Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
Sigma Contemporary 16mm f/1.4 DC DN 16mm
What Buyers Say
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
This budget telephoto lens receives mixed reviews. Many users praise its value for the price, noting clear focus and decent image quality for occasional use like moon photography. However, several verified buyers report issues with soft focus, dust contamination, and poor build quality, especially with the 2x teleconverter. It is best suited for those with realistic expectations who are willing to use a tripod and manual focus.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Clear focus for occasional use
- Decent image quality on tripod
- Good for moon and eclipse photography
- Solid adapter and converter machining
Cons
- Soft focus on some units
- Dust contamination from 2x teleconverter
- Requires lots of light (f/8 max aperture)
- No image stabilization
- Adapter lacks back cover
Sigma Contemporary 16mm f/1.4 DC DN 16mm
The Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN lens receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from verified purchasers. Users praise its sharpness, fast autofocus, and excellent low-light performance, making it a versatile choice for travel, street, and astrophotography. While some note the lack of weather sealing and plastic build, the lens is considered a great value for its price.
Pros
- Sharp even at f/1.4
- Fast and accurate autofocus
- Excellent low-light performance
- Great value for money
- Lightweight and compact
Cons
- No weather sealing
- Plastic build
- No aperture ring
- Some vignetting wide open
Scores
Specifications
| Big Mike's SLY500 500mm | Sigma Contemporary 16mm f/1.4 DC DN 16mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | wide-angle |
| Focal Length Min | 500 mm | 16 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1000 mm | 16 mm |
| Elements | — | 16 |
| Groups | — | 13 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 2★ |
| ED Elements | — | 5★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | Super Multi-Layer Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8 | f/1.4 |
| Min Aperture | f/8 | f/1.4 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | T Mount | Canon RF |
| Format | — | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✓★ |
| Weight | 1.16 kg | 0.08 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | stepping motor★ |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 500 mm | 130 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.1x★ |
Pros & Cons
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong versatility (72nd percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average build (15th percentile)15th %ile
Sigma Contemporary 16mm f/1.4 DC DN 16mm
- Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong aperture (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong bokeh (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong optical (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Verdict
Scores 86 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 9 of 21 specs.