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Author
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Rob Barron
Loves the place
Registered: September 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 5615
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Review Date: Sun September 17, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £389.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, sharp and sharp!
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Cons:
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Not L series
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I love macro and to get the best shots, faffing around with close-up +4 filters is a waste. Don't get me wrong, I have filters, extension tubes and bellows. But when out and about and wanting to get that dragonfly as she sits invitingly for me, a dedicated macro lens is the only way to go!
This lens is an absolute beauty, gives true 1:1 macro (the image size as life-size as it falls on the sensor/film) and is so sharp the pictures make your eyes bleed.
At 100mm you can keep enough distance between you and the subject to avoid scaring it away. At F2.8 you can get beautfiul blurring of the background to really make the subject pop forward. The bokeh (quality of blurring) is exceptional. Focusing is smooth and has little hunting BUT when doing macro I rarely use autofocus anyway. I prefer to put the camera to focus and then move the camera itself. When using a tripod, this is brilliant and takes incredible detail. Yes, you can definitely see clearly the honeycomb lens on the eye of a fly!
Down side? Well, it is not an L series lens. Why does that matter? Certainly nothing to do with the quality of the optics as they are superb and chromatic aberration is extremely minimal. However, the build quality is not the same as an L series lens. Don't take that to mean it is flimsy, far from it. Just not the strong build and good weather-proofing of the true L lenses.
The lens works extremely well as a short telephoto as well, indeed, not that short if used on a DSLR as it is the equivalent of a 160mm telephoto on a 30D or 400D. To have 160mm at F2.8 you really have got yourself an excellent medium telephoto lens without paying the earth.
Having said all of that, I must say the people who will buy this lens are the macro enthusiasts. It is WAY cheaper than the 160mm macro, about a third of the price, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Hope that is helpful to anyone considering this lens.
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Soupdragon
Forum Regular
Registered: October 2006
Posts: 1102
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Review Date: Sun October 22, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 0
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I'll go with what Rob said.
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chrisa
Forum Regular
Registered: May 2007
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 535
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Review Date: Mon February 18, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £399.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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image quality
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Cons:
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plastic build
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Top dollar macro lens that has excellent image results. It is stunningly sharp throughout the range of F2.8 upwards. It is slightly less sharp at F2.8 than it is elsewhere but nothing to complain about, it's still very good there too.
This is one of a few Canon macro lens that can be used with the Canon Macro Twin light flash gun as it has the necessary filter ring fitment on it.
I've had my lens for over 2 years now and it is still in good condition. I would suggest it would warrant the L label if it were built with something other than the plastic, the optics are definitely up to standard.
A must buy for Canon macro enthusiasts, not only due to the lens optics, but it is probably the most useful length macro lens you can get for a reasonable price.
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M1ke A
Been here a while
Registered: November 2007
Location: Sussex
Posts: 372
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Review Date: Mon May 5, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent image quality at a resonable price
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Cons:
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focus can be a bit slow on occasion
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I'll also echo the other comments about L Grade image quality but not build (or price).
However the build quality is perfectly acceptable and reassuringly sturdy.
I have found the focus can be a bit slow to respond but this is a minor nit and is more a function of the range it has to focus through, rather than focus motor speed.
One advantage the Sigmas have though is the inclusion of a tripod mount which is very handy for quickly swapping between portrait and landscape. Canon's mount is stupidly expensive  .
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