Mark7829 wrote:
Sharpness is only one criteria, you also want to talk elements and groups, chromatic aberration, distortion, weather sealing, coatings, VR, transmission rates, AF, AF override, materials, construction. rounded or square, and number of aperture blades and resale value?
I agree with all you say, all 100 -105mm lenses all seem equal in all those regards. Look into it for yourself and you will be amazed how closely they all are in those categories. Macro photography has been a staple with me from the early 1980's so I have amassed considerable amount of knowledge regarding macro photography equipment.