Me and my Bigma

[airic]

Not big mouth, I said Bigma. Friday I unloaded my Nikon 80-400VR lens for the Sigma EX 50-500mm lens, nicknamed the Bigma. Despite being down with a cold and a rainy day yesterday I managed to get in a few shots with it this weekend.

I headed to the Humber for some water fowl shots but none of the good stuff cooperated and the sun never really came out like it was supposed to. Ray, never showed up either :dunno: I think he was smarter and stayed at home.

A Mallard up close looking for bread
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128370copy.jpg

To test the lens on moving birds the only thing I could find to shoot was Seaguls
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128404copy.jpg
Focal length: 370.0mm (35mm equivalent: 555mm)
Exposure time: 0.0008 s (1/1250)
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO equiv.: 400

I then headed over to the Docks area and got this image
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128411copy.jpg

The next two shots show the range of the 50-500mm
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128412copy.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128414copy.jpg

More practice panning
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128428copy.jpg

Some turbine blades from a power plant that is being demolished
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128435copy.jpg

I then moved onto Chillerborough where I manage to get a few rays of sun.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128464copy.jpg

Pickering Power Plant from Bluffers Park
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128463copy.jpg

[airic]

Ya, I know more Seaguls :( Its all I could find
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128472copy.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128477copy.jpg

A quick stop at a horse ranch before heading home
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128499copy.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/airic2001/to200611128500copy.jpg
Focal length: 195.0mm (35mm equivalent: 292mm)
Exposure time: 0.0100 s (1/100)
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO equiv.: 400

Well, I hope over the next few days I can get some good weather shots in with it. I’m pretty pleased so far with the lens.

Thanks for looking,

Eric

[Antarctican]

Whoa! That is 'up close and personal' with the mallard! Great detail in the colour and feathers...I can see why you're pleased with the lens. I love the colours in the ship's bow shot. The demo of the 'range' of the lens is stupendous! Good eye re the turbine. And I wanna know where is the horse ranch!!!!!!

[lostprophet]

very nice Eric, so which is better
80-400
or
50-500

have you ever played with the Sigma 300-800mm? now thats big

[Jill of Beans]

Wow!! I love em, but have to say the gulls are my favorites!!!

[airic]

Anti, the horse ranch is between Ajax and Whitby north of Rossland. About 5 minutes from where I live. I make it a habit to pass by when I’m in the area.

Andy, I was never happy with the Nikon 80-400 that I had. I brought it back to Nikon twice to have them look at it. Anything over the 250-300mm range either suffered from soft focus or if I used the VR it would add jitter to the image. It was great at the low end range and the VR worked great but at 400 where I needed it the most it did not work. I could not justify spending more then two grand for a telephoto lens so my options were limited. The 80-400 also did not have HSM focus and was very slow for moving objects.

Tillyzmom, I’m happy someone appreciates the gull shots :)

Eric

[Calliope]

Wow Airic... excellent shots and what a lens. Nice details all of them!

[MyCameraEye]

Excellent shots! I love my Sigma Bigma. Soon as you said BIGMA I knew what you meant,. I have the 50-500 as well and love the lens. Good luck with it!

[Aprilraven]

ok, if you werent one of my favorite people, i would have to say you make me sick being able to have an off day, and you make it look like you were on the money...
the ship shot ( say that fast three times, and you get slapped, i know this... cause i tried it...) that is killer... i didnt know they had measurements for the water there....who reads that? someone get lowered from the deck??

anyway, i digress... your seagull shots, especially the last one in the water, is just magnificent... but the shot of toronto...the first one, is amazing... what a wonderful capture...

eric...leave me you talent when you pass to the darkside, okay??

[Mansi]

sweet! congrats on the new lens eric :D

lovely series.. i really like #11..
great clarity and colors!

enjoy the lens :)!

[Anicole]

I love the mallard shot, but the first gull shot in the second posting is awesome! (well, they're all awesome, but I just love that one!!!)

hmmm ... bigma ... bigmouth ... avatars ... hmmm ;)

[airic]

hmmm ... bigma ... bigmouth ... avatars ... hmmm ;)

I’m glad you got that. :lol:

Eric

[airic]

ok, if you werent one of my favorite people

eric...leave me you talent when you pass to the darkside, okay??

Its nice to know I’m still one of your favourite people and the talent comes with me to the dark side.

Eric

[Raymond J Barlow]

great shooting bro, the light was so brutal in the am, I stayed in bed, i saw the sun peek through after noon, so we headed over for a visit.. I had about 5 minutes shooting the Gadwalls, and the dark stuff was right back in place.. brutal light. We had some fun with the ducks, tons of nice noisey dark shots., too brutal to post.


Looks like the bigma is a winner., i am glad you are happy with it so far... I have heard lots of great things about that lens., and your images sure prove there is good in that lens.

[Luddite]

Wow - that is some lens - an the expertese to make the most of it. Just getting used to the Sigma 70-200 2.8 which seems a baby compared with the bigma. Gives me ideas above my station! Enjoy and we look forward to you sharing you results.