Sigma Macro Lens (Nikon) for food photography review

I recently bought a Sigma Macro Lens for my full-frame camera. I bought the Sigma 105 mm macro lens because I wanted that cropped and more accurate eye look. With macro lenses, you say goodbye to distorted images, which is helpful when taking drink and food photos. You have an image 1:1 magnification ratio. For example, you won’t have a crooked look of a bottle. Instead, you will have stunning close-up shots with excellent detail quality.

I was inclined to buy the Sigma lens for my Nikon because I read it was good and wanted to check it out, and also because I was also biased by other food photographers telling me that a macro lens is a must. At first, I checked the Nikon 105 mm Macro Lens, but it was almost double the price of the Sigma lens. I checked all the reviews I found about Sigma, and they all said it was a great lens for food subjects.

This will be my sincere review after three 5 months of intense use and becoming the right lens for me.

Image quality: With this lens, you will have incredibly sharp images because you will achieve stunning sharpness and contrast. I can see the difference with my lenses, especially when I want to capture details in my subject that the other lens will do the work, but this won’t capture this tint droplet of water in a fruit that will make it stand out. The Sigma macro lens will also allow you to be near your subject and focus without a problem. (The manual says it has a minimum distance focus of 31.2cm. )
Autofocus: The Sigma Macro Lens 105 mm has a quiet and accurate autofocus. I usually use it in auto because it is really good. I only use the manual focus mode when I want to do a movement shot and have the proper focus on the item I want, not changing every time I do a splash or pour.
Compatibility: The great thing about the Nikon brand is that the lenses are compatible between the FX (full frame camera ) and DX (crop sensor camera), so you can interchange them easily. For me personally, this is a perfect feature because my backup camera is a cropped sensor (my first camera before turning to the Nikon D750, check the review here)
Design quality: It seems very durable because it is built in a durable metal barrel and a sleek focus ring. Also, have a focus limiter on the side of the lens when choosing the focus range from limit to full ( I normally use it on full, but it is nice to have more possibilities). The camera is built with a stabilization system, which helps to minimize camera shake and produce sharp images.
Macro Photography: Obviously, if you are into macro food photography where you want to capture the details of your food or try to reproduce the amazing thing that nature produces, like the intricate veins you can see in a leave of sage or the tiny hairs in a blackberry; the macro capabilities will amaze you how you can shoot the fine detail without a problem on focus.
Light: I have tried the macro lens in artificial or natural light without any change. You can rely on this lens no matter the type of food photographer you are and the lighting conditions. I used both lights because some days I will love to play with the shadows and lights nature gives me, and for others, I want to rely on my flash to have a more consistent look.
Aperture: You have a wide aperture range from f 2.8 to f 32, so you can have from a shallow depth of field to a narrow one. It will depend on your photography style and what you love, but having the option is nice. If you go for a bokeh feeling, you can grab the maximum aperture of f 2.8. The only thing that I notice with my Nikon is that the aperture ring must be on the f 32 so I can manipulate the aperture from the camera dial. You can’t do it with the aperture ring the lens has.

This macro lens is much better for straight-on or 3/4-angle shots. It is not a lens I would grab as my first choice for overhead shots because I will need to stage my scene on the floor and put the camera on a very tall tripod to catch the scene. If you are comfortable shooting on the floor, this could be the lens you can use for all your food photography without a problem. I prefer other types of lenses for the overhead shot, like my 50mm prime lens or my 24-70mm f 2.8 zoom lens for the overhead shoots. Everything is a personal preference, so you choose what suit you better.

The macro lens is becoming a must for a professional food photographer because more brands will love those close-ups of small subjects that could be part of an intriguing campaign before revealing the whole campaign and photoshoots. Also, people appreciate those photos where you can see parts of food that you can’t normally see with your naked eye. So, seeing more macro lenses among photographer kit lenses is very common nowadays.

In conclusion, the Sigma Macro 105mm lens is a great investment to complete my food photography lenses so I can bring different perspectives and looks to my clients. I love how versatile it is and especially the sharp focus it has. This lens has brought my food photography to the next level. So if you are considering purchasing one, I will say go for it. It is a great option.

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