It pricked as the credit card got charged but then when it arrived and I held the spanking new (almost, actually its a one month old used lens) lens in my hand, all the hard feelings vanished and weight of the credit card bill felt like it was worth it. It was the first time I had a feel of a 500mm lens and it felt good, really good. Watching the pro photographer posing with their bazooka kind of uber gear on INW, I always wondered how it would feel having possession of such gear, now I can understand the joy after holding the Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3 HSM OS lens. If, with an average, slow lens like my Sigma, I can see so many photographic possibilities opening up, having a fast prime lens with almost the same reach will just quadruple the possibilities. But no, I am not complaining and so far I am just loving it.

So how is the lens?

haven’t had enough face time with it yet, just had one birding session close to my place, but the initial experience is as follows;

1) Build – It has got a solid build and really nice feel to it. Coming from an old Nikkor 70-300 G lens, the Sigma 15-500 weights significantly higher. But not something that we cannot manage. You can actually hand hold it all shots below are hand held. Did not use a tripod or any kind of support.

2) OS – OS is pretty impressive, I have not had that many opportunities to use IS/VR/OS lens, but recently I had did get a chance to use Nikkor 18-200 VR lens. The OS system on this lens is as good as the Nikkor one.

3) Weight – It is heavy for a day long shooting. For 2-3 hours job you wont feel the weight, but after that you will for sure feel the need for a tripod or monopod to rest your lens on.

4) IQ – Not all that great, images tend to be a soft, not clear as other pro lens, but then the IQ is a good bargain for the reach and price you pay for this lens.

More detailed analysis later..for now these are the images taken with this lens. All are hand held shots, at 500mm, ISO 800

(Photo from gadl’s Wee planets )

These are different from the photoshop’s polar coordinate  filter trick and the results are much more brilliant. Follow the flickr to know how to produce one of these.

I was all right for a while
I could smile for a while
But I saw you last night
You held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say, “Hello”
Oh, you wished me well
You couldn’t tell
That I’d been crying over you
Crying over you
When you said, “So long”
Left me standing all alone
Alone and crying, crying
Crying, crying

It’s hard to understand
But the touch of your hand
Can start me crying
I thought that I was over you
But it’s true, so true
I love you even more
Than I did before
But, darling, what can I do?
For you don’t love me
And I’ll always be crying over you
Crying over you

Yes, now you’re gone
And, from this moment on
I’ll be crying, crying
Crying, crying
Yeah, crying, crying
Over you

In wake of this where does the average Hindu go? Who would be that “north-star” that he can look-up to navigate this maze?

Absolutely love it..Absolutely brilliant. The grace with which his fingers move over the fretboard is simply awesome. Truly inspirational.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Beautiful lines from poem titled Invictus by William Ernest Henley.  Clint Eastwood has recently directed a movie with the same name. It is said that this poem was a inspiration for Nelson Mandela as he was incarcerated in a tiny cell for 27 years.