Cameras-n- Stuff

Don’t you love macro photography? It is quite rewarding, and it gets your photography juices flowing. But you must have a great macro lens. Sigma Macro lenses are well worth your consideration when going for a new close-up lens.

Something happens when you use a macro lens on your digital SLR camera. You witness things you never suspected were in the photo when you were setting it up.

You have to really experience this to know the feeling, but when it happens, it’s very cool.

This article is about Canon EOS cameras using a Sigma macro lens, but if you are a Nikon or Pentax user, the same lenses are available to you.

Why would you use a Sigma macro lens? Wouldn’t it just be better to get a Canon macro lens? Another question, can’t you just use any lens for macro photography?

Good questions, indeed, and they have some very definitive answers.

First, about macro lenses. These are special lenses dedicated to close up photography. They are manufactured carefully for this purpose. The lens glass (actually the number of elements varies) is placed differently inside the lens barrel to get a macro image.

A macro lens gets these close up photos with much better quality than any “conventional” lens. Dedicated macro lenses have only one focal length, such as 105mm. Those lenses that actually include the word “macro” in their title, but they are zoom lenses, are not going to give you the high quality image you desire in your macro photography.

Next, consider using a Sigma macro lens versus a Canon macro lens. Some photo enthusiasts won’t even consider it. If you are one of these, you may as well move on. However, there may be a valid reason to think about it… dinero (money).

Usually Sigma Macro lenses for Canon digital SLRs are less money than Canon macro lenses. Photo quality is really good with either choice. Most likely, you can’t tell the difference in image quality between the two. It would take a forensic scientist to tell which is which.

Third party manufacturers like Sigma have made a commitment. They understand that if they don’t get the quality right in their macro lenses, they will not get any of the buyers. They put lots of time and research into getting it right. What they ended up with are great engineering and great lenses.

There are four dedicated macro lenses if you decide on Sigma. The focal lengths are 50mm, 70mm, 105mm, and 150mm. The 105mm macro lens is the lens of choice to start with.

There are two great reasons for this, and it is not because the others are not good. First, it is a true 1:1 macro lens, the right reason for buying macro in the first place. And the second is that it is an excellent portrait lens as well. Many portrait photographers use a 100mm lens for the lion’s share of their work, and this one will do the job.

Sigma macro ratings are very high. You actually should check ratings before buying any piece of camera equipment. In this case, you will discover that many consider Sigma an equal to Canon in the macro category.

Close up photography is really rewarding. The beauty and intricacies of nature make you realize that there is a Creator, and He did not hold back, even in the most minute details.

More about these great macro lenses at www.canoneoslenses.org/sigma-macro-for-canon/.