Review on Sigma 258306 105Mm Macro Camera by Maria Noble

I'm only writing this in two days with this lens but so far I'm loving it. One of my favorite things to do is take close-ups of nature: flowers, butterflies, bugs, etc. I find this to be the ideal focal length for this type of work, making it easy to fill the frame with a small subject and throw the background completely out of focus . The macro capabilities are excellent and I'm amazed at how close I can get to my subject. There are a few specific points I can pass on so far. (1) One of the reviews I found for this lens shows detailed measurements showing how focal length and aperture change with focal length (actual macro lens performance). They measured a true focal length of about 101mm at infinity and about 75mm at maximum focus. It's also been measured to have an effective maximum aperture of f/5.6 at maximum focus (1:1 magnification). My experience has tracked that last number, showing the need to achieve +2EV exposure compensation when shooting roughly 1:1.(2) I process all my RAW files in Lightroom. Even with my good Zeiss 16-80 lens, my usual practice is to add a bit of brightness to almost every image to get the look I want on my calibrated monitor. (I prefer rich, vibrant colors for most images.) So far I haven't found it necessary with this lens. Colors appear exceptionally rich and lifelike. (I know it's purely subjective, but it seems to me.) (3) Lightroom has a profile for this lens, but so far I've found that enabling profile correction makes little to no difference - the lens seems very free to its distortion and vignetting, at least with my APS-C sensor. (4) This thing is BUILT. It feels strong and durable. (5) The optical stabilizer works very well. I shoot with a Sony that has stabilization built in, so this is a new experience for me and I'm liking it so far. (Sony shooters - do not try to use built-in stabilization and lens stabilization at the same time. They will conflict with each other and can result in blurry images.) (6) The lens and lens hood are quite long together. Adding a hood extension (APS-C only) makes it even longer. Just something to consider when deciding how to fit it in your camera bag. (7) Typical Sigma, everything included: front and rear caps, lens hood, lens hood, stylish lens case and shoulder strap.