Hi, and has anyone seen a Sigma 50-500 in the UK recently?

I've been lurking on & off for a while (I usually "live" on dpreview for photography-related stuff) but I finally found an excuse to join up here.

I know the Bigma's not exactly the perfect lens, and I've read around enough not to expect miracles from it. But having had my airshow enthusiasm revived by this year's Biggin Hill, I've been trying to find one without any luck. So I'm on pre-order with Warehouse Express at the moment. (I thought their size as a retailer might get me one sooner).

However after getting a bit impatient, Sigma UK tell me they've none at the moment and aren't expecting any in the next shipment. So my only hope (if I'm not going to miss the peak period for shows I can get to) is that there's one festering in a shop window somewhere. As long as it's not Jessops (who want £900 for a Canon-fit!) I don't mind.

I've been using an old Tamron 70-300LD so far, which is ok, but a little enthusiastic on the purple-fringing front. Add my Pentax x1.7 converter to that to try and bring the high speed turns a little closer, and my 100D's autofocus goes haywire, and my manual focusing skills are a little rusty. Not that they were ever good enough for airshow use really!

Anyway, enough rabbit. Thanks for looking (and for contributing to a useful resource for Pentax users).

Andrew McP

Hi and welcome. I have hit some financial fun with other things recently so have stopped looking, but I don't think I had seen a 50-500 for quite some time.

If you're desperate, SRS microsystems have the 170-500, but I hear the 50-500 is a better lens.

Hi there!

Ffordes.com are listing a Pentax fit Sigma 50-500 for £750. (Under new equipment, Sigma lenses)

There could be other retailers out there... I've had a quick look (www.lcegroup.co.uk, www.mxv.co.uk, www.parkcameras.co.uk) and couldn't find one just yet.

HTH!
Matt

Just had a check of the main Dutch sites for you too but they don't have it in stock either, but fyi the price here seems to be € 1059. Not sure how that compares with the UK.
Good luck in finding one - you won't regret it.

Thanks guys.

Mongoose:
> SRS microsystems have the 170-500, but I hear the 50-500
> is a better lens

I've already been tempted by that, but the lack of a wider bottom end would be a real pain for those spur of the moment framing decisions at airshows. And, as you say, people seem more impressed the the 50-500 than the 170-500. Mind you, the exhaustion from carrying it around all day might have impaired their judgement.

MattMatic:
> Ffordes.com are listing a Pentax fit Sigma 50-500 for £750

Thanks Matt, you threw up some new sites for me to explore. But a couple of quick phone calls scored zero on the get-a-lens-ometer.

I can have a <sign of crucifix>Canon</sign of crucifix> fit any time I like, but not a Pentax.

Thanks anyway,
Andrew McP

Ok,
Here's some more to try:
www.microglobe.co.uk
www.ephotozineshop.com
www.speedgraphic.co.uk - show OOS, but might be worth ringing
www.calumetphoto.co.uk
I even tried one in Germany - but alas no stock
Matt

Bristol Cameras have it listed at £719 in Pentax fit.

http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/page20.htm

Adrian

The saga of my wait for a 70-200 has developed further... I have been told that there may be a further delay since Sigma's HQ in Welwyn Garden City has recently been burgled. The only news I can find is here...
url]http://www.ephotozine.com/article/45-Stolen-Lenses[/url]
... which refers to a burglary in February. This presumably means that either Sigma has been robbed again and needs better security, or that a burglary four months ago is still causing problems... but if the former it might go part of the way to explaining why you're having trouble finding the 50-500.

Edit: I was wrong. Here's the news:
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Delays_after_thieves_raid_Sigma_news_125367.html

So Sigma was burgled again. They say their supply chain has been "temporarily disrupted"... the optimist in me wants to believe that Sigma were working their socks off to get me my lens and if not for these burglars it would be on its way to me now. A bit unlikely though At this rate it looks like the only way we will get our hands on some Sigma glass involves balaclavas. Would you mind supplying the van?

It's Infinitely Improbable that there should be two burglaries...Must be aliens.

no, it's a covert group of Pentaxians, annoyed at the delay caused by the last buglary. They now have their lenses, but the rest of us must wait.

No – more likely a special ops team from Canon / Nikon jealous of the K10s success trying to keep us Pentaxians off the streets – or drive us mad waiting for the DA* lenses

Thanks Adrian, but Bristol were one of the places I phoned earlier today. No joy.

At this rate I may be forced to upgrade my zooming ability at a pixel level rather than via glass. I was planning on waiting for the next version of the K10D before upgrading my K100D, but this would give me a 1.6x cropping zoom similar to the change from a 300->500 top end, and without the additional camera shake.

I'll have to see how I feel on Monday.

Andrew McP

PS Interesting stuff about the Sigma theft. You'd think after the first theft they'd have tightened up their operation. To lose one handbag... etc, etc. But I guess any operation's only as strong as its weakest link, and where there are people involved there's always a weak link somewhere.

There's one on e-bay now at £450 and £495 buy it now.

Out of stock everywhere.

I suspect that the ebay ones for ~450 are the ones that got stolen from SigmaUK.

Maybe Sigma are fitting them all with USM for you K10D users? Well you can dream......