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Sony/Minolta pictures of the week | 2 December


howardstanbury

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Mark, 1200mm in a bramble, now there's a focusing challenge! Well done.

Thanks. Yes it was. Hand held with the adaptor, a 2x tele converter and the 150-600mm lens, manual focus on that ridiculously skinny focus ring ,that is overly tight and difficult to move to smoothly focus accurately, with a hair moved off focus and makes shot blurry, it was difficult and there were a few missed shots that made me very frustrated with the C lens. The glass is very good and so is the auto focus when directly mounted to the camera, especially with the firmware update I think it is faster focusing, except with the 2x tele converter the auto focus seems to not work at all.So with this combo it is full time manual with this beast, but there are bigger lenses out there..

 

I am considering making a focus ring band lever for the SIGMA 150-600 MM C to give me a little more control over manual focus when I use the 2x Tele Converter.

 

Here is the basic DIY idea. LINK or possibly look for a commercially made solution. I have also been reading forums for a focus ring grease that is safe to use on the lens to allow it to move with less effort.

 

It is a great lens, but there are a few draw backs to the SIGMA 150-600 C verses the Sport like the focus ring size. But I have to remind myself that I am able to shoot at 1200 mm with a lens and tele converter combo that cost around $1000 and not a five figure lens that something in that range from Canon might cost. lol.

 

I got the lens on Craigslist for $700. About two days later I saw a Sport show up on Craigslist for about $800 and kind of wished I would have seen that first. I may try to get out with combo again and this time take the Manfrotto monopod. The sun is out today, but yesterday they had the big deer hunt in the State Park, so I wonder if I will see any deer.

Edited by Mark Keefer
Cheers, Mark
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My experience with MF at focal lengths of 400mm and higher is that I NEVER get accurate focus. Even at f/8 or f/11, the DOF is so shallow that the slightest mistake is clearly observable. Focus assist can help, if the subject isn't moving at all, but you may or may not be getting it, depending on body/lens/adapter combination.

 

Still, no doubt, that's a very high performance per dollar kit.

 

When people ask me for a "starter" lens for wildlife, the various 150-600nn are always on the list. I always also suggest, if they can afford it, the latest, native 100-400mm for their body, plus the latest 1.4x teleconverter. IME experience, the cropped 100-400mm is almost always going to be sharper than the uncropped 150-600mm. Sharpness trumps focal length.

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My experience with MF at focal lengths of 400mm and higher is that I NEVER get accurate focus.

 

It is a difficult task. Of course putting the lens in manual mode and using Focus Peaking it makes it a bit easier and there is also focus magnification it can be done but you are right, and at 1200mm it is a real delicate task. But I am tenacious about getting the shot. I went out today using the monopod and it was about an hour of daylight left and there were still some deer to be found after yesterday's hunt.

 

I got a couple keepers today with 2 x tele converter and manual focus.

993248035_DeerTallGrass1200mmSNY2xteleconverterSNYx1500-02383.thumb.jpg.26a94e67dcf42654d6cc806e8f5588ab.jpg

Cheers, Mark
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Results using the DIY Focus ring lever, perhaps the lever is not long enough, but on the SIGMA 150-600 C it makes little difference, not significant enough to warrant keeping it on the my lens. Nothing ventured nothing gain, I tried it as an experiment.

 

Dave, you are using/have used the sport with the wider manual focus ring, is that version of the SIGMA lens smooth easy to turn. I know you said you had little luck at over 400mm doing manual. I am wondering if it is the same issue.

Cheers, Mark
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