Sigma 150mm - taken the plunge

[matt_xyz]

well I've taken the plunge and ordered a Sigma 150mm macro lens to go with my Canon 400D body. I went with URGalaxy and got a price that seems very competitive (£273 + £40 postage), I just hope it arrives OK. It's always a slight gamble going with an overseas company like this, but I've used URGalaxy before and they were very good.

I'll be interested to see how it compares to my macro set up from last year (Panasonic FZ30 and close-up lenses). I was very pleased with the results from that set up and will no doubt still use it in certain situations.

Matt

[colincurry]

Hi Matt

Please keep us (me) posted - particularly on whether or not you are able to hand hold the beast.

Best

Colin

[rlchew]

Hi Matt

Good to hear you have joined the Siggy 150 club.

I bought mine around the same time last year and it really did open up my interest in butterflies, dragonflies ans damselflies.

It is an excellent lens although I think my technique using it can still improve.

I can't wait for spring to advance so the lens comes out again!

Good luck .... I am sure you will soon be posting some excellent macro photos.

Richard

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by colincurry

Hi Matt

Please keep us (me) posted - particularly on whether or not you are able to hand hold the beast.

Best

Colin

I'm not optimistic in that regard Colin. I'm pretty much resigned to using a tripod and will probably use the FZ30 (which obviously benefits from IS) in situations where a tripod isn't practical. We'll see though.

Matt

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by rlchew

Hi Matt

Good to hear you have joined the Siggy 150 club.

I bought mine around the same time last year and it really did open up my interest in butterflies, dragonflies ans damselflies.

It is an excellent lens although I think my technique using it can still improve.

I can't wait for spring to advance so the lens comes out again!

Good luck .... I am sure you will soon be posting some excellent macro photos.

Richard

thanks Richard, I'm also now looking forward to Spring

Matt

[Ollie]

Look forward to seeing your photos from it Matt, mines gathering dust in the camera cupboard as I aren't mobile enough to use it yet.
Roger

[Fourwings]

Thats one purchase you will never regret Matt, I wouldn't part with my Siggy 150 for anything.
You will definately see a huge advantage in the distance at which you can achieve great macro images of insects, infact, I'll have a bet with you that you will end up having to back off to fit Dragonflies into the frame, I know I did, it's a legacy of using DSLR style compacts for macro work, you are just so used to having to get really close up to them, but not anymore

As for camera support, this lens is best used with a tripod, it can be handheld but in my opinion the supported shots are always just that bit sharper plus you can take images in poor light conditions/areas, some people may tell you different but I have taken over 5,000 shots with this lens now so feel that I'm qualified to say this.

I'm looking forward to seeing some images from you and the 150 shortly, if you want any advice on best settings for this lens etc.. just give me a shout.

Steve.

[matt_xyz]

thanks Roger and Steve. Roger, you've still got a few weeks to recover before the insects are out in large numbers.

Steve, I'm sure you're right regarding the tripod. And I do recall being slightly amazed last summer when I saw you backing off from a dragonfly when you were already several feet away from it That does seem to be the main benefit I can expect compared to my FZ30 set-up, which required me to be around 8 inches from the subject. The other problem was that I couldn't always fit the whole dragonfly in frame with the close-up lenses.

Matt

[Boddie]

Does that mean we'll actually see some decent macro shots from you for a change?

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Does that mean we'll actually see some decent macro shots from you for a change?

I suspect they will get worse before they get better

Matt

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I suspect they will get worse before they get better

Matt

Yep.

I heard it is quite a beast to tame

[nightshade]

Superb lense,now all you need is one of these BushHawk® Products

[glsammy]

Welcome to the 150mm Macro club Matt. As has been said, you'll get to love it, but I think you'll also struggle to match some of the extremely good Macro shots you've managed with the FZ30. BUT you'll love not having to be so close! Extension tubes work well with it as well if you want to get really close, in fact frighteningly close.
You'll find the built in flash also works well with it, I often use 1/125sec @F20.0, with the flash. You'll need very low aperture settings to get any decent depth of field. This will be when you find out how dirty your sensor is!
Don't know why I'm telling you all this, you know it all perfectly well yourself!

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Welcome to the 150mm Macro club Matt. As has been said, you'll get to love it, but I think you'll also struggle to match some of the extremely good Macro shots you've managed with the FZ30. BUT you'll love not having to be so close! Extension tubes work well with it as well if you want to get really close, in fact frighteningly close.
You'll find the built in flash also works well with it, I often use 1/125sec @F20.0, with the flash. You'll need very low aperture settings to get any decent depth of field. This will be when you find out how dirty your sensor is!
Don't know why I'm telling you all this, you know it all perfectly well yourself!

thanks Graham, and you should never assume I know it all already I can't wait to try it and see how different things are compared to my FZ30 set-up. I hope it arrives soon

Once I've mastered it I'll be disappointed if I can't at least match the FZ30's performance though. I suspect I may need extension tubes to get the equivalent degree of magnification.

Matt

[jonhawkins]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

well I've taken the plunge and ordered a Sigma 150mm macro lens to go with my Canon 400D body. I went with URGalaxy and got a price that seems very competitive (£273 + £40 postage), I just hope it arrives OK. It's always a slight gamble going with an overseas company like this, but I've used URGalaxy before and they were very good.

I'll be interested to see how it compares to my macro set up from last year (Panasonic FZ30 and close-up lenses). I was very pleased with the results from that set up and will no doubt still use it in certain situations.

Matt

I bought through URGalaxy and found them very good. Have only had one chance to use the Sigma 150 so far, this gull was very obliging:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...p?i=29383&c=61

Jon

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

Once I've mastered it I'll be disappointed if I can't at least match the FZ30's performance though. I suspect I may need extension tubes to get the equivalent degree of magnification.

Matt

i'd be suprised if you do, the lens is a 1:1 after all (possibly more than that depending on the crop of your sensor) - if you do you could try a 2x teleconverter or if you are feeling brave a teleconverter and extension tubes.

if you do that, for maximum manginfication put them on so that the converter is nearest the camera body , then the ext tubes, then the lens - beaware however that the ext tubes will reduce your max focusing distance which might not be the best for insects.

by way of illustration this is taken with my 90mm macro a 24mm ext tube and the 2xtc set up as above

[matt_xyz]

I think my FZ30 was getting more than 1:1 when I used the stronger of my 2 close-up lenses e.g. in the shot below which is nearly full frame. I certainly plan to play around with some extension tubes

[eeyore]

i'd forgotten that you had the more powerful extender - the other one (cant remember the name , the one andew bought) is suposed to be roughly equivalent to a 1:1 macro lens so i would guess that yours is approaching 2:1 if that is the case you would need all three ext tubes or a 2xtc to give you the same

have you read "small things big" by paul harcourt davies btw - hes very good as a refresher on SLR macro work

[PMG]

Heck! Is about the only thing I can think of to say - look forward to seeing results from this later on then!

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i'd forgotten that you had the more powerful extender - the other one (cant remember the name , the one andew bought) is suposed to be roughly equivalent to a 1:1 macro lens so i would guess that yours is approaching 2:1 if that is the case you would need all three ext tubes or a 2xtc to give you the same

have you read "small things big" by paul harcourt davies btw - hes very good as a refresher on SLR macro work

The DCR150 is the main one I use and that's the one Andrew's bought, I think it's 4 dioptre in strength. The other one, the DCR250, is 8 dioptre in strength which is very powerful, but obviously more difficult to use. I've played around with macro lenses on DSLRs before so I'm not expecting too many surprises. The principles are the same really i.e. how to deal with very shallow DOF!

Matt

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

The DCR150 is the main one I use and that's the one Andrew's bought, I think it's 4 dioptre in strength. The other one, the DCR250, is 8 dioptre in strength which is very powerful, but obviously more difficult to use. I've played around with macro lenses on DSLRs before so I'm not expecting too many surprises. The principles are the same really i.e. how to deal with very shallow DOF!

Matt

Just what I was about to say Matt! The DOF with the extensions is extremely limited. One of the best 1:1 shot's I've seen is Steves (Fourwings):




My shot here was with the full 61mm extension tubes:

[matt_xyz]

thanks Graham, they're both impressive shots.

I now can't wait for the dragons and damsels to arrive There should be a few around from early May shouldn't there?

Matt