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Sigma 500mm f7.2, MF, PKA mount
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:02 pm    Post subject: Sigma 500mm f7.2, MF, PKA mount Reply with quote

Sigma 500mm f7.2
A recent acquisition.


This was one of those "selling for a friend" auctions. My impression is there aren't many of these old sigma 500mm f7.2's around, this one was obviously a PKA mount so of interest to me for my K5. The original spec is actually quite impressive: 12 elements in 9 groups with 3 LD elements, USP of "smallest non-reflex 500mm" (that's my tamron 500mm mirror behind for comparison) and the indicated price bracket is of prosumer proportions. So I was quite keen; in the event only a couple of other bidders pursued it and my snipe was an easy winner.
However it proved to have the infamous disintegrating "zen" rubberised coating on arrival. Yep, that's sticky!

However the more the coating is deteriorated the easier it cleans off with meths/similar. Only trouble is the distance scale and other markings come off with it, for the moment I have taped over those. Optically it looks very good, and its construction and mechanics seem on a par with that original ~£400 price tag .
Another problem I discovered on use was with the aperture - the lens was only starting to stop down at the click between f11 and f16 on the aperture ring. So my test pics of regular subject the castle turret for f7.2, f11, f16 came out with shutter speeds 1/500th, 1/500th, 1/400th! But this was fixed by taking off the mount and bending the lever that actuates the iris.
Friday 20th was the first time in ages to get good light and really try to check this lens out. I am overal favourably impressed actually, but focus is really ticklish, due to that base f7.2 (I really notice the increased difficulty by eye through the OVF as lenses get slower than f5.6), and the really short focus throw on this IF lens - only ~ 135° throw to cover from 3.5m to ∞.

Test crops f7.2, f11, f16 - samsung NX20. I was looking for good performance straight from f7.2 and I can suggest that the lens delivers.





Pentax K5, mostly f9.












Samsung NX20.




PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 11:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The birds look nice!
I have to dig up mine (in Minolta AF mount) I have not used for some years!
Quite some light needed for correct focusing, I remember me.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No CA problems then? I see old Sigma, Tamron and Tokina superteles and immediately think headache-inducing CA.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 4:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent work!
I need another long lens like a hole in the head, but you have made me want to look for this one.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1 Like 1


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike Deep wrote:
No CA problems then? I see old Sigma, Tamron and Tokina superteles and immediately think headache-inducing CA.


Not more than a FD 2.8/400mm L. See attached 100% crops from the extreme corner.
Detail resolution of the Canon 400mm L is a class of its own, however.

The first image shows the entire scenery, a rather low contrast mountain view which is difficult on any lens.
Color saturation on the Sony A7 was set to "+3" (maximum!) to exaggerate the CA problems of any lens.

In spite of many trials i could not get a really sharp image with the Reflex-Nikkor 8/500mm (new).
The lens itself looks "like new", but its very steep focusing mechanism is extremely difficult to work with -
unless one really needs fast manual focusing!




ATTENTION: please click TWICE on the image below to get the 100% view -
this is only a re-sized version which doesn't show the details!!



I hope these "hard facts" are useful.

Stephan


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike Deep wrote:
No CA problems then? I see old Sigma, Tamron and Tokina superteles and immediately think headache-inducing CA.


I think this lens is pretty well corrected - I was only noticing a thin (few px) red fringe on the occasional backlit image, and was able to mostly remove in LR3 - further usage will prove the point.

Good test stevemark - very interesting comparison. Is your sigma 500mm optically the same as mine - there are online suggestions that there are different models?

I am designing an add on micro focus mechanism using a spare tripod ring - the IF lends itself to doing this.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

marcusBMG wrote:
Mike Deep wrote:
No CA problems then? I see old Sigma, Tamron and Tokina superteles and immediately think headache-inducing CA.

Good test stevemark - very interesting comparison. Is your sigma 500mm optically the same as mine - there are online suggestions that there are different models?



Good question - i simply don't know! My lens looks pretty similar to yours, and it has the same "zen coating problems" as yours.

Stephan


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The photos by marcusBMG and stevemark show that this Sigma lens is optically excellent.

When I saw this lens for the first time, in 1992 if I remember correctly, I thought "Hey, what a great idea! Why no one thought of a 500mm lens that is lightweight, optically excellent and has aperture similar to the popular 500mm mirror lenses?"

I thought the concept was very promising and that this type of lens could be the "500mm mirror lens killer". Sadly, history has shown that it did not happen.

The reasons for the lack of success may be the following:

1) Mirror lenses were already losing popularity among amateurs (today virtually no major lens manufacturer has a mirror lenses in its lineup)
2) Professionals preferred faster telephoto lenses
3) Sigma dropped the ball when decided to paint the lenses with its infamous Zen coating.

This Sigma 500mm F7.2 lens can be considered as a 400mm F5.6 lens working together an imaginary 1.25x teleconverter. In other words, compared to a 400mm F5.6 lens you gain 25% of reach, and lose about 1/2 stop .

I have a first-generation APO Sigma 400mm F5.6, which has size and weight practically equal to this Sigma 500mm, and so I know how these lenses are balanced and practical. Perhaps not ideal for use with a DSLR camera with OFV, but very nice to use with an electronic viewfinder camera.

The pictures below are from the Sigma catalog. The first picture shows the 500mm F7.2 lens alongside its chubby sisters (click on the image to see in larger scale). Note how the increases of aperture/focal length charge a high price in terms of size (and weight).



Chart of the apochromatic corrections of various Sigma lenses:


Sigma lineup:


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that valuable and interesting info Gerald.
Interesting to note that there is no symbol for this lens in the "available in pentax mount" column in the brochure. Maybe they had a late change of heart or something...(and Pentax was still big in 1990's so why wouldn't they?)


PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

marcusBMG wrote:
Interesting to note that there is no symbol for this lens in the "available in pentax mount" column in the brochure.


You can read at the bottom of the page:

Note that the symbol P with a circle around it refers only to the Pentax AF mount. The MF versions were available for all brands of cameras, including Pentax KA.


PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bid on a lens described as "sigma apo" and got it at a great price. But it turned out to be a second example of a 500mm f7.2, not the 400mm f5.6 I was hoping for...
Might be a bit better than my first one actually, cetainly it's better condition, even has its "zen" coating intact.....
Best price/performance 500mm on the s/h market IMO (even at a "correct" est value!)















This taken tonight 27/02 with sigma apo 1.4x tc, f11 samsung nx20.


I'll be looking to move this second one on, msg me if you have any interest...


Last edited by marcusBMG on Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:05 pm; edited 5 times in total


PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

marcusBMG wrote:
I bid on a lens described as "sigma apo" and got it at a great price. But it turned out to be a second exaample of a 500mm f7.2, not the 400mm f5.6 I was hoping for...
...


I sold a Nikon mount Sigma AF 400 / 5.6 last Sunday for £80 Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think I was watching that one, but I don't have nikon dslr.
Always BIN if you want to make sure of getting what it's worth...


PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

marcusBMG wrote:
I think I was watching that one, but I don't have nikon dslr.
Always BIN if you want to make sure of getting what it's worth...


Sold it at the Camera Fair, I was asking £90 with a Nikon F80 camera. I've still got the camera, and I'm not a Nikon man. Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I goofed: those were pics with a 400mm sigma. Updated with 500mm apo pics, K5.

£90 cash - yeah I'd probably settle for that.