[stoppingdown]

When you follow the 2/3 top lens reviewers on the web (OL at the first place) you seldom have surprises when you buy a lens. The Sigma lens is confirming the many good features and the few pitfalls. Very sharp for landscape; good flare management with the sun in the frame through the whole focal range (much better than the Sony SEL1670Z that was a sort of Russian roulette, often producing purple/green streaks that seemed to be due to sand scratching the glass); very poor performance in close up at tele focal length and full open because a drop of contrast, but above all a monster LoCA; good performance and bokeh when stopped down to ƒ/5.6 - 8 (the Sony lens has about one stop of advantage here); good performance in close up at wide focal length even full open. So, yes, in some circumstances it enables you to take a decent flower/critter photo when you don't have a true macro length at hand.