Which macro lens to buy - Nikkor or Sigma?—jon.oman

I am considering these two lenses:Sigma Telephoto 180mm f/3.5 EX DG APO Macro IF HSM Autofocus Lens

Nikon Telephoto AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF Autofocus Lens

So far, I’ve bought strictly Nikkor lenses, but money is now tight. Will the Sigma perform as well as the Nikkor? Has anyone used both? Is there any advantage of one over the other?

I shoot a lot of images like this, and would like more reach than my 60mm Micro-Nikkor.

— BoyOhBoy

I have yet to see anybody claim that there is such a thing as a crappy macro lens. In fact, I recently “downgraded” from a Nikkor 105/2.8 AF-D to a Kiron 105/2.8 AI. Why? It was a no-brainer — I could not tell the difference between the two in images, I got a good price on a Kiron in magnificent condition, and once you handle that silky smooth MF that takes 3 full turns to focus between 0.3m and 0.5m, any AF macro lens feels like cheap cr*p for MF (OK, I exaggerated about the 3 turns, but not by much).My advice - get a used 150 Sigma, slap a 1.4x TC on it, and spend the remaining money on some other lens. You will save on chirporactor bills too, the 200 Nikkor is heavy, I am told. Even third-party 1.4x TCs are great optically, and you will be shooting f/16+ anyway. Heck, at f/16 you can probably use a 2x TC and not be able to tell the difference.

—jbear

1-There’s more to an image than an MTF chart, and shooting both side by side, the Nikkor is sharper. I’m talking about 200 mph versus 205 mph…most will not notice the difference…the Sigma also gives you f2.8 and is sharp there.2-The Nikkor is not that heavy…its heavier, but if its too heavy then a gym membership is in order. Besides…inertia is a very good thing in photography, and NO macro lens handles as smoothly as this one.

3-Absolutely agree…there is no poorly performing macro lens out there. Buy based upon handling, price, or focal length. Chasing the best optical performer is like pickng from a dozen trash bags full of hundred dollar bills…any bag you pick is gonna be a good one.

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