Posted by Andy Shepherd on March 15, 2012 at 1:09 PM
In the next couple of weeks I'll be looking to buy a macro lens, this will be used mainly for small bugs and flowers as I'll still be using the 300mmf4 for all my Dragonfly photography. The two lenses I'm considering are the Canon 100mm f2.8 USM ( none IS ) and the Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX DG HSM.
So if anyone has any practical experience with either lens your views would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Andy...
Posted by John Robinson on March 15, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Andy
I have the 150 Sigma and it is excellent ! Quite a lot of the stuff on here I,ve done with it. My personal choice would have been a small erv FL one say 100mm but its only because I,ve always been used to being nearer the subject. Lots use the 180 mm and say its fine .
As I say- I have no probs with the 150mm. Having said that I use my 18-50mm wide with close up lenses on to get really close. Not quite macro but not far off.
JR
Out of the two, I would go for the Sigma 150 as the extra working distance can be very useful and the longer focal length provides cleaner backgrounds. It does seen to be the macro lens of choice for many insect photographers. I take all of my natural light images with the Sigma 150mm and if it was ever lost or damaged I would buy another one in a shot.
Matt
Posted by Andy Astbury on March 15, 2012 at 1:41 PM
Sig 150 Andy - or a good SH 180 - either are super sharp
Sigma 150 os a 180 f2.8 os is coming some time soon.
Phil.
Posted by Nick Mckeown on March 15, 2012 at 4:37 PM
I used to have the Sigma 150mm and it gave fantastic images. However I changed it to the Nikon 105mm for the VR which I found to be more useful for when I had to hand hold as I was finding that I was losing too many shots to blur through hand shake. For extra reach I put on the 1.4 TC which gets me to 150mm without any loss in IQ. Of course the Sigma 150mm now has OS. I have no experience of the Canon 100mm but I note it is non IS although if you shoot from a tripod mainly then that would not be an issue. The Sigma macro lens have always been highly rated and you can get some good buys on a certain internet auction site. Whichever you buy will give high quality issues. It will come down to whether image stabilisation is a feature you would like and of course cost.
This is not really that easy to answer as it depends on the kind of images you want to acheive as they are two completely different lens that will give you different results.
I have the Sigma 180 and the Canon 100 L IS which is very close to what you are asking. Both lenses are super sharp and want disappoint in image quality. The 180 will give you much nicer backgrounds but the DOF will also be a lot less and I tend to use mine mostly around the f16 area to get the DOF I like. So this also means I will be on tripod and cable release nearly all the time and I have lost a lot of images due to the slower way of working. This is when I brought the Canon 100 L IS and I have been most impressed with this lens as I can hand hold it and work very quickly so shots of bees flying on and off flowers is now more easy and you can use faster F stops due to the increase DOF with a shorter lens. The only thing I didnt like about the Canon 100 is it does not come with a tripod collar, not a problem when your hand holding but if you do want to put this lens on a tripod you will have to mount using the camera body, which makes moving from horizontal to vertiacl a pain. You can buy one from Canon which is a rip off at around £120 but I have now got a very nice copy one from ebay for £16.
Its not really which is the better lens it down to what results your are really after the 150-180 will give cleaner backgrounds making your images more arty. The 100 will produce images with the background more noticable but I surpose more natural looking. This is why I now have both lenses two different lenses two different jobs.
Hope this kind of helps.
Correction.
Sorry Andy I have not explained my comment correctly and Phil is quite correct that DOF will not change if the subject is the same size in the frame when using different lenses.
Its the angle of view that changes with differnt size lenses so when using the 100 macro I will use a wider f stop to reduce the dackground and gain a fast shutter speed
Apoplagies.
Posted by John Robinson on March 15, 2012 at 6:40 PM
Nick
I like the sound of the Nikon 100mm vr !
How much ?
JR
Posted by Nick Mckeown on March 15, 2012 at 7:28 PM
John, Warehouse Express or WEX as they are now known have it priced at £610 and the OS Sigma 150mm at £849. You could get a good second hand one at MPB photographic for £499 just now or possibly cheaper elsewhere.
Nick.
Posted by John Robinson on March 15, 2012 at 8:56 PM
Thanks Nick
I don't think the pension will stand it at the moment !!
JR
I would go for the longer working distance if you intend to also tackle reptiles and other such creatures that are shy or easily disturbed, it will also give you greater leeway with not getting you shadow on flowers, or equally as important trying to get that macro shot of a bug in the middle of the thistle bunch. etc.
If you buy the 100mm - try and find a second hand IS unit - it is worth the extra money - it makes a good portrait lens as well - 4 stop IS is a real bonus at shower shutter speeds...
I know where there is a second hand 180mm macro but it would be about £830... get in touch if that interests you...
The longer focal length is probably the most usefull simply because of the greater working distance and the smaller angle of view which makes getting a clean bg a tad easier....
Lets get one thing straight on DoF... It will be exactly the same whether you use a 50mm or a 500mm if the size of the subject on the sensor/film is the same for each lens....
The OS on the Siggy 150 may be useful, however I am not so sure in close up work, I tend to be on a tripod 99% of the time but I may be exploring the OS option this year as my 180 seems to be on the blink....
HTH
Phil
Posted by Andy Shepherd on March 16, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Thanks for the feedback chaps, you have given me much to think about. All my macro work is done from a tripod, so IS isn't a feature I require as I very rarely hand-hold. The smoother BG's sound good, so I think I might go with the Sig 150mm.
Andy...
Posted by Nick Mckeown on March 16, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Discussion
13 repliesIn the next couple of weeks I'll be looking to buy a macro lens, this will be used mainly for small bugs and flowers as I'll still be using the 300mmf4 for all my Dragonfly photography. The two lenses I'm considering are the Canon 100mm f2.8 USM ( none IS ) and the Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX DG HSM.
So if anyone has any practical experience with either lens your views would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Andy...
I have the 150 Sigma and it is excellent ! Quite a lot of the stuff on here I,ve done with it. My personal choice would have been a small erv FL one say 100mm but its only because I,ve always been used to being nearer the subject. Lots use the 180 mm and say its fine .
As I say- I have no probs with the 150mm. Having said that I use my 18-50mm wide with close up lenses on to get really close. Not quite macro but not far off.
JR
Out of the two, I would go for the Sigma 150 as the extra working distance can be very useful and the longer focal length provides cleaner backgrounds. It does seen to be the macro lens of choice for many insect photographers. I take all of my natural light images with the Sigma 150mm and if it was ever lost or damaged I would buy another one in a shot.
Matt
Phil.
Nick.
This is not really that easy to answer as it depends on the kind of images you want to acheive as they are two completely different lens that will give you different results.
I have the Sigma 180 and the Canon 100 L IS which is very close to what you are asking. Both lenses are super sharp and want disappoint in image quality. The 180 will give you much nicer backgrounds but the DOF will also be a lot less and I tend to use mine mostly around the f16 area to get the DOF I like. So this also means I will be on tripod and cable release nearly all the time and I have lost a lot of images due to the slower way of working. This is when I brought the Canon 100 L IS and I have been most impressed with this lens as I can hand hold it and work very quickly so shots of bees flying on and off flowers is now more easy and you can use faster F stops due to the increase DOF with a shorter lens. The only thing I didnt like about the Canon 100 is it does not come with a tripod collar, not a problem when your hand holding but if you do want to put this lens on a tripod you will have to mount using the camera body, which makes moving from horizontal to vertiacl a pain. You can buy one from Canon which is a rip off at around £120 but I have now got a very nice copy one from ebay for £16.
Its not really which is the better lens it down to what results your are really after the 150-180 will give cleaner backgrounds making your images more arty. The 100 will produce images with the background more noticable but I surpose more natural looking. This is why I now have both lenses two different lenses two different jobs.
Hope this kind of helps.
Correction.
Sorry Andy I have not explained my comment correctly and Phil is quite correct that DOF will not change if the subject is the same size in the frame when using different lenses.
Its the angle of view that changes with differnt size lenses so when using the 100 macro I will use a wider f stop to reduce the dackground and gain a fast shutter speed
Apoplagies.
I like the sound of the Nikon 100mm vr !
How much ?
JR
Nick.
I don't think the pension will stand it at the moment !!
JR
I would go for the longer working distance if you intend to also tackle reptiles and other such creatures that are shy or easily disturbed, it will also give you greater leeway with not getting you shadow on flowers, or equally as important trying to get that macro shot of a bug in the middle of the thistle bunch. etc.
If you buy the 100mm - try and find a second hand IS unit - it is worth the extra money - it makes a good portrait lens as well - 4 stop IS is a real bonus at shower shutter speeds...
I know where there is a second hand 180mm macro but it would be about £830... get in touch if that interests you...
T
Lets get one thing straight on DoF... It will be exactly the same whether you use a 50mm or a 500mm if the size of the subject on the sensor/film is the same for each lens....
The OS on the Siggy 150 may be useful, however I am not so sure in close up work, I tend to be on a tripod 99% of the time but I may be exploring the OS option this year as my 180 seems to be on the blink....
HTH
Phil
Thanks for the feedback chaps, you have given me much to think about. All my macro work is done from a tripod, so IS isn't a feature I require as I very rarely hand-hold. The smoother BG's sound good, so I think I might go with the Sig 150mm.
Andy...
Nick.