Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You should put your camera on a tripod, turn off OS, switch to manual focus, and see if you still see the issue. More than likely you will get your best results going this route than handheld/autofocus/OS on.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Sorry, manual focus is out of the question, I my eyes are bad and can't see that well even with glasses, also color blind.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Place holder.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I appreciate all of your suggestions. I use the strobe (also have the Nikon R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight Kit for my Nikon 105mm macro) to cancel out movement (early stages of Parkinson), this should override shutter speed. I keep Aperture priority to limit depth of field (sometimes use P). The original reason I started this thread was to see if other people had a problem with this lens and to let people know what I went through. As per Sigma this lens (purchased brand new) had a defective focusing motor which Sigma corrected.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

There's an app for that! :)

Actually, take a look at my blog post from last month:

http://pixeldiarist.blogspot.com/

I describe a wireless solution that I cobbled together with help from a few who have done it before, but there is nothing stopping you from using an Android tablet with a cabled solution. I use it both ways with my Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 - nothing like tapping to focus in live view on a 12" screen, plus being able to access all settings and adjustments the same way. I often use its focus stack automation feature to create 30 shot stacks - which I then take into PSCC or Helicon Focus to assemble into a finished image.

Best part is that the software, DSLR Dashboard, is donation ware - if you like it, send the author a payment, anything is accepted - I sent $10.

Nice thing about wireless remote is that you can set up the camera under a rain cover, or just out there and sit in your car 20 ft away and focus and shoot stuff.

The wireless tether is $35 plus s/h at Amazon, and the wired tether just requires the camera's USB cable and an OTG cable to adapt the male USB cable to the female USB port on the tablet.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I have the CamRanger, but the problem is if you are shooting bugs in macro, they don't hold still.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Nothing like trying to nail a moving target. You could use a macro rail like those made by Really Right Stuff and others to give you precise control over the focal plane. And the side benefit is that you eliminate focus breathing, which is present to one degree or another in most lenses these days.

I don't envy your situation, though. I wish I could offer an amazing solution, but I am coming up empty.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Not quite correct. Let me amend my statement. I use lens' auto-aperture and camera Auto-Focus (small central spot) for ALL of my macro-photography, as the camera is better at focus than my astigmatic eyes.

In Manual mode, I select ISO (200), Aperture (f/16), shutter duration (1/200-sec), and speedlight output (starting at 1/4 power). The camera makes none of these choices. Using ETTL or Program or any other mode surrenders some of your exposure parameters.

Using 1/80-sec or 1/100-sec shutter duration with speedlight allows too long of time for ambient light to reach sensor, resulting in motion blur, from either camera movement or subject movement. I believe both of your Nikons with 'sync' speedlight & ambient light exposure at 1/250-sec. Definitely at 1/200-sec.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Ok, I will take your advice on my next macro shoot and see how that works for me, Thanks for your help.