#SIGMA 150MM MACRO HELICON REMOTE FULL#
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That suggests to me that there's something new a different about the E-3's focusing system, and that there's a fundamental disconnect between the top-grade Olympus camera and the top-grade Sigma macro lens in four-thirds mount. But my 150 Macro worked fine - but perhaps a little soft - on my other two bodies. Now it's quite possible to say that this is an isolated case.

#SIGMA 150MM MACRO HELICON REMOTE SERIES#

Right now it's waiting for parts, which isn't part of Sigma's commitment to 48 hour turn-around for its professional-grade EX series lenses. It's been there three weeks so far, and there's no estimate of when it will be 'fixed' - where fixed means 'works the way it was supposed to from the very beginning'. The camera body works fine with my eleven Olympus lenses, so after one frustrating week of considering my options and testing every possible combination of factors, the lens went in for service. On my E-3, this one particular lens had a problem with intermittent-but-consistent front-focusing. You may have noticed that the lens looks a little different this time around, and that's because it acts differently. In the meantime, here's how the Sigma 150 looks on an Olympus E-510: I'm looking forward to being able to try them side-by-side, along with the lens on a Nikon, and will include that in a later review. Even having used the lens on the faster-focusing E-510, I'd give Canon the advantage here. But I've also tried the Sigma 150mm in EF mount on a Canon 5D, and my subjective impression is that the 5D spanks the Olympus for focusing speed. If you're thinking that the only tradeoff with this lens is that it's just a stop slower than the $2400 Oly lens - but with the bonus Macro ability - well, TANSTAAFL. This is NOT a lens that will replace the Olympus 150mm f/2.0 for sports, photojournalism, or crawling babies. It's even slower than the E-1 with the 50mm f/2 macro, which was my previous benchmark for what 'slow' means.

Now, the E-1's no speed demon when it comes to any auto-focusing, but this combination deserves special mention. To be friendly, I'll say that it's on the relaxed side of leisurely. One of the biggest surprises with the Sigma is just how slow the focusing is. But Sigma lenses in 4/3 mount are rare, and lenses don't always work the same way from one system to another. They're both useful sites, and lots of people write about the ones that they own. There are several rigorous and reputable sites that review lenses, so if you're reading this with a serious intent to buy, I'll assume that you're already familiar with its reviews on and for both Canon and Nikon mounts. But I did find some significant compatibility issues when this lens is used with the Olympus E-3, so if you're planning on buying this lens in 4/3 mount, read on.

#SIGMA 150MM MACRO HELICON REMOTE FULL#

The Sigma APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG HSM is clearly a lens to be taken seriously, and I'm not going to make any claims at having a full or representative experience of its quality or performance. Updated 7 February 2009: A longer-term review of this lens can be found in part two. Apparently the boards for the 4/3 mount are lovingly handcrafted out of pure mithril. Depending on the individual lens, it may require a firmware upgrade, performed at the service centre, or it may require a new main board. Updated 25 September 2008: My lens has come back from service, and Sigma has confirmed that there is an incompatibility between this lens and the Olympus E-3.

Sigma 150mm macro helicon remote