Sigma 50mm macro soft

[steve_phillipps]

I've had a Sigma 50mm f2.8DG macro for quite a while and always thought it a

bit soft. Recently I got a Nikon to EOS adapter and put my Nikkor 55mm f2.8

micro (manual focus) on it and it's not contest - the Nikon is a lot sharper.

I get the feeling that although the Nikkor is known to be a great lens it

shouldn't be that much better than the Sigma so wondering if it could be a

lens fault?

[beauh44]

Hi Steve, it may not be a "lens fault" per se - some lenses are just sharper than others. The Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro lens is amazingly sharp and almost distortion-free. Perhaps you could sell the Sigma and go with the Canon. You might also test your Sigma stopped down a bit, versus the Nikkor wide open. If the Sigma improves considerably ~f/5.6 or so, it's probably just not a terribly sharp lens when used wide-open. The Canon I mention above is great in that regard - although it does not have USM, isn't a true 1:1 macro lens (without an adapter) and is an older design. Good luck!

[steve_phillipps]

Thanks Beau. Yes I tried it stopped down to f5.6, but still soft, and it's an overall softness rather than just looking like missed focus.

[gerrymorgan]

The Sigma 50mm f2.8 should be a very sharp lens. Here's an example, showing the complete photo and then a 100% crop. As you can see, the crop allows you to clearly view some numbers on the watch face that are not easy to read with the naked eye. I presume you are focusing manually with the Sigma too, so if you are not getting this kind of sharpness from yours, it probably requires some attention.<div></div>

[michaelschrag]

The Sigma 50mm macro is a very sharp lens by many accounts.

 

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/sigma_50_28/index.htm

 

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=133&sort=7&cat=38&page=2

 

The Sigma 150mm and 105mm macros also have an excellent reputation.

[michaelschrag]

Another - better review - which shows excellent performance.

 

http://www.nnplus.de/macro/Macro100E.html

[steve_phillipps]

Looking at my test shots again it does look like there is a sharp point, but not what was focussed upon, so maybe it's the autofocus not working properly, and yet it's OK with other lenses. Will try some manually focussed with the Sigma.

[stephen hazelton]

I've got a manual focus Sigma 50mm macro. Used at a range of a few inches (ie, not 1:1), I can't tell that it's any sharper than other lenses I have- adequate, but has never impressed me, either.