The new Panasonic Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro surprised the industry by its impressively compact size (check Size comparison with Canon, Nikon and Sony ) and became a great alternative to the only other native L mount telephoto macro lens at the same time, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro . Here is a size and feature comparison of these two lenses to help wth the decision.
Price
The new Panasonic has an MSRP price of $999 whereas the Sigma 105mm Macro is selling for $799 in the USA.
Size and Weight
The Sigma 105mm macro weighs more than double the weight of the new Panasonic 100mm (715g vs 298g), and is 52mm longer. The only minor advantage to Sigma here is the slightly smaller filter thread size (62mm vs 67mm). If size and weight is an important decision factor, the new Panasonic is a no-brainer.
Panasonic S 100mm F2.8 Macro vs Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Comparison
Panasonic S 100mm F2.8 Macro vs Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Feature Comparison
The Sigma 105mm has some extra tricks in its sleeve when it comes to external controls. It features an aperture ring which the Panasonic lacks. In addition, it features a De-Click switch which turns its aperture ring to totally silent, and also an aperture lock switch which prevents the accidental change of aperture. Sigma also offers a programmable Focus lock button. which couldn't find a place in Panasonic's tiny body.
Conclusion
It is not possible to come to a real conclusion without comparing the image quality of both lenses side to side and I didn't have the chance to try the new Panasonic lens yet but if I only take what I know so far into consideration, both lenses stand as an attractive options for the L mount. If you care more about the size and weight, and looking for the smallest package, Panasonic is the clear winner. If price and extensive external controls such as the aperture ring is more important, Sigma seems to be ahead of the Panasonic.
