Sigma 24-70/2.8 EX DG Macro (4 pix)

My 28-75 says it....

Macro might mean that the lens can focus stupidly close. My tamron 28-75 can focus at 75mm on something that's like 3 inches away. Maybe that's why they give it that title?

Macro is normally 1-1 true but 1/2 is ok but it mostly means extreme close up less than 30cm normally, and always at the far end of the zoom, where as a dedicated fixed prime 1-1 zoom has the ability to focus with 1-1 at what ever distance you are at to allow to include the surroundings, why you'd want to do this depends what you're trying to acheive I suppose.

I have a question about the focus. since it doesn't have HSM, how quiet and fast is it compared to a USM lens?

Well you can hear it if you listen for it, but in normal just get on with it attitude and also a Vicar last week asked me to give her a demo as to how noisey it was before she let me take photo during the ceromony said she had heard a lot worse, but in comparison I'd say it's twice as loud, but then the Canon usm's are near silent anyway.

well my 50mm is super loud compared to my USM. i guess this is the only reason i am staying with canons. I will just have to get into the store adn try it out for myself. the pictures might be more then enough for me to over come the noise. I'm sure i'm just being over critical about this, but looking for reasons to stay strictly canon. thanks for the responce.