Sigma 105mm Macro Lens User Manual
Buy Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens for Nikon F featuring F-Mount Lens/FX Format, Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22, Two SLD Elements, Super Multi-Layer Coating, 1:1 Magnification, 1' Minimum Focus, Hyper Sonic Motor AF System, Floating Internal Focus Design, OS Image Stabilization, Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm. Review Sigma null. Camera: Nikon Lens: 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Shutter: 1/2 sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO Setting: 100. Description: This is my first series of photos taken with this Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro. I received the lens yesterday and was testing to see if it’s a keeper.
The Sigma 105mm F2.8 Macro EX DG OS HSM lens has become one of my favorite lenses for macro photography in the field. So what makes me reach for this lens when Sigma offers five macro lenses when I own all of them? The answer is balance, the 105mm lens is really good at everything and one of the best in terms image quality. This lens can give you the sharpest results possible with an excellent balance of size, weight, working distance at a very high value per dollar price.
The strongest feature of the 105mm F2.8 Macro is image quality. It offers sharpness and resolution that is amazing, take a look at the 100% crop sections of the full size images in this post to get an idea of just how sharp this lens really is. All the images below were made handheld or with a monopod and a single diffused wireless flash.
When it comes to choosing a macro lens, balance is important since there is never a perfect solution, everything is a selection of trade-offs. The Sigma 105mm for example might not have the same super creamy bokeh of the Sigma 180mm macro, but in the field the 180 macro can be a challenge to work with flash because of the long working distance. The trick is that when you need the softest background possible you can always shoot at a wider aperture and stack frames to get the depth of field you need.
It’s important to look at everything a macro lens has to offer and avoid getting fixated on only one or two criteria. The Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro lens is one of my favorites for field work and is an excellent all around macro lens.
If you have any questions or comments be sure to share ’em in the comments section below.
Robert O’Toole is a Sigma Pro and has been a professional photographer for more than 20 years. As an accomplished instructor, Robert leads photography workshop tours across the US and internationally. For more info visit Robert’s web site at robertotoolephotography.com
- Total Score:
- 9.50
- Rating 1 to 10, top score 10
Pros
- Fantastic image quality
- Sharp, sharp, sharp
- Great lens for both traditional and macro photography
- Solid build quality
- At $769, the cost of the lens is wonderful
Cons
- A little heavy with extended use
Sigma has come out with some fantastic lenses lately–my current favorite lens being the Sigma 35mm f1.4. I favor prime lenses and have been looking for a great macro lens to add to my gear. Is the Sigma 105mm f2.8 going to be that lens for me?
Sigma Macro Lens For Nikon
Overview
Sigma 105mm F2.8 Macro
The Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR cameras is a medium telephoto length macro lens perfect for doing close up shots without feeling like you have to be right on top of your subject. The prime lens offers a wide 2.8 aperture which, coupled with Sigma’s Optical Stabilizer (OS) system, makes for great handheld shots, even in low light. With a solid feel and sleek, clean design, this lens from Sigma is quite impressive both in terms of image quality and quality of the user experience. The lens, available for Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Sony mounts, retails for $969 but currently has a $200 instant savings special offer to bring the price to $769.
Build and Design
This lens fits right in line with the new sleek, modern, streamlined look of Sigma’s recent lens offerings. It features a very solid, very high quality build that feels like solid metal construction, even though the lens is made primarily of a very hard specialized plastic. The focus ring moves quickly, smoothly and effortlessly in both autofocus and manual focusing modes. Everything about it feels high quality and like a solid build that will last for many, many years to come.
Image Quality
Even though the build is solid and the aesthetics of the lens are gorgeous, image quality is where this macro lens really shines. Sigma’s 105mm f2.8 macro lens produces beautiful, tack-sharp photos even wide open, although for maximum sharpness, you will want to stop down, especially when shooting close up for macro photography. The lens features Sigma’s Special Low Dispersion (SLD) lens and one high refractive index SLD lens, which together correct for aberration and distortion quite well. The lens is coated with Sigma’s Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, and I found that the images had good contrast coming straight out of the camera. Macros as close as 1:1 are consistently sharp and beautifully rendered, as are shots using the lens as a medium telephoto for portraits. The 9 blade diaphragm produces beautiful bokeh.
Ease of use/User Experience
This lens was a joy to use! The HSM (hyper sonic motor) motor provided quick, quiet autofocus that was not only fast but quite accurate, producing tack sharp images with ease on my Nikon d600. I prefer manual focus for macro photography, and the manual focus ring was smooth and quick to adjust, and my images came out beautifully with crisp detail in the subject. I am a firm believer in AF fine tuning/microcalibration for best results, but even straight out of the box with no adjustments on my NIkon d600, the results were amazingly sharp and gorgeous.
Sigma 100mm Macro
Conclusion
I love this lens! Macro photography is always a fun adventure, and the Sigma 105mm f2.8 lens makes the most of it. It is sharp in focus and has beautiful, creamy bokeh. I love this 105mm focal length for macro, so that I don’t have to be right on top of my subject. At the current price of $769, this is an incredible buy for such a high quality lens that is built to last. So, I think at last my search for a macro lens has come to an end. I will be picking this one up as soon as I can!
Sample Images