Call a Sherpa: Sigma's 200-500mm lens

Stephen Shankland, Crave.com | Mar 09, 2007

When it comes to SLR cameras, there are big lenses with a long focal length, there are fast lenses with a wide aperture to gather lots of light, and flexible lenses with a wide zoom angle.

Squeezing all three into the same lens is tough, but Tokyo-based lens maker Sigma has done just that with a model with a 200-500mm zoom range. It's got a wide aperture, F2.8, for taking higher-speed shots.

But there's a catch: The lens weighs 40kg.

The company is showing off a prototype here at the Photo Marketing Association trade show.

The mammoth lens, about three feet long, is a prototype but will go on sale, said Yousuke Yamazaki, a mechanical designer for Sigma. The lens has two motors, one for zoom and one for focusing. It also has a digital display that indicates the focal distance setting.

Read more camera gizmos here | Latest PMA 2007 coverage