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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO HSM IF Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Photo Zone
The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 APO EX macro DG D is one of the few third-party lenses that can play in the league up there with the big boyz. The performance figures are excellent and leave really nothing to be desired across all tested quality characteristics. The mechanical build quality is very good thanks to a metal body and a true IF (internal focusing) design with a constant physical length. The AF speed is about average in absolute terms but pretty good for a macro lens. Thanks to Sigma’s HSM (Hypersonic-Motor> the AF operates virtually silent. The lens is compatible to Sigma’s APO EX DG converter so there ´s also an option for some extra reach or increased working distance if needed. The price tag of the lens is moderate at around 550-600 €/US$.
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Other Sigma 150mm f/2.8 APO EX macro DG D AF Reviews
Photo Zone (Canon Mount Tested)
It is a little tricky to find a verdict for the Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 APO EX DG macro HSM – as mentioned above the sample lens suffered from a rather extreme degree of decentering which pollutes the resolution potential of the lens (on the left image side) – a rather worrysome quality control issue. Assuming a good sample the lens can show a very high performance straight from the max. aperture with a peak performance at or even beyond the resolution limits of an 8 megapixel APS-C sensor. Chromatic aberrations are quite negligible, distortions are basically absent and vignetting is very low. The bokeh (the characteristic of foreground and background blurr) is very smooth with pleasant out-of-focus highlights. The mechanical build quality is very high. The HSM AF drive is virtually silent but the focusing speed is rather slow which is typical for most macro lenses though. So in principal the lens can be highly recommended – see also the Nikon review of this lens where it performed stellar. READ FULL REVIEW
Digital Picture
The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens delivers excellent image quality in a relatively long focal length (for a macro lens) at a very reasonable price. This lens is very sharp wide open – from the center all the way out to the full frame corners. Stopping down only improves image sharpness slightly – it is hard to improve on the wide open sharpness this lens delivers. CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very well controlled. Distortion and flare are not issues. Color is fine. Vignetting is the Sigma 150’s weakest image quality factor. Even stopped down to f/8, full frame users are going to see over 1 stop of shading in the corners. Users of 1.6x bodies should be happy at f/4 and beyond. An optically great lens will not show its strength if it delivers an out of focus image. Unfortunately, I had a lot of mis-autofocused results from this lens – far more than could have been my fault. Sigma’s internal HSM (Hypersonic Motor) autofocusing is very nice – quiet with FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing. But it is only moderately fast and it showed inconsistent accuracy in both one-shot and AI Servo AF modes. The Sigma 150 focuses even more slowly in low light. This is far from the slowest or most-inconsistent autofocusing lens I’ve used but definitely is not the best in this regard. Fortunately, most macro photography is done using manual focusing which makes any autofocus inconsistencies and speeds irrelevant. This is a really nice 150mm telephoto lens that could be even better for general purpose and sports use if it had fast and accurate AF. In summary, the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens delivers excellent optical quality but only fair AF performance in a solid package at a very reasonable price. It very well could be the best macro lens option for you personally. READ FULL REVIEW
SLR Gear
This 150mm f/2.8 macro lens is an example of this, knock-your-socks off optical performance, good build quality, and a quick AF motor. The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro seems to offer the best bang of just about anything in its focal length/aperture range. If you’re interested in shooting really close-up macro, yet with a reasonable working range, the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 looks to be a really excellent choice. READ FULL REVIEW
Jayaprathab Mathuraiveeran
15 Aug 2009I have the sigma 150mm f2.8 macro lens and below is some of the good shots this lens has taken. I am happy with this lens
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14560533@N04/sets/72157621319912828/
Rick
15 Jan 2011I’ve owned this lens 3 or 4 years and am an advanced amateur. I use the Sigma 150 primarily for shooting people and a bit for macro. It’s reasonably sharp wide open at f2.8 although it really shines at f4. That still gets you nice narrow depth of field. Bokeh and transitions from focus to out of focus are very smooth. It has good contrast and colour. I typically carry 2 lenses in my bag plus a 3rd on the body and this is almost always one of them. It’s also great for vacations where you will be carrying it around as it produces very high quality images and is both compact and affordable. Looks on the body shouldn’t be that important but I really like the stubby look on any camera. The build is very sturdy and the removable/rotatable tripod collar is superior. A great buy.