Gear Review: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro
This is a piece of kit I have owned for a while, but haven’t really used a whole bunch, but now I have got some good hours under my belt with the Sigma 105mm f/2.8, I’m much better placed to give some thoughts on it, and I hope you find them useful. It’s also pretty old, having been released sometime in the 2010’s - I can’t find a definitive date online. this is worth bearing in mind if you’re considering this review or thinking about a purchase.
I’ve been using this in the studio and in the field. Now obviously these are two very different use cases in two very different environments however, the results are broadly comparable but there are some obvious advantages and disadvantages to both.
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I’m using this on an APSC sensor, so the focal length is actually around 168mm rather than the 105 it is designed for (I will upgrade to full frame one day, I promise, but the 80D still has plenty of legs in it for now and besides, I enjoy using it though I am getting towards the upper end of its capabilities), but the lens is designed for use on both full frame and APSC sensors, though on a full frame it might not be as sharp in the corners.
I got this lens almost on a bit of whim after seeing someone use it in a YouTube video and seeing the results they were able get with it. The online reviews were strong and MPB had an excellent condition one listed for £154, so this one was a bit of a no-brainer, but also not quite an impulse purchase.
I have included some example raw files at the end of this blog so that you can have a play with some of them and pixel peep to your heart’s content.
First Impressions.
For less than £160, it feels like you have paid a lot more. Okay, so this launched at a price of £600 when it was first released, but in any case, it looks good, feels good and it seems pretty solid. It’s covered in something (I’m not sure what it is and can’t find the information online) that feels really smooth, but it will pick up fingerprints really easily (not that this is something that you were thinking about!).
This lens isn’t without its faults, but for me, second hand and at the price you can get one for, it’s worth it. The faults aren’t with the final images, they’re in its operation. Are there better lenses out there? Yes. Is there anything you can buy for a similar price that is better? I don’t think that there is.
It feels sturdy, and that’s something which is important to me as I am known to have the odd clumsy moment. It attaches to and removes from thee camera body easily.
One thing that I do find slightly annoying is the lens hood. There’s nothing wrong with it, but when you’re not using it and want to store, it doesn't invert and clip to the lens to keep it out of the way. My Canon 50mm has the same issue and it’s my biggest gripe with it.
If you’re shooting on a Canon body, this lens will stop down to f/45 but I am yet to find a genuine use case for this, other than trying to force shutter speeds if you’re outdoors and looking for a longer exposure time because you have forgotten your ND filters.
Speaking of ND filters, the filter thread size on this is 58mm, which is pretty small so you might not have anything which fits. Some step up/down rings could be a worthwhile investment if you don’t want to spend a ton of cash on a new filter.
You might already have a larger filter of 77mm, you can screw into the lens hood which has a thread in it, but then the front element is so far recessed that the lens hood isn’t really providing you with any extra protection for this and if you’re not bothered about filters then the lens hood could probably left at home.
Performance
Like I said earlier, it comes on and off the body of the camera really easily. As you would expect I suppose, but I figured it was worth commenting on.
Ok, so let’s chat about the autofocus. The autofocus isn’t great and it tends to miss quite often. If you’re looking for something which macro capability and which has good autofocus, this isn’t it. I do suppose if you’re doing a lot of macro work with it, this probably won’t be an issue for you. If you want to use it like a standard longer focal length lens then it could be a problem for you unless you are manual focussing. I won’t be using it for wildlife or portrait work any time soon as the number of missed shots means that for me, it’s a non-starter.
The other thing with the autofocus is that it’s slow. Like really slow. It takes a while to hunt for the focus and like I said, its success rate isn’t amazing. It’s also pretty noisy so if you plan on using any of the footage for video then you won’t be able to use the on camera audio, it’s likely to be picked up by off camera mics as well.
There is a focus limiter which will reduce the amount of hunting the lens has to do. The minimum focus distance is 12.3” (about 310mm), which translates to about 4.8” (400mm) working distance from the end of the lens.
Now whilst the autofocus isn’t great in this lens, it’s super sharp, even wide open at f/2.8 and this is one of its biggest selling points. It’s still sharp at f/8, as you would expect, but expect to see some diffraction which will make your images soft beyond f/16.
In the studio, this lens has been great.
Paired with my 80D and tethered to Capture One, I have had some great results, especially when I have been focus stacking images and inching the focus point forward gradually with the software in manual focus.
Using it to focus manually has been a dream, but I prefer using the software to take any shots where I know I am going to need to stack to get that front to back sharpness.
I would expect that if you have focus stacking/bracketing functionality built into your camera then the results would be strong but I can’t comment on this as mine is a veritable antique these days and such luxuries have not been afford to me!
Who is this lens for?
This is a great lens if you are just starting out in macro photography or you want to start working on some product shots/still life in the studio then this lens would be great entry point - it’s much cheaper than going straight in for something like the Canon L Series 100mm Macro which is 7 times the price of the Sigma.
Landscape photographers will love this lens for detail shots or abstracts where the detail and the sharpness in the detail is really important.
Macro or wannabe macro photographers will love the sharpness this has and the wide aperture is going to help to flood the lens with light, coupled with the wide open sharpness means that you’re able to create some impressive images.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Lightweight and solid build quality.
Sharp wide open at f/2.8
Works great tethered for focus stacking
Focus limiter helps to reduce focus hunting.
Cons:
Autofocus is slow and hunts a lot
Loud autofocus makes it challenging for video shooters
Small filter ring size
External zoom makes close focussing tricky and opens up opportunities for dust.
Downloadable Raw Files:
I’ve taken a couple of shots of an old one pound note, which isn’t legal tender any more (!), they’ve not been for about 37 years, so don’t go getting yourself any ideas about getting rich quick! These are genuine, straight out of camera raw files so have had nothing done to them. Click the buttons below to download these and have a pixel peep.
Tech Specs:
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Lens Name | Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro |
| Lens Mounts | Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony/Minolta Alpha, Sigma SA |
| Aperture Range | f/2.8–45 (45 only available on Canon) |
| Actual Weight | 450 g |
| Measured Size (DxL) | 2.95 × 4.13 in (75 × 105 mm) |
| Lens Length with Hood | 5.6 – 7.57 in (142.2 – 192.3 mm) |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 12.2 in (310 mm) |
| Maximum Magnification | 1.00× |
| Optical Construction | 11 elements / 10 groups |
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