180/3.5 Macro vs 80-200/2.8 with 2x TC?

Overread · Jan 20, 2011

In sigma language HSM means that the lens has fulltime manual focusing as an option. So yes the sigma 180mm and 150mm macro lenses both have fulltime manual focusing

Markw · Jan 21, 2011

Damn. Missed it by a few hours! Someone already picked it up. I happened to come across one online for $499 with both caps, collar, hood, and case. Is this still an okay deal? I can't seem to find them used anywhere, so I honestly dont know. The new price is $800+, though, so I figured it was still a good deal..

Mark

NateS · Jan 21, 2011

I'll chime in with some pros/cons of the Tamron 180mm f3.5. As you probably know this is my primary macro lens.

Advantages:
- Bokeh is to die for....so creamy it's almost sickening.
- Sharp, sharp, sharp. (probably same w/ Siggy 180)
- FL is great (same w/ Siggy 180)
- MF is incredible on this lens. It takes a decent bit of turning to make a focus change which makes fine tuning your focus a breeze and I rarely have missed focus shots at 1:1 (different story when using Tubes and TC's)
- It is pretty lightweight for it's size.
- Works incredibly with the teleconverters, full set of tubes, or combination of both. Even mounted it to my bellows and it works great.

Disadvantages:
Build quality isn't awesome, but it's not horrible. It defeintely doesn't feel as solid as say my Sigma 50mm f1.4 or some of the better Nikon glass, but it doesn't really feel cheap either (like my Sigma 70-300 APO did).

...and the biggest disadvantage...AF is basically useless. When I say slow, you might not understand how I'm using that word. I'm talking if a 18-55 kit lens is a Mustang GT, then a Tamron 180 f3.5 is a Kia Sephia. I thought I would be able to double it w/ TC as a bird lens, but it's just too slow.

That said, it works great in MF for zoo trips. I have yet to take it to the zoo w/ the 1.4tc but I'm sure that it would work great and it is super sharp for regular animal shots...just realize you'll probably end up using manual focus. I can post sample shots of non-macro animal shots taken with the lens if you'd like.

All in all, it is an incredible lens if you are aware and okay with it's limitations. I've had contemplations of selling it for a Sigma 150mm f2.8 which has very fast AF (from what I've heard), but don't see the point since the Sigma 50-500 OS is on my list and would trump the Siggy 150 for animal photos.

Overread · Jan 21, 2011

The only macro lenses that I've ever seen the words "fast" and "AF" in the same sentance for (on canon) is the canon 100mm macro lenses (original and L version). I'd certainly not call the 150mm macro "fast" as such. Not horribly slow but not super slick. In fact I'll test it against my 70mm sigma which I feel is faster (rough guess that )

Overread · Jan 23, 2011

Ok tested and compared them together - interesting results:
I tested both with the focus limiter switches in use so that I was not entering the macro ranges at all.

1) Sigma 70mm certainly feels to me to be the faster at getting a focus lock. It is certainly far more noisy, but its faster. Interestingly though it has less turn in its focus range at long distance than the 150mm so this will help it get a lock faster, but also makes its manual focusing a little more difficult at those ranges (less distance = more change of a manual focusing error).

2) The 70mm hunted less than the 150mm which seemed to get stuck sometimes hunting. I will point out that I compared them in a moderately not too dim room indoors, at night, so not ideal lighting by any means, but still the 150mm did have more hunting issues.

Markw · Jan 23, 2011

That's interesting. The 70mm is by no means an option for me, though. I could do a test between the 50/2.8 and 105/2.8 as well. I have both until the 50/2.8 sells.

Mark

Markw · Jan 23, 2011

This is what I was talking about when I said the birds let me get close to them. These photos were taken about 13", or less, away from the birds themselves with my macro lens. The meter in the camera says 890mm. This is clearly wrong. I can take a photo of the place I was and the place the bird was, and it is nowhere near 3'. If I extended my hand off the front of my lens, I could have grabbed the bird. Theyve only been cropped to the extent that it took to straighten them. Standard 20% sharpening and slight levels adjustment.

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I can only think..imagine the profiles I could get of the Cardinals..doves, pigeons, starlings, crackles, crows, chickadees, wrens, etc, etc that come around here with the 180mm+1.4/2.0x TC.

Mark

Markw · Jan 24, 2011

Okay, so Im ordering my 180/3.5 today at the price of $470. When this lens gets here, I will have the 50/2.8, 105/2.8, and 180/3.5 Macros..all sitting in my house. :lol:

Mark

Overread · Jan 24, 2011

Now all you need is a canon camera and a nice 65mm adding to your collection

Markw · Jan 24, 2011

Okay, so Im ordering my 180/3.5 today at the price of $470.

'Tis done. :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

Mark

Overread · Jan 24, 2011

Welcome to the 3 macro lens addicts club!

Markw · Jan 24, 2011

Thank you kindly!

Now I have to decide whether I want an R1 Lighting kit for the new lens. $500 is alot of money to dump on macro, especially since I just dumped $500 on it today! :lol:

. The only light I have now is an SB-600. What do you think?

Mark

Markw · Jan 27, 2011

Well, the monster's here. And it is just that..a monster! It's a massive, beautiful lens. The HSM is a wonderful addition! It makes focusing MUCH easier, faster, and quieter. The front element not extending is going to work wonders for not scaring critters away.

Sorry to rant, It's just really exciting, as I'm sure you know.
:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Mark