SIGMA DC 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 MACRO OS HSM ZOOM

[jimmyc]

Hi.. I'm looking at this lens and having some trouble with it. It's on loan with a option to buy for $225
Attaching it to a Canon Rebel T6s. It works most of the time but doesn't work in "live view" and will sometimes just lock up the camera. Have to turn it off and back on.

I like the idea of having a zoom macro to pickup small subjects. The two don't seem to be playing well together. Just wondering if anyone else has had issues like this??
I'm very much a newbie any advice or pointer is much appreciated!!!!

jimmy c.

 

[TCampbell]

I don’t have the lens, but sometimes when a new camera body comes out and you have an older lens, the lens firmware doesn’t know how to talk to the “new” camera (it could talk to any camera that was on the market when the lens was released.)

Often if you contact the manufacturer (Sigma), they may be able to update it. But as it’s “on loan” you probably don’t want to do that for a lens you don’t own.

 

[jimmyc]

Thanks Tim; Yeah wondered if an update might fix it but didn't want to chance it. Will probably end up with a Canon 100mm macro. They look to be pretty solid lens.

 

[TCampbell]

Thanks Tim; Yeah wondered if an update might fix it but didn't want to chance it. Will probably end up with a Canon 100mm macro. They look to be pretty solid lens.

Canon makes two different 100mm macro lenses. Both are f/2.8, but one of them (the "L" series version) has image stabilization and has sharper optics (especially near the center of the frame). One is $600, the other (the "L" series version) is $800 (for "new" lenses). Both are also available in Canon's online store in the "refurbished" section... the non-L version is $479. The "L" version is $719. Their "refurbs" come with the same warranty as new lenses (and generally nobody can tell the difference ... except refurbs don't arrive in the normal Canon retail packaging. It's usually a plain box.)

Zoom lenses that offer a "macro" range usually aren't true macro lenses. They are typically 1:4 scale or 1:3 scale... and sometimes even 1:2 scale. True macro lenses are typically prime lenses and they generally offer 1:1 scale.

The 1:1 scale means that when the lens projects the image of your subject into the camera body and onto the sensor, the size of the image on the sensor will be as large as the subject is in real life.

Depth of field gets very shallow at these extreme close focusing distances. You can stop-down the focal ratio aggressively to increase the depth of field (but at a cost of losing light... having extra light helps) or you can use "focus stacking" techniques (which works as long as the subject isn't moving.)