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On 1/8/2025 at 6:09 PM, SJCoates said:

The lens looks really impressive - I am thinking about talking the plunge myself essentially as it is the only super telephoto lens available in L-mount (apart from the 500mm f/4 which is a totally different beast of course).

I am just wondering about the AF performance? I have an SL (601) body, what is the AF like? You might think that I should know what this is like generally, but I actually don't as I've never used an SL lens on it as all my lenses are R lenses! And what is the AF like with the 1.4 and 2x teleconverters to make a 700mm f/8 and 1000mm f/11? Presumably the AF will hunt (especially so with the 1000mm f/11) so maybe manual focus is the preferred option here?

In addition, what are the 2x and 1.4x like optically? Reading various reviews online form people I am getting a bit of a mixed idea, with some users saying that the results are the same with the converters attached as the lens is without. Of course there is the interesting idea of getting the Leica converters to use with the lens rather than the Sigmas; has anyone used this combination and what do you think of the results?

Do you really want to use a 2x converter? 1000 mm is quite a handful for somebody who does not specialize in long lenses and two stops of light loss counts as well. 

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On 1/9/2025 at 9:39 PM, jaapv said:

Do you really want to use a 2 x converter? 1000 mm is quite a handful for somebody who does not specialize in long lenses and two stops of light loss counts as well. 

I don't think I'd use this combination very often to be honest; just nice to actually have it. I suppose teleconverters are a good 'extra' option to be used as and when needed; overall the lens would probably be used as a 500mm around 80-90% of the time. Yes as you say 1000mm is quite a challenge!

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Flappet Lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea) Mila N. Serengeti, Tanzania

SL3 & Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN   -I'm really impressed with this lens. I still can't get my head around how light and compact it is & delivers this level of IQ.

(please click on image for better res.)

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Fallow deer in the snow SL2 with 500 5,6

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Robin in the snow SL2 with 500 5,6

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  • 2 weeks later...

Goldcrest with SL2

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Am 12.1.2025 um 09:12 schrieb michali:

 

Flappet Lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea) Mila N. Serengeti, Tanzania

SL3 & Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN   -I'm really impressed with this lens. I still can't get my head around how light and compact it is & delivers this level of IQ.

(please click on image for better res.)

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Great shot👍 Did you crop?? Asking because i am thinking about SL3s as second body to my SL3-cropping would be hard regarding the resolution of 24 mp…(normally do  fine art printing with A2-paper)

Edited by HPFM
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Giant kingfisher, SL3, 1/1000 sec, f8 taken from a canoe. The Gambia.

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On 1/23/2025 at 8:01 PM, HPFM said:

Great shot👍 Did you crop?? Asking because i am thinking about SL3s as second body to my SL3-cropping would be hard regarding the resolution of 24 mp…(normally do  fine art printing with A2-paper)

Thank you!   Yes I did crop to 66%    I use the SL3 primarily for birding which gives me the ability to crop right in.

For general wildlife I mainly use the  SL2-S Reporter. At this point, for my use I personally see no need to upgrade to the SL3-S.

Here's a screenshot of the full-frame DNG.

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Robin with SL2

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chimpanzee, Gambia River National Park, The Gambia, West Africa. SL3 plus Sigma 500mm, Taken from a boat

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello, I'm updating the post a bit and bringing the discussion back to this objective.

I have a question regarding stabilization.
There are things I must not be doing right—I don't understand how you're able to get perfectly sharp handheld shots with this lens (Leica SL3 + Sigma 500).

I don't have Parkinson, and even when using the electronic shutter + fast shutter speed (1/2000 for example), I still get a slight softness in the image. I can clearly see the difference when I mount the camera and lens on a monopod or tripod. But it bothers me to carry around this kind of accessory, especially since the advantage of this small lens is its lightness without needing a tripod.

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30 minutes ago, ErwanKL said:

Hello, I'm updating the post a bit and bringing the discussion back to this objective.

I have a question regarding stabilization.
There are things I must not be doing right—I don't understand how you're able to get perfectly sharp handheld shots with this lens (Leica SL3 + Sigma 500).

I don't have Parkinson, and even when using the electronic shutter + fast shutter speed (1/2000 for example), I still get a slight softness in the image. I can clearly see the difference when I mount the camera and lens on a monopod or tripod. But it bothers me to carry around this kind of accessory, especially since the advantage of this small lens is its lightness without needing a tripod.

The first Sigma DG DN 500mm I had to return; it was bitingly sharp up to 15-20m 👍, but it showed some sort of softness at long distances. The second lens was/is fine. I just want to mention it; have you tested the lens on short and long distances? 

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1 hour ago, jaapv said:

Quel OIS utilisez-vous ? Il devrait s'agir de l'OIS 1. Vous avez raison d'utiliser l'ES.
   De plus, sur les appareils photo à mégapixels élevés, ne vérifiez pas à 100 %. C'est un grossissement insensé. 

Thank you for responding so quickly, indeed I was in OIS 1 mode and yes it is by looking at 100% the difference is obvious but even without such high magnification the perception of sharpness is obvious.
I just realized that I had version 1 of the lens I am updating to V1.1 and will keep you informed.

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4 minutes ago, helged said:

Le premier Sigma DG DN 500 mm que j'ai dû retourner, il était d'une netteté mordante jusqu'à 15-20 m 👍 ,  mais il montrait une sorte de douceur à longue distance. Le deuxième objectif était/est très bien. Je veux juste le mentionner : avez-vous testé l'objectif sur de courtes et de longues distances ? 

 

To tell the truth, I bought the lens from a professional second-hand, like new, following customer feedback. I tested the sharpness at 10/20m and infinity and frankly nothing to complain about, almost as sharp as my SL APO lenses at all distances!

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After updating to version 1.1 of the lens, if I focus when triggering, I can get a super sharp photo up to 1/250s. I'm really amazed, even looking at the photo at 200% the image is as good as on a tripod. 
The color rendering and precision are incredible and must not be far behind the APO SLs that I am used to using.

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  • 3 weeks later...

SL3 plus Sigma 500mm f5.6 Yellow billed kite, The Gambia West Africa.

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Posted (edited)

Blue tit, SL2

 

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Edited by LeicaRFan
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