MF. If there is no control on the lens, Leica enables menu items to control these functions.

The same thing happens the other way: if you put a lens that has no AF/MF or IS switches on a Lumix or Sigma body, you still have access to those functions via the menu.

You can't turn lens and body IS on and off separately, even if your body and lens have the same branding. The camera chooses which one to use (or both). As far as I know, other brands behave the same, although I'm sure there's an obscure counter-example.

That's almost always an atmospheric issue. You can test again early in the morning when the temperature difference between the ground and air is lower.

 

Thanks for your answer.

That makes sense, but i am convinced that only the IS on the lens works, from my experience working with other brands and on the same focal range.

This is disappointing as both Sigma and Leica are part of the "L-mount alliance".

Best regards

 

[helged]

On 4/6/2025 at 1:50 AM, balzani_shots said:

Hello,

So I bought the Sigma 500mm f5.6.

Took a couple of shots yesterday from my window and went out today for testing. The camera body used is a SL2. 

First, only the IS of the lens seems to work as the option on the camera is not available. The L-mount alliance is not much of an alliance...

I`m struggling to get sharp photos and it seems that the problem is that the stabilization isn`t what I expected to be, because when I use faster shutter speeds, the results improve.

But it`s not easy because the f5.6 isn´t the best... 

Although, even at 1/2500s, at longer distances the contrast isn`t what I expected. It can be atmospheric haze or the lens isn`t performing as it should.

Any suggestions on improving the IS or I just made a bad choice and should have gone fot the Leica Vario Elmar 100-400mm taking advantage of the IS of the lens and OIS of the camera altogether ? 

Thanks in advance

Best regards

Carlos

The lens should be sharp at all distances. The first lens I had wasn't sharp at distance, but sharp up to 20+ m. I got that lens changed, and the second lens is bitingly sharp. 

For max sharpbess: You need to use the electronic shutter in order to eliminate the movement related to the mechanical shutter. 

On long distances: Haze quickly deteriorate the results. Not that often a problem where I live, but it even happens here in summer. 

[BernardC]

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12 hours ago, balzani_shots said:

That makes sense, but i am convinced that only the IS on the lens works, from my experience working with other brands and on the same focal range.

There is no way to be sure, with any brand. You can try testing how well rotational motion is corrected, since that's one of the only ways that IBIS can be useful with a long focal length.

Lens IS is much more effective than body IS with longer focal lengths. Your 500mm lens magnifies movement 10X, compared to a 50mm lens, so the sensor would also have to move 10X more for the same amount of correction. That's not possible, the sensor can only move a tiny amount.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

On 4/6/2025 at 9:50 AM, balzani_shots said:

Hello,

So I bought the Sigma 500mm f5.6.

Took a couple of shots yesterday from my window and went out today for testing. The camera body used is a SL2. 

First, only the IS of the lens seems to work as the option on the camera is not available. The L-mount alliance is not much of an alliance...

I`m struggling to get sharp photos and it seems that the problem is that the stabilization isn`t what I expected to be, because when I use faster shutter speeds, the results improve.

But it`s not easy because the f5.6 isn´t the best... 

Although, even at 1/2500s, at longer distances the contrast isn`t what I expected. It can be atmospheric haze or the lens isn`t performing as it should.

Any suggestions on improving the IS or I just made a bad choice and should have gone fot the Leica Vario Elmar 100-400mm taking advantage of the IS of the lens and OIS of the camera altogether ? 

Thanks in advance

Best regards

Carlos

IBIS only works up to 400mm. This is normal for every brand. Some systems also support dual IS (Leica does not but Panasonic does) where two axis are still on combined with three from the lens. Having said that I get tack sharp results to 1/45 with this lens and static subjects.

My guess is that you’re suffering from shutter shock. Do a side by side test at 1/125 sec with normal and electronic shutter and see if there’s a difference. Unfortunately no Leica’s support EFCS or fast sensor reads which would eliminate shutter shock. You’ll need to use 1/f with mechanical or electronic shutter, depending on the subject. Or add a S1Rii body.

It’s my biggest PITA with Leica that they stubbornly refuse to sort this out. It’s nothing more than a firmware upgrade to add efcs. I’d email Leica your files if shutter shock is the issue.

Gordon

[helged]

9 minutes ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

IBIS only works up to 400mm. This is normal for every brand. Some systems also support dual IS (Leica does not but Panasonic does) where two axis are still on combined with three from the lens. Having said that I get tack sharp results to 1/45 with this lens and static subjects.

My guess is that you’re suffering from shutter shock. Do a side by side test at 1/125 sec with normal and electronic shutter and see if there’s a difference. Unfortunately no Leica’s support EFCS or fast sensor reads which would eliminate shutter shock. You’ll need to use 1/f with mechanical or electronic shutter, depending on the subject. Or add a S1Rii body.

It’s my biggest PITA with Leica that they stubbornly refuse to sort this out. It’s nothing more than a firmware upgrade to add efcs. I’d email Leica your files if shutter shock is the issue.

Gordon

One can hope for Leica to add EFCS to a soon-to-come firmware update. It's also time to get en update on "Animal detection (Beta)"; it's somewhat strange/disappointing that the beta-flag is still showing up 1+ year after the launch of SL3...

[balzani_shots]

On 3/20/2024 at 1:38 PM, helged said:

I picked up a Sigma 500 f5.6 DG DN Sport today. The lens will unfortunately have to go back to the store; it's simply not sharp. I suspect I have got a bad copy and I want to test another copy just to check...

Those that are using the Sigma 500 DG DN in L-mount; please chime in regarding the sharpness of your copy ( @mschuette and others...).

I add an example here, shot at f5.6 from tripod with electronic shutter on and stabilisation off (I also run some tests with the stabiliser activated, same results; also same result stopping down to f8). To be sure, I shot with both SL3 and SL2-S, same softness. Image is with SL3, the cropped image is from the centre of the main image and with 100 percent magnification. No processing, just uploading in Lightroom and exporting jpegs.

Regarding Sigma and sharpness: The Sigma 70-200 f2.8 DG DN Sport is amazingly sharp...

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Unfortunately the same problem happened with mine, after testing on a tripod with IS off and ES, images at distance look unsharp, has been returned and now I am just waiting because the shop didn`t have any more available in L-mount...

[helged]

4 minutes ago, balzani_shots said:

Unfortunately the same problem happened with mine, after testing on a tripod with IS off and ES, images at distance look unsharp, has been returned and now I am just waiting because the shop didn`t have any more available in L-mount...

I got a new lens, and the second lens was (very) good. 

[balzani_shots]

On 4/8/2025 at 8:06 AM, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Or add a S1Rii body.

I´m considering just that.

Has anyone tried this lens with the S1R II ?

[FlashGordonPhotography]

10 hours ago, balzani_shots said:

I´m considering just that.

Has anyone tried this lens with the S1R II ?

Only in testing, so far. As expected. IQ is excellent. AF is better in AFC than the SL3 (I don’t have an SL3-S) and no shutter shock with EFCS.

I haven’t directly compared to my A1ii, yet but will in the next few weeks. I have a wildlife trip coming up and need to make some gear decisions.

Did you do the shutter shock tests?

Gordon

Edited April 11 by FlashGordonPhotography

[balzani_shots]

1 hour ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Did you do the shutter shock tests?

I did test the lens with ES on a tripod and IS off.

Over 70/100 meters, the results weren`t good so I returned the lens to the dealer and now I`m waiting for a new one.

Glad to hear about your experience with the S1R II.

Thanks

[jaapv]

Two things : It is normal, on all brands  the camera switches from IBIS to OIS for long focal lengths because the displacement becomes too large to be handled by the limited movement of the sensor. Only in 5-axis systems a rotational component gets added by the IBIS.

On a tripod switch off all stabilization; it works counterproductive  

Secondly. All long lenses by for instance Sigma are susceptible to shutter slap vibration irrespective of the shutter speed used. Even on a tripod. If you want bitingly sharp use Electronic Shutter whenever possible. Or EFCS if available. (Why not, Leica?) 
The reason: the vibrations are of too high a frequency to be compensated for by OIS or to be sufficiently dampened by a tripod. 

[jaapv]

BTW camera shake is more visible the further the subject so your observation about unsharpness in the distance might well be ascribed to that effect. 

[helged]

3 hours ago, jaapv said:

BTW camera shake is more visible the further the subject so your observation about unsharpness in the distance might well be ascribed to that effect. 

I had a similar/the same issue with the Sigma 500, that subjects on long distances were always soft. After a little fort & back, a Sigma rep agreed that something was off with the lens. The second lens I had did focus at all distances, as it should. Clearly, user fault can also be an issue, but not necessarily so.

[jaapv]

2 hours ago, helged said:

I had a similar/the same issue with the Sigma 500, that subjects on long distances were always soft. After a little fort & back, a Sigma rep agreed that something was off with the lens. The second lens I had did focus at all distances, as it should. Clearly, user fault can also be an issue, but not necessarily so.

Of course, that is certainly realistic. Just trying to rule out all possibilities. 

[carlosgavina]

EFCS would be at the top of my list as well for a firmware update.

Do we all need to send a joint signed letter to Leica about it? 😜

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