- Built quality - Macro 1:1 - Contrast and colour reproduction - Price

- Auto focus gets confused sometimes and extends all the way to macro mode, but then again I rarely use auto focus

I have this product for almost a year and it has become by far my favorite. I used it a lot for studio work and close ups in outdoors. Contrast and colour reproduction is excellent and it feels very comfortable on my F-80 (N-80). For the amount of money spent I believe that you can not find anything close to it. Tamron's 90mm SP is quite good also but a bit more expensive.

Customer Service

Never needed them

price sharpness look and feel fast 2.8 maximum apeture

the AF is slow and fickle, but since I rarely use it with macro, it's not a problem.

I can't overemphasize how impressed I am with this lens. This is my first Sigma product, but it won't be my last. The lens seems VERY well built: both attractive in looks and solid in feel. It also comes with a nice case. But the best part is the quality of images: this is one sharp lens! From corner to corner the image is sharp and contrasty. It performs as well as my Nikon primes in this regard. The 105mm focal length is very useful for macro work, too. This keeps the lens fast and light while at the same time allowing you some distance from your subject. All in all, this is just a great lens at a great price.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Various Nikon zooms and primes. This is my first macro besides an old 55mm Konica.

high image quality, good contrast, price, quality construction

the only weakness is its AF but I rarely use it for macro photography anyway

An impressive piece of lens for the price. The images I have made with this lens have been outstanding and definitely hold par with its Nikon equivalent, which costs twice as much.

Similar Products Used:

nikon 105 2.8

Good image quality EX finish is nice

Dual focus ring NOISY AF

Very good lens which would be even better with HSM motor. AF noise is terrible but but it really doesn't bother me that much because I normally use manual focusing. But apparently the owner before me (and/or me) has used manual focus with the switch in AF position resulting the inevitable trip to repair shop. The focusing axle (or something like that) had broken down. Cost me almost 70$. But otherwise excellent lens for plant, bug and portrait photography.

Customer Service

Good

Similar Products Used:

Sigma EX f/1.8 24mm DG Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM Canon EF f/1.8 50mm

very very very ***SHARP*** bokeh max aperture manual focus is very comfortable good exterior look well built macro 1:1 neutral colors (usefull for portraits) internal focus 58mm diameter diaphragm with 8 lames very good contrast

Af is slow and too noisy (but it has SF limit switch!)

A great lens under all aspects! Very sharp, well built, solid, wonderful bokeh, great max aperture (f2.8), AF limiter, ecc... I usually shot portraiture and macro and this lens is the perfect companion. Buy it and you won't regret.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 50mm f1.8 Canon EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 USM II Sigma EX 28-70mm f2.8 Aspherical Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO MACRO SUPER 1:2

Price good quality takes nice pics

have yet to find one

I'm very happy with this lens, and for the price you really can't beat it. I've noticed a lot people mentioning the AF. Honestly, what do you need AF for on a macro lens? Also, before you buy it you know it's not HSM, so the not-so-top performance shouldn't be a surprise. As for optical quality, I can't compare it to any Canon macro...i've never used them before. But i've never been disappointed with results. The pics are always clear and vibrant (unless i messed something up).

Reasonable price Exterior appears well made comes with case and lens hood

Poor autofocus The two switches for manual to auto are very awkward Not as sharp as my Canon lenses

The diaphram locked up on mine after only a few months

Customer Service

Emailed them so am about to find out

Similar Products Used:

Canon 50mm f1.4 Canon 28-135 IS Canon 75-300 IS Caonon 300f4 IS

Excellent build quality Excellent optical performance Incredible value Nice lens case is included Screw-in lens hood included

I haven't found any.

This review is based on a use for the EX 105/2.8 I had not intended at all. Originally I had standard macro work (insects and flowers) in mind for this lens. Having owned the Sigma EX 50/2.8 Macro, and being very impressed with it, I was mostly interested in the added working space the longer focal length provides. Much to my surprise, its first use ended up being for B&W portraiture! And what a great experience it was ... Mounted on my Canon EOS-3 (which it is fully compatible with) loaded with Kodak TMAX 100, I shot a roll for studio portraiture. All exposures were at either f/2.8, 4, or 5.6 for selective focus. The resulting images were sharp (although not as sharp as some of the reviews here claim -- I definitely don't feel you'll need a soft focus filter attached) and contrasty, rendering wonderful skin tones. I love the look of the out-of-focus areas. It took me a while to get accustomed to the EX finish, and the dual focusing mechanism, but now find myself quite fond of both. I felt the lens handled beautifully, and it's very easy to focus manually. I found AF performance to be adequate. The build quality and optics are both excellent. I have seven Sigma lenses in both Nikon and Canon mounts, four of them in the EX series, and am more than satisfied with all of them. In some regards, I find them superior to my Nikkor and Canon counterparts. I would add that my experience with Sigma customer service has also been excellent. I sent them several e-mails with technical questions, and all were answered within 24 hours. I had to send my EX 50/2.8 Macro in for a CPU upgrade for compatability with my EOS-3, and I had the lens back within one week. Sigma did not charge anything for the upgrade. I always enjoy the extras Sigma includes with their lenses: a nice case and a hood. I sure wish Nikon and Canon would do the same. I recommend this lens without hesitation.

Customer Service

Excellent. Very responsive to e-mails.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma EX 50/2.8 Sigma EX 20/1.8 Sigma 28/1.8 II Sigma 170-500 Sigma 70-300 APO Sigma EX 28-70/2.8

Fast, light, renders great pictures.

Push-pull manual/auto system is a pain -- I've missed a couple of shots (of butterflies) trying to switch from one to the other.

This is a great lens. Pin-sharp pictures in all apertures, good color and contrast, competent auto-focus ... there's very little I don't like about this lens. It's gradually replacing my Canon EF 28-135mm IS as my favorite "walking around" lens, primarily because I can do more at f/2.8 than I can at f/4 or f/5.6 and the faster speed pretty much always compensates for the benefits of image stabilization.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 28-135mm IS.

highest optic quality at fair price. a good & sensitive MF. one more stop f45.

not the fastes AF lens.

I have the MINOLTA 9XI with original 70-300 macro 4.5-5.6, sigma 28-70 2.8. & tokina 17mm. Bought this lans because i needed a good macro lens & also reasonable portrait lens at fair price. ex series is good but this lens is more then that, the lens have one of the highest optic quality i have ever sean, it mach & even beet the canon, minolta & nikon similar product. it has little problem in the AF, it slow, but focused well without blank spinning. I enjoy it much.

Customer Service

no needed but sigma have the best service

Similar Products Used:

100 minolta, canon, nikon sigma 55mm