Just wondering if any of you have used either of these older lenses from Sigma .... internet reviews say they were good, but just wondering if any of my CRian friends have firsthand experience with either of these two (by off chance)....
I have the older non-os (IS) 150mm macro and I LOVE that lens!!!!!! It is by far the sharpest lens I've ever owned.... and I've owned just about everything out there. I've never had L-series glass sharper than this. It's big and heavy for its size (thank goodness for the included tripod collar) and I see why they added OS to it, as handholding macro shots are nigh on impossible for doing shallow DOF. This lens is absolutely sharp at max aperture (f/2.8). I use it for portraits, macros, and detail shots where I want the best bokeh.
I'm using Sigma 150/2.8HSM since 2009. It is my favorite lens. Can't say anything bad about it. For the price/size/weight in 150-180mm range f/2.8 Macro it has no competition. The new one may be a little bit better +stabilized, but it is bigger, heavier and more expensive as well. It is an excellent outdoor portrait and tele lens too. The bokeh is very nice.
Had both 150mm non-Os and 150 OS. Loved both lenses, really sharp and great performance. Certainly a keeper. (Only reason I do not have the non-OS anymore is because it got stolen and had to get the OS since the non-OS was no longer available)
Watch out for the older Sigma lenses. If you are buying used, be aware that some of them will not work on a Canon DSLR due to the faulty Reverse Engineering that Sigma did back then. You cannot control the aperture and they give error 99. There were updated versions of some that work fine, but you need to be able to test it.
Sigma charged me over $100 several years ago to update my 105mm Macro, but they could not update my other 3 Sigma lenses since they were out of production. I've been wary of Sigma since then.