Sigma 105mm Macro for Canon | Macro Canon Lens
Sigma Macro 105mm for Canon
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Optimized for Canon digital SLR cameras but also compatible with film SLR cameras, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 medium telephoto lens allows a greater working distance between the lens and the subject, helping it excel in all shooting ranges. The increased working distance of the lens is ideal when taking the picture of a flower among several branches, or an insect on a leaf. The narrow angle of view helps simplify the background, while the shallow depth of field makes it easier to handle the composition.
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| Sigma 105mm macro lens on Canon DSLR digial4047 photostream on Flickr |
Canon Macro lenses come in several flavors, including Canon, Sigma, and Tamron. If you have not tried a Sigma lens on your Canon Digital SLR, this may be the one to get started with.
In addition to the great macro shots of insects and flowers, there are those who use this lens for some very specific applications, such as taking photos of dental work to document the dental repair process, dermatologists for the same reason, product shots of watches and jewelery, and many other work-related tasks that require accurate photos.
Here are a few of the comments from satisfied users:
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The Techy Stuff:
- Focal length: 105mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8
- Lens construction: 11 elements in 10 groups
- Angle of view: 23.3 degrees
- Number of diaphragm blades: 8
- Minimum aperture: f/45
- Minimum focusing distance: 12.3 inches
- Maximum magnification: 1:1
- Filter size: 58mm
- Corresponding AF mounts: Canon
- Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches long
- Weight: 16.1 ounces
- Warranty: 1 year
Why consider this lens rather than a Canon 100mm Macro?
Main reason is economic – the Sigma costs less, but when you add in the fact that the Sigma 105mm Macro comes with a lens hood, that makes the price difference even more significant. All in all, the Sigma offers great image quality.
Negatives?
The main objection is the auto focus of the Sigma 105 Macro. There is no HSM (Sigma’s answer to Canon’s USM focus motor), and the lens tends to “search” for focus. It is quite slow in some (not all) focusing situations compared to the Canon 100mm macro.
Sample Photos with Sigma 105mm Macro for Canon (click on any image to view at full size)
Lizard macro with Sigma 105mm macro lens
 Very Hairy Caterpillar - Taken with Sigma 105mm Macro |
 Cone Flower - Sigma 105mm Macro lens takes great flower images |
 This yellow rose hosted a green spider - perfect color contrast for the Sigma 105mm macro lens |
 Sigma 105mm macro has a focal length that is favored by professional photographers for portraits as shown here |
Tamron for Canon EOS Cameras – Tamron 90mm Macro Review
This lens is for real!
For those who are looking at third party lenses, this Tamron 90mm Macro Review is for you. Tamron makes some very highly rated lenses for Canon EOS cameras, and you will not find more user satisfaction with ANY Tamron lens. (For more Macro Canon EOS Lenses, look here)
Just take a look at the comments from buyers on B&H Photo online. Of 33 reviews, all except 3 are 5′s, and those other 3 are 4′s. Interestingly, only one of the 3 who did not give the lens a 5 gave a reason for not giving it the highest rating. One user even said the Tamron 90mm macro was now his favorite lens, yet he gave it a 4???
How can you argue with this kind of result? See more photos taken with a Tamron 90mm macro lens.
Technical Stuff:
Filter Size – 55mm
f/stop range -2.8-32
Minimum focus distance – 11.4″ (29 cm)
Magnification – 1:1
Angle of View – 27 Degrees
Groups/Elements – 9/10
Length – 3.8″ (97mm)
Maximum Diameter – 2.8″ (71mm)
Weight – 14.3 oz (405 g)
Random Thoughts About the Benefits of Tamron’s 90mm Macro for Canon:
- Macro shots with 1:1 ratio. Get super close-up images of bugs, flowers, or anything else that looks interesting.
- Great for details of products. Need to document product details at work, this lens will perform that task admirably.
- Thinking about Portraits? Macro lenses are excellent because of the way they render a nice bokeh background. This lens, in particular, creates very nice pastel shapes with some backgrounds.
- Easy manual focus. Many photographers (most pros) do not depend on auto focus for macro shots.
- Lighter than other lenses in this focal length. Of course some consider a plastic body a “con” for a lens, but it is much lighter than its competitors. And, hey, who is going to use their lens to drive tent stakes into the ground?
- Image quality. The measurement of a good macro lens is the sharpness of images, and this lens delivers.
- Price. For the features and quality at this focal length, you will not find a better buy.
Cons:
- Already mentioned is that the lens is made of plastic. It is not weatherproof as some other higher priced models.
- The auto focus is a bit slow, especially compared to the Canon 100mm macro.
Tamron 90mm Macro Review Conclusion
Overall, this is an excellent choice for photo enthusiasts and professionals for your macro needs.
Canon Macro 60mm | Canon 60mm Macro Review
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Digital SLR Lens
Canon 60mm Macro
Canon Macro Lenses come in a wide variety of sizes and focal lengths.
The Canon Macro 60mm lens is one of those sleeper lenses that some do not consider “good enough” for professional shots. None the less, it gives wonderful image quality in both macro work and portrait photography. It provides a focal length that is equal to a 96mm lens on a 35mm camera.
Since it is an EF-S lens, it is suitable for all the Rebel digital SLRs , 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, and now the 60D camera line. It also will fit the Canon 7D. However, it will not fit on the professional grade “full frame” cameras such as the Canon 5D.
The Canon 60mm macro has a floating optical system that can focus down to life-size 1:1 magnification. The interior focusing mechanism is driven by a powerful ring-type ultra-sonic motor (USM). This means that the lens’s overall length never changes during focus.
This lens is great for several purposes in addition to macro. It doubles as a super portrait lens as well as an available-light lens, meaning it does very well in low light situations.
Technical Stuff:
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Some Sample Shots from the Amazon Gallery (click on the image for the full preview)
Frog in woods. Taken with Canon Rebel XT and 60mm
Closeup of an eye - Shot with a Canon 60mm Macro
Canon Macro 100mm Review
Canon 100mm Macro – The Canon Macro Lens Of Choice
Canon Macro 100mm Lens
Prospective Canon Macro lens buyers have a number of really great lenses to choose from. If you are one of those buyers, this special Canon 100mm Macro Lens Review is just for you.
If you have ever taken a really great macro photograph, you know the joy of viewing your images after snapping them. You start looking for tiny objects to set your camera sights on.
The joy often comes when viewing your images and finding little “treasures” hidden that you never noticed until they were viewed on the screen. You can actually see the object much better than if you are looking closely without a camera.
There are actually two lenses that bear the Canon 100mm macro prime designation, prime being a single focal length. Both of the Canon choices are rated as high as any lenses, macro or otherwise, on both Amazon and B & H Photo reviews by actual users. This is a great way to find out if those who are in the trenches, using the products, think it is worth laying down their hard-earned cash. In this case, both Canon 100mm macro lenses get “thumbs up” from nearly every person who has taken the time to leave an opinion.
First is the Canon EF 100mm Macro USM Lens.
Technical Details:
- 100mm macro USM lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras
- Secondary diaphragm blocks stray light at f/2.8 for increased contrast
- Ultra-sonic monitor provides outstanding autofocusing speed at all distances
- 3-group floating system for exceptional close-up performance; full-time manual focus
- Measures 3.1 inches in diameter and 4.7 inches long; weighs 21.1 ounces; 1-year warranty
Engineers have gotten the technology on this lens right.
Here are some of the features that make this lens a fantastic choice for Macro Photography:
- Full, life-sized images that are sharp and crisp
- USM (ultra sonic motor) aids in super fast focusing
- f/2.8 wide aperture for maximum shutter speed and excellent bokeh (bokeh is the blurry background that cause the main subject to stand out)
- IS (image stabilization) so that you can hand hold your camera when taking shots with slower shutter speeds in low light.
- Canon Macro 100mm lens multitasks as an excellent medium telephoto lens, especially for portraits.
- Can be used on ALL Canon EOS cameras including full frame and crop frame sensors
With this lens as a an excellent starting point, an additional upgraded version of the Canon 100mm lens has recently been added to its lineup. The new lens has all the benefits of the original plus some added quality. In fact, it is an “L” lens, Canon’s designation for their finest quality lenses. The added glass quality and materials for building the lens boost the price about 40%, but just having an L lens in the bag is the best thing that can happen to a Canon owner.
Here are the technical details of the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM
- 100mm lens with f2.8 aperture
- Canon’s first mid-telephoto macro “L” series lens to include Canon’s sophisticated Image Stabilization
- Near-silent Ultrasonic focusing
- Focus as close as 12″ from subject
- Enjoy life-size close-up capabilities without an adapter
- Compatible with 67mm filters
There is a segment of photographers who think that using prime lenses is the only way to get the best shots. Not many would argue that prime lenses offer better quality than a lot of the zoom lenses. And the Canon 100mm macro definitely fits the bill for prime with top quality output.
Sample 100mm photos (click on an image to see a larger picture)
 Dragonfly 100mm Macro |
 Magnolia 100mm Macro |
 Amaryllus Macro 100mm |
Of course, you can get your Canon Macro 100mm Lens
The comments from users at Amazon will definitely convince you that either of these Canon 100mm macro lenses are a fantastic buy. Here are just a couple of recent user reviews. The first one is for the Canon 100mm Macro lens with IS.
I bought this (Canon 100mm macro) lens over the weekend in order to do a shoot with my kids in La Jolla, and all I have to say is it is simply amazing. I am new to photography, but have always appreciated macro and portrait photos. I was torn between this lens and the 70-200 f/2.8L and am very pleased with this choice. Even a novice like me can get extremely detailed and breathtaking shots. I use the consumer Canon Rebel T3i and am so pleased that since buying this lens, I can think of nothing but taking more pictures!
The second comment is about the less expensive, original Canon 100mm Macro.
(This Canon 100mm macro lens) deserves the red ring on its front end. The optical quality of this lens is on par or even better than some of the Canon L Zooms. The build quality while not like a L lens, it is enough to put a permanent dent in your head if you bang yourself with it.
And then there is Macro too! This is where I think this lens is just insanely phenomenal. Of course if you are new to macro photography, you will get so sick of the autofocus hunting. But you will learn to live with it. However I am told that the competition is worse..way worse.
Prepare to be blown away when you use it. One more thing though, this lens is quite heavy. I mean with my 30D the package weighs quite enough to ache your hand after a while. If you are used to L lenses, piece of cake. But if you are graduating from kit lens (my case), it does take some time to adjust to the weight.
And don’t even bother taking macro shots without tripod..you will seriously force the lens to under-perform.
A certain must have in your camera bag!!!
Macro Canon Lens Line-up
You Need A Canon Macro Lens In Your Bag
Black Swallowtail - taken with Sigma 105 for Canon Macro Lens
For some photographers, macro photography rocks. This is true of yours truly. It was the macro setting on my first digital point and shoot camera that gave me my first “aha” moment.
When shooting with a Canon digital SLR camera, the results will be so much different if you have a good Canon Macro Lens, either produced by Canon or one of the manufacturers that create lenses for Canon.
There are many lenses that have the word “macro” in their title or description, however, you need to be careful about selecting your macro lens. That is not to say that you have to spend lots of money, you just have to get the best quality for your money. Some of the lenses that have the word Macro in the name of the lens are not true closeup lenses. You will discover that this occurs with some of the third party zoom lenses more than it does with the Canon brand lenses. So, when choosing a third party “Canon macro lens,” be aware that this could be the case.
| The 100mm macro is “hands-down” THE favorite Canon macro lens. |
A mistake that some new digital SLR owners make is to assume that each lens is as good as every other lens with the same specifications. It just ain’t so. When shopping for macro, you will almost always want to get a prime, or single focus, lens. Canon macro lenses come in several focal lengths, and, of course, the price will give some indication of the lens quality.
One example of a poor macro lens experienced by yours truly is the Tamron 70-300mm Macro Zoom Lens. As a new DSLR owner with a limited budget, I purchased this one to use as a multi-task lens. It worked OK as a mid-range telephoto lens, but its macro photos really stunk up my hard drive. Even though it bears the title of macro, it does not handle that job well at all.
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar - about 1" long - taken with Sigma 105 for Canon Macro Lens
The best Canon Macro Lenses will be prime lenses. This means they have just one focal length, no zoom. Manufacturers can produce better optics at a single focal length for up close photos. However, not every prime lens is a macro lens. Again, do your homework before taking the plunge to buy.
One very good thing about the lenses listed below is that most will be great portrait lenses as well as macro lenses. AND, they also make excellent mid-range telephoto lenses. In each of the suggested lenses, the image quality is excellent, as is the performance in macro, portrait, and telephoto, with one exception. The Canon 65mm macro lens is meant ONLY for macro.
Here are some Canon Macro Lenses that have passed the test of most photographers:
Click Here for Amazon Macro Lens Pricing OR Click Here for B & H Photo Macro Lens Pricing |
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| Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro | |
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This particular lens comes in two versions. One is an “L” lens with IS which is Canon’s designation for its best build and technology lenses. All Canon owners wish they could have only “L” lenses. But, the other 100mm Canon Macro is also excellent at 40% less. In fact, I have never seen any user satisfaction that is higher than these lenses. There is no rating on Amazon or B & H Photo that is less than 4, with most being 5 – their highest rating. See more about the Canon 100mm Macro Lens |
| Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 | |
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Tamron is a respected name among Canon users. Their quality is fantastic, yet the prices for comparable equipment are usually 10-20% lower. When doing research for my first macro lens, this lens was tied with the Sigma 105. Either will be a great addition you your lens arsenal.
See more about Tamron 90mm Macro for Canon |
| Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG EX Macro for Canon | |
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This lens ranks right up there with the Tamron 90mm. Personal experience is that the images are first rate. For macro images, a tripod is recommended but not necessary. I have chased lots of butterflies with this lens that resulted in great pictures.
See more about the Sigma 105mm Macro for Canon |
| Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro | |
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Another lens that gets super satisfaction from buyers at an average of 4.8 stars. Focus from as close as 8” away from your subject. You can have this one in your camera bag for $100 or so LESS than the 100mm macro. |
| Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro | |
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You will need deeper pockets in order to afford this amazing Macro “L” lens. But the results will bring you many exciting photos. |
| Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Macro | |
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A highly rated alternative to the Canon 180mm L at about one third the cost. You will not suffer from buyer’s remorse when buying this macro lens. |
| Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro | |
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No discussion about macro lenses is complete without mentioning this dedicated macro lens. It is manual focus – no auto focus available. But if you are a serious macro photographer, you will eventually have to add this one to your camera bag. You can fill a frame with a grain of rice, but a tripod is pretty much a given. Warning: this should not be your first macro lens purchase. |
| Click Here for Amazon Canon Macro Lens Pricing OR Click Here for B & H Photo Canon Macro Lens Pricing |
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A Short Endorsement For The Canon Macro Lens @ 100mm f/2.8
If you visit the Amazon or B & H web site, you will discover something rather unusual. There are no 1-star ratings… none! The Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens is truly a satisfying experience to shoot with. Here is a description from the manufacturer:
Bring small things into full-sized view with the Canon EF 100mm macro USM lens. Macro lenses can uncover detail that would be impossible to detect by the eye and give new perspective to extremely minute subjects such as insects or the petals of a small flower, and this lens is no exception. The lens offers such features as a three-group floating system for exceptional close-up performance; a secondary diaphragm that blocks stray light at f/2.8, which increases contrast when shooting wide open; a ultra-sonic monitor (USM) that provides outstanding autofocusing speed at all focusing distances; a wide manual focusing ring with smooth action; and full-time manual focus even in AF mode. The first lens in its class to feature inner focusing, the lens carries a one-year warranty.
There are so many praises for the lens, but this one kind of says it all:
“love this lens! really great for macro shots. i used it for a wedding my results were amazing. it was worth the money!”
