The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM and the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 350mm. The Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM with a length of 219mm, is 131mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM also has a larger diameter of 123mm compared to the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM's 104mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM weighs 1970g, 37% (1180g) lighter than the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM's weight of 3150g.
Filter Threads
The Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has a 95mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM:
And these are the 95mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM and the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is also available in the Nikon F (FX) , Pentax KAF and Sigma SA mounts.
Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM is also available in Pentax KAF3 , Sony Alpha, Sigma SA and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
800mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM has a focal range of 50-500mm and 10.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 80 - 800mm.
