Conclusion

The Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art is an affordable macro lens that delivers outstanding image quality in a format that can be effectively used hand-held as well as mounted on a tripod. It doesn't feature built-in optical stabilisation or offer a professional level of weather-proofing, but if neither of those features are must-haves, then the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art is a fantastic macro lens for Canon and Sony shooters.

The Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art lens is tack sharp in the centre virtually throughout the entire aperture range, and the edges are very good from f/4 onwards. The maximum aperture of f/2.8 makes it easy to creatively throw the background out of focus, with the nine-blade iris diaphragm achieving some nice bokeh effects in conjunction with the 9 rounded aperture blades. Vignetting is apparent when shooting wide-open, but both distortion and chromatic aberrations are very well-controlled. This lens also usefully doubles-up as a short-ish portrait optic, thanks to the combination of a reliably accurate and just fast enough auto-focusing system and the lightweight build. 

As the first 1:1 dedicated macro lens in Sigma's Art range of premium lenses, the 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art has a lot to live up to, and thankfully it doesn't disappoint. Some users may dislike the short focal length or the fly-by-wire focusing system, but in practice we found the combination of such a small, compact lens with such great image quality difficult to ignore. The Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art is certainly a great successor to the legendary Sigma MACRO 70mm F2.8 EX DG lens.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	5