Sigma 180mm/f3.5 Macro Lens User Comments

I am considering buying a Sigma 180mm Macro lens for my Nikon system.

Does anyone out there have any experience of this lens and how does

it compare to the Nikon range of lenses?

Since nobody else is offering much on this question, I'll give you my $0.02. I used a Sigma 180 5.6 macro for about 3 years until I replaced it with a 200 mm Nikkor Micro. I generally had very good results with the Sigma. The sharpness, contrast and color rendition are all very good, though noticeably inferior to the Nikkor (duh). A big plus of the Sigma (at least the 5.6) is its compactness. One negative is that it will only go to 1:2, but I frequently used it with a Nikon 6T diopter to get 1:1 magnification, with very little loss of image quality. Although it seemed generally quite sturdily built, in the last few months before I bought the Nikkor, the distal segment of the lens (in front of the focusing ring) became loose, and local repair shops wouldn't touch it. I never did send it back to Sigma, so can't tell you if they're responsive. I never did use it AF, either, so I can't tell you what to expect in that regard. All thing considered, I thought it was a fine lens for the $300 I paid and the several years of good service it gave me. Though I know you can't judge sharpness from web images, you can see a couple of shots taken with this lens at http://www.stetson.edu/~pmay/moth.jpg and http://www.stetson.edu/~pmay/anole7.jpg.

John, there are (at least) three Sigma AF 180mm Macro lenses.

Both the 180 f/2.8 and 180 f/5.6 have been discontinued. The recent 180 f/3.5 is 1:1 cabable and performed extremely well in Chasseur d'Images tests. The optical results were similar to the highly praised Canon 180mm f/3.5 macro.

 

Click <A HREF=http://www.sigmaphoto.com/html/news/Pixfs_180mm.htm>here<A> for the specs.

Thanks for the responses so far. Just to clarify things, I was considering the new Sigma 180mm f3.5 APO lens and it was this I wanted to compare with the 200mm f2.8 Nikkor.

I was also interested in the new Sigma 180mm F3.5 Macro for my Nikon F100. The only first hand comment I found from a user said it wouldn't manual focus when it was damp. I bought one anyway. When I first got it out of the box I turned the focus ring and the distance scale didn't move. I thought maybe it needed to be mounted on the camera. I tried this and still no manual focus. Worse yet autofocus wouldn't always start. At times it wouldn't autofocus at all. I pressed the shutter button several times, turned the camera off and on, removed and remounted the lens to no avail. How could anyone work in the field with a lens like this. Needless to say I returned it to the store the next day. It seems this Sigma lens is living up to the Sigma reputation.

I now plan to buy the Nikkor 200mm F4 Micro. At grey prices it's only about $300 more.

Hi John,

 

I'm a Canon user so I can't comment on any of the Nikon lenses, but I recomend that you take a look at the Sigma 180mm f3.5 EX macro lens. I've had one for about 6 months now and I'm really pleased with the results that I've got from it - sharp from edge to edge. Its also alot cheaper (here in the UK) than either the Canon 180mm f3.5 L or the Nikon 200mm. I haven't used it with any teleconverters or extension tubes yet, but I've heard that it performs really well with them. I've also found the HSM autofocus to be quick, quiet and precise, and the manual focusing smooth and easy to use.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Sam Cotton.

Hi everyone !

 

I just bought this lens, and I can tell you it works perfectly on my Canon gear (D30 and EOS3). Moreover, it sells actually at a bargain price on http://www.ny-camera.net (around 490 USD). Sample of pictures taken with it yesterday can be found here : http://p.guillaumet.free.fr/sigma/

 

It is very handy and balances very well at first try.

 

All I can say is go for it. It is my first Sigma lens along my collection of Canon ones, and I don't regret it.