Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens for Canon - $165 shipped

Its $144 from b&h with free shipping with an extra 2% reward also. Its 169 retail. Not a deal.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/c...&A=details

Quote from nizzy1115 : Its $144 from b&h with free shipping with an extra 2% reward also. Its 169 retail. Not a deal. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=163662&is=REG&Q=&A=details

You're not listing the APO version.


Here's B&H with the APO - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pro..._M_DG.html

There is a Sigma OS version also, it's $309 currently.

By all accounts there's a significant jump in quality from the non-APO to APO type. It's a very good value at 165.

Canon should be specified in the title please.

Quote from Nate650 : Canon should be specified in the title please.

Good point - got it done. thanks

This does not have image stabilization built in, if anyone intends on using it not for macro shots.

APO $199
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pro..._M_DG.html

• Minimum Focus Distance 59.1" (150.11 cm)

Non-APO $144
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/c...details&Q=

• Minimum Focus Distance 4.92' (149.86 cm)

I'd definitely pay more for a lens requiring me to stay at least 5 feet from the subject.

Review at photozone [photozone.de]

this statement doesn't make sense at all. You infer that you have to have IS to make a macro shot? baloney. i have two macro specific lenses. both of them do not have IS.

Most of my macros' are done with a tripod. i would highly suggest people use tripods and remote shutter release/timed shutter release when doing still macro....that and good lights for a faster shutter speed.

Quote from truzoom : This does not have image stabilization built in, if anyone intends on using it not for macro shots.

Quote from smallcapguru : this statement doesn't make sense at all. You infer that you have to have IS to make a macro shot? baloney. i have two macro specific lenses. both of them do not have IS. Most of my macros' are done with a tripod. i would highly suggest people use tripods and remote shutter release/timed shutter release when doing still macro....that and good lights for a faster shutter speed.

Read again. He is saying you need IS when not taking macro shots.

5' min focus distance is hardly 'macro'....

Quote from truzoom : This does not have image stabilization built in, if anyone intends on using it not for macro shots.

As you seem to suggest, current IS is not supposed to help for macro shots (in fact, Nikon even recommends turning off VR on their Micro-Nikkor lenses). This is because IS/VR is currently designed to compensate for motion in 2D (up-down, left-right), I.e hand/camera shake. If you've ever shot macro, you know that at that distance your concern is not that kind of motion, BUT forward-backward motion (that's the difficulty in trying to keep the subject in focus handheld). None of the current stabilization technologies from any mfr will compensate for that motion.