On Mon, 19 Aug 2002 07:37:42 -0000, xpdogg@hotmail.com (dogg) wrote:

>anybody have impressions on the sigma 170-500?
>i'm looking for a decent longzoom, new or old,
>af or manual, for nikon, that goes to 500mm.
>
>i have a monster tokina atx 400/5.6 af for nikon.
>it seems to be ok, but i'm thinking that if i'm
>going to carry all that weight, i should have long
>zoom that goes to 500.
>
>i already have a nikon 70-300 ed af. for a heavy
>fixed lens, the tokina doesn't seem to be sharper
>than the miniscule nikon zoom at 300, and 400
>doesn't pull in much more.
>
>my tele subjects are animals, boats, birds, doggz,
>and people. thanx

The old 100-500mm Cosina was a surprisingly good lens
up to around 400mm, and useable at 500mm, though
the lens was s - l - o - w . . . (slower than rating,
and too slow for most hand-held work, and not much
longer than the 400 you have...). My favorite long lens:
the old-style Nikkor 500mm f8 mirror, which is still
good on the Nikkor TC14/14B converter for a light/small/
VERY-slow/very-long lens - and this one is sharp, even
with the converter (though hard to use...), unlike most
mirrors.