CameraReview
Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports
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Sigma · f/5.6 · Sony E mount

Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports

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Mount
KEY FACTS
BrandSigma
Release Year2024
Production StatusIn Production
Pro BrandingSports
Lens MountSony E
What We Like
+Remarkably compact and lightweight for a 500mm prime (1,365g), making it handholeable
+Exceptional sharpness corner-to-corner at f/5.6 with minimal improvement when stopped down
+Fast and accurate HLA autofocus system ideal for wildlife and sports photography
+5.0 stops of image stabilization with dual OS modes for general shooting and panning
+Rich feature set including aperture ring (clickable/declickable), three AFL buttons, and focus limiter
+Dust and splash-resistant construction with weather-sealed design suitable for field use
Worth Knowing
F5.6 aperture is slower than f/4 alternatives, limiting low-light sports performance (requires higher ISO)
Fixed 500mm focal length lacks zoom flexibility; no compositional adjustment possible
E-mount version lacks teleconverter support (L-mount only); Sony restricts third-party teleconverter compatibility
Minimum focus distance of 3.2m is quite far for close-up work; not suitable for macro or insect photography

General

Brand
Sigma
Release Year
2024
Production Status
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
Pro Branding
Specific branding codes used for professional-tier lenses.
Sports
Lens Mount
The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras.
Sony E
System
Indicates which camera system the lens is designed to attach to.
Sony E
Maximum Format
Largest sensor size compatible with the lens.
Full Frame
Read our notes on general
The Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN OS Sports is a light and compact super-telephoto prime lens measuring 235mm long and weighing just under 1.4kg. The lens delivers exceptional image quality, with impressive sharpness from full-frame corner to full-frame corners at wide-open f/5.6 aperture. The latest OS2 optical stabilization algorithm provides an outstanding image stabilization effect of 5.0 stops, while the HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) enables fast and accurate autofocus even in ultra-telephoto photography such as sports and bird photography. Price-wise this pitches it roughly between a variety of super-telephoto zooms and super-high-end prime lenses, while beating them all on portability.

Physical

Lens Weight
1365 g
Lens Diameter
Width of the lens at its widest point
108 mm
Lens Length
How long the lens is from front to back.
236 mm
Front Filter Size
Diameter of attachable filters.
95 mm

Optics

Focal Range
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
500 mm
Aperture Range
Largest aperture at the lens's shortest focal length to longest focal length (aperture range start - end)
5.6
Zoom Lens
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
No
Closest Focusing Distance
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
320 cm01500

Features

Weather Sealing
Weather sealing capabilities will give you more confidence when shooting in unfavourable conditions.
Yes
Image Stabilization
Yes