I’ve been promising myself an SBL for years but have always talked myself out of it, saying I don’t need it. When am I going to use it? It’s a lot of money. You know things like that. Well, I’ve only gone and done it; I bought one. I am now the proud owner of my very own SBL (Stupidly Big Lens). I bought a Sigma 150–650mm f/5.6–f/6.3 Contemporary lens. I very nearly bought the Sport version; I’m so glad I didn’t. That thing is heavy; I would have needed a hoist to get the camera strap around my neck and arms like Bluto (ask Mum and Dad who that is) to hold it all day. Mind you, the one I bought is not lightweight either.
Why did I buy it? Well, the time was right, the price was right, and the money was there, plus I needed it. I’ve been doing a lot of bird photography lately, and as good as my Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 is, it simply isn’t long enough. I needed more reach. The downside, besides the weight, is that it doesn’t fit in my camera bag. When I’m going out, it sits on the front seat of the car with a seatbelt on.
Is it any good? I’ve had it for a week now and used it several times. Apart from the weight and the size when fully extended, it is very good. Nature photography is not something I’m built for. At 6′ 2 ½” and nearly 20 stone (280 lbs), I’m too big to go sneaking around without making a sound (a bit like an elephant in ballet shoes). I do try to sneak and be quiet, but I’m not always successful. I fall over or bump into something.
The photos that I have taken have been for the most part, bang on the money, the only thing that I don’t like is the amount of noise due to the high ISO being used to get shutter speeds of 1/1600 of a second, but that can be cleaned up in processing. The more I use the lens, the better I will get with it.
