[dadipentak]

Does anyone have this lens? It has a good rep for macro but I'd be interested in how it performs in other applications (candid portraits and sports) as well.

[jzamora]

Optically this lens took great photographs but I ended up returning it and getting the DA*200 instead. I lost the capability to do macro to 1:1 but i gained 20mm and SDM. I took some shots of people with the Sigma while i had it and it was very sharp and worked well as a telephoto lens. I didn't however like how it switched to manual focus mode(you have to switch it on the lens - by pushing/pulling the focus ring - and switch to M on the body). It also was giving me a problem when the aperture ring was in A. It would act like an Super Tak where you had no control of the aperture but then when i moved the ring to F3.5 it would be in automatic. Although maybe that was just the copy of it I got. Hope this helps.

It is also a lot larger than the DA*200 that i got. Which by the way i love.
--JZ

[John Kovarik]

That's an interesting observation. I have been thinking of the 180 to but have hesitated. I have found the using the DA* 200 at minimum focus range gives some excellent 'faux-macro' results that when cropped look almost like the 'real thing'.

Good points..........the lack of SDM on the Sigma is irritating.........

[dadipentak]

Thanks for the commentary, guys! The lack of sdm is irritating as a matter of principle but not a big deal for my shooting. On the other hand, size matters (compactness, that is.) What I really want is a fast, sharp, compact, 100-200mm zoom but I don't think that lens exists. I guess I'll hold on to my cash and wait.

[Gooneybird]

Does anyone have this lens? It has a good rep for macro but I'd be interested in how it performs in other applications (candid portraits and sports) as well.

Sorry to be so late commenting on this subject, but just ran across it. I have this lens, but am not sure if it has the SDM motor. Or am I confusing it with the HSM motor? Regardless, I have the Sigma APO Macro 180mm f3.5 EX DG (whatever all that means) and have been using it for nearly 2 months. It is the sharpest lens of any I've EVER used, and although it's rated as a 180mm, its focal length is about equal to approx. 210mm on a Tamron 28 to 300mm zoom lens. As a Macro, it can focus down to about 15 inches. All my hesitancies to spend what this cost were quickly abated after using it a few days. My major use for it is birds and other wildlife. I often crop out the center 5 to 10% of the original frame, and even this crop is beautifully sharp. Finally, for a reason I cannot explain, my K10D will allow flash shots with it at 1/180 sec. where with all my other lenses it will only allow up to 1/60 sec. (Can anyone out there explain this?)

[dadipentak]

Thanks gooney and sorry for being so leisurely getting back. I gather HSM/SDM are just different names for sonic (rather than screw-drive) focus.
I'd admit that I don't understand "sonic" but then someone would try to explain it and I'd have to pretend to understand All I know is it's supposed to be faster & quieter than traditional AF.