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For Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, 432 customer reviews collected from 2 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.7.

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12.12.2015

Having been into DSLR-level photography for around 6 months now, I was finding a gap with my steadily growing collection of lenses for my Nikon D5200. I needed something that would work well for low light, provide decent mid-telephoto capabilities, and give me incredible depth of field and bokeh. A built in focus motor was a must as was optical stabilization - having acquired the Tamron 70-300mm without stabilization just weeks ago, it was essential that my next lens had this. I had also been wanting a macro lens for some time but wasn't in the market for one at that point in time.With this, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, I have found all of the above and more. Let's go from the top; This lens is heavy,and built like a tank. You will notice it when you fit it to the camera. The shell is made of a very tough plastic but the entire lens has a top quality feel to it. It's also rather bulky, but nothing too unusual.With the Tamron mentioned above, I had found the external focus and the rotating barrel associated with it to be infuriating, not because of the issues surrounding CPL filters, but for the simple reason it made stabilising the lens during focus nearly impossible. With this Sigma, all focusing is internal and almost silent. It's also extremely fast and smooth. With options to limit the focus range, focus hunting can be minimized in some ranges. However, I have found in some cases that autofocus struggles to focus properly, but most other lenses would have had issues in the same situations. Manual focus is incredibly smooth and you can get pinpoint sharpness easily. Image stabilization is very good, although the lag associated with such features is noticeable. That said, even without stabilization enabled, the lens still remains easy to handle with only minimal jitters when using handheld.The macro capabilities of this lens are simply outstanding. Sure, it's not a Canon MP-E, but supermacro has never been a forte of Nikon. The minimum focus distance is simply unbelievable. I have NEVER used an 'all-round' lens that can focus on something that's touching the end of the lens hood. With this, you get extremely good magnification - so good that a bottle cap for a well known brand of cider sold within the UK is able to more than fill the frame. Not only does the object extend beyond the frame bounds, but it is pin-sharp. The magnification seems to grow in steps based upon your distance from the subject and it's quite startling the first few times you see it. You can see from the images of the bottle cap just how good this is at macro.In addition to the lens, the package is supplied with a large carrying case - handy if you're a gig photographer who needs several lenses but don't want to also carry around a huge bag of equipment. You also get 2 lens hoods, one for APS-C and one for full frame. You can even stack these if you wish. It won't provide any additional benefit in terms of flare reduction, but they can be stacked in this way to allow you to see roughly what your absolute minimum focus distance is.While this doesn't provide the range needed for most wildlife, it is ideal for macro, event, nature, still life, and portraits. You could still use it for wildlife, but alas being a prime lens and not a large-telephoto does limit it in such shots. This is without a doubt a fantastic lens and I suspect it shall remain in my collection for years to come.
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27.3.2015

What a beast of a lens this is. I use the lens for everything, not just macro, as it's the sharpest lens I've ever used. Even at 100% on a 24MP sensor, the images are usually close to perfect. The times they are not are unlikely to be the fault of the lens, as it proves itself much of the time.The optical stabilisation (vibration reduction) works very well for stationary items. I haven't had results quite as good as some reviews have suggested, but on a good day I can take the shutter speed down to around 1/30th and get a lovely sharp image, but often I need a higher shutter speed than that. The OS definitely does improve things though and is very worth having.I've read many comments about the OS being noisy - But I don't understand why that's a problem. It's a low noise that you can barely hear and nobody further than a few feet away would even notice. Like any mechanical thing, you're going to hear it when it's sitting right by your face. So don't be put off this lens from comments about that.Auto-focus is accurate and consistent after calibrating to your camera (it's imperative to set the fine tune correctly for the sharpest images, if you have that option on your camera). Focusing is quiet and fast, and the lens does not rotate as focus adjusts. Manual override works well too, with a nice feel that isn't too loose or too tight.Resolution is excellent. I haven't done scientific tests but in the real world, I'm very impressed with the clarity and resolution of even distant objects. I have found one of the best tests of this is to look at distance buildings in your photos at 100%, and see how clear the bricks are. Although I'm not sure of exact numbers, the sweet spot for this lens seems to be around f9, and the images are faultless at this aperture. Even shots taken down to f4 are excellent, but you will notice a lack of clarity if you're pixel-peeping distant objects. I haven't used it much at wider than f4 so cannot give any accurate info about the quality wide open.For macro, the lens's intended use, the images are fantastic. Even down to f22, when you need more depth of field with macro work, the quality is very good.It's a heavy lens and you really notice this when using it on a tripod, as if you don't have the tripod head screwed tightly in place it's easy for the weight of the lens to pull the camera down and you risk damaging it. This isn't a fault of this lens of course, but is something to be careful of when in use.One thing to note with this and any other lens that has some sort of vibration reduction, is that it's only helping keep the camera effectively steady. If you're shooting anything that's moving, even just a little, you need to take that into account when calculating what shutter speed to use in the same way you would when using a non-OS lens.I highly recommend this lens, even for pro use.
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11.9.2017

This is a great lens for anyone wanting to get seriously into macro photography on a budget.Its most important positive qualities are:Focal length is long enough that you don't need to get so close to small animals that might be disturbed by a big black thing creeping up on them - especially if your camera has an APS-C sensor, which will give this lens an effective focal length of 168mm. And if they're not so easily disturbed (or inanimate) you can get REALLY close to them.Excellent image stabilisation means you can get ridiculously sharp shots hand-held without compromising image quality with high ISO settings.The IQ is revelatory and if you need to increase the depth of field (always an issue with macro)it's still decently sharp around f16.It's far cheaper than comparable competitors and makes the Canon 60mm lens which I replaced with it completely redundant: that lens is currently available for about the same price, lacks image stabilisation, is slightly less sharp and won't fit on full-frame cameras.One feature that seems to annoy some people is the relative noisiness of the image stabiliser. This might conceivably disturb some insects etc. so if your main intended use for a macro lens is to take very close-up, hand-held shots of quite mobile small creatures you might want to try before you buy. But from personal experience I doubt this will be a big issue - any insect, spider etc. that is jumpy enough to be frightened off by the sound of the image stabiliser on this lens will likely be frightened off either by the lens approaching it or by the noise of the shutter, which is of course far louder than the image stabiliser. For any other purposes it isn't an issue at all and if you're using a tripod the image stabiliser should be turned off anyway.An apparently genuine design fault noted by professional reviewers is an anomaly in the image stabiliser which means that it doesn't work properly at 1/60s exposure. Personally, despite the 4-stop stabilisation, I tend to be looking for an exposure no slower than 1/125s with this lens; if a 1/60s exposure looked likely (due to poor light or needing more DOF) I'd stick the camera on a tripod (and turn off the image stabiliser); increase the ISO; or increase the aperture - although in fact with 4-stop stabilisation, you could even potentially get away with reducing the ISO so that the exposure was around 1/40-1/50s - it's far from impossible to get away with such a long exposure with this lens, so long as the subject is fairly static and you aren't very close to it. So again, this really isn't a deal-breaker.Highly recommended and great value.
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14.5.2014

Having read numerous professional reviews about macro lenses I decided to go for the top result, which was the Sigma 105mm. It came in a large padded case, which I think would have survived a nuclear bomb. Even the box screamed quality at you. The lens itself is a beast. It is quite heavy and gives the impression that it will last a lifetime. It comes with a nice deep hood that fits perfectly and must shield the lens from unwanted flaring.I have now taken close on 1000 macro images with this lens as well as using it as a standard 105mm lens that on my DX camera (Nikon D7100) is close to 150mm. For standard lens images of scenes the autofocus works well and quickly.If you are doing macro work I turn it off and focus manually. The reason for doing this is that autofocus on macro lenses never seems to work very well for any make. The AF always hunts all over and rarely focusses on the correct spot. I am told this is down to the mechanics of how the autofocus systems works. In short a lot of photographers don't even attempt to autofocus when doing macro imaging. The manual focus ring is big and works cleanly and smoothly. It feels very good and gives you confidence in the product.I always shoot in RAW and expand to pixel level when processing images. The first time I checked for aberration and colour fringing I was astonished to find that there wasn't any at all. It does not matter how far away I am from the subject either. The professional reviews were correct. I could not believe my eyes because lenses that cost twice as much always suffer from some kind of defect but not this one.Being a prime lens as opposed to a zoom lens you always expect it to be sharper. This lens is as sharp as a razor. If you cannot get an ultra-sharp image with this lens then your eyes must be the problem. This is without doubt the sharpest lens I have ever used in my 45 years of doing photography. I cannot praise it highly enough. Sigma have produced a top class lens with this product and it will take an awful lot of beating by the other big companies. I normally buy Nikon lenses but the reviews of this lens said that it was better and cheaper. I put my trust in the reviewers and I was not disappointed. 5-stars for the Sigma 105 macro lens. Well done Sigma.
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21.8.2013

In the interest of clarity I'm writing this mainly to correct a couple of product details that Amazon seem to constantly and annoyingly misdescribe on many items.The lens weighs approx 750g (not 1.1 kg). This weight is without the hood (of which there are 2, one wide and one narrow) which can be used individually or joined together each 4.5cm long). The lens is 12.7cm long by 7.9cm diameter (but I have no idea what the dimension "321.1" quoted above by Amazon means).The minimum focus I've found to be between roughly 13cm (manual) and 14 cm (AF) from the lens face, so I'm assuming the "Focus Limiter Switch" settings on the lens (position 0.312 to 0.45m) equates somehow to the overall distance from object to camera sensor.I've found the width of an image captured at this close range to be 22mm (M) and 23mm (AF) (I'm using a Nikon D7100 which has a DX sensor) which agree the manufacture specs of a 1:1 reproduction ratio (DX sensor = 22.5mm x 15mm). Also AF tends "unsurprisingly" to hunt in this close range working under room light conditions but works fast and decisively in both daylight and when the subject is further away from the lens under the same low lighting conditions. I think this primarily because the AF assisted light is shaded by the long lens length and unable to illuminate close-up objects.The optical stabilization I think is not as quiet as Nikon's VR system (e.g, the 16-35mm), although it is still quiet and you need to listen out for it but it sound that it has system is slowly spooling up over 4 to 5 seconds.Lastly these optics give excellent image quality (IQ), and after some scrutinizing pixel peeking on my images produced so far, both macro and general photography, I really struggle to find any significant signs of chromatic aberration. To summarize this is a good lens and I can't fault it but I bought this when Sigma-Imaging were having a £100 cashback so it seems a good buy at the time for just over £460 (minus the £100). Had it not been for the promotion I would have opted for the Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras which has better reviews and won several awards and is priced without any cashback gimmick at about £360.
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21.8.2013

In the interest of clarity I'm writing this mainly to correct a couple of product details that Amazon seem to constantly and annoyingly misdescribe on many items.The lens weighs approx 750g (not 1.1 kg). This weight is without the hood (of which there are 2, one wide and one narrow) which can be used individually or joined together each 4.5cm long). The lens is 12.7cm long by 7.9cm diameter (but I have no idea what the dimension "321.1" quoted above by Amazon means).The minimum focus I've found to be between roughly 13cm (manual) and 14 cm (AF) from the lens face, so I'm assuming the "Focus Limiter Switch" settings on the lens (position 0.312 to 0.45m) equates somehow to the overall distance from object to camera sensor.I've found the width of an image captured at this close range to be 22mm (M) and 23mm (AF) (I'm using a Nikon D7100 which has a DX sensor) which agree the manufacture specs of a 1:1 reproduction ratio (DX sensor = 22.5mm x 15mm). Also AF tends "unsurprisingly" to hunt in this close range working under room light conditions but works fast and decisively in both daylight and when the subject is further away from the lens under the same low lighting conditions. I think this primarily because the AF assisted light is shaded by the long lens length and unable to illuminate close-up objects.The optical stabilization I think is not as quiet as Nikon's VR system (e.g, the 16-35mm), although it is still quiet and you need to listen out for it but it sound that it has system is slowly spooling up over 4 to 5 seconds.Lastly these optics give excellent image quality (IQ), and after some scrutinizing pixel peeking on my images produced so far, both macro and general photography, I really struggle to find any significant signs of chromatic aberration. To summarize this is a good lens and I can't fault it but I bought this when Sigma-Imaging were having a £100 cashback so it seems a good buy at the time for just over £460 (minus the £100). Had it not been for the promotion I would have opted for the Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 Lens for Nikon which has better reviews and won several awards and is priced without any cashback gimmick at about £360.
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31.8.2017

Note: I got this lens elsewhere, not amazon.Just got this lens and had some time with it to try it out from macro to normal photography all handheld. It generally works very well.The obvious is that having an increase range poses an extra challenge to the AF when comparing to regular lens I find. Generally, the AF works well, but if you help it it works better and much faster.In macro, the af for macro is hit and miss. If it misses first time focus it hunts and can be a lot depending on the background. However, set the AF limited and its great. After a little trial switching from general to macro photography, and forgot to switch limiter I got used to it at first hunt straight away rather than wasting time thinking whats wrong.So no real problem.For normal photography the AF can be on the slow side means in reality it benefits from using the af limiter, both for macro 31-45 and from 45-infinity for general photography. Not sure if this is the case for Nikon's own lens or particular to this one.Whilst the AF noise is ok, there are some squacks now and then in the lens. Probably the OS. So bear that in mind if using it for video, in that it would benefit from an external microphone (which would greatly improved sound in any case compared to in-camera mic).More cumbersome I find, is having to have the extender for dx camera making it long long overall. Again, not sure whether its specific to this lens or Nikon's too.In DX, its represents 150mm, and for portraiture, it does need a very good working distance, for good (bokeh, compression) or for bad (space required).All in all, its great with a few small issues, looks a great investment to open out a new world without messing around with rings.Some samples included of first session. Note: always keeping the aperture to minimum for distance. i.e.: Fly, only the eye in focus, screw only the inside in focus.The Koala photo, I happened to have this lens attached, when I decided to practice invisible background technique. Shows portrait capability. (Even though its just the jpeg here redimensioned, not from the raw file)
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18.3.2016

I am still in the process of getting to grips with this lens and having been used to a Micro Nikkor 60mm, I find myself getting too close to the subject and having to back off to focus. That, of course is my problem and no reflection on the lens, which seems to be far superior, optically, to my old 60mm Nikkor. I haven't used it enough for a full evaluation, but I am already in love with it.Out of the box, it feels good and reassuringly heavy. The focussing ring seems positive and the autofocus appears better than I expected, judging by other reviews. I know that 'serious' macro-photographers can get a bit sniffy about using autofocus at all, but if you are using the camera as a wildlife recording tool,where perfection isn't a requirement and photos are often taken one handed, the other holding a tree branch with a caterpillar on it, down for the shot, then autofocus is essential and for that purpose, this works fine, though admittedly a little noisier and slower than my old Nikkor's, though not by much.A useful feature this lens has, which my Nikkor didn't is a focus limiter switch. It is a three stage switch, allowing either full focus range (0.312m to infinity), an intermediate range (0.45m to infinity) and a close range. The latter is of most use to me, as it only allows the autofocus to focus from 0.312m to 0.45m, so keeping the focus hunting to a minimum when taking macro shots.The results so far, have been impressive, with macro shots, but it also turns in an excellent telephoto image too. As soon as possible, I intend getting a Sigma x1.4 teleconverter to use with this lens.
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29.7.2016

I have many Nikon, Sigma & Tamron lenses for my Nikon d750 and d7200. I have previously owned the Nik 105mm Micro and was just about to buy another new one. A friend recommended the Sigma and I bought here last week. It is a beautifully constructed lens which so far on test has produced outstanding results. The IQ is superb and on top of the Macro use for this lens it is going to make a brilliant portrait lens for me. On cropped sensor it is 155mm which now means that I will not need to buy the Sigma 135mm (Ha...when they eventually get around to making one). The boquet at 2.8 is lovely. Compared to another portrait lens which I have previously owned (Nikon f2 135mm)this lens knocks the spots of it..No downsides to this lens yet....but just a couple of points to note:.1) When the aperture is set to f2.8 on my camera in 'A' mode....the setting sometimes reads f 3. This may have something to do with the Focal Distance when using macro. There is a very useful chart on the Sigma instructions which I have now copied and laminated for use with this lens. It shows comparisons regarding: Distance / Magnification / Aperture / EV Compensation...... this little chart is a must have for serious macro work..2) There are two OS settings (1 & 2) ..... slightly clunky but no problem.This is a truly fantastic lens and is so much easier to use than a standard lens with extension tubes. So, is it on par with my previous Nikon Micro 105 mm ? No.....The Sigma I feel is better....and by the way it is half the price. HIGHLY RECCOMENDED .... Happy Shooting...James
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14.7.2016

This lens is absolutely superb. Probably my favourite lens as it's immense fun. It's super sharp.It's lighter than Amazon suggest. I measured it at around 1.8lb or 800g so certainly well under 1.1kg that Amazon report.The focus is a little slower than Canon equivalent but we're talking fractions of seconds here so irrelevant really.As pointed out by other reviewers, it doubles up as a great portrait lens, thanks to 105mm being around optimal focal length for this application.One thing that certainly needs to be pointed out is the depth of field is minute. This is part of the fun with this great lens but I find it difficult to take ultra sharp shots hand held - you have to be really still andit takes practice as the slightest movement can lose focus on your intended target.This is entirely due to such a small depth of field, although the image stablisation, which Sigma call OS, works well.Obviously using a tripod eliminates this issue. Having such a small DoF, even at longer aperatures, opens up a whole new arena of fun photography. You start to look at things from an entirely different perspective.It comes with an adapter for better use with APSC bodies and also the usual high quality Sigma rectangular padded case along with 2 lots of padding for use with and without that APSC adapter which makes the lens a little longer.Whilst I own several Canon lenses, I'm a fan of Sigma lenses - they offer excellent value for money and this model is definitely no exception.
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23.8.2013

Arrives very well packed in a black box which looks quite long for a 105mm lens. The lens is in a pouch which is in a box with a hood for an APS-C sensor. With the lens in the pouch is another hood for a 'full-frame' sensor (and some removable padding). Both hoods can be united into one. This might seem unusual but the previous 105mm had the front lens element recessed quite a lot forming a hood and it had a metal hood too.Taking it out of the pouch you are presented with a handsome lens. Gone is the skin-like EX coating and instead a smooth metal barrel is used. They have reworked a the caps to look quite modern. The lens has weight but not too much and on my full frame D750 looks and feels very good.In use,the AF noise of the previous model has gone as has the sometimes truly slow focus. Instead there are silence and a bit of speed. There are three options to limit focus range and thus AF speed.There is also the much touted OS to reduce shake. This works okay at slow shutter speeds.This lens is now more than a macro lens. It is a very usable generally with its IF, OS and HSM.IQ is very good indeed from centre to edge on an FX sensor. Flare and CA are basically absent. Bokeh is buttery. Colour is accurate. Sharpness is cutting.I have an Nikon AF-S 300mm f4 which is also a 300mm macro lens. This Sigma 105mm is as sharp as it is. Using the two in macro mode, you can get in close or 'close' from a distance.All in all a really good macro lens.
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16.4.2020

I love this lens. Is now my favourite. Image quality is superb. Although this is f2.8, when shooting close up you are unable to maintain f2.8 as the lens will select the largest appropriate aperture otherwise you can use it at f2.8 during normal usage. Great for portraits too.The only gripe is I am unable to register for the extended warranty as the bar codes are not recognised although on the Sigma website they will honor the warranty with lenses bought and supplied directly from Amazon and not 3rd party sellers. I have emailed Sigma regarding this and waiting for a response.I strongly recommend this lens as for the money,you will not find any better.Update on warranty:Still blown away by this lens but.....Sigma responded with regarding the extended warranty.(From Sigma UK)Thank you for your email.I have checked the serial number 15909298 and unfortunately this is not a lens that Sigma Imaging (UK) have imported so we are unable to offer the extended warranty.I am also unaware of a products barcode that ends in 695253.I can only suggest you contact Amazon and request an official UK import from Sigma UK if you wish to benefit from the extra 2 years warranty.To sum up: Whether this was only my lens Amazon supplied as a non UK import or they might be bringing them in from the EU. If this is the case you will still get the Sigma 1 year warranty but not the UK extended 3 year warranty.I feel Amazon should stress this on their listing.
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12.8.2014

I love this lens. Using it on a Nikon D5200.All internal focus elements is great.Focus dial is smooth and easy to use.It takes great portrait shots with fantastic boco.comes with carry case with adjustable foam insertscomes with both a full frame hood and crop sensor hood (that can be stacked together)Autofocus is slow.Stabilization feature makes noiseLens Hood interferes with taking the lens cap on/off (ie you need to remove the lens hood before removing the lens cap)As I use it for macro its used in Manual mode. The Auto Focus is painfully slow so best avoided for going 1:1If new to macro photography (like myself)be prepared to experience a little frustration and a bit of a learning curveas even though its a fast lens with 2.8 you end up stopping down to f22 most of the time in order to acquire the smallest sliver of depth of field.For this high price of the lens I would loved if it had a rubberized coating the plastic feels very smooth and delicate.I could not afford the 150mm version which I'd of loved but its a shame the 105mm version does not have a tripod collar.This lens with the autofocus and stabilization makes a very audible noise that sounds weird from time to time.I searched but could not find anyplace that sold a silicon protective cover for this model of lens which would have eased myworry ever ever so slightly about the plastic body of the lens.
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3.12.2018

I can say only good things about this lense and I believe the photos are showing it too.I have used it on my Nikon D7200 (APS-C censor // crop sensor) and the results are simply amazing! I have summarised the pros and cons of it as follows:Pros:- More affordable compared to other macro alternatives- The lens like a quality product- Comes with a fantastic case and clear instructions- Comes with two lens hoods which are easy to take off and put back on- Sharp- Accurate AF to a satisfactory degree- 3 different settings which are improving the accuracy of the AF- MF is done with a focussing ring: feels sturdy and solid when used- Stabilisation is great,can be turned off and on; stabilisation is a big PLUS (previous model is without stabilisation)- AMAZING BOKEH due to the f2.8 aperture- AMAZING portraits- Fantastic for food photography- Quite fast when the object is close- Beautiful designCons:- Not the fastest lens for shooting distant objects- Is quite heavy- AF can be incorrect at times, hence, why I mainly shoot MF 90% of the timeAll in all, it is my main lens. It is incredible for food photography and although I initially bought it only for macro, it has turn out to be my to-go lens 80% of the time, it is that amazing! I have no regrets buying this lens and will not switch it up any time soon!
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2.6.2018

Nice lower priced macro lens with stabilizer.I was looking at the Canon L and the non L lens and then I saw that one, the price was right and the IS was a bonus I would not really need anyway.The lens is great for macro and the AF hits very well on macro level also, if you use no tripod. Landscapes or portraits all works with that great piece of glass. I use a Canon 5DS the AF points will only work if they are cross types but who cares at macro and for a quick portrait 9 af points are enough to choose from. If you can overlook a stuck AF focus from time to time and see the IS as a bonus feature the lens will bring you a lot of fun.Many people complained the noise of the IS,it only makes a very silent tack when it starts, different from a Canon IS, but the Canon can be also noisy when in use. But why would I care when I take pictures about sound or noise?It is also a great walk around lens (very cool with the IS) if you like the 105mm length, I would use my Canon 85mm f1.8 to walk around but since I have the 105 I dont change the lens very often anymore.Comes with lens hood, case and good lens cap.I would have given 5 stars, but the AF stuck sometimes is a !bad bad! thing from Sigma and should not go through QC ever.I added some pics I took so far with this lens.
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