Evaluation:  
Conclusion: Versitile, heavy, need tripod, but good
Review: There's no substitute for a good piece of glass.
There's no short cuts or easy ways around getting what you need in photography. You will most likely need to break down and buy various lenses.
However, if you are like me and want to "try" to cover as many bases as you can in one shot, then this is a GREAT lens for you.
I love this lens. I'm sure there's sharper Canon L lenses out there...no doubt. BUT for the price and versitility, you can't beat this lens.
Great for telephoto up to 500mm, and great for portraits back down at 50-100m.
The only negatives about this lens is that, it's heavy for one. Very heavy and you will need to get used to the weight. It's VERY hard to get sharp images at 500mm (or even less) just by holding the camera. You will need a bright sunny day, unless you're shooting 50-300mm. SO, you need a tripod. Make sure the tripod holds a good 10lbs. or more. So that pushes your expenses up there too. Your filter size on this is very odd and very large. So add in another $75 UV filter.. $300+ for a good circular polarizer... BUT do NOT play around with an expensive lens without at least a UV filter to protect it from scratches.
The other negative is the aperature. f6.3 at 500mm is quite slow - take that in combination with the weight and you get a LOT of blurry photos.
This lens is not for the impatient. However, I feel Sigma did a real good job of giving photographers what they want. I feel Sigma is a great company because everytime you turn around say "I love this Canon lens, I wish it went to this, or I wish it was this.." BOOM - Sigma comes out with what you need. Canon's comporable lens I believe is 100-400mm....sure you can get the teleconverter but guess what? There's a teleconverter for this too! ...and you can never go backwards to get the 50mm you're losing. Maybe there are sacrifices in some other places (as I FIRST stated, there's no replacement for good glass)....but Sigma doesn't hammer you over the head for the cost. So you ask yourself, is paying another $600 for an image stabilizer or $300 for a few more milimeters or a billion more for an L lens really worth it?
That's where Sigma - and this lens - shine. In giving you what you want for a good price.
I can't say you won't have frustrations, but after you get a good work out from holding this lens, you'll be quite happy.
PS - in regard to another review claming the f5.6 at 500mm. I do NOT reccommend using your camera on this setting. I know my Canon 20D allows it, or claims it. BUT it is NOT correct. I think it's a flaw - perhaps between the digital conversion somewhere? Anyway, your photos will come out soft if you use f5.6 at 500mm. Took me forever to figure that out. I thought the lens was junk for a while because I wasn't listening to what the box/manual/lens said!
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Bigma gets the job done well if you're thogh to carry it
Review:
I've had this lens for over 2 years now, and am quite pleased with its performance.
The lens is from the Sigma's EX top of the line Pro lenses; has a great build quality and respectable weight. It extends, quite much actually when zooming.
The lens is said to be the cheapest way to reach 500mm and it delivers surprisingly well for a "hyperzoom". When I received it, I made some comparison shots, in the respective focal length, testing side by side the Bigma (this Sigma lens) with a 200mm Canon prime L (pro) lens without noticing difference, throughout the comparable f stops.
The Bigma is a bit slow to autofocus (when compared to the USM, canon lenses) but hey, you can't beat the price, and it gets the job done just fine.
The zoom is manual; the lens extends to 2-2.5 times its folded length while zooming, but does not rotate the front element. There is a manual focus ring that can override the autofocus. Its front opening is quite large, 82 mm, so plan ahead for filters if you’d need any, as they get expensive this size.
Another nice thing: in Canon mouth, it actually reads 5.6, full extended zoom (500mm), not 6.3 as advertised. Still, don't expect to get many (if any) wildlife images at the best light - dusk, and dawn (you really need a much larger aperture opening then) with this lens.
This lens has been my lens of choice for wildlife. Some images that I took look "soft", but this has most likely been a result of a camera/lens wobbling (good luck keeping steady this beast extended) rater than the optics.
It has seen quite rogue use in my hands, and it’s holding quite well for being lugged around in conditions from rain to snow.
Sorry to hear for the troubles of the previous reviewer, I don't think it's usual for an EX lens, built like a tank as this one to “come apart” within a year. Sigma's customer support has been responsive to my pre- and post-purchase questions so far, haven't needed them for anything else than general questions; no any problems with the 2 EX Sigma lenses that I own.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Great product - TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Review: I bought this lens in October and loved it. It's great when it works, but the manufacturing sucks, and the lens came apart in under a year. I sent it in for warranty repair and got a bill. I spent HOURS on the phone with Sigma's repair department and, after being passed around from technician to manager to Sales Manager, I was told they'd pay for the repair labor, but I had to pay for parts. They were totally unconcerned with customer satisfaction, totally unconcerned with the reputation of their equipment. They just weren't going to fix the problem with the piece of equipment I paid $800 for. Sigma makes a great product, but isn't at all concerned with customer Satisfaction
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