Macro with a Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG MACRO lens

The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG MACRO lens has a macro mode that may be difficult to switch on and use. It is only available when the focal length is between 200 mm and 300 mm.

The switch on the lens cannot be changed to "Macro" when you take the lens out of the box, as the focal length is at 70 mm .

Only once you have zoomed to a higher focal length than 200, you can change the switch.

You now have a minimum focusing distance of 95 cm. Without macro mode, the minimum focusing distance is 150 cm, as with a lot of other 70-300 mm lenses, like Nikon's own one. In other words, you can get much closer to the subject with the Sigma.

If you now rotate the focus ring to a smaller distance than 150 cm, then you cannot switch macro mode off. To switch back to normal mode, you first have to rotate the focus ring to a distance above 150 cm.

Manual Focus with a D40X, D40, D60 - or any other Nikon

If you use a low end Nikon DSLR like D40, D40X or D60 together with a number of lenses without built in autofocus, like Sigma, Tamron or even Nikon's own AF 50 f1.8D, then you have to use manual focus - that is, you have to move the focus ring around the lens until you are in focus.

Nikon has an in-focus indicator, that lights up in the form of a green dot in the viewfinder to show when you have the subject in focus:



The in-focus dot is there on most other Nikon cameras as well, in case you choose to use manual focus on them.

(I feel like an idiot for not having realised this before. I probably shot around 1000 pictures with manual focus without looking for the green dot. But it is quite well hidden in the manual.)