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Minolta Sigma AF 800mm 5.6 APO

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rsjaffe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote rsjaffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 03:38
Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Ahemmmm!
Review??? Photos???
Bump.....


This past week had family visiting so no playing with the new lens--it's a bit awkward doing family portraits with an 800mm lens that has a minimum distance of about 22 feet. I'll get it tested real soon.

And getting proper support for this lens may cost me almost as much as the lens did. Lens + camera is a good 18 pounds. My tripod is marginal (Feisol CT-3442) and a gimbal for something this long and heavy is mandatory (if I don't want to do an accidental face-plant with the whole shebang).

Getting a gimbal this week, will limp along with the tripod but gimbal plus lens plus camera pretty much hits the max load for the tripod.
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α900, Sigma 12-24, CZ 24-70, 70-400G, CZ 135, Tamron 90 macro, Minolta 300 f/2.6 HS, Minolta 600 f/4 HS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsjaffe/
 



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Photosopher View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Photosopher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 04:04
I highly recommend the Benro GH-A side mount gimbal. I know these are typically discouraged for longer lenses, but that is an absolute myth. Mine holds the 600mm Maxxum with no problem and provides perfect balance even with the tension knob completely loose.

The reason I like these better than the traditional "cradle" gimbal is because they allow complete freedom for manual focusing from under the lens. They also mount directly to whatever your standard ball head is, so you can keep the gimbal with the lens, rather than needing an additional tripod with special head.

It really is quite sturdy. Just make sure the ball head is tight.

Get one here.
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Swiftyspix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Swiftyspix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 04:34
Originally posted by rsjaffe rsjaffe wrote:

Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Ahemmmm!
Review??? Photos???
Bump.....


This past week had family visiting so no playing with the new lens--it's a bit awkward doing family portraits with an 800mm lens that has a minimum distance of about 22 feet. I'll get it tested real soon.


Sounds like the perfect "Mother in Law" portrait lens!
A99II α900 α850 α77 α700 7D Max7 BBC BC STF 70-300G 80-200G 28-135 35-105 28-70G 24-50/4 17-35G 11-18KM AF500/8M 135/2.8 100/2.8M 85/1.4 MC58/1.2 50/3.5 Macro 35/1.4 35/2 24/2.8 HVL58AM
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pdeley View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote pdeley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 07:06
Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:



Sounds like the perfect "Mother in Law" portrait lens!


Especially if you point the rear end at mom and look through the front end, instead of vice versa
a450, a500, a65, a7, 700si & other 35 mm bodies, Sig 15-30, sam 30 2.8 macro, Pentax 40 2.8 pan, Sig 70 f2.8 macro, Vivi 90 f2.8 macro, Mino 100-400 apo, 300 f4, 500 f8, 600 f4
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rsjaffe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote rsjaffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 21:02
Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Originally posted by rsjaffe rsjaffe wrote:

Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Ahemmmm!
Review??? Photos???
Bump.....


This past week had family visiting so no playing with the new lens--it's a bit awkward doing family portraits with an 800mm lens that has a minimum distance of about 22 feet. I'll get it tested real soon.


Sounds like the perfect "Mother in Law" portrait lens!


Yes. Have her pose near a cliff.

"Sorry can't focus. Too close用lease back up a bit. More... More... More..."
由ory

α900, Sigma 12-24, CZ 24-70, 70-400G, CZ 135, Tamron 90 macro, Minolta 300 f/2.6 HS, Minolta 600 f/4 HS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsjaffe/
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Swiftyspix View Drop Down
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Joined: 05 June 2007
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Location: Western NC
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Swiftyspix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 July 2011 at 21:04
Originally posted by rsjaffe rsjaffe wrote:

Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Originally posted by rsjaffe rsjaffe wrote:

Originally posted by Swiftyspix Swiftyspix wrote:

Ahemmmm!
Review??? Photos???
Bump.....


This past week had family visiting so no playing with the new lens--it's a bit awkward doing family portraits with an 800mm lens that has a minimum distance of about 22 feet. I'll get it tested real soon.


Sounds like the perfect "Mother in Law" portrait lens!


Yes. Have her pose near a cliff.

"Sorry can't focus. Too close用lease back up a bit. More... More... More..."
A99II α900 α850 α77 α700 7D Max7 BBC BC STF 70-300G 80-200G 28-135 35-105 28-70G 24-50/4 17-35G 11-18KM AF500/8M 135/2.8 100/2.8M 85/1.4 MC58/1.2 50/3.5 Macro 35/1.4 35/2 24/2.8 HVL58AM
 



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rsjaffe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote rsjaffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 July 2011 at 21:39
First Light
Notes: haven't yet received my gimbal that I ordered, so these were taken "by hand" leaning on the top of a low wooden fence. The area I usually go for birds is heavily overgrown right now and hard to find anything(particularly with the lens being fairly immobile until I get a decent mount). Goodly amount of red-purple fringing, used +26 red/cyan, -9 blue/yellow in Camera Raw to eliminate. Lens sometimes focuses slowly and hunts, like a macro lens. It has a focus limiter (which limits focus to 50 ft to infinity) that speeds things up significantly. Makes an occasional harsh sound while focusing, as if the gears have had some wear. Lots of dust inside lens. Appears to have slight backfocus, which I have not tried to measure and fix yet. The following shots were taken at about 30-50 feet from the subject, wide open f/5.6. The first is to show the bokeh, and the last three show some 100% pixel crops. No output sharpening on the cropped pictures. This is not a lens for casual shooting--takes some preparation to get the lens out, hood attached, and find some decent support. Even with carbon fiber support, you're looking at at least 25-30 pounds for lens, hood, camera, gimbal and tripod.




Edited by rsjaffe - 23 July 2011 at 22:05
由ory

α900, Sigma 12-24, CZ 24-70, 70-400G, CZ 135, Tamron 90 macro, Minolta 300 f/2.6 HS, Minolta 600 f/4 HS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsjaffe/
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