I was playing around with the Sigma 50-500mm lens last night at 500mm in manual focus mode. I was unhappy with the focus that I had gotten yesterday on the kitten, so I decided that I had better learn how to focus more accurately. In the photo of McGonagall, below, I focused on her right eye (the one that’s more open). Exposure parameters were ISO 1600, f/6.3, 1/20 sec, in aperture priority mode.
It probably would’ve been a more pleasing photo had I not done an in-camera crop of her ears, but I wanted to use the lens all the way out at 500mm since that is what I’ll need to do to get photos of outdoor wildlife. That said, using a somewhat shorter focal length would have provided a somewhat wider depth of field. Perhaps it would have been enough for McGonagall’s nose to be in better focus. Note that her eye is tack sharp though.
