The Photo Times: Sigma 180mm f2.8 Macro Lens Image Gallery

First Impression
Holy cow! This is a solid lens. It was built to withstand repeated, heavy use. The lens measures 8-inches x 3.7-inches (length x diameter) and weighs just about 3.6 lbs (57.8 oz.). If you haven’t worked your arm muscles in a while, you will after lugging this lens around. Although this is not necessarily a negative feature of the lens for me, those that are not used to professional DSLR lenses (and the weight associated with them) will most likely see it that way.

The lens comes equipped with a tripod collar. It also has several control switches located on the side of the lens. The top switch is a focus limiter. It allows you to choose the focal distance from which the autofocus will search: full range, 0.67 meters to infinity, or 0.47 meters to 0.67 meters. The middle switch allows the user to decide between autofocus or manual focus. The bottom switch allows for one of three Optical Stabilization choices: off, 1 (general shooting conditions), or 2 (panning left to right).

I tested this lens on both the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D7000 to see if using a full frame camera would produce different results than using a cropped sensor camera. With both camera/lens combinations I was extremely happy with the results. Using the lens on either camera produced sharp, crisp images. The image gallery below shows unretouched images taken with the Sigma 180mm f2.8 macro lens.

I was completely happy with the results of this lens. But is it worth the price? If you are a macro shooter that likes to keep some distance between you and your subject, then yes. If you want a lens that is well-built and will last the test of time, then yes. If you want a telephoto lens with a true 1:1 macro ratio, then yes. If you want crisp, sharp images, then yes. If you want a light-weight, inexpensive lens, then heck no! The Sigma 180mm f2.8 will set you back about $1550. It is not designed for the weekend warrior, rather the professional shooter looking for an exceptional piece of glass. Great job, Sigma! You have created another fantastic lens. Â Â Â Â Â Â

Sample Images

Here are some sample images taken with the Nikon D600 (full frame camera).