Canon or Sigma lens ? (1 Viewer)

[Eos9]

My current (non IS) Canon 100mm Macro lens is in need of repair and rather than do this I have decided to replace it with a new one.
Having visited a dealer and looked at the newer Canon 100mm f2.8L IS version and also the Sigma 150mm APO EX DG HSM macro I am still undecided between the two so would appreciate any feedback or comments regarding the pro's and cons of these two lenses.
I will probably be spending the greater part of my time photographing subjects such as butterflies, dragonflies, flowers and smaller insects such as ladybirds etc.
I will be using the lens handheld 90 per cent of my time and therefore feel the IS should be an improvement over my current non IS model.
Having said that I tend to use the camera in manual mode with flash and normally have a shutter speed of 1/250 sec selected to minimise camera shake.
At the moment I cannot decide if the 150mm focal length would offer an advantage over the 100mm of the Canon lens.
Photographing butterflies for instance I would assume being able to stand back a shade further would mean the subject taking flight less often.
On the downside however does this mean that unwanted blades of grass etc are more likely to be in frame as with the 100mm length you tend to get in close and through such distractions ?
I have also been offered a nearly new non IS version of the Canon 100mm lens at a good price which begs the question is the IS version worth the extra £300 in the first instance ?
One advantage the Sigma option does seem to have is that I believe I can use my Current Canon 1.4X extender with it.
As I currently do not have a decent mid-tele lens this would seem to be a bonus for me.
Before parting with my money I would however welcome any comments or feedback concerning the Canon v Sigma option and what might be the better lens for my needs.

Many Thanks

 

[eenymac]

The Sigma has a good reputation from what I have seen and read from users.
Also, the longer reach and working distance may be useful for the bigger insects so you don't scare them off trying to get too close.

I'm a Pentax user myself and would love a 150mm or 180mm macro, but I'm stuck with the 105mm Siggy at the moment. However, the DA*300mm I use has a minimum focusing distance of about 1 metre, so it's great for butterflies and dragonflies etc.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Personally I'd love this:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/01/10/Sigma180Macro

when it comes out. Pretty sure I can't afford it though!

 

[gergrd]

I have both the Canon 100 /2.8 IS and the Sigma 150 /2.8 OS. For good measure, I also have the Canon 180 /3.5 (non IS). Of the three, I use the Canon 180 most often - the extra working distance helps me, and I think it is the right tool for larger insects (dragonflies and butterflies). I wish the Canon 180 had IS, but it comes through most of the time. I feel like the Sigma was a mistake - I got it after reading good reviews and because I wanted the image stabilization. However, for no clear reason, autofocus and/or image stablization will just stop working. I either have to shut the camera off or switch to manual focus to get a shot, by which time, the subject has departed. About the time I'm ready to send it back to Sigma for repair or throw it in the lake, it will start working again. I've had two Sigma lenses and both have had problems - so I will not recommend Sigma lenses. The Canon 100 /2.8 IS has excellent image stablization - I just wish it had more reach. It does appear that patient & dedicated macro photographers achieve excellent results with the 100mm (or with the MPE-65, which is a tough lens to master).

 

[postcardcv]

I have owned four Sigma macros (50, 105, 150 & 180) and both the non IS and IS Canons and all are capable of producing very good results. When I upgraded to the 100 IS I planned to keep my Sigma 180 to use alongside it. However it soon became clear that I was taking the Canon everytime as it delivered noticeably better results than he Sigmas (all of which are very good). I'm not sure if it is the IS that makes the difference or the special macro AF on the 7D, but I am so impressed with the results from it. I ended up selling my Sigma and just adding a 1.4x to the Canon hen I want. Longer working distance. I'd recommend the Canon IS everytime, especially if shooting with a 7D.

 

[Roy C]

I upgraded from the Canon 100mm non IS to the Canon 100mm IS version and have been delighted with the results. Not only is the IS version a lot easier to hand hold but IMHO it also give better IQ. When shooting at 'macro' distances the IS version delivers around 1.5 - 2 stops of IS which when coupled with the special 7D AI servo macro mode makes hand holding pretty easy even when just using the ambient light.
With the 7D I use it in Av and auto ISO mode which returns a shutter speed of around 1/160 sec, with the IS this is easily hand holdable.

 

[Jaff]

I have owned four Sigma macros (50, 105, 150 & 180) and both the non IS and IS Canons and all are capable of producing very good results. When I upgraded to the 100 IS I planned to keep my Sigma 180 to use alongside it. However it soon became clear that I was taking the Canon everytime as it delivered noticeably better results than he Sigmas (all of which are very good). I'm not sure if it is the IS that makes the difference or the special macro AF on the 7D, but I am so impressed with the results from it. I ended up selling my Sigma and just adding a 1.4x to the Canon hen I want. Longer working distance. I'd recommend the Canon IS everytime, especially if shooting with a 7D.

I tried mine with a TC but it didn't AF well. MF only but the extra reach does make a big difference.

 

[Roy C]

I ended up selling my Sigma and just adding a 1.4x to the Canon when I want. Longer working distance.

I am very interested in this Pete, could I ask which tc you are using please. (I used to use an old Kenko Pro 1.4x several years ago with the Canon 100 non IS lens and IQ was always good but I no longer have the converter).

 

[Eos9]

Must admit to being a little confused regarding the comments being made regards using extenders.
I recently visited a Canon Pro dealer to look at both the Canon 100mm IS and Sigma 150mm Macro lenses.
As I currently own a Canon EF 1.4x extender one of the questions I specifically asked was if this could be used with either lens.
The dealer tried an extender on the Sigma lens and this appeared to autofocus and work fine.
I was advised however that the 1.4 EF extender did not physically fit the Canon 100mm Macro lens and therefore the ability to extend the focal range was not an option !
Using an extender on either lens would obviously be a bonus so I'd appreciate some clarification on using the EF 1.4x extender with the Canon lens please.

Thanks

I am very interested in this Pete, could I ask which tc you are using please. (I used to use an old Kenko Pro 1.4x several years ago with the Canon 100 non IS lens and IQ was always good but I no longer have the converter).

 

[Tarsiger]

The converters do not fit this lens!!
Russ

 

[Roy C]

Must admit to being a little confused regarding the comments being made regards using extenders.
I recently visited a Canon Pro dealer to look at both the Canon 100mm IS and Sigma 150mm Macro lenses.
As I currently own a Canon EF 1.4x extender one of the questions I specifically asked was if this could be used with either lens.
The dealer tried an extender on the Sigma lens and this appeared to autofocus and work fine.
I was advised however that the 1.4 EF extender did not physically fit the Canon 100mm Macro lens and therefore the ability to extend the focal range was not an option !
Using an extender on either lens would obviously be a bonus so I'd appreciate some clarification on using the EF 1.4x extender with the Canon lens please.

Thanks

Canon converters only fit certain Canon lenses because of a protrusion on the converter. I think the only lenses they fit are primes 200mm and longer plus the 70-200 series and the 100-400.
You can, however use non Canon converters like Kenko on almost any lens as this does not have the protrusion. With the 100mm macro lenses the Kenko's will fit OK.

Having said that there is a way of using Canon converters on these lenses by putting an extension tube between the converter and the lens - the protrusion is taken up in the extension tube so they physically fit.

 

[Jaff]

Well I used the older Kenko 1.4x PRO for my experiments. I also used to try it on my non-IS model before I upgraded. http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/363856/ppuser/42340

And it AF'ed perfectly on that lens which is why I'm a little miffed it doesn't work so well on the IS model.

 

[postcardcv]

I tried mine with a TC but it didn't AF well. MF only but the extra reach does make a big difference.

I am very interested in this Pete, could I ask which tc you are using please. (I used to use an old Kenko Pro 1.4x several years ago with the Canon 100 non IS lens and IQ was always good but I no longer have the converter).

Well I may have been talking nonsense as I've not used a tc with a macro lens in ages so may well be mixing the lenses. I'll get the lens and tcs out in a bit and try it.

 

[foxydave]

Hi I have a sigma 150 macro always use a canon 1.4 ex on with great resusults

 

[Jaff]

As a friend of mine has done you can actually mount a Canon TC on any macro lens if you just put a little ext tube in between them.

 

[Roy C]

As a friend of mine has done you can actually mount a Canon TC on any macro lens if you just put a little ext tube in between them.

Just to add to this, you do need to have the right type of extension tube. I have a set of tubes which has a square aperture and a Canon 1.4x tc will not fit in the aperture. I believe Canon tubes are OK though.

 

[Tarsiger]

How does the extension tube affect things out of interest?
And what size if any is recommended?
Russ

 

[Jaff]

Just to add to this, you do need to have the right type of extension tube. I have a set of tubes which has a square aperture and a Canon 1.4x tc will not fit in the aperture. I believe Canon tubes are OK though.

Yes my friend did use a Canon tube. I haven't got my Kenko's to hand to check this for definite but they're round and so should also be fine.

If you're talking about just using an ext tube without a TC then obviously it'll reduce the min focus as with any lens. With a macro this would have the effect of if you were shooting fixed at 1:1 to allow you to get closer still and so get more of the frame filled by whatever you're photographing. As for size it depends whatever the lighting conditions permit because of course ext tubes have two main downsides in macro, they reduce the light getting through and make the DOF shallower meaning you have to stop down more and when working at such high magnif's you will have precious little room for error, the shutter speeds will have to be correspondingly low so any movement of any kind be it the subject or the camera will probably lead to a blurry shot. With patience, a co-operative subject and good light in can work though. I haven't tried a TC and tube combined though but if you have a Kenko TC or similar (as opposed to a Canon) then you don't need to slip it in between the TC and lens and it should be the first thing mounted on the camera as how you would use one normally. A lot of it is just experimenting and messing around to see what works and what doesn't.

If you haven't seen this it's worth a look. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-exquisite-snapping-687-times-microscope.html

 

[perlin]

thanks for the link Jaff,its magic.

 

[perlin]

I upgraded from the Canon 100mm non IS to the Canon 100mm IS version and have been delighted with the results. Not only is the IS version a lot easier to hand hold but IMHO it also give better IQ. When shooting at 'macro' distances the IS version delivers around 1.5 - 2 stops of IS which when coupled with the special 7D AI servo macro mode makes hand holding pretty easy even when just using the ambient light.
With the 7D I use it in Av and auto ISO mode which returns a shutter speed of around 1/160 sec, with the IS this is easily hand holdable.

Hi Roy,could you please tell were to find the special 7D AI SERVO MACRO MODE,Ican not find it,or am I missing something.thanks.