Was the Sigma 105MM F/2.8 DN Macro Art Worth Keeping?

Welcome to my very informal review of the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art which I own in Sony E Mount.

My reviews are already VERY casual in nature, but this one will be even more so than usual. I was facing a dilemma on if I wanted to keep this lens or sell it in favor of something else, so I figured writing this review would help give me some clarity on the situation. As always, I purchased this gear with my own money, I have no sponsor and there are no affiliate links on this site.

Onto the review.

Where the Macro Makes Sense

Now the very obvious reason to own a macro lens is due to its 1:1 magnification and ability to focus much closer than other lenses. If you shoot macro then this is obviously a must as even half macro lenses can produce an image that looks similar but without the full magnification, it will never be the same.

Even outside of Macro photography, the ability to focus close can be useful too for product photography. Below is an example of this, on the left is an image taken with the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DN Art near its minimum focusing distance (85cm) and on the right is the Sigma not even near its full closest distance (28cm) so you can see a significant difference, even when factoring in the focal length difference.

This is where some people may suggestion cropping in, which is something I personally prefer not to do. I like to get my images as right as possible in camera and even if you did crop, the magnification wouldn’t be the same.

If you do shoot macro a lot, having a lens like this is a no brainer as it can be used for macro along with headshots, product photography and even landscapes if you need it.

People tend to view macro lenses as being that, macro only but they are actually very versatile and can be used for many different purposes. Although I haven’t done it for this Sigma lens, I used to use my 100L portraits and landscapes. It’s true a zoom can be more versatile for something like landscapes, but the longer the focal length the less difference you’ll see so for many a 105mm lens could be the perfect balance.

Where It Doesn’t Make Sense

The first scenario where getting a macro lens like this doesn’t make sense is if you mostly shoot other things aside from macro. The focal lenght itself can work for things such as portraits/headshots, landscapes and is honestly great for product photography but aperture/DOF wise you’re much better off with something more like an 85mm f/1.4, 135mm or even a 70-200mm zoom.

If that MFD isn’t something you need then it isn’t the best option either as you’re better off with something a bit more versatile and using extension tubes in the times you require close focus. Even some lenses like the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II have half macro capability so if you do shoot a small amount of macro, it could work out better for you.

It should be obvious but I’ll say it anyway, the other time you don’t need a lens like this is if you don’t shoot Macro at all. Something with a wider aperture or faster focusing would serve you much better.

The Sigma 105mm Itself

We’re at the point we need to discuss, what do I think of this lens.

That was the main driving factor for me wanting to get the Sigma and it hasn’t disappointed since, at least in terms of image quality. The sharpness, colors and bokeh it produces is excellent and I have zero complaints in this regard. In fact the main reason I went for this lens and sold the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G was that lens had a very weird aperture shape so when doing stuff like product photos, the bokeh ball shapes could be quite strange and not circular.

The shape and rendering of the bokeh along with sharpness is excellent, as you can see from the image below. If I was someone who primarily photographed small objects that required such a small MFD, this lens would be invaluable. On a more personal note, I actually love still life and product photography but don’t feel I have the creativity for them.

The only aspect that isn’t too great is the autofocus which leaves a bit to be desired. In terms of focusing at macro distances, I find myself using manual focus a lot more as the lens tends to hunt quite a bit at close distances. Setting the lens to full range doesn’t exactly help either as I find the lens will hunt even more due to the long distance it needs to travel. Outside of the macro range, the lens isn’t too bad but also isn’t the fastest.

I personally don’t see this as much of a deal breaker but I have read that the newer Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro is meant to be a lot faster to focus while maintaining excellent IQ and is actually a lens I was previously considering.

Is It a Lens I’ll Keep?

Despite owning it for over roughly 3 years, my time with it has come to an end. As you can see from the sample images, there are very few macro images I’ve taken with this lens and most are just close focused still life or product shots. Even ignoring the macro factor, I’ve only posted 30 something images over 3 years with this lens so I can’t really justify keeping it.

Because of this I’m likely better off finding an alternative option like a set of extension tubes (which appear to be hard to find for FE Mount if you want autofocus) to attach to my Sigma 85mm f/1/4 DN Art. I honestly don’t know if the IQ will be as great at closer focusing distances but I still think it’s worth trying. I’m also considering the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 to fill that telephoto gap I have. I previously owned the G1 so I know what the lens can do so it’s a pretty easy lens to pick up again, especially for travel.

Does this mean the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DN Macro Art is a bad lens? Certainly not. It’s just not the right tool for me but may very well be the right tool for you.

Below is a gallery of my images with this lens.

Summary

The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DN Macro Art is an excellent option for anyone who shoots a lot of macro photography, with the lens being great for genres like headshots and product photography as well. Depending on what you shoot though, a different lens may suit your needs more if you need fast focusing or want more background separation for subjects like people.