PCPhoto
Short Report: Sigma APO Macro 150mm ƒ/2.8This fast, telephoto macro lens offers a great deal of versatility for field shooting |
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I
love being surprised by the world, and a macro lens is a great way to
discover those surprises. A macro lens lets you isolate and focus in on
the often amazing and unexpected details around us. I had the chance to
work with Sigma’s new 150mm ƒ/2.8 macro lens (officially, APO Macro
150mm ƒ/2.8 EX DG HSM), and this combination of focal length and wide
aperture offered a wonderful experience in exploring the realm of the
close-up. I got out the Sigma 150, which, on my Canon Digital Rebel XT, offered an equivalent angle of view of a 240mm lens on a 35mm film camera. That gave a great magnification of the eft without having to be right on top of it, a real advantage of a telephoto macro lens. They’re diminutive creatures and not particularly fond of a big photographer leaning in too close. The lightweight, compact size of the 150mm macro and XT was a joy to use, as you had to hold the camera at the ready while finding and shooting different compositions of the newt. I was pleased with the way this lens handled and performed under pressure. It has a speedy Hyper Sonic Motor for autofocus as well as a full-time manual focus override, which all worked well on this subject. The large ƒ/2.8 maximum aperture made focusing easier on a bright viewfinder screen, plus it gave more than enough speed and depth-of-field options for a whole range of shooting. The lens includes two special low-dispersion (SLD) glass elements for high color correction (hence the APO designation), and I found the images sharp and crisp, from bee close-ups to setting-sun landscapes.
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