DSLRUsers.com

Some great reviews here.

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-200-500mm-Ultra-Telephoto-Canon-Cameras/product-reviews/B0013D8VDQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_link_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0

This is a great lens. Have had it for 2 weeks now. Mostly use it in macro mode in my search for the Higgs boson. But when not using for subatomic particle work, I use for weddings. One client was getting married a few hundred miles away. Of course I didn't need to fly in for the wedding...thank you Sigma. Yes, this lens has its drawbacks, we all know about them - yes you are actually focusing on things that potentially happened long ago - get over it. With low CA and a flat field of view - I can live with the drawbacks.

Some may feel that this lens is a tad pricey but many forget about the needless things in their life that they can sell in order to purchase this beast. I immediately sold my vehicle because I was finally able to convince myself that I only use my vehicle a couple hours out of the day. It was sad that I even had to contemplate selling my car for this camera attachment but to somewhat justify my hesitation in selling it, I do drop off my children at school and use it as transportation to and from work every day. So, once I sold it, I realized that I had to come up with another $21,000.

I purchased this lens with the intent to look back in space-time and see the Big Bang unfold first hand. I must say it was a little difficult to find the correct line of visibility within the Hubble Deep Field, but after a few precision adjustments, I was finally looking at the origins of our universe. Seriously Awesome!

Finding Higgs' Bosun is not going to be easy. The last bosun in the Royal Navy retired in 1990 and he may never have served under a Captain Higgs. Conversely, there is a Rear Admiral Rusty Higgs in South Africa. He may once have had a ship with a bosun so Higgs' bosun could be living somewhere in the RSA.

I think the most effective way of using a long lens to look back in time would be to attend a Liberal Party meeting and focus on Tony Abbott. A very long lens is of course essential and you also need lead-weighted boots to avoid being sucked into the vortex.

Best of luck wth your subatomic weddings.

Whoops, I feel an attack coming on...

Aaaa

Aaaa

Aaaa

Chooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Murray Foote wrote:Finding Higgs' Bosun is not going to be easy.

No Murray. Not Higgs Bosun. Higgs Bo'son.
This is Higgs, Bo Diddley's love child. Last seen in the Amazon rainforest. This lens makes it easy to find him. First focus on the forest. It will all burn away, making his position obvious. Then zoom in on his eyes. He will be blinded instantly & will be unable to move any great distance so it will be easy to send in a team to pick him up. All this from one photon emitted by the single hot pixel in your D3s sensor.

Mind you, I know you are in the market for a little longer reach. This professional lens should do the trick for you:
http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-650-2600mm ... sim_sbs_p1

Amazon wrote:The Opteka 650-2600mm high definition super telephoto zoom lens is perfect for the professional

Mr Darcy wrote:Amazon wrote:The Opteka 650-2600mm high definition super telephoto zoom lens is perfect for the professional

a consumer/reviewer about the Opteka wrote:I would recommend this lens for nature or senic photography, but it's not fast enough (f8-f16) to use if for any movement and it would be hard to focus on anything moving rapidly.

The moon is the only suitable subject I guess.

those reviews are gold...

and people have way too much time on their hands...

surenj wrote:

Mr Darcy wrote:Amazon wrote:The Opteka 650-2600mm high definition super telephoto zoom lens is perfect for the professional

a consumer/reviewer about the Opteka wrote:I would recommend this lens for nature or senic photography, but it's not fast enough (f8-f16) to use if for any movement and it would be hard to focus on anything moving rapidly.

The moon is the only suitable subject I guess.

But it moves rather rapidly, does it not?

Suren,
You missed this little gem:

Opteka reviewer wrote:If you put this lens on a tripod then attach a heavy camera to it, when its fully extended you can almost bet the tube will end up bent out of shape;

Opteka 650-2600 spec wrote:This lens is great for the wildlife or nature photographer who wants to be hidden while taking photos of the subject.

It must come with a gorilla suit. Perfect for inconspicuous photos in Hokkaido in winter.

Filter Size: 95mm

Very compact filter size, even smaller than my Nikon 50-300mm.

Minimum Focus Distance: 16' (4.9 m)

... and, coupled with extension tubes, the perfect macro lens.

It might be a great lens for hand-held street photography, standard midday exposure of 1/5000, f16, 5000ISO. You'd just need rubber padding round the lens so you didn't damage it on people's heads and bodies if you suddenly swivelled round for another snap. It would probably look quite fetching casually slung around your neck, especially with some trainer wheels at the bottom.

I don't want to spoil it for you, but you CAN make out God quite nicely while he's assembling the fundamental forces of physics. Teaser: He's NOT a white dude with a beard!

Does this mean I have to start going to church?

Chaase wrote:

I don't want to spoil it for you, but you CAN make out God quite nicely while he's assembling the fundamental forces of physics. Teaser: He's NOT a white dude with a beard!

Does this mean I have to start going to church?

You have to keep in mind that lenses REVERSE the image

Murray Foote wrote:Finding Higgs' Bosun is not going to be easy. The last bosun in the Royal Navy retired in 1990 and he may never have served under a Captain Higgs. Conversely, there is a Rear Admiral Rusty Higgs in South Africa. He may once have had a ship with a bosun so Higgs' bosun could be living somewhere in the RSA.

Mr Darcy wrote:No Murray. Not Higgs Bosun. Higgs Bo'son.
This is Higgs, Bo Diddley's love child. Last seen in the Amazon rainforest. This lens makes it easy to find him. First focus on the forest. It will all burn away, making his position obvious. Then zoom in on his eyes. He will be blinded instantly & will be unable to move any great distance so it will be easy to send in a team to pick him up. All this from one photon emitted by the single hot pixel in your D3s sensor.

Actually could it be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

Yes these reviews are gold!

aim54x wrote:Actually could it be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

Cameron,
The last thing we want to do is spoil a good story with anything resembling the truth

From what I've heard, the Hicks bozo was released and sent back to Australia…

gstark wrote:But it moves rather rapidly, does it not?

It does! I reckon 1/100 at f16 is ok for the moon though....