Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002P19Y4
• Item model number: B0002P19Y4
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 21, 2004

Product Description

Product Description

MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG allows greater working distance between the lens and subject. High contrast and excellent image quality are made possible in all shooting ranges. This macro lens is ideal for digital SLR cameras as well as film SLR cameras. This new medium telephoto macro lens employs a new design concept for digital SLR cameras. Its new lens power layout produces an excellent optical performance and also reduces flare and ghost. This new lens is designed to reduce the influence of harmful light caused by reflections from the digital image sensor.MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG lens is very suitable for taking pictures in nature and it enables to use of natural light conditions or flash. The greater working distance of this lens is very advantageous when taking the picture of a flower among the branches or an insect. You do not shake your subject when you want to take its precise details without blurring by using a tripod. The narrow angle of view is a great aid for simplifying backgrounds and shallow depth of field makes it easier to handle the composition. This lens would have an equivalent field of view of a 178mm telephoto macro lens on a digital SLR camera (when used with the SD10).Depth of field of medium telephoto macro lenses is generally very shallow; however, Sigma, Canon and Konica Minolta mounts of this lens have a minimum aperture of F45 (or F32 for Nikon and Pentax mounts) for incredible depth of field. A screw-in hood is included, for convenient use of circular polarizing filters. It is possible to attach an 77mm filter in front of the lens hood. This lens also incorporates a Dual Focus (DF) system that is designed to make the lens easy to hold during auto focusing. The large focus ring offers smooth and positive action whilst focusing manually.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, but worth it, November 7, 2005

By	Timothy J. Joko-Veltman "Tim" (Brasilia, Brazil) - See all my reviews

When I first started looking for a mid-level macro lens, a few weeks ago, I was naturally drawn first to the Canon 60mm, as I have already have 2 Canon bodies.

But then I started looking around, reading reviews (mostly on Fred Miranda's site), and comparing prices. The more research I did, the more appealing this lens became. And finally, I decided to go with it.

Here's why:
- The price is similar to the Canon 60mm.
- I already own a Sigma EX-series lens (17-35mm), and really like it. I like the matte finish, and the glass is excellent.
- For some reason I cannot fathom, Canon doesn't include lens hoods with any of the mid-range lenses I looked at. Sigma does.
- The greater focal length means I can stay farther from the subject - minimum focus distance is about 30cm (12in). This is almost always a benefit.

This lens isn't perfect, however, and here's a few caveats you may want to consider before making a purchase:
- In low light (ie, most macro photography), this lens likes to hunt. Which can be a slow process considering its length when fully extended. Personally, I don't mind manual focus all that much, so this doesn't bother me.
- This is a not an HSM (Sigma's version of USM) lens. It is motor-driven. This might bother you, but I barely even notice it.
- Switching to/from manual/autofocus mode is a 2 step process. Beside the switch on the side of the barrel, the focus ring requires a push-pull motion which is sometimes a bit tricky. With a little practice, this becomes less and less of an issue - and if you leave it on manual most of the time (as I do), you seldom have to worry about it.
- The lens hood is a screw-in, not a twist- or clip-on model. This is, however, offset by the rather deep recession of the glass in the lens tube. (If you want to use the lens hood and leave it on, a 77mm lens cap will fit it.)

Despite these (in my opinion, very minor) problems, I'm very happy with this lens, and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mid-level macro lens

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny, May 14, 2006

By	Gary Gray - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been using this lens for about 3 months now on a Canon EOS-350D and the Canon 5D. It has supurb optics. At f2.8, it is sharp. From f3.0 it takes off and stays sharp up to about f14. The focus mechanism is a little different from most other lenses, but actually I've grown to like it. With a push-pull lock at the end of the lens for manual-auto focus, you can put this thing in manual mode two different ways. If you're focusing in, pull the mechanism and you don't have to worry about the camera trying to change focus and you don't have to take your hand off the lens to find the manual button. Really cool actually, just a little different at first. It is light enough that weight has never been an issue, though it does extend out pretty far when focusing. Focus speed is not as fast and there is a little more motor noise, but this too is never an issue as all my close work is manual focus. As a telephoto, it works very well, but the autofocus speed comes into play here. It will hunt in some conditions as a telephoto, but it is pretty accurate.

Save some money and take great SHARP shots with this lens. Highly recommended!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am absolutely loving this lens!, April 27, 2008

By	Z. Henneman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Originally I didn't want to stray from Nikon products, but Sigma definitely has my attention. This is an excellent lens in both build quality and function. It works flawlessly on my Nikon D40, metering perfectly and in addition, even though it's manual focus on my camera, it is spot on with the auto-focus indicator light (lower left corner of view finder). I highly recommend this lens to anyone who is looking to get into macro! Don't be scared if you're a Nikon D40 user, I was at first, and now I'm hooked on this lens! Do yourself a favor and buy one!