Sigma Launches 180mm f/2.8 OS Macro!!!!

http://www.dpreview.co​m …o-180mm-F2.8-EX-DG-OS-HSM

$1699, My price prediction appears correct!

Who wants to fund me to get one and review it Come now! dont be shy!

Wait, a Sigma butterfly lens for TWICE the price of the spectacular 100L IS? Hmmm, it's got "success" written all over it...

It looks nice but I agree the price tag is a little outta control id definitely pick up the 100mm L before considering this unless the price came down

KenjiS wrote in post #14710158
http://www.dpreview.co​m …o-180mm-F2.8-EX-DG-OS-HSM

$1699, My price prediction appears correct!

Who wants to fund me to get one and review it Come now! dont be shy!

umm come and buy lenses outside of the usa, 1700 seems fair to me. the 150 f/2.8 OS cost me $1200 aussie, problem buying greymarket is that sigma's service agent down here won't deal with graymarket lenses

andrikos wrote in post #14710426
Wait, a Sigma butterfly lens for TWICE the price of the spectacular 100L IS? Hmmm, it's got "success" written all over it...

Not trying to be Captain Obvious here, but this 180mm Sigma macro is competing more with Canon's 180mm macro than the 100L macro.

Compared to the Canon (approx. 1600 USD, IIRC), the Sigma is 2/3 of a stop faster and has OS. I'd be interested if I was looking for a macro > 150mm.

i agree that they aren't exactly in the same category but for the money i would rather pick up the 100 L but if i were in the market for a 180mm macro it is a much better deal then the canon version and it isn't that much more expensive and canon's is non IS and only f/3.5 so i can see the few hundred more for it but for the money the 100mm L would be good for me.

Echo Johnson wrote in post #14710702
Not trying to be Captain Obvious here, but this 180mm Sigma macro is competing more with Canon's 180mm macro than the 100L macro.

Compared to the Canon (approx. 1600 USD, IIRC), the Sigma is 2/3 of a stop faster and has OS. I'd be interested if I was looking for a macro > 150mm.

Sure it's closer to the EF 180mm f/3.5L but how many people own this lens or are interested in it? That should give you an idea of the types of volumes we're talking about.
This is, at best, a niche lens and given the surprisingly sharp price, I expect it to become a very rare lens indeed...

andrikos wrote in post #14711471
Sure it's closer to the EF 180mm f/3.5L but how many people own this lens or are interested in it? That should give you an idea of the types of volumes we're talking about.
This is, at best, a niche lens and given the surprisingly sharp price, I expect it to become a very rare lens indeed...

I agree, this isn't going to be sold in volumes comparable to 24-70mm lenses or 50mm primes.

It is, however, geared towards exactly the same niche market as Canon's 180mm macro, which still sells - albeit not in enormous numbers. I'd expect this to siphon some business away from Canon.

It's a specialized lens that will be competing with a similar, existing specialized lens.

andrikos wrote in post #14710426
Wait, a Sigma butterfly lens for virtually the same price as canon's butterfly lens, but 2/3rds of a stop faster, with OS, and most likely better optics due to newer design? It's got "success" written all over it!

Fixed.

Plus, price will drop after launch as with most sigma lenses.

andrikos wrote in post #14711471
Sure it's closer to the EF 180mm f/3.5L but how many people own this lens or are interested in it? That should give you an idea of the types of volumes we're talking about.
This is, at best, a niche lens and given the surprisingly sharp price, I expect it to become a very rare lens indeed...

So what? The point is, if you're in the market for a 180mm macro lens, you aren't going to be looking at the canon 100L, because its too short. The sigma is competing against the canon 180, not the 100 L IS.

les_au wrote in post #14710482
umm come and buy lenses outside of the usa, 1700 seems fair to me. the 150 f/2.8 OS cost me $1200 aussie, problem buying greymarket is that sigma's service agent down here won't deal with graymarket lenses

Uh, I was not -complaining- about the price, I guess you needed to see the other posts I've made..

I stated I felt $1500-1800 is fair for this in other threads, Consider the competition, Canon's 180mm f/3.5 is $1579, Nikon's 200mm f/4 is $1650

Both are slower, Neither has OS/IS/VR, the Nikon wont even autofocus on the entry level bodies, The Sigma delivers more for a fair increase in price

Cant speak of the AF performance, but if Sigma got the AF speed fairly snappy this lens could be a VERY useful general purpose telephoto, Even if its a more pedestrian HSM implementation, on a FF body 180mm and f/2.8 should make for some excellent tight headshots...

Sharpness, i dont even think i have to question, Sigma's macros have always been as good as Canon's

I guess I can speak for myself and how I'd use it... For larger flowers having the option of f/2.8 is great to maintain isolation, For insects the focal length of 180mm keeps you far enough back from the action to not scare the subjects, And you can easily get light in there using a normal speedlight (using a macro flash might be more difficult due to the huge front element however) OS is very handy to have when working in the shade wanting to keep ISO as low as possible

I did flower shots for years with a Canon 200mm f/2.8L, I only got rid of it because i wanted to split that lens into two lenses, a 180-class Macro and a 70-200, I ended up with the 100L because it was the only stabilized Macro(For Canon at least) on the market at the time and i find IS to be VERY useful...Dont get me wrong its a great lens but i frequently wish it was longer..

I really do want one of these, I just am unsure i can come up with the cash above my 100mm f/2.8L to get it.... but this is one of those lenses im pretty sure will find its way into my system

And for the record, this is the kind of thing Sigma SHOULD make, They SHOULD make low volume specialty lenses that target holes in the big manufacturers lineups... In this case this lens wins because when Canon does finally update the 180mm f/3.5 macro i practically guarantee its going to be $2500-2800....

ummm, you do realize that Sigma already makes a really great 150mm f/2.8 macro that sells for $680? And that there's an OS version that sells for $1,100?

Is 30mm of additional FL really worth an extra $600?

I rented the 150mm OS version and the Canon 180 a month or so ago. I fell in love with the Sigma and was looking at B&H a few weeks ago and saw the Sigma 180. Waited for the price, but I can't justify another $600 for FL glass and about an extra 1/4 of a foot working distance. I will be purchasing the 150mm OS.

andrikos wrote in post #14715240
ummm, you do realize that Sigma already makes a really great 150mm f/2.8 macro that sells for $680? And that there's an OS version that sells for $1,100?

Is 30mm of additional FL really worth an extra $600?

True i suppose...

Oh yeah, one more comment:
If you want to photograph butterflies with a non-macro lens because you already have one (but it's too short), a classic option is the 300mm f/4L IS which is cheaper ($1,350) than the new Sigma... And you have an awesome telephoto to boot.

andrikos wrote in post #14718100
Oh yeah, one more comment:
If you want to photograph butterflies with a non-macro lens because you already have one (but it's too short), a classic option is the 300mm f/4L IS which is cheaper ($1,350) than the new Sigma... And you have an awesome telephoto to boot.

True, but i still wish the macro was longer That said i might be able to find someone willing to trade a 150 OS for the 100L as they're worth roughly the same...