SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX HSM
A review and photo examples of the SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX HSM with the SIGMA SD10 and SD14.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The sample photos were taken with the SIGMA SD9 and SD14.
Review
1．Overview
The SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX HSM is a telephoto autofocus (AF) lens made by Sigma that was released in 1999 and is compatible with 35mm format cameras.
It has a lens configuration of 11 elements in 8 groups, an ultrasonic motor (HSM), 9 aperture blades, an aperture value of F4.5, a minimum shooting distance of 7m, a weight of 3.15kg, and a tripod mount that cannot be removed.
Although there is no IF in the name, the lens length does not change during operation due to internal focus.
The compatible lens mounts for the non-DG version are definitely Sigma SA and Canon EF, Nikon F is unknown, and other mounts are unknown.
The DG version with updated lens coating was released in 2005 for Sigma SA mount, Canon EF mount, and Nikon F mount, in 2007 for Pentax, and in 2010 for Sony.
Accessories include a case and a cylindrical hood (LH1236-01), and the list price is 550,000 yen (excluding tax).
2．Usability
Before purchasing the SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX HSM, I tried out the longer focal length 300-800mm zoom and 800mm lenses, and decided that an 800mm lens would be too much for me to carry camera equipment on foot, such as up a mountain, so I purchased the 500mm.
I kept this lens for a relatively long time, using it to photograph hawks at Shirakaba Pass in Nagano. I then sold it when I switched to the α900 + APO 400mm F4.5, and never used it with the SD1 or sd Quattro that were released afterwards.
With the lens attached to the SIGMA SD10, it weighed about 4kg, so the 15-minute walk up the mountain path to Takamidai at Shirakaba Pass wasn’t too difficult. I’m always impressed when I see older photographers carrying 600mm F4 and 800mm F5.6 lenses up the mountain paths. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve also been staying away from the pass.
I also used zoom lenses that cover 500mm and 600mm, such as the 50-500mm and 150-600mm, but the prime 500mm lens still produces image quality that is different from that of a zoom lens. Looking at the results of shooting with the prime 500mm HSM and 500mm zoom on the SD10, the prime lens has the advantage of producing a smooth background blur and no false colors around the edges of the subject.
Zoom lenses are a little slower, so they are naturally more susceptible to camera shake, but the weight and brightness of the 500mm meant that the yield was good when shooting handheld.
The biggest disappointment with this lens is that when using a 1.4x teleconverter on a Sigma camera, the maximum aperture exceeds f/5.6, preventing the AF from working due to camera limitations.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX HSM, it is relatively inexpensive for a 500mm prime lens, about half the price of lenses made by camera manufacturers. However, with the spread of mirrorless cameras in the 2020s, telephoto lenses for SLR cameras have fallen in price across the board, so there’s not much reason to buy a Sigma.
It’s a lens that’s not worth buying unless it’s extremely cheap.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
Sigma’s APO 500mm is available in two versions: a new version with DG in the lens name and an older version without. The difference is the lens coating, and the basic elements of the lens, such as the lens construction, are the same.
In addition to Sigma, Canon also released the EF500mm F4.5L USM in 1992 as an AF SLR lens with a focal length of 500mm F4.5, commonly known as 500mm F4.5. Nikon only offers 500mm F4, and has not released an F4.5 lens.
I envied Canon’s 500mm F4 because, as long as the camera’s AF performance is good, the AF works with a 1.4x teleconverter.
About 10 years later, Sigma released the 500mm F4. This lens can be extended to 700mm with a 1.4x teleconverter, and the AF still works. However, by the time this lens was released, my bird watching craze had completely died down, so I never bought one.
Sigma also released the 500mm F5.6 SPORTS (commonly known as Gogo Roku) exclusively for mirrorless cameras in 2024. It weighs just 1.4 kg, making it ideal for carrying up mountains. However, I no longer have the money to spend 400,000 yen on a lens that I might use once a year.
| Items | 500mm F4.5 | 500mm F4.5 DG | 500mm F4 | 500mm F5.6 |
| Focal length(mm) | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Max aperture | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 5.6 |
| Min aperture | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Lens Construction | 11 elements in 8 groups | 11 elements in 8 groups | 16 elements in 11 groups | 20 elements in 14 groups |
| Aperture blade | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| Min distance(m) | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Lens length(mm) | 350 SIGMA-SA | 350 SIGMA-SA | 380 SIGMA-SA | 235 L-Mount |
| Lens Max diameter(mm) | 123 | 123 | 145 | 108 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 46(rear) | 46(rear) | 46(rear) | 95 |
| Lens hood | LH1236-01 | LH1236-01 | LH1388-01 | LH1034-02 |
| Lens mount | SIGMA-SA CANON-EF NIKON-F α(DG) PENTAX(DG) | SIGMA-SA CANON-EF NIKON-F α(DG) PENTAX(DG) | SIGMA-SA CANON-EF NIKON-F | L-Mount SONY-E |
| Weight(g) | 2990 SIGMA-SA | 3150 SIGMA-SA | 3310 SIGMA-SA | 1370 L-Mount |
| Release date | 1999 | 2005 | 2016 | 2024 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 470,000 yen | 550,000 yen | OP 530,000 yen | OP 380,000 yen |
Reference links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20040630215004/http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/lens/index.html
- SIGMA APO 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM
- 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports
- 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports
- SIGMA 300mm F2.8・WebArchive
- SIGMA 300mm F4・WebArchive
- SIGMA 400mm F5.6・WebArchive
- SIGMA 500mm F4.5・WebArchive
Affiliate link
- Sigma・Ads by Amazon
- Sigma lens・Ads by Amazon
- Sigma books・Ads by Amazon
Update history
- 2025.9.17
- 2024.12.23
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