I received my copy today. It is the first series from 2015 - no complimentary Sigma bag then.
I paid less than 700€
(return guaranty + shipping + a new bag - all costs included)
- New ones goes from 1.200€ to a low of 980€
The lens is looking very nice: and no bumps, scratches, or whatever. It's clean, it doesn't smell.
The seller told me: He is a Hasselblad shooter, but also a hunter. He wanted a cheap way to experiment BIF from the hunting huts. He used it some, but less than expected. The overall weight of the photography bag and add that you have a gun and a camera in the hut to physically care for with a very limited room for moving both.... He slowly stopped going to hunt with the camera and so the Sigma ended up sleeping in a drawer"
Here we are - my tele lenses:
It will be quite a huge beast for my poor hands.
The focus ring is perfect.
What makes me wonder it's the Zoom ring.
It seems to get lightly braked when it enters the range 250-300>400-450.
If you restart it from there it seems harder to move.
Very smooth outside that central range.
No idea if that's normal
I have 3 days to return if I find it not perfect.
Some pictures sample shot after letting the lens adapt to room temp.
Pictures were taken around 20:03 with dimming light
- very soft, but I suppose that's espected
Some samples from the balcony, hands held - SOOC
Nice spider web trailing the queue
Everybody comes here to sing ....
And the Cay's Castle
Black Petunia was taken while it was raining. After I picked up the parcel and unboxed it at home.