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

Tanga has Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens for Canon EOS on sale today for $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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

The lens has a special macro switch you can activate between 200-300mm which IIRC let's you get as close as 2.5-3 feet and DOES provide a 1:2 "macro" reproduction ratio. Long macro lenses are useful precisely because you can keep a greater distance from the subject, because you don't want to disturb it and/or need ambient light.

I don't infer. I, as the sender of the message, would imply.

You can infer from my implication, though.

And you misunderstood what I was saying. I was saying that the lens does not have IS, for those people who don't intend on just shooting macro.

Interesting! Good to know!

There is absolutely zero reason to buy this lens if you can swing a used 70-300/4-5.6 IS/VC from Canon or Tamron. It's a piece of crap that'll frustrate you unless you're outdoors in broad daylight.

Here is a 1080p video I took of a bee pollinating a flower in my yard from about 5-10 ft away using a tripod. It was taken with a Sigma 70-300 DG APO lens, the same lens in the OP.
Link to video [youtube.com]

Edit - Bee sure to watch the video in 1080p! Shot with Canon T3i and used a UV filter

Nice vid.

Thanks! I just wanted to show the lens isn't "worthless" as some have claimed here.

I completely disagree! I purchased this same lens last fall and have been very impressed with it's sharp images. I use it mostly on my Canon T2i and it surprises me with much better than expected results. I had the Canon 55-250mm EFS lens and it was fine..but at full length, showed soft outer edges. I could crop a little and it's not a issue, but there are images that I did not want to crop. I then tried the Canon 75-300 EF, not stabilized, and I was getting lots of chromatic aberration (CA) in bright sun. I also found it slow to focus..especially at full focal length.
Enter the Sigma: build quality is very good, auto focus motor seems quieter than both of the Canon's, focus is good at all lengths, and it's sharp IF there is good light. But all of these big lens need good light. Is it perfect? No..I get a little purple fringing in certain sunny situations and very light CA..but it's usually when I'm shooting with more sun facing me. Btw, I have captured some really sharp photos at all lengths handheld..that said, bracing on a solid object or a tripod/monopod will definitely work, especially if windy.

Go here (my favorite lens site) to see actual images captured by the Sigma..pretty darn good for a budget priced lens! Btw, click on the full size image tab to see some really good resolution.

http://www.pixel-peeper.com/lense...none&res=3

Fantastic vid! It's definitely a good lens for the money.

any recommendation for a good "remote shutter release/timed shutter release"?, is it easy to use?

try ebay and amazon. canon has their own as does nikon, there are 2nd party aftermarket shutter releases. . usualyl they're a small hand held infra red remote with a switch for delayed release.

old school cameras used to have a screw in push type system...no one uses those anymore that i know of