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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG HSM

macro sigma 150mm f/2.8
Manufacturer
Sigma

Reviews summary

4
 
67%
0
 
0%
0
 
0%
0
 
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2
 
33%
Overall rating
3.67 star(s) 6 ratings
Recommended
Yes
Price
0$
Pros
  • sharpness, tripod collar, internal focus, build, performance with 1.4tc
Cons
  • weight,
pin sharp, works well with the sigma 1.4tc. balances well on its mono/tripod collar. great for butterflies and dragonflies.
i also have the 60mm and 105mm micro nikkors and this is as sharp as either.
as with all macro lenses you have to learn proper technique to get the best results.
Recommended
Yes
Price
0$
Pros
  • Price, image quality, build
Cons
  • None found so far
Really pleased with this lens. Not had chance to test thoroughly (not much around in winter), but seems like a great lens for the cost (got it just before Sigmas price hike! Build quality seems very good - it is quite heavy, but feels like it'll take some knocks. Perfect fit on Nikon D300 - no play at all - unlike some lenses I've had. Good lenshood included.

Seems to work OK with Kenko Pro 1.4x coverter.
Recommended
No
Price
0$
Pros
  • decent size
Cons
  • had two and they would never obtain proper focus
I tried two of these lens and the first one had a front focus issue of about 8 inches at 15 feet,, it would never obtain focus at infinity,, sent it back to B&H for a replacement,,

when the second lens arrived I went outside for a few shots and immediately notice the lens was having a hard time tryign to focus on anything just hunting all over,, if I would manually focus it on a subject it often would start hunting for another focus point,, at times it would also just click click click like the internal focus was trying but nothing would happen,,

I called Sigma in New York and they said to send it in for repair, a brand new lens???? I told them my story about this being the second lens I was trying and they could care less,, send it back was their reply,,

after checking around on a few other camera locations I find that others are experiencing similar problems,, one person said he had sent his lens back to Sigma and they had it for a 50 days and still no resolve on the problem,,

I returned the second lens to B&H for a refund,, will buy an Olympus 150mm 2.0,, will cost more but I know it will work on my E3,,
Recommended
Yes
Price
0$
Pros
  • seriously sharp
Cons
  • weight
top lense, really pleased with purchase
Recommended
Yes
Price
0$
Pros
  • sharp, value
Cons
  • EX coating
I have been using this lens for about a year now. It seems to be built well, although I have heard some grinding while focusing, perhaps from dust getting in. The EX coating is terrible. This lens, my 100-300 EX, and my 1.4 EX tc all share the problem of the coating stripping and flaking off anywhere I regularly hold the item and in the collar grooves. As far as teleconverters go, I use a 1.4 tc with this lens on occasion with no effect on the autofocus. I'm qite sure that the 2X tc would also work with autofocus, so long as it is Sigma's TC. I do not know about other companies' teleconverters (I sent back the only kenko I bought the second I felt how cheap it was), so I cannot attest to whether or not they will work with AF.

I have been concentrating on closeup photography lately, primarily going after spiders, dragonflies and damselflies. The 150mm has seen a lot of use and performs excellently. I also use a Nikon 60mm, but 150mm is far more practical for approaching little critters. The only lens I would like to have more is the Nikon 200mm micro. For the price, however, the Sigma was an easy choice. I also use it as a telephoto at times, and it is far sharper than the 100-300, even with the 1.4tc on the 150mm.

I uploaded a photo taken recently with this lens - a snail on a tomato vine.
Recommended
Yes
Price
800$
Pros
  • surprisingly light, fast, very sharp
Cons
  • tripod collar is too short optional ts-41 makes it easier to use
very compact lens for a 150mm macro.
Works very well for both closeups and for general shooting, produces very sharp clean images.

Can be used with either a 1.4x tc or a 2x tc, but lens automatically disables autofocus if it detects a TC .
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