Sigma 180 mm f/2.8 APO Macro EX DG OS HSM
11. Summary
- very good build quality,
- excellent resolution in the frame centre,
- sensational resolution on the edge of the frame, also on full frame,
- very well corrected chromatic aberration,
- slight spherical aberration,
- negligible distortion,
- unnoticeable comma,
- low astigmatism,
- not very bothering vignetting on the smaller sensor,
- silent and accurate autofocus,
- rich standard accessory kit,
- three-year warranty period with a possibility of extending it further.
Cons:
- work against bright light could have been better.
Sigma Corporation has been emphasizing for some time now that they are bored with being perceived as a producer of cheaper and worse equivalents of brand name lenses. Currently they strive to be treated as a serious manufacturer of high quality optics which products can compete easily with the best instruments on the market. The results of this test prove it clearly – the company doesn’t joke. The Sigma 180 mm f/2.8 APO Macro EX DG OS HSM is a sensational lens, practically faultless, which fully deserves the badge below. It’s worth noticing that we aren’t lavish with our badges and the number of lenses, tested by us, which have got it is limited indeed. To make you realize better how good the performance of the tested Sigma is we can write that in many categories it fared better than the well-known and much-liked Canon EF 200 mm f/2.8L USM II. Another advantage of the Sigma is the fact that it is really a fully-fledged macro lens.
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However the new Sigma policy has also its darker points : namely they assume you have to pay a lot for high quality. The price of the Sigma 2.8/180 OS is really exorbitant. It’s enough to say it is twice as high as the price of the Canon 2.8/200L,mentioned above. If you start comparing prices, however, and you take the immediate rival of the tested lens into account - the Canon EF 180 mm f/3.5L USM Macro - you can find out that their price tags are very similar. In fact the Sigma compares quite well here because it gives you additionally stabilization and a better fastness for the same sum of money. The situation looks even better if you compare it to the elderly Nikkor AF 200 MM F/4D ED-IF Micro. The price difference is slight and the Nikkor is even slower than the Canon, it lacks stabilization and an ultrasonic motor.
To sum up if I was thinking about buying a 180 mm class lens nowadays I would be sorely tempted to purchase the Sigma – there are so many arguments in its favour that it would make me resign from other brand name lenses.
Sample shots
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.25 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/2500 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.31 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.03 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/2500 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.3 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 6.11 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.75 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.3 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/3.0, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.14 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/3.0, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.25 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.74 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1250 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.39 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 10.99 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/2000 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 10.08 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 10.08 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.37 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.52 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.1 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.22 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/250 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.34 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 6.98 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.22 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 6.68 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/100 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.42 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 10.22 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.16 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.61 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/25 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 9.72 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.86 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.86 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.11 MB |
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Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/3.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 8.46 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/3.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.82 MB |
Camera: Nikon D3x Parameters: 180 mm, f/3.5, exp. 1/100 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 6048×4032 pix, 7.84 MB |
