[eaglem]

In our Lens review section we show Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG APO Macro which has no reviews and the sigma 180mm F3.5 EX DG APO Macro which has about 19 reviews and most very good. Now on trying to either of these lenses Sigma after being contacted they don't make these lenses with a Pentax mount so my question is, did Sigma make these lenses with a Pentax mount at an earlier time and recently stop or did they never make them with a Pentax mount? I would like to get one of either 150mm or 180mm but after googling can't seem to find any with a Pentax mount.

[Tako Kichi]

I'm not sure about the two you mentioned but I have the Sigma 105mm EX DG Macro and I know that is discontinued in Pentax K mount and can only be found on the used market now. It may well be the case that Sigma discontinued all their longer macro primes in K mount. I know they stopped making the 105mm a couple of years ago and I was lucky enough to find a 'New Old Stock' (NOS) example on Ebay for a very good price as it came from a liquidator selling off the remaining stock from a B&M store that had closed it's doors, it even came with the forms for the extended 7yr Canadian warranty.

[eaglem]

Yes I have two Sigma 105mm macros but was hoping to get one of the others so I could shoot from a further distance especially when shooting Dragonflies and butterflies as they are rather flighty if you try to get too close.

[Bruce Clark]

Seems to be a pretty rare beast that 180. It would be nice to get hold of one. From the reviews it appears to score pretty well except for one respondent.

[eaglem]

Yes, hopefully one will surface soon .....................

[HudsonShooter]

sigma 70-300 has a 200-300 macro mode.
it is not as good as normal macro though.

[RAART]

The Sigma 150mm never has been made in Pentax mount. Sigma may planned to do that but never did.

The Sigma 180mm is a good lens and I had it in Nikon mount earlier (Nikon equipment got stolen along with that lens). One was recently for sale (mid November) in marketplace but I had other priorities then to get that lens and BTW if I did my wife will kill me...

Another member (Digitalis) here has this lens and maybe he can give you some advice

@Digitalis Maybe you can post some examples and your impressions about that lens here?

The other Sigma macros 105mm and 70mm as well as 50mm are very good and I think that 70mm is the sharpest one followed by 50mm and as last 105mm. There are some copies variations issue with 105mm and you need to check the lens prior purchase or get it and send to Sigma for calibration along with your camera body. They are less copies variations with 70mm and 50mm lenses.

Hope this helps...

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Last edited by RAART; 12-08-2016 at 02:57 AM.

[eaglem]

Thanks for the info.

The Sigma 150mm never has been made in Pentax mount. Sigma may planned to do that but never did.

The Sigma 180mm is a good lens and I had it in Nikon mount earlier (Nikon equipment got stolen along with that lens). One was recently for sale (mid November) in marketplace but I had other priorities then to get that lens and BTW if I did my wife will kill me...

Another member (Digitalis) here has this lens and maybe he can give you some advice

@Digitalis Maybe you can post some examples and your impressions about that lens here?

The other Sigma macros 105mm and 70mm as well as 50mm are very good and I think that 70mm is the sharpest one followed by 50mm and as last 105mm. There are some copies variations issue with 105mm and you need to check the lens prior purchase or get it and send to Sigma for calibration along with your camera body. They are lass copies variations with 70mm and 50mm lenses.

Hope this helps...

[Digitalis]

Digitalis Maybe you can post some examples and your impressions about that lens here?

I certainly can. However I have had the lens long enough to develop more than just an impression. Sigma has had a long history with macro lenses, especially making long focal length macros. The sigma 180mm has several variations - the first two are relatively rare in K mount: the 180mm f/5.6 APO Macro and Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG, and the current Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM IF OS - which, sadly isn't available in K mount and probably never will be. I happen to own the Sigma 180mm f/2.8 in Canon EF mount, and optically it doesn't improve much over the f/3.5 version, in fact it is slightly worse*. the OS feature is handy but I wouldn't consider it essential.


Pentax K5IIs- Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX ISO 1600 f/5.6 1/60th

Voigtlander also make a 180mm f/4 Macro SL which was offered in K mount. It is said to be not in the same league as the legendary Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar, but is still excellent optically, and built like a tank. I have never seen this lens.

On APS-C format the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO is an excellent lens, with a generous working distance for skittish macro subjects and also studio macro work. The increased working distance the 180mm lens offers at 1:1(which is roughly 180mm) is well worth the price. On full frame Pentax K-1 the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 is superb.


Pentax K-1 - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX @ f/3.5 ISO 320 1/250th

The sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO is commonly viewed as the "poor mans" FA*200mm f/4 ED Macro - the FA*200mm f/4 Macro being one of the best lenses pentax has ever made. A few years ago a reviewer who worked with Canon DSLRs caught some flak for saying the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX was sharper than the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L - Unfortunately for Canon, he was right, and his opinions have only been confirmed over the years.


Pentax K5IIs - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro f/16 ISO 400 1/180th

It isn't quite as good as the Pentax FA*200mm f/4 ED Macro, but that shouldn't suggest you can't get good images from it.


Pentax K5IIs - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro - ISO 320 f/5.6 1/250th

* 3 copies tested of the sigma 180mm f/2.8 APO IF EX DG HSM OS - 4 copies of the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX IF. Testing found chromatic aberration is higher on the f/2.8 version when compared to the f/3.5 version. This seems to be a characteristic of the optical design sigma is using, at 1:1 the aberrations are very low but get progressively worse at long focus distances with both f/2.8 and f/3.5 versions of this lens.

[eaglem]

Thank you for the shots and info, sounds like it will be a wishlist thing.

I certainly can. However I have had the lens long enough to develop more than just an impression. Sigma has had a long history with macro lenses, especially making long focal length macros. The sigma 180mm has several variations - the first two are relatively rare in K mount: the 180mm f/5.6 APO Macro and Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG, and the current Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM IF OS - which, sadly isn't available in K mount and probably never will be. I happen to own the Sigma 180mm f/2.8 in Canon EF mount, and optically it doesn't improve much over the f/3.5 version, in fact it is slightly worse*. the OS feature is handy but I wouldn't consider it essential.


Pentax K5IIs- Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX ISO 1600 f/5.6 1/60th

Voigtlander also make a 180mm f/4 Macro SL which was offered in K mount. It is said to be not in the same league as the legendary Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 APO Lanthar, but is still excellent optically, and built like a tank. I have never seen this lens.

On APS-C format it is an excellent lens, very good for skittish macro subjects and also studio macro work. The increased working distance the 180mm lens offers at 1:1 is well worth the price. On full frame Pentax K-1 the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 is superb.


Pentax K-1 - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX @ f/3.5 ISO 320 1/250th

The sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO is commonly viewed as the "poor mans" FA*200mm f/4 ED Macro - the FA*200mm f/4 Macro being one of the best lenses pentax has ever made. A few years ago a reviewer who worked with Canon DSLRs caught some flak for saying the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX was sharper than the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L - Unfortunately for Canon, he was right, and his opinions have only been confirmed over the years.


Pentax K5IIs - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro f/16 ISO 400 1/180th

But, that shouldn't suggest you can't get good images from it.


Pentax K5IIs - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro - ISO 320 f/5.6 1/250th

* 3 copies tested of the sigma 180mm f/2.8 APO IF EX DG HSM OS - 4 copies of the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX IF. Testing found chromatic aberration is higher on the f/2.8 version when compared to the f/3.5 version. This seems to be a characteristic of the optical design sigma is using, at 1:1 the aberrations are very low but get progressively worse at long focus distances with both f/2.8 and f/3.5 versions of this lens.

[lemonsoda]

The Sigma 150mm never has been made in Pentax mount. Sigma may planned to do that but never did.

That's right. When Sigma announced the 150 OS, it was listed with PK-mount on their page. And than it didn't came....

I would suggest to try a TC with your Sigma 105 (Sigma TC and the Pentax TC work fine) and wait.
Sigma seems to be thinking about launching new lenses for PK and there were rumors about a long Pentax macro, too. A new long macro by Sigma or Pentax may lower the price of the 180/3.5 to a reasonable level.

[Digitalis]

When Sigma announced the 150 OS, it was listed with PK-mount on their page. And than it didn't came....

This was frustrating because the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 has a very good reputation optically.

[bassek]

Difficult to control the thin DOF. Here it focused on the leaves.

Seb