LBA: Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro

Just got this new lens for my GX10 and am quite pleased with it. I didn't get it for the Macro switch (it's 1:2 and not as sharp as my 50mm Macro) but this looks nice to me:

GX10 Sigma 70-300mm Macro 1/180 f/9.5 ISO200



GX10 Sigma 70-300mm Macro 1/125 f/16 ISO400



I was a good metre away from the subject, hand-held with natural light. Images only slightly cropped.

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Jonathan

Macro & Wildlife Photography

Good shots! This lens is better than it's reputation. I have the APO version of it and I'm quite pleased with it. There is a rumour that it is a bit soft on the long end wide open but it looks ok to me. Here are two shots that were taken wide open (no sharpening, 100% crop insert, CA corrected in SilkyPix):

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How inappropriate to call this planet earth when it is quite clearly Ocean. - Arthur C. Clarke
Prieni's PPG page

I've just bought the Tamron equivalent which is supposed to performwell. Those dragonfly macros are really impressive. I didn't expect a lens tof this price to be able to produce that quality of result - I piced up the Tamron for a £99 so hopefully I've got a decent buy. I think I'm going to have to spend some more time with it
Donut

Oh by the way Chirpy - did you manaul focus or use the autofocus for those shots?
Donut

Hi Donut,

When I'm doing macro stuff with my Sigma 50mm Macro I only use MF, but with this lens I've been finding myself using AF more often than not (and did so with those two shots).

However, I do find that the lens hunts a lot - when it starts having one of its fits, I switch to MF so I can get the shot

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Jonathan

Macro & Wildlife Photography

Hi,
Those photos really look good. At what focal length was he shot with he dragon flies made?

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The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process. -Edward Weston

Focal Length in the exif data reports as 300mm, but that's with the lens switched to macro mode. I was around 1m from the subject:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?id=1061104855

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Jonathan

Macro & Wildlife Photography

Excellent shots Chirpy.

I used the 70-300 Sigma for a while before I got my 105mm Macro, and the results weren't bad, but as you say, a proper macro is sharper, you just need to be a lot more careful approaching your subject.

Dan

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K-3, a macro lens and a DA*300mm...

I also find the Sigma 70 -300 to be excellent (with the K01D) and also have been happy with dragonfly shots. The only point I would make is to avoid the extreme 300 limit. Staying around 260mm keeps everything sharp.

Stuart

Looks much better than my 50-200 Really tempted by the Tamron 70-300 and other lenses at the moment.

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Regards,
Dan

https://www.flickr.com/photos/honourabletyr/