Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
Sigma Art 17-40mm f/1.8 DC
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 Art 17-40mm f/1.8 DC
The Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC DN Art lens is overwhelmingly praised for its exceptional image quality, fast constant aperture, and compact internal zoom design. Users highlight its sharpness, lightweight build, and excellent autofocus performance, especially on crop-sensor mirrorless cameras like the Canon R7 and Fujifilm bodies. A few questions about compatibility with specific cameras and features like weather sealing and aperture ring are noted, but the overall sentiment is extremely positive.
Pros
- Exceptional image quality
- Fast constant f/1.8 aperture
- Compact internal zoom design
- Lightweight build
- Sharp and bright photos
Cons
- No weather sealing mentioned
- No manual aperture ring on some mounts
- Compatibility questions with full-frame cameras
- Expensive for some buyers
Scores
Specifications
| Big Mike's SLY500 500mm | Sigma Art 17-40mm f/1.8 DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 500 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1000 mm | 40 mm |
| Elements | — | 17 |
| Groups | — | 11 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 4★ |
| ED Elements | — | 4★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | Super Multi-Layer Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8 | f/1.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/8 | f/1.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 11★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | T Mount | Fujifilm X |
| Format | — | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✓★ |
| Weight | 1.16 kg | 0.54 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 500 mm | 280 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 1:4.8★ |
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 Art 17-40mm f/1.8 DC
- Strong user sentiment (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong bokeh (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong optical (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong aperture (95th percentile)95th %ile
Pricing
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm offers 2.9x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 8 of 21 specs.
