Does anyone have any experience using this lens for scanning? I know it has a stellar reputation for general-purpose macro photography, and I was wondering if it could replace my Sigma Art 70mm MACRO (which is great for scanning, but absolutely dreadful as a general-purpose macro lens)
No - and considering its close focus distance of 1/2 yard, it would make the scanning rig quite tall which would ask for quite a heavy rig, if you want it to be stable and stiff …
If you can get one on loan, by all means, try it out. But I think that the Sigma is still good enough for practical use.
Its reputation as a great lens for general macro photography, particularly natural history, will be for its sharpness but also because of the larger working distance which is a big advantage for those subjects, but a big disadvantage for film copying.
I have a Kaiser copy stand which is incredibly sturdy, so i’m less worried about the larger working distance. I’m mainly interested in the corner-to-corner sharpness, as most reviews i’ve seen either only discuss centre sharpness, or were made long enough ago that the highest resolution full-frame sensors available were around 24mp (i scan with a 45mp R5)
The Canon 180mm is generally around $450 used, give or take. It has always intrigued me but I have never found anyone with any experience with it. The 180 was designed in the mid 90s (released 1996) for 35mm film uses and according to charts and reviews, it is quite good. There are other lenses in the same price range designed for digital use that may perform better at higher megapixels, so I would say it likely depends on what you want from your R5 sensor (45 MPs) and what you want to prioritize in your photography.
So what is your budget? What do you want to use the 180mm lens for when not scanning? And does one side of that equation have priority over the other?
The Sigma 70mm ART I use is good at scanning, but I very much agree its less practical for other uses. I have long wished the 105mm ART (or a longer lens) could come to RF mount for a more dual purpose lens in my everyday work as a photographer.
There are lots of 100mm/105mm macro lenses out there that do a fine job for both general use and camera scanning film. And others competitively priced that are >100mm in the 120-180mm range, often from Sigma, too.
Perhaps check out the Sigma 150mm 2.8 OS Macro… not to be confused with the older non-OS version… for a middle ground. It was only made for a brief period and I think Sigma rolled it out right as mirrorless was taking off and as they changed directions with their ART line. It might fit what you’re looking for based on my research on it in the past - which led me to buy one though I have not used it for scanning with my R5, just nature stuff. Perhaps we could compare them if you go towards the Canon 180mm?