Evaluation:  
Conclusion: Great value!
Review: Bought mine in Hong Kong for 913 USD, expensive 50-USD filter (because of the 'non-std' lens diameter) included.
First off, the main selling point is still the price. You cannot get any 500mm prime or zoom from Canon at less than 1K USD. And for wildlife and shot-of-people-from-a-far (sneaky, a la paparazzo), lense does its job. I did some test shots at a beach near dusk, still delivers respectable images.
On sharpness, I think it's also passable enough. I added a picture of sunset, bottle on the beach, and birds on a tree, all taken handheld, 500mm, as wide as it can, with OS on. I dont have any other super telephoto to compare these images with, so evaluate on your own. To me, image quality is very satisfactory.
I find color saturation also passable compared with 70-200 f/4L, outdoors, daytime. I dont think I will use this anyway indoors.
Other comments/observations:
When the OS is on, there's a sound that chirps frequently and the image in the viewfinder shakes. There's also a note to switch-off OS when really not needed...to save battery?
I use 40D. Ensure the serial number is higher than 1007001 if you also use 40D. There's already a notice from Sigma that burst rate is decreased greatly for copies with serial number lower than 1007001.
Saw some comments regarding backfocusing, I see no evidence in my copy.
You can still rotate focusing ring comfortably while palm is rested in the handle. It's heavier of course than usual walkaround lenses, but you can still manage to shoot without tripod. Balance with camera is still ok.
Body finish is superb enough but I dont like Sigma's cheap-looking plastic switches for AF-MF, lock-unlock, and OS-modes.
Case included is also the same used for EX, but I think you really have to buy a good lowepro or crumpler backpack that can carry this for travels.
Hood looks cheap, but does its job.
I dont see lens creep when lens is locked at 150.
Good buy, overall. I was anxious at first if I made the right decision, but now I wont desire the Canon 100-400mm alternative anymore.
Looking forward to try on sports. Will try to visit the hippodrome this weekend.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: A Bit Heavy, Tough To Focus, but Takes Sharp Pictures from Distance
Review: I'm in Costa Rica on a shoot and got a first-hand chance to try this thing before it's launched (...supposedly. I could be wrong here). But anyway, first off, this is a heavy, heavy lens. It's not for moving around. It's not for changing lenses every 5 minutes to get that wide angle shot you can't get. It's simply a beast. The zoom has to move a whole lot of glass, and it's not so easy. And it's not supposed to be small and compact, so I can't count size as a downfall (...but the zoom could turn a little more smoothly).
And all that said, it takes great Optically Stabilized photographs, from a distance (and it really didn't seem too slow...actually pretty quick now that I think about it). I compared it to my 70-300mm Quantaray, which I love, and the 500mm Sigma made me think one thing and one thing only. I want one.
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