Sigma 105mm F/2.8 DG DN Macro | A

This Sigma prime is a macro lens for full-frame mirrorless systems. It comes in Sony E and Leica L mount versions, so choose the version made for your camera. Sigma introduced the design in 2020, and it remains in production today. Both mount versions share the same optical design.

The 105mm focal length suits close-up nature, product and detail photography. Portraits, flowers and tabletop subjects all sit comfortably within its reach. The trade-off is the fixed focal length. You frame by moving yourself rather than zooming, which suits deliberate close-up work more than fast-changing scenes.

The lens weighs 1 lb 9 oz (710 g) and measures 2.91 in (74 mm) across and 5.26 in (133.6 mm) long. That is a moderate package for a full-frame 105mm macro. The front takes 62mm screw-in filters, so any polariser or ND filter you attach must match that 62mm thread.

The macro claim in the name is genuine. Sigma rates the maximum magnification at 1x, which is true life-size reproduction: a subject appears on the sensor at its actual size. Extension tubes or accessory lenses are unnecessary for life-size work. The closest focusing distance is 1 ft (29.5 cm).

The 105mm focal length gives you working room. Insects, flowers and tabletop products can be photographed from a comfortable distance instead of crowding them. That space simplifies lighting, leaves room for a small diffuser and avoids disturbing live subjects. You also stay far enough back to keep your own shadow off the subject.

The F/2.8 maximum aperture admits enough light for indoor detail work and softens backgrounds for portraits and close-up studies. Nine blades help render out-of-focus highlights smoothly, which matters when a cluttered background sits behind a flower or product.

Depth of field at life-size magnification is extremely shallow. Stopping down is often necessary to keep a useful amount of a small subject sharp, and precise focusing becomes the main skill at such distances.

This lens has no built-in image stabilisation. That omission costs little for tripod-based close-up work, which covers most static macro subjects. For handheld frames, camera shake is magnified along with the subject at 1x, so a monopod or braced support carries the load there.

Weather sealing guards the lens against dust and moisture, useful for plants and insects photographed in dewy or damp conditions. A fluorine coating helps water and fingerprints slide off the front of the lens, so the glass cleans quickly between frames. Both suit long outdoor sessions in changeable conditions.

The feature specification scores 71 out of 100.

The optics include low-dispersion glass. This type of glass helps reduce chromatic aberration, where colours focus at slightly different points and leave coloured fringes along high-contrast edges. Backlit petals, water droplets and shiny product edges are the details where fringing shows most easily.

The construction specification scores 15 out of 100. Beyond the low-dispersion glass, there are no aspherical or super-low-dispersion elements in the formula.