Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens

8.5 Rating

An affordable, high-performing macro lens that is also ideal for copying.Sigma’s 50mm f/2.8 EX DG has the shortest focal length and lowest price of the four macro lenses in the company’s current line-up. Designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras, it can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors, where it covers a similar field of view to a 75mm lens in 35mm format with Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras or 80mm with Canon cameras.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS Lens

9 Rating

A fast, stabilised, medium-telephoto lens that can be used with ‘full frame’ and APS-C sensor DSLR cameras and supports hand-held shooting in low light situations.Sigma has been producing fast tele zoom lenses for hand-held photography since the late 1980s and, although the new 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS lens claims to be a second generation model, we estimate it’s the sixth in a line that reaches back to the original AF 70-210mm f/2.8, which was designed for 35mm film SLR cameras. Interestingly, the main difference between the new lens and its immediate predecessor is the addition of the company’s Optical Stabilisation (OS) system.

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG HSM Macro Lens

8.5 Rating

A capable and value-priced macro lens with a good working distance for close-ups of invertebrates and other small subjects.Sigma’s 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG HSM Macro is the only lens in its macro range with an HSM autofocusing motor – but only on the Sigma, Nikon-D and Canon mounts. Designed for use on full frame digital SLR cameras, but can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors, where it covers a similar field of view to a 270mm lens when fitted to Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras with 1.5x crop factors or 288mm with Canon DSLRs.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens

8.8 Rating

An affordably-priced true macro lens with an ideal focal length for portraiture.The 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro sits in the middle of Sigma’s range of 1:1 true macro lenses. Keenly priced, it is designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras, but can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors. It covers a similar field of view to a 158mm lens in 35mm format when fitted to Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras with 1.5x crop factors or 168mm with Canon DSLRs.

Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 Lens

8.5 Rating

The latest iteration of a classic, affordably-priced, mid-range macro lens.Although Tamron has been producing 90mm macro lenses since the late 1970s, the latest SP AF90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 lens is the first with Tamron’s latest Di (Digitally Integrated Design) technology, which matches the performance characteristics of current DSLR cameras. The new lens features improved coatings that reduce reflected light bouncing off the mirror-like surface of the sensor, thereby ensuring the full colour and contrast ranges in subjects are recorded.

Tamron SP AF 60mm f/2 Di II Macro Lens

8.5 Rating

A fast, well-built macro lens for cameras with APS-C sized image sensors.Tamron’s SP AF 60mm f/2 Di II Macro lens is considerably lighter and a full f-stop faster than the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens we reviewed recently. This SP (Super Performance) lens covers a focal length equivalent to 93mm in 35mm format with Nikon and Sony cameras or 96mm on the Canon EOS 40D camera we used for our review, which makes it also suitable for portraiture.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Lens

8.5 Rating

A fast, high-performance standard zoom lens for digital SLR cameras.Although Tamron’s SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] lens has been designed for cameras with 36 x 24mm sensors, it is also usable on cameras with smaller, APS-C sized sensors, where it covers a focal length range of 44.8-120mm on Canon DSLRs or 42-112.5mm on all the rest. The fast f/2.8 maximum aperture applies throughout the 2.7x zoom range with both sensor sizes.

Tamron SP AF 11-18mm F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Lens

Tamron’s new SP AF11-18mm F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) lens is the company’s first ultra-wide zoom lens designed exclusively for DSLR cameras with ‘APS-C size’ sensors. Available with Canon, Konica Minolta and Nikon mounts, it is surprisingly compact. This is largely due to a new design that uses a large-aperture glass-moulded aspherical element, hybrid aspherical elements and elements made from high index/high dispersion glass and low dispersion optical glass. You pay a premium for these high-tech materials but the overall performance of this lens fully justifies its price and it remains more affordable than similar lenses from the camera manufacturers.

Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD Lens

9 Rating

A ‘premium-class’ update to Tamron’s budget-priced 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di lens.Tamron’s SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD lens was released in time for the company’s 60th anniversary. The ‘SP’ label denotes ‘professional’ build quality, while other welcome additions include an Ultrasonic Silent Drive (USD) AF drive motor and Vibration Compensation (VC) stabilisation plus Full Time Manual focusing when the lens is in AF mode.

Tamron AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Lens

9 Rating

A stabilised zoom lens with an extended focal length range that will suit many photographers who want just one lens for their DSLR.Usable with both DSLR cameras and 35mm AF-SLR film cameras, Tamron’s new AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di lens is designed for use with DSLR cameras that lack sensor-shift image stabilisation (Canon and Nikon). It provides an angle of view equivalent to approximately 43-465mm on cameras with ‘APS-C’ sized imagers. Relatively compact and lightweight for its class, it will attract travellers and photographers who want a single, extended-range lens with a wide coverage.