ZOOM LENS? I feel so stupid right now...

...but I thought a zoom lens was a lens that you twist and it goes in and out

bringing the subject closer or further away. O.K. so I just bought the Sigma

105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro lense and the paper that came with it says, at the

top, "SIGMA AF-MF ZOOM LENS." Am I missing something here?

What exactly is the "paper that came with it" that you are talking about?

 

Quite often, lens manufacturers make just one guide sheet for several different lenses - if that's what you're talking about.

A zoom lens is a lens that goes from one length to another. For instance a 28/210.Usually

from wide angle to tele. A telephoto lens is a fixed length lens (prime lens) say 210 or 300

or 500.

 

Many people think, I am one of them that zoom lenses are not as accurate as prime lenses. I

don't keep a zoom but I have a selection of telephoto lenses, including 105mm, 120mm

150mm 210mm and 300mm lenses. These lenses sort all my needs out - macro, portraits,

distance work.

If this is any consolation - you got yourself a very good lens. Even if you need zoom lens now - sooner or later you would start looking for a proper macro lens (which your Sigma is) - so you just may keep it.

It can be used for taking "macro shots" with up to 1:1 magnification, doubles as a very nice portrait lens - and generally is a bundle of joy :)

it's the paper that folds out like a map with all the different languages.

<img src="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s256/shaybshay/sigma-doc.jpg?t=1186288344.jpg" />

Shay , you didn't buy a zoom lens , you have a very good short tele lens

which is also very good for macro (close-up) shots. It would also be a good portrait lens. A zoom lens , on the other hand , is a lens that in a continuous fashion combines any focal length between a given wideangle, say 18 mm or 24 mm up to a tele lens of say, 70 mm or more. A second zoom you may want is (often) from 70 mm to 300 mm, just as an example . What it says on that piece of paper (Zoom) is not true for this lens.

Shay, if the manual only describes your lens, the "zoom lens" part must be a misprint.

It is clearly a misprint in the paper. They have copied the template from a zoom lens data sheet and forgot to change the title. But don't tell me you bought this lens based on what it says in the data sheet. Normally you would only see this piece of paper when you have got the new lens at home and open the box. Mots people would glance at the paper and then toss it/store it with the box.

No, I didnt buy this lense based on the data sheet, I knew I was buying a prime lense I just couldn't understand why it would say otherwise on the paper, I thought I was losing my mind or something.

Perfect example that one should not believe everything that has been written, or everything that the equipment manufacturers say, or write.

I think the term Zoom in this case must be a poor translation. The word they were looking for was probably telephoto.