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Hey guys, please help me with the following:

what is the difference between these two lenses ??
Sigma 170-500mm f5.6 - 6.3 DG Lens Canon
Sigma 170-500 F5-6.3 APO DG

Which one is better and what is the actual difference between the two? I have looked at them on the internet and the two look completely different??

This is the first one that we typed into google images and this is the picture that is showed us but if you look on the lens it also has (APO) DG :



http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/0511/170 ... -6.3dg.jpg

And this one i says (APO) DG but if i look closely at the lens it has no DG written on it?



To me the 1st one looks newer and better quality ?? Help please

Thanks !!

Massimo - I think you saw my reply on ODP but in case someone else is also looking for the info I will repeat it here

Sigma's official explanation:


The only difference between the two 170-500 lenses is therefore the new lens coatings and of course as can be seen from your pictures the outside finish - they look so different because the second picture shows the zoom fully extended with the hood reversed. The DG model (top picture) is the newer model.

The one in the first photo is newer, and I'm pretty sure it will be more expensive

I can get the top one for R3k the only problem like i said it is in cape town! He did say that he lives close orms so im thinking that he must take it to orms and get it looked at and orms to let me know if the lens is ok and then get them to ship it down to me!

Anyone know anyone at orms that can do this for me before i phone them ?

Thanks guys

Thanks Mikef
Very useful info . Now what does APO stand for -seeing that I have one of those.
Massimo, looks like it will be a good idea to buy it at that price. Saw someone with one today. Looks awesomely nice!
Cheerio
Noel

Hello Massimo,

I own a Sigma 170-500 (The second picture above). To give you some ideas, here are some pictures I took in KNP with the lens on a Nikon D70


This picture was taken with another camera. Shows me with (maybe you can see the lens) taking pictures of my favorite animals:




This is the result:






This one was taken at Lake Panic with a beanbag:




This picture was taken just outside a birdhide, camera hand-held:





So maybe reviews aren't always positive about this lens, I haven taken some great pictures with it and I will surely take the lens with me on the comming trip.

Great photos Hippo-fan

Both above models are APO lenses (lenses made using special low-dispersion (SLD) glass which is designed to minimize color aberration). The newer DG model has special coatings to maximize light throughput. Based on various reviews i have read these coatings do not make a big difference (sometimes the reviewers even prefer the non DG lens). However I would recommend the DG model if there was a choice.

Hey guys!!

Thanks so much for all your help! I have managed to settle on the sigma 170-500 APO DG version for a good price R3k ! The only reason was that the guy was in cape town! So i managed to get him to take it to Orms where they tested the lens for me and is sending it to me so im hoping to get it tomorrow!! cant wait to test the new lens! Il post some pictures when i take some!!

Going to be away!!

@ Hippo-fan hope i will be able to take photos like that!! Those are very nice photos!!

Congrats on your new lens Looking forward to see the results !!

Hey this is some of the pictures that i managed to take in the back garden:





@ Hippo-fan was wondering can you please tell me what camera you using? and more info on the picture of the birds and hippos? e.g. f stop number and zoom range? and if you cropped it and also the iso !

enjoy

Massimo - Is this what the pics are supposed to look like, or is it my PC? Cannot really see the bird at all?

Hello Massimo,

Camera I used for these pictures is the Nikon D70s. I'm not at home right now, so I have to come back on the Exif data of the pictures (On my home computer). Will let you know tomorrow.

Could be your calibration of the screen JJ.

are my pictures that bad

Massimo,

Just found the data (published them on a website a luckily they keep the exif file as well)

Blue waxbill: Aperture f/8.0, exposure 1/250, focallenght 500/1, iso 200. The picture is slightly cropped; waxbill was in the middle of the picture.

Hippos: Aperture f/9.0, exposure 1/1000, focallenght 500/1, iso 200. No cropping

Kingfisher: aperture f/6.3 / exposure 1/320, focallenght 500/1. No cropping