Can a macro lens be used for something else?

[Skoropada]

I'm considering the purchase of a Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens for my Sony A200.

The reviews I've read say that it's a great lens for macro work, but I'd like to know if it could be used for something other than macro, like portraits, indoor shooting, etc.

I know that the AF speed is slow, but that's something you'll want in a macro lens, but may be it makes it difficult to use on other situations.

I'd appreciate your comments and if anyone has one of these, can you, please, share your experience?

Thanks!

[vandergus]

Sure they can be used for other things. Portraits are a popular secondary use. I own the Tamron 60mm f2 macro which I rarely use for actual macros. I mostly use it as a fast, medium telephoto lens. A lot of people don't like macro lenses for portraiture because they say they're too sharp and emphasize blemishes, but I'm not sure I buy it. At least not enough to generalize it to all macro lenses. I'm sure there are certain lenses which render more harshly than other lenses but I'm not about to say, never use a macro lens for portraiture. I mean, people don't spend oodles of money on an 85mm f1.4 because it's a little soft. Plus, it's pretty simple to control the sharpness in post-processing. If the image looks a little harsh, just dial down the sharpness and contrast.

One issue with macro lenses, however, is auto-focus performance. Since they have a huge range within which to focus, if they miss, the hunt from 6 inches to infinity can take a long time. Good macro lenses will have a focus limiter, which doesn't allow the lens to go into the macro range if you don't want it to and reduces the time it takes to hunt. Something to look for if you're planning on using it for a variety of shooting.

[kirbinster]

I've got the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF-S VR Micro and it is a great portrait lens as well.

[Chaotic Beds]

Part of the reason I chose my EF-S 60mm Macro was for maximum versatility on my limited budget to start out with. I wanted a macro lens, and reviews suggested it was great for non-macro as well. I use it far more often for non-macro. I'm not too experienced with any other lenses, but I'm happy with the choice. Looks pretty sharp all around to my inexperienced eyes.

The AF can struggle in certain situations, it might take a couple seconds to go through the whole focus range and back, and still not lock on to anything... But that's usually in lower light, or if there's nothing with adequate contrast in the frame. I also have my camera set to AF on the center point only, though, which can make it more difficult. It's frustrated me a few times, but overall, it's not a major issue to deal with.

I'm actually considering downgrading to the ol' 50mm 1.8 and sacrifice my macro capabilities, but that's purely for financial reasons... If I do, I'll be sad to let this one go...