p.1 #1 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
It does actually work, the only compromise seems to be the lack of Autofocus,
You have to cycle the power once or twice but once it tells you the aperture of the lens, it means that there is power and both the fantastic stabilization and the manual focus work. In the EXIF data, it will report the aperture (without the 2x multiplier), 500mm focal length (instead of 1000mm) and the lens brand and model.
This is great for perched birds when you need the extra reach. The lens performs very well with the 2x, I cannot really see a degradation in quality.
I have a gallery of my photos here at full 61MP resolution, unedited except basic color correction and the standard 40% sharpness in Lightroom:
I tried to hit critical focus onto the eyes. You can imagine 40-50% hit rate at 1000mm is impressive, but the lens has EXCELLENT stabilization, its rock solid, and A7RV's EVF resolution also helps.
My hit rate is about 40-50% birds that don't sit still. Something like an owl or an eagle would be a piece of cake to manually focus onto.
There was one strange thing that happened though: I attached the teleconverter, turned off the camera and when it turned back on, something in the lens was clicking briefly. This might be the teleconverter somehow interfering with the rear glass, though there is a LOT of clearance back there as the lens is meant to take teleconverters. I manually focused from near all the way to infinity and there was no interference with the teleconverter by the rear element. This only happened once through 4-5 times taking the TC on and off again. There must be an order to select MF on the lens, put the TC on and restart the camera that works optimally without confusing the camera too much.
Please let me know if you want me to try anything. As it stands now, this and the A7RV might be the most resolving power we can get with Sony apart from 400/600 GMs and the 2x. It is really too bad Sony continues to limit third party lenses.
Edit on the banging sound:
I verified there's no contact between the TC and the rear element. It seems like the focusing element is moving too fast and hitting the end of the rail harder than normal on some start ups.
I have figured out a pattern to this: As long as the previous lens used was the naked 500mm, Then waiting 2-3s after shutting the camera off before putting the TC on, and then turning the camera back on with the TC on, and then turning it off again for 2-3s and turning it back on -> No sound and perfect operation. I have repeated this multiple times.
p.1 #2 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
First, very nice pix and thanks for all the details on what you did, don't like that clicking sound you mentioned tho. I'm heading towards this dilema maybe and was curious about the Sigma 500. I just ordered a Sony a7RV and a 200-600 brand new, got a killer deal on it so I will actually have one matched lens and body. I have been using an R5 with an adapter for all my lenses and mainly the 300/500 and they are pretty good. Been looking at an adapter to use those L grade primes on the Sony body but reviews aren't all that good.
What do you think about the Sigma on it's own and no tele ?
p.1 #3 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
What really stood out to me with the Sigma was the OSS was vastly superior to the 200600's. The AF seems to be on par, though I haven't directly compared. It seems to be comparable to the 200600, only a HAIR sharper, when cropped to the same field of view as the 200600 at "600mm". My copy of 200600 is exceptionally sharp however, and its not my first one.
The size, weight and balance of it is so much better. After 3-4 years of 200600 I'm pretty sick of it and it kinda made me not want to go out and shoot anymore.
p.1 #5 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Thanks for all of the info aryanenzo. I just received my Sigma 500mm F5.6 yesterday and will start playing with it on my a7rv today. I have a 1.4x TC and will try it out and let you all know how it works. I am curios if cropping using apsc and/or in post is as good or better than using a TC on the a7rv? I used a Tamron 70-180 F2.8 in Costa Rica (only lens I had) and was able to get some amazing shots using APSC mode and cropping. Based on that I think the resolving power of the 61mpx sensor can do a lot for adding reach without using TCs if using a high resolution lens like the Sigma 500.
p.1 #6 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
aryanenzo wrote:
What really stood out to me with the Sigma was the OSS was vastly superior to the 200600's. The AF seems to be on par, though I haven't directly compared. It seems to be comparable to the 200600, only a HAIR sharper, when cropped to the same field of view as the 200600 at "600mm". My copy of 200600 is exceptionally sharp however, and its not my first one.
The size, weight and balance of it is so much better. After 3-4 years of 200600 I'm pretty sick of it and it kinda made me not want to go out and shoot anymore....Show more →
My observations about performance compared to the 200-600mm are essentially the same as yours (been shooting the 200-600mm for four years). The smaller, lighter, Sigma, with better OSS and improved sharpness/contrast, has put the fun back into nature photography, for me. My age and shoulder injuries have kept me from acquiring the heavy GM 600mm or 400mm lenses. The Sigma may not quite be in the same league, but it is seemingly close enough to where I no longer feel like I am missing-out.
p.1 #7 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
I can confirm that both the 1.4 and 2.0 work as described on a7r5, a93 and a1 (fw 2.01). The power cycling essential for the manual focus on the lens to work ( which seems a bit odd). But my gut feeling is that aps in camera is better than 1.4 as you get less camera shake.
Ed
p.1 #8 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Thanks for posting the head shot of the pigen with your gear, im using the a6300 and a 18 300 tamron. for all pratical purposes and printing high quality A2 prints my gear looks just as good but way smaller lighter and cheaper.
p.1 #9 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Sorry to resurrect this thread but do I understand correctly that all of this information is referring to the Sony native 1.4x and 2x TCs being used with the Sigma 500/5.6? If yes that's great news. I had always assumed that there was no Sigma 1.4x for Sony and that the Sony branded TC's wouldn't work with the Sigma lens.
p.1 #10 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
morpheus2891 wrote:
Sorry to resurrect this thread but do I understand correctly that all of this information is referring to the Sony native 1.4x and 2x TCs being used with the Sigma 500/5.6? If yes that's great news. I had always assumed that there was no Sigma 1.4x for Sony and that the Sony branded TC's wouldn't work with the Sigma lens.
"work with" is subjective. For some, no AF is no big deal. For others, no AF and fiddling with it to get it to work is a no-go.
p.1 #11 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Yep I get that. But being able to focus and control aperture is good enough for me. Just wanted to make sure that it’s the Sony TCs that we’re talking about.
telyt wrote:
"work with" is subjective. For some, no AF is no big deal. For others, no AF and fiddling with it to get it to work is a no-go.
p.1 #14 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
I can confirm the Sony FE 1.4X works the same way with the Sigma 100-400 DN. This likely works with all the Sigma E-mount lenses where the L-mount versions support Sigma's teleconverters.
My guess is the Sigma FE lens firmware doesn't respond correctly to the addition of the teleconverter--a Sony lenses would send data to the camera with the adjusted parameters including Lens Compensation stuff.
p.1 #15 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Am I missing something?
Just tried this with the Sony A7R V (FW 3.0), Sigma 500mm F5.6 and Sony FE 1.4 TC. It does not work at all - no MF possible, no aperture available.
1. the previous lens used is the naked 500mm
2. waiting 2-3s after shutting the camera off before putting the TC on
3. turning the camera back on with the TC on
4. then turning it off again for 2-3s
5. turning it back on -> No sound and perfect operation
Niente. Did I miss a crucial step or has Sony killed this hidden gem with firmware 3.0?
p.1 #17 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Seeing how at F11.2 a lot of cameras won't be able to A/F very well in low light anyway, loosing A/F with a 2x maybe isn't a huge loss for static shots like perched birds as you mentioned, especially if they are under a tree canopy where light will be low anyway.
Too bad some 3rd party hasn't released a firmware hack for the 1.4x and 2.0x TC's, like rooting your cell phone to run a custom O/S, heh... probably because Sony has a team of lawyers on standby if they do, heh... sad. Even if it rendered that TC useless for my other Sony lenses, I'd still be willing to have a dedicated TC just for the Sigma lens.
Nice work and thanks for sharing your results.
Eric
p.1 #18 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
I have been wondering if Sigma can release their own TCs for E mount lenses. Previously I though one hack is to use an adapter to Z mount bodies but without electronic contacts with TC this seems impossible.
p.1 #19 · So I tried the Sigma 500mm F5.6 with the 2X Teleconverter and...
Mark K wrote:
I have been wondering if Sigma can release their own TCs for E mount lenses. Previously I though one hack is to use an adapter to Z mount bodies but without electronic contacts with TC this seems impossible.
Sony e-mount license prohibits Sigma from making TCs...
