I'll close the article by sharing some finished images which I shot with the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art lens. How did your pop quiz go? Were you correct in identifying which image was shot with Canon and which was shot with Sigma? Have you ever used a Sigma lens? If so, what were your impressions? If you haven't, why haven't you? The most interesting part of my articles is your contributions in the comments below. Sigma delivered a top-of-the-line lens here and made me rethink my perception of the brand entirely. But if I find myself in charge of too many more gear comparisons with the brand, I may feel a little bit like a wayward lover. Am I applying to be a Sigma rep? Not yet. Coming in at less than half the price, it's clear that Sigma has proven that it is producing state-of-the-art lenses at shockingly valuable prices. It weighed the same, and it shot quietly and sharply. Many times, I had to turn my camera around and look to see which lens I actually had on my camera. It almost pains me to say this, as I'm a serious member of the Canon fan club, but the reality is that the Sigma 70mm is a seriously badass lens. To me, the difference in the image quality ranged from minor to indistinguishable. Grab your answers and find out: could you actually tell which lens costs more than double the other? Now, having all your facts and technical details, the real test: can you see the difference in the images? It's easy to get geeky with technical jargon about focusing mechanisms and optical designs, but for many of us, it comes down to two simple things: performance and cost. To my astonishment, the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 came in at a shocking value of only $569 - 57% lower! Based on how competitively it performed I expected it to be slightly less expensive, maybe two or three hundred less. Once the entire experiment was over and I had made my opinions on the lenses, I looked up the price point of the Sigma. Going into this shoot-off, I intentionally didn't look at the price difference. Speaking with a Sigma rep at Imaging USA, I learned that they offer a conversion lens, which functions similarly to extension tubes, amplifying the focal length by 1.2x. This type of focusing system, though, is reputed to underperform in manual focusing, and in my case, with the extension tube, I wasn't able to focus at all. Instead, electronic signals from the autofocus system or the focus ring are received by the focusing motor to achieve focus. Focus by wire lenses are reputed for performing better with autofocus, delivering faster and quieter focusing. Focus by wire means that the focusing is not mechanically coupled with the focus ring on the barrel. After troubleshooting and researching, I discovered that the Sigma 70mm is a focus by wire lens. I shot some beautiful ultra-macros with it and then reached for the Sigma for a few comparison shots. If you're unfamiliar with extension tubes, you can read my article here. For this shot, I reached for my extension tube. Just as I was wrapping up my in-studio work, I had one last image on my checklist: my macro texture. The other 80%+ were impeccable in their quality. The Sigma lens, which gave me no problems focusing, delivered a handful of images out of focus, but only about 15-20%. When reviewing the images on my computer, I discovered that although the Canon lens searched aggravatingly for its focus, it delivered perfectly sharp images on every shot. The Sigma, on the other hand, did not focus-search and took the images quite effortlessly. I put the focal point on a highlight in an attempt to give it a higher contrast point, but it did a lot of searching due to the low contrast of the subject. ![]() When working on the creme gel macro-texture, the Canon lens struggled to focus. There was one point of differentiation when it came to sharpness. The sharpness between the two seemed nearly indistinguishable to me, which surprised me, because my Canon 100mm is one of my most beloved lenses because of its impeccable clarity. It wasn't until I looked at them in post that I could detect some small differences. They both photographed sharp, clear, and crisp images. They both weighed the same amount: 515 g / 18.2 oz. The truth is, there were some occasions in which I had to turn my camera around to see which lens I actually had on. It's a light, weather-sealed lens designed for image clarity and true 1:1 magnification for macro photography. After photographing with it for three days, I was unexpectedly impressed with the lens. Now, let me introduce you to the Sigma 70mm f/2.8. Keep your answers nearby, and we will come back to them at the end. One is shot with Sigma and one with Canon- can you tell which is which?
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