Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM APO Macro Lens (For Canon)

The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens delivers excellent image quality in a relatively long focal length (for a macro lens) at a very reasonable price . The image quality a lens is capable of presenting to the camera's sensor is typically the biggest concern I have with a lens.

Sigma APO Macro 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM is a very solid performer - the lens shows excellent image quality combined with practically non-existent distortion and low levels of color fringing, excellent build quality and very reasonable street price.

Sigma has a good habit of identifying gaps in other manufacturer's product lines, and offering lenses to meet these needs. None of the majors offers a 150mm macro lens, or a lens in that range with optical stabilization.

A well made and thought out macro lens with enough focal length to enable skittish insect photography without putting them to flight. Quiet and faster focusing with the ability to restrict the focusing to the area you are working in improves the experience also.

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  Quiet Focusing, quicker but not lightning., Lens does not extend, front element does not rotate., Excellent tripod collar., Ability to accept same make converters

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  Not quite as sharp as some., No belt loop on pouch

Photography’s only high-speed, 1:1, long-tele prime, Sigma’s optically stabilized 150mm f/2.8 ($1,100, street) replaces a similar, unstabilized lens from several years ago. More has been updated than just the OS mechanism: This lens produces significantly less distortion than its predecessor, and...

The summary can be only positive. The tested lens has a lot of serious advantages. The good quality of the image, kept on the same level across the frame, even near the maximum relative aperture, is especially worth your attention.

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  Very good image quality in the frame centre,, Splendid image quality on the edge of the frame for APS-C/DX and FF,, Solid casing,, Excellent chromatic aberration correction,, Zero distortion,, Very well-corrected coma,, Slight astigmatism,, Vignetting on smaller sensor not bothersome at all,, Silent...

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  Average work against bright light,, Slow autofocus.

The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO macro is one of the few third-party lenses that can play in the league up there with the big boyz. The performance figures are excellent and leave really nothing to be desired across all tested quality characteristics.

The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO performs on a very high level and delivers very good to excellent sharpness in the image center and very good border and corner sharpness at any aperture from wide open down to f/11, where diffraction begins to reduce resolution.

The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 EX HSM DG APO macro OS is certainly among the very best macro lenses that we've tested here at photozone. It delivered great results in our full format test already and it is not worse in the APS-C format despite the comparatively higher pixel density of our base DSLR.

The Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX IF HSM Macro lens costs around £560 and has a bright maximum aperture of f/2.8, internal focus design, silent Hyper Sonic focus motor, with full-time manual override and allows for 1:1 magnification at its closest focus distance.

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  Good resolution, Low levels of chromatic aberrations, Fast AF, Great build quality, Internal focus design, Price

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  Loss of contrast when shooting into the light

Lens used with Canon 1Ds and 1DMKII. I purchased this lens used to double as not only a 1:1 macro, but also for medium telephoto work. First off, Auto focusing. It's slow, a little slower than expected, but not a shock, nor is AF needed for all my macro work or most of my telephoto work.

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  Very sharp in Macro territory/good colors and contrast/cost

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  Only 'okay' for medium telephoto work