The SIGMA UK sponsored “Amateur Photographer of the Year competition”, run by Amateur Photographer magazine, is open to amateur photographers from around the world. It consists of 8 consecutive rounds with prizes awarded monthly and the title is then awarded at the end to the photographer who receives the highest number of points from the AP team. In 2017 the title was awareded to photographer Henrik Spranz from Austria. Henrik and his partner Perdita Petzl share their thoughts on using the SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM and the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM for their Fairytale Nature images.
The SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Henrik Spranz
For a long time I thought that I would not swap my present macro lens against another one. I was comfortable using it and was happy with the lens’ characteristics. I was indulged by my present macro lenses and therefore the SIGMA 180mm f/2.8 MACRO would have to prove itself but I can say I wasn’t disappointed. In fact it was quite the contrary.
Image captured with the SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Henrik Spranz
It’s not easy to hold back my enthusiasm when it comes to the sharpness of this lens. Even starting from open aperture at f/2.8 it’s incredibly sharp and it’s not easy to see much of difference between the centre and borders which goes away completely stepping down a little bit. The out of focus highlights keep being nicely rendered as circles stepping down to f/4 because of the 9 rounded aperture blades.
Image captured with the SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Henrik Spranz
The broad, rubberized focus ring operates smoothly and without noticeable play. When manual focusing failed with using open apertures it certainly wasn’t the fault of the lens, but mine. I’m paying particular attention to the tripod mount when it comes to macro lenses as I’m shooting from a stable tripod almost all the time. The SIGMA 180mm f/2.8 MACRO didn’t disappoint me on this issue as well. The mechanics of this tripod mount works like a charm. The built quality of the whole lens is superb.
Image captured with the SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Henrik Spranz
One of the most important topics in our work is the impression of bokeh. In this area the lens can score as well – it leaves nothing to be desired. I’m shooting my photos against the light in most cases but ghosting, lens flares and chromatic aberrations are well controlled.
There is nothing much to be said against the SIGMA 180mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM and any negative is implicated by its high specification. It is a heavy lens but that is due to its build quality, high speed and number of internal lenses. For some this may be a disadvantage. For me – as I’m shooting from a tripod – it’s negligible. Besides that I can’t think of something else which makes me long for a different lens for most of my macro work. If I’m in need of a shorter focal length because of lacking room when shooting flowers I’ve used the SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art lens now and then.
The SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Perdita Petzl
I have taken a step forward in terms of focal length by using the SIGMA 150mm F 2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM. Previously I photographed exclusively with a 100 mm focal length. Although I had to adjust at first, the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 MACRO has impressed me after a short time using it.
What I really liked right from the beginning was the look and feel of this lens. It just looks great, has a high-quality feel and fits well in the hand. And finally, I can easily put on the lens hood – with my “old” macro lens that usually wasn’t that easy, because it frequently got stuck.
Image captured with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Perdita Petzl
The various switches on the lens have a pleasant size and can be operated well. And also the tripod clamp works perfectly (finally I have one, I do not want to miss it anymore!). The focus ring is wide and easy to grasp – it also runs easily and can be adjusted precisely.
Image captured with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Perdita Petzl
In terms of sharpness, quality of bokeh, ghosting, chromatic aberrations and lens flares, I can only repeat Henrik’s observations when using the SIGMA 180mm f/2.8 MACRO as I had similar experience. I am totally happy with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 MACRO in considering these topics but one of the most important points for me is the quality of the bokeh. And I have to say, I really like working with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 MACRO for this. I prefer it over my old 100mm lens. The longer focal length of the SIGMA lens renders the bokeh beautifully, makes it softer and any disturbing elements are easier to blind out.
Of course, it too is not a light weight with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS weighing at 1180 grams but I always use a tripod or beanbag so its weight doesn’t really matter for me. There are of course some focusing differences between the two lenses. The SIGMA 180mm f/2.8 MACRO helps photographers not to fall below the escape distance of insects. Though this doesn’t matter much to our work as Henrik & I are always shooting in the very early morning hours when most insects are still roosting. The longer focal length is also a slight advantage with the increased potential of being able to single the subject from the background when using the SIGMA 180mm f/2.8 MACRO.
Image captured with the SIGMA 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS HSM by Perdita Petzl
Finally Henrik and I both agree that we are extremely satisfied with the SIGMA MACRO lenses a and see longevity in using them to produce many more photos and having many more insights & experiences as we use them in different situations!
Technical note: When we first tried out the lenses at home, we had a small shock moment. A strange bright circle was visible in our photos when looking at them in the camera. Fortunately, a solution to the problem was easily found after a short internet research: The Canon’s firmware has a problem with some Sigma lenses which can be solved easily. You just need to deactivate the auto correction of the vignette in the camera menu when using the Canon 5d Mark III. This just changes the generation of JPG files and the previews you can see looking through the photos on the camera. This doesn’t matter for the RAW files – which use we recommend anyways.
The set-up
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