Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd

	Practical Photography - November 2006 ‘Can it produce an image that is worthy of the price? The simple answer here is yes. Out test charts reveal that it will produce a high level of sharpness across the frame. If you are thinking of investing in a macro lens for general-purpose use, this would certainly be a good choice. It is a great lens for digital SLR users, as its effective 105mm focal length proves very useful in the most surprising of situations, and as such the 70mm represents very good value indeed.

	What Digital Camera - November 2006 ‘Sigma EX lenses are always well constructed and this is no exception, with a metal mount, tough outer casing and good finish.’ ‘Image quality from the lens is great. It’s as sharp as a knife, with excellent contrast and resolution. At £339, this is a considerably cheaper option that optics from some of the other marques, and for those specialists among you, it certainly represents good value and a sound investment.’ ‘Sigma’s optics rarely fail to impress, and even those in the company’s premium range offer value for money compared to similar lenses. If macro is your thing, then the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro could be just what you need.’

	Ephotozine - December 2006 ‘As one of Sigma’s EX range, the build, handling and finish of this lens falls into the higher end of our expectations and this optic does very little to disappoint.’ ‘Sigma’s reputation for top quality prime macro lenses is upheld here with this 70mm offering. Designed to have a similar useful range as the very popular 105mm lens on a full frame camera, the optical performance more than matches up too. The lens proved to be sharp right from the outset at f/2.8 and stays that way right through…’

	Professional Photographer - December 2006 ‘Optically speaking, the Sigma performs really well. At f/22, images are crisp and sharp at the centre of the frame and at the edges. At larger apertures the in-focus parts of the picture are so sharp you need gloves to handle them, while the out of focus parts are soft and smooth. In fact, the Sigma continues to impress even wide open at f/2.8, where it performs superbly as a portrait lens.’

	Digital Photographer - Issue 52 ‘Sigma’s reputation for top quality prime macro lenses is upheld here with this 70mm offering. Designed to have a similar useful range as the very popular 105mm lens on a full frame camera, the optical performance more than matches up too. The lens proves to be sharp right from the outset at f/2.8…’ ‘Chromatic aberrations are so well controlled that similar, negligible readings were recorded throughout the aperture range and are as good at the edge as in the centre.’ ‘…the contrast delivered by this optic is excellent. Colour reproduction is neutral with no obvious casts, and the incidence of flare never reared its ugly head.’

	British Journal of Photography - 21st March 2007 ‘Not only can the 70mm Macro focus at very short object distances but also it renders out-of-focus areas with a very soft touch that is highly appropriate for natural subjects.’ ‘At this price, and with such a high level of performance, the 70mm Macro, which is available in Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax and Sigma mounts, is little short of remarkable.’

	Photography Monthly - June 2007 ‘Optically it is probably the best of Sigma’s already highly rated macro line-up, coming straight in with razor sharp, wide-open images. This lens is also suitable for use on full-frame sensors and 35mm cameras, so we think it will find its way into a number of photographers’ inventories.’

	Digital Camera Buyer - Issue 58 This lens proves to be sharp right from the outset at f/2.8 and stays that way right through to between f/11 and f/16, where reciprocity starts to come in and degrade the image slightly. Even this is well controlled and there is no massive falloff as with some lenses.’ ‘We’ve harped on about Sigma’s DG coating in the past… well we’re doing the same here, as the contrast delivered by this optic is excellent. Colour reproduction is neutral with no obvious casts, and the incidence of flare never reared its ugly head.

	Outdoor Photography - September 2007 ‘The matt black finish of EX lenses is renowned for being hardwearing, and when you first remove this lens from its packaging, it feels robust and well constructed.’ ‘The lens provided sharp results throughout its aperture range from f/2.8… I found distortion and chromatic aberrations undetectable. It’s a good addition to any outdoor photographer’s kit bag.’

	Which Digital Camera - January 2008 ’Being an EX lens, it is also extremely well made with a reassuringly solid feel… The best thing, however, is its optical performance, which is strong right from the widest aperture. Even better, is the similarity between centre and edge performance; there is very little to choose between them at any aperture. Add to this the tight control over any optical gremlins, and you’ll soon be able to see why this lens gets our coveted Best Buy award.’

	Amateur Photographer - 28th June 2008 ’Like the other, it offers very high resolution with good contrast down to the higher frequencies. That quality is necessary for big or sectional enlargements from film or file. The 12.7 million pixels of the Canon 5D used in this test were fully able to exploit the lens. Its drawing too was excellent. With a street price of £304.99 (almost 20% cheaper than the Nikon lens’s SRP), and giving very fine image quality over the focus span from infinity to 1:1, this lens is worth considering.