Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM APO Macro Lens Review by Alan Trammel.
NOT RECOMMENDED
WOW, what do all those fancy abbreviations mean? I had to go to the manufacturer’s website to help me figure it out.
EX-“The exterior of the lens is EX finished to denote the superior build and optical quality.” What does that even mean?
DG-Digital
OS-Optical Stabilizer
HSM-Hyper Sonic Motor
APO-Apochromatic
The 150mm offers a nice working distance when working with insects. It’s a great focal length for portraits as well. This lens had exceptional build quality and a great tripod collar. It felt stout on my camera and although it is heavy, it handled well.
The torpedo that sank this boat for me…….auto focus. It just would not hold focus. Once it found a focus point if you moved the camera a smidgen it would reacquire the same point. It gave a feeling of the focus bouncing on and off as you looked through the view finder. It drove me crazy! Not to mention I was only getting 50% of pictures in focus. The Hyper Sonic Motor had an audible whininess that was hugely annoying.
The bokeh seemed somewhat busy to me. It certainly did not have a creamy effect like I am used to. The pictures also seemed a little muddy.
This lens was a huge disappointment, especially for the price. I ended up trading it in at a local camera store for a Vanguard tripod.
