Geordie

A big advantage of in lens is that it stabilises what you see in the viewfinder, making composition much easier.
It's also supposed to give more stops benefit than 'in body'.
I believe if you have both on the gyroscopes "fight" each other,can anyone confirm that?

[/quote]I need to fill in the warranty card - I got mine from SRS as well. Most of my shots are at 1/500 @ 500mm but I could still do with support.

Cheers,

Howard

[/quote]Howard

I think the 3 year warranty is a separate thing to the warranty card, that you have to do online within 30 days at the Sigma Imaging web site, I could be wrong, but better safe than sorry. It's quick and easy to do, you just need the lens no.

Cheers

Peter

Hi Howard

I've just got a Sigma 150-500 as well, so we're on the same learning curve. Your pics look good to me.

Can't offer advice or criticism, but a couple of things I'd like to share

If, like me, you've bought new from a UK dealer (got mine from SRS - great service just like everyone says), you have 30 days from purchase to register at Sigma Imaging for a free 3 year warranty.

I note all your pictures are hand held, I've invested in a cheap monopod, and I'm finding it extremely useful I was losing some shots to camera shake around 1/100 sec at 500mm, not any more. It worked even better when I remembered to screw it on to the lens, not the camera, doh!

I got the 7day shop own brand 1003 for £7.79 inc delivery (less than the price of a replacement front lens cap for this beast?), and find it robust enough for the weight of this camera/lens combo. It only weighs 360g so doesn't add much to what you have to lug around.

Also I had the opportunity to compare it with the Camlink monopod Argos sell for £19.99, they are identical.

Very pleased with it, it is heavy to lug around, but at current prices very good value

Had a play with the clamp tonight, and had to resort to RTFM
The manual says that you focus manually, and then switch the clamp on. This will lock the focus... unless you turn the focussing ring, which will change it!!! The focus ring seems to turn pretty much as easily whether the clamp is on or off. The clamp also disables auto focus. The manual gives a list of film auto-focus cameras which it says to use the clamp you have to set the camera to manual focus first.
I thought using the clamp might allow me to use catch-in-focus, but it didn't. Put a manual focus lens on, and confirmed my catch-in-focus is working.
As far as I can see, this clamp merely replicates setting focus on the camera to manual, which if ever Pentax release a body without the option to set to manual focus will be extremely useful, don't think it's a camera I would buy though.
Hopefully I'm just completely confused and someone will explain to me how I'm going to get years of pleasure and enhanced photos by using this clamp

Thanks for those replies. That's what I thought it would do, but with clamp on I could still turn the focus ring by hand. Will check again tonight

Can I ask another silly question. I have one of these, and there is a 'CLAMP' switch on it. I've tried moving it but it doesn't seem to do anything. What's it for?

+1 Kept the 18-55 & 50-200 but the 18-200 has made them redundant,after two & a half years I'm still impressed

People over the years who have had the opportunity to compare always say the 18-250s are better than the 18-200s.However the 18-200s are a lot cheaper. I've not had chance to compare, but have had a Tamron 18-200 for about 30 months, and been very pleased with it. The original post referred to a superzoom to replace using the 18-55 & 50-200, well FWIW I had those two lenses (in Samsung form) when I bought the Tamron, and I don't think either of them has been used since.

Been very pleased with mine. The 18-55 & 50-200 which came as a twin lens kit with my Samsung GX10 have hardly been used since it arrived 18 months or so ago

Try Energiser Ultimate Lithium, about £7 for 4. Not rechargeable, worked with my DL2 when I had same problem. None rechargeable are 1.5V, but rechargeable 1.25V. DL2is backup body to my GX10 so I take batteries out when not in use,often when putting back, first insert shows low battery, but a re-fit gives full battery. I have taken plenty of shots on one set of these over last 2 years on what, like you, I thought was a broken camera