Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Ideal for a wide range of photo and video applications including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a small, light, and bright standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Offered here with a Sony E-mount, this lens provides a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. The lens design includes three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements coupled with a special low dispersion element. Together they minimize the total number of elements for superb optical quality without excessive weight. Autofocus is exceptionally fast and quiet thanks to the lens's stepping motor, which can be particularly useful when shooting video or fast-moving subjects such as children and animals. An ultimate workhorse, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 4.8", enabling it to be used for macro-style close-up photography, and the lens is also outfitted with a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh quality.
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Ideal for a wide range of photo and video applications including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a small, light, and bright standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Offered here with a Sony E-mount, this lens provides a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. The lens design includes three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements coupled with a special low dispersion element. Together they minimize the total number of elements for superb optical quality without excessive weight. Autofocus is exceptionally fast and quiet thanks to the lens's stepping motor, which can be particularly useful when shooting video or fast-moving subjects such as children and animals. An ultimate workhorse, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 4.8", enabling it to be used for macro-style close-up photography, and the lens is also outfitted with a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh quality.
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Ideal for a wide range of photo and video applications including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a small, light, and bright standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Offered here with a Sony E-mount, this lens provides a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. The lens design includes three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements coupled with a special low dispersion element. Together they minimize the total number of elements for superb optical quality without excessive weight. Autofocus is exceptionally fast and quiet thanks to the lens's stepping motor, which can be particularly useful when shooting video or fast-moving subjects such as children and animals. An ultimate workhorse, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 4.8", enabling it to be used for macro-style close-up photography, and the lens is also outfitted with a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh quality.
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Ideal for a wide range of photo and video applications including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a small, light, and bright standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Offered here with a Sony E-mount, this lens provides a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. The lens design includes three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements coupled with a special low dispersion element. Together they minimize the total number of elements for superb optical quality without excessive weight. Autofocus is exceptionally fast and quiet thanks to the lens's stepping motor, which can be particularly useful when shooting video or fast-moving subjects such as children and animals. An ultimate workhorse, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 4.8", enabling it to be used for macro-style close-up photography, and the lens is also outfitted with a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh quality.
Last updated at 06/10/2026 14:38:46
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount
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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E
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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount
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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary (APS-C) Sony E-Mount
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Sigma 18 50mm F2 8 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Canon RF Mount APS C Mirrorless
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Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens Sony E Mount APS-C Standard Zoom
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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E
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Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Sony E-Mount Contemporary Lens Sigma Camera Lens - Best For Travel Photography
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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens - Sony E-Mount
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SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary SONY E (APSC)
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originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
About a year ago I purchased the Fujifilm XE-4, and it came as the kit with the 27mm pancake lens. The idea was that I would have a portable system that was fun to use whenever I was traveling, and did not want to bring out my giant Canon system with all of the interchangeable lenses. At first I absolutely loved the setup and thought I would never grow tired of having the 27mm married to the x-mount, but after about 6 months of shooting, I did. Personally, I have always been someone that has gravitated toward the usefulness/freedom of a zoom lens, and I started shopping around, but didn't want to spend a fortune since the Fuji setup is not my main system. I absolutely love the performance this renders on the XE-4. It's got a fast autofocus, wonderful image quality, ... MoreAbout a year ago I purchased the Fujifilm XE-4, and it came as the kit with the 27mm pancake lens. The idea was that I would have a portable system that was fun to use whenever I was traveling, and did not want to bring out my giant Canon system with all of the interchangeable lenses. At first I absolutely loved the setup and thought I would never grow tired of having the 27mm married to the x-mount, but after about 6 months of shooting, I did. Personally, I have always been someone that has gravitated toward the usefulness/freedom of a zoom lens, and I started shopping around, but didn't want to spend a fortune since the Fuji setup is not my main system. I absolutely love the performance this renders on the XE-4. It's got a fast autofocus, wonderful image quality, and the constant f2.8 is awesome. This lens allows me to be much more creative with my images, and I find myself picking up the XE-4 much more often now (as I've only had the lens for about one month). I play around quite a bit with the film simulations from Fuji, and this lens complements the image quality SOOC very well. I am so happy with Sigma and this purchase, and that is ultimately what it's all about--going out and shooting more images with a system you love. I would definitely recommend this lens be in your kit.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I love the Sigma 28-70mm. For the past 18 months I've paired it with an A7iv or A7Siii. I used it mostly in a journalistic capacity with some freelance video/photo production thrown in. Regardless of the job, I've been consistently impressed by the image quality the lens produces.It often gets compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (a lens which I previously owned). In my personal experience, though, I vastly prefer this lens to the Tamron. There's something special about the Sigma's rendering. It doesn't feel as sterile, as clinical as the Tamron. Is the Sigma less sharp? Maybe. But in my opinion sharper does not always equal better. The images the Sigma 28-70mm renders are consistently pleasing and I enjoy the weight, form factor and build. The focus and zoom ... MoreI love the Sigma 28-70mm. For the past 18 months I've paired it with an A7iv or A7Siii. I used it mostly in a journalistic capacity with some freelance video/photo production thrown in. Regardless of the job, I've been consistently impressed by the image quality the lens produces.It often gets compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (a lens which I previously owned). In my personal experience, though, I vastly prefer this lens to the Tamron. There's something special about the Sigma's rendering. It doesn't feel as sterile, as clinical as the Tamron. Is the Sigma less sharp? Maybe. But in my opinion sharper does not always equal better. The images the Sigma 28-70mm renders are consistently pleasing and I enjoy the weight, form factor and build. The focus and zoom rings are smooth and comfortable to use.One final note - I consider myself more of a 'prime guy' and prefer not to use zooms unless I have to. This lens really challenged that preference. I like the images it produces so much that I've left it on my camera in lieu of switching to some of my GM lenses. I really can't recommend it enough.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
This is basically the APS-C equivalent of the 24-70mm 2.8, virtually a legendary workhorse for any photographer. I shoot stills and video on an a6500. My most basic requirements for my kit for decades (going back to when I only shot film) has been a zoom with a wide range and also a fast normal lens. Maybe add a dedicated portrait lens and an ultra wide. I have the Sony 18-135mm, and Sigma's trio which is just such a well planned set of primes (except for the varying filter threads!!), plus a Samyang 12mm. I rented Tamron's 17-70mm and it's fantastic, but for my work, it was just bigger and heavier than what I wanted. This Sigma fits the bill perfect for splitting the difference between my fast primes and my convenient super zoom. I loose some speed and some reach, ... MoreThis is basically the APS-C equivalent of the 24-70mm 2.8, virtually a legendary workhorse for any photographer. I shoot stills and video on an a6500. My most basic requirements for my kit for decades (going back to when I only shot film) has been a zoom with a wide range and also a fast normal lens. Maybe add a dedicated portrait lens and an ultra wide. I have the Sony 18-135mm, and Sigma's trio which is just such a well planned set of primes (except for the varying filter threads!!), plus a Samyang 12mm. I rented Tamron's 17-70mm and it's fantastic, but for my work, it was just bigger and heavier than what I wanted. This Sigma fits the bill perfect for splitting the difference between my fast primes and my convenient super zoom. I loose some speed and some reach, but gain loads of convenience while retaining the amazingly small size. This zoom may be redundant in a few ways, but still the best of both worlds when I want/need it. Full frame guys (I shoot that too) may complain about slightly deeper depth of field and minor lowlight differences of the sensor, but this lens with a fitting camera is very close to a frame professional 24-70mm set-up at a fraction of the size. As for the extra 20mm you gain from the Tamron, I'm okay with a small crop if I need it and I can live with the 1mm less on the wide end. I would have loved the stabilization, but at least I have IBIS, even if not quite as good. I hope this review helps a few people looking at the same decisions as me as I was sizing up the 17-70, Sigma's trio, and this lens (the Sony 16-55 is just too rich for my blood).
| Angle of View | 76.5° to 31.7° |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Focal Length | 18 to 50mm |
| Format Compatibility | APS-C |
| Groups/Elements | 13 Elements in 10 Groups |
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount
Free delivery between 15–22 June
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E
Delivery $15
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount
Delivery between 17–19 June $8.95
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary (APS-C) Sony E-Mount
Delivery between 15–18 June $12.90
Sigma 18 50mm F2 8 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Canon RF Mount APS C Mirrorless
Delivery $9.95
About a year ago I purchased the Fujifilm XE-4, and it came as the kit with the 27mm pancake lens. The idea was that I would have a portable system that was fun to use whenever I was traveling, and did not want to bring out my giant Canon system with all of the interchangeable lenses. At first I absolutely loved the setup and thought I would never grow tired of having the 27mm married to the x-mount, but after about 6 months of shooting, I did. Personally, I have always been someone that has gravitated toward the usefulness/freedom of a zoom lens, and I started shopping around, but didn't want to spend a fortune since the Fuji setup is not my main system. I absolutely love the performance this renders on the XE-4. It's got a fast autofocus, wonderful image quality, ... MoreAbout a year ago I purchased the Fujifilm XE-4, and it came as the kit with the 27mm pancake lens. The idea was that I would have a portable system that was fun to use whenever I was traveling, and did not want to bring out my giant Canon system with all of the interchangeable lenses. At first I absolutely loved the setup and thought I would never grow tired of having the 27mm married to the x-mount, but after about 6 months of shooting, I did. Personally, I have always been someone that has gravitated toward the usefulness/freedom of a zoom lens, and I started shopping around, but didn't want to spend a fortune since the Fuji setup is not my main system. I absolutely love the performance this renders on the XE-4. It's got a fast autofocus, wonderful image quality, and the constant f2.8 is awesome. This lens allows me to be much more creative with my images, and I find myself picking up the XE-4 much more often now (as I've only had the lens for about one month). I play around quite a bit with the film simulations from Fuji, and this lens complements the image quality SOOC very well. I am so happy with Sigma and this purchase, and that is ultimately what it's all about--going out and shooting more images with a system you love. I would definitely recommend this lens be in your kit.
I love the Sigma 28-70mm. For the past 18 months I've paired it with an A7iv or A7Siii. I used it mostly in a journalistic capacity with some freelance video/photo production thrown in. Regardless of the job, I've been consistently impressed by the image quality the lens produces.It often gets compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (a lens which I previously owned). In my personal experience, though, I vastly prefer this lens to the Tamron. There's something special about the Sigma's rendering. It doesn't feel as sterile, as clinical as the Tamron. Is the Sigma less sharp? Maybe. But in my opinion sharper does not always equal better. The images the Sigma 28-70mm renders are consistently pleasing and I enjoy the weight, form factor and build. The focus and zoom ... MoreI love the Sigma 28-70mm. For the past 18 months I've paired it with an A7iv or A7Siii. I used it mostly in a journalistic capacity with some freelance video/photo production thrown in. Regardless of the job, I've been consistently impressed by the image quality the lens produces.It often gets compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (a lens which I previously owned). In my personal experience, though, I vastly prefer this lens to the Tamron. There's something special about the Sigma's rendering. It doesn't feel as sterile, as clinical as the Tamron. Is the Sigma less sharp? Maybe. But in my opinion sharper does not always equal better. The images the Sigma 28-70mm renders are consistently pleasing and I enjoy the weight, form factor and build. The focus and zoom rings are smooth and comfortable to use.One final note - I consider myself more of a 'prime guy' and prefer not to use zooms unless I have to. This lens really challenged that preference. I like the images it produces so much that I've left it on my camera in lieu of switching to some of my GM lenses. I really can't recommend it enough.
This is basically the APS-C equivalent of the 24-70mm 2.8, virtually a legendary workhorse for any photographer. I shoot stills and video on an a6500. My most basic requirements for my kit for decades (going back to when I only shot film) has been a zoom with a wide range and also a fast normal lens. Maybe add a dedicated portrait lens and an ultra wide. I have the Sony 18-135mm, and Sigma's trio which is just such a well planned set of primes (except for the varying filter threads!!), plus a Samyang 12mm. I rented Tamron's 17-70mm and it's fantastic, but for my work, it was just bigger and heavier than what I wanted. This Sigma fits the bill perfect for splitting the difference between my fast primes and my convenient super zoom. I loose some speed and some reach, ... MoreThis is basically the APS-C equivalent of the 24-70mm 2.8, virtually a legendary workhorse for any photographer. I shoot stills and video on an a6500. My most basic requirements for my kit for decades (going back to when I only shot film) has been a zoom with a wide range and also a fast normal lens. Maybe add a dedicated portrait lens and an ultra wide. I have the Sony 18-135mm, and Sigma's trio which is just such a well planned set of primes (except for the varying filter threads!!), plus a Samyang 12mm. I rented Tamron's 17-70mm and it's fantastic, but for my work, it was just bigger and heavier than what I wanted. This Sigma fits the bill perfect for splitting the difference between my fast primes and my convenient super zoom. I loose some speed and some reach, but gain loads of convenience while retaining the amazingly small size. This zoom may be redundant in a few ways, but still the best of both worlds when I want/need it. Full frame guys (I shoot that too) may complain about slightly deeper depth of field and minor lowlight differences of the sensor, but this lens with a fitting camera is very close to a frame professional 24-70mm set-up at a fraction of the size. As for the extra 20mm you gain from the Tamron, I'm okay with a small crop if I need it and I can live with the 1mm less on the wide end. I would have loved the stabilization, but at least I have IBIS, even if not quite as good. I hope this review helps a few people looking at the same decisions as me as I was sizing up the 17-70, Sigma's trio, and this lens (the Sony 16-55 is just too rich for my blood).
Having joined the E-mount APSC ecosystem I've been waiting for years for any company to make a compact relatively affordable standard zoom lens. Been rocking the a6xxx line since I started photography and never saw the point of having a convenient compact camera with an oversized lens attached to it (seems to defeat the purpose). I dont print or do professional work and all my images are viewed on screens of various platforms so the sony 16-50 kit lens and collection of sharper primes has served me well. Now comes sigma with a compact, sharp, f 2.8 lens. The image quality is great and even with APSC sensor you can still crop a good amount with good image quality. F2.8 is also good enough to have great bokeh in your images. Most importantly its reasonably sized for ... MoreHaving joined the E-mount APSC ecosystem I've been waiting for years for any company to make a compact relatively affordable standard zoom lens. Been rocking the a6xxx line since I started photography and never saw the point of having a convenient compact camera with an oversized lens attached to it (seems to defeat the purpose). I dont print or do professional work and all my images are viewed on screens of various platforms so the sony 16-50 kit lens and collection of sharper primes has served me well. Now comes sigma with a compact, sharp, f 2.8 lens. The image quality is great and even with APSC sensor you can still crop a good amount with good image quality. F2.8 is also good enough to have great bokeh in your images. Most importantly its reasonably sized for the a6xxx cameras. The only negatives would be the fact that it does not have stabilization and there is occasional chromatic aberration depending on angle/light. But for the price and size those are reasonable compromises. So if you're in market for appropriate sized lens for APSC camera thats sharp in the standard zoom lens definitely recommend!
I'm an amateur photographer and I shoot family (in a home studio with strobes, spontaneously indoors with ambient light, outside and on vacation). I previously used Sony 35 mm f1.4 GM, sigma 24-70 2.8 art and tamron 28-75 version 1. I shoot RAW. Got this lens Feb 2022 for Sony A7IV.I prioritize reasonable sharpness, fast accurate autofocus (toddlers on the run!), good color rendition (for minimal edits), versatility, good light gathering to keep ISO below 10,000 in spontaneous situations, small size and reasonable durability (I don't work for National Geographic!)Versatility and light gathering are excellent. I don't need a super zoom - I have 33MP to play with so I can crop as needed. With the great high ISO performance of my A7IV, I don't miss my f1.4 GM. And ... MoreI'm an amateur photographer and I shoot family (in a home studio with strobes, spontaneously indoors with ambient light, outside and on vacation). I previously used Sony 35 mm f1.4 GM, sigma 24-70 2.8 art and tamron 28-75 version 1. I shoot RAW. Got this lens Feb 2022 for Sony A7IV.I prioritize reasonable sharpness, fast accurate autofocus (toddlers on the run!), good color rendition (for minimal edits), versatility, good light gathering to keep ISO below 10,000 in spontaneous situations, small size and reasonable durability (I don't work for National Geographic!)Versatility and light gathering are excellent. I don't need a super zoom - I have 33MP to play with so I can crop as needed. With the great high ISO performance of my A7IV, I don't miss my f1.4 GM. And 28mm is wide enough for general purposes and even tight group selfies with a flip out screen.Color rendition and contrast are Sigma good - same as the MUCH HEAVIER 24-70 art. Maybe GM is better in terms of colors. I don't like the Tamron warm tint which I heard is unchanged in version 2.This lens is ridiculously small and light. As small as the 35 f1.4 GM. The Tamron sticks out too long. Perfect for chasing toddlers and walking with family until your legs give out.Autofocus could be slightly faster but it's accurate - but I don't feel like I've missed shots with the right settings. Same keeper rate as other lenses for my purposes.Sharpness is very good not phenomenal wide open. But too much sharpness in portraits, I've learned, can look...weird. Stopping down brings sharpness up to "professional" levels.When I shoot family portraits in my in house studio with controlled lighting, it's perfect.Just my two cents.
I'm not big on pixel-peeping. I haven't found many surprises over the years. I once owned three different Nikon F wide-angle zooms at the same time, and try as I might I could not find much difference in the image quality among them.However, when I received a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN from B&H a couple of days ago, I had to test it. I put a Sony A7C on a heavy Manfrotto and used my usual testbed: an entire wall of books. I tested the Sigma lens at 28, 35, 50 and 70mm -- f2.8 through f16.I didn't expect much; was surprised by the results. The Sigma gave close-to-excellent to excellent resolution ACROSS the image at 28mm f2.8, and became quickly better at the higher f-stops. I got similarly very good to excellent results across the image at 35, 50 and even at 70mm. ... MoreI'm not big on pixel-peeping. I haven't found many surprises over the years. I once owned three different Nikon F wide-angle zooms at the same time, and try as I might I could not find much difference in the image quality among them.However, when I received a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN from B&H a couple of days ago, I had to test it. I put a Sony A7C on a heavy Manfrotto and used my usual testbed: an entire wall of books. I tested the Sigma lens at 28, 35, 50 and 70mm -- f2.8 through f16.I didn't expect much; was surprised by the results. The Sigma gave close-to-excellent to excellent resolution ACROSS the image at 28mm f2.8, and became quickly better at the higher f-stops. I got similarly very good to excellent results across the image at 35, 50 and even at 70mm. I have never seen a lens perform better across the image.I proceeded to mount a Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f2.8 ZA on the camera and did the same test. I then compared the Sony results to Sigma's results when set to 35mm. To put it bluntly, the Sigma put the Sony Sonnar to shame. The Sigma's results at f2.8 were better across the image than the Sony's results were at f11.When I compared both lenses' f2.8 results, the Sony simply could not compete. It could not quite match the Sigma for crispness even at the center; in the middle areas the Sony was noticeably inferior; and at all four corners its results were downright blurry, while the Sigma remained only slightly less crisp than it was at the center.Maybe I have the world's best Sigma 28-70 f2.8 and the world's worst Sony Sonnar 35mm f2.8. I'm simply stating my surprising results.
Let me start this review by saying I've been a photographer for over 50 years. I am NOT a Pixel Peeper but when it comes to lenses I know and appreciate good glass.My wife and I have several trips planned to go to Europe over the next year or so. I decided I wanted to shoot Full Frame for these trips and wanted to travel light. I had my Lumix S5 for 2 years but with the new S5 MK II with Phase Detection Hybrid AF (FINALLY) I traded it in with the 20-60 Kit Lens for the S5 MK II Body only to build a new "Travel Kit". (A side note, I never really understood that 20-60mm Kit lens, it was neither wide enough and just never long enough and at f3.5 only at 20mm, f5.6 after that, it was not very fast. I also did not like the barrel extension for such a limited range ... MoreLet me start this review by saying I've been a photographer for over 50 years. I am NOT a Pixel Peeper but when it comes to lenses I know and appreciate good glass.My wife and I have several trips planned to go to Europe over the next year or so. I decided I wanted to shoot Full Frame for these trips and wanted to travel light. I had my Lumix S5 for 2 years but with the new S5 MK II with Phase Detection Hybrid AF (FINALLY) I traded it in with the 20-60 Kit Lens for the S5 MK II Body only to build a new "Travel Kit". (A side note, I never really understood that 20-60mm Kit lens, it was neither wide enough and just never long enough and at f3.5 only at 20mm, f5.6 after that, it was not very fast. I also did not like the barrel extension for such a limited range lens). I did keep my Lumix 70-300 f4.5 which is an extraordinary lens.I bought this Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 to compliment my other recent purchase of the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8. These two lenses combined give me an ideal focal range from 16-70mm in a compact, light weight form factor.Like the Sigma 16-28 here are the Pros of this lens:Compact, lightweight lens with excellent constructionIncludes some weather sealing at mount, enough for my needs, While traveling for pleasure I don't shoot in torrential downpours. ...who does?Super Fast, Smooth and Quiet Autofocus for both Photos and VideoHigh magnification figure for very nice close up shotsExcellent flare resistance yet it still produces decent starburst effects when wantedCA is well controlledExcellent sharpness and contrast across the frame even wide openWeight under 500g which for me is a Big PLUSVery Pleasant BokehThe ability for the S5 MK II In-camera distortion & vignetting correction makes this lens even better.So with the S5 MK II at under 750 grams w/ Battery, the 2 Sigma lenses combined at 920 grams I've got a Travel Kit that weighs well under 4lbs. This might even make me decide to add my Lumix 70-300 to the kit.I've only take a couple of dozen test shots around our home and town and can say I am very pleased with this lens. Excellent overall quality and value!
I just now upgraded to the new Lumix S5 MKII from the original S5 mostly because of Lumix finally switching to Phase Detection Hybrid Autofocus System as well as several other big improvements. In doing so I am putting together a Travel Oriented Kit for European Travel we have scheduled for April/May and in the Fall.I never really understood or liked the 20-60 lens that was bundled with my S5. I felt is was an odd focal length combo, not really ultra wide and certainly not a telephoto. So I sold it with a plan to replace it with some lenses that will have a much better range and compliment each other.After doing much research and watching reviews I decided on this Sigma 16-28 Contemporary Series. Here's why:Compact, lightweight lens with solid ... MoreI just now upgraded to the new Lumix S5 MKII from the original S5 mostly because of Lumix finally switching to Phase Detection Hybrid Autofocus System as well as several other big improvements. In doing so I am putting together a Travel Oriented Kit for European Travel we have scheduled for April/May and in the Fall.I never really understood or liked the 20-60 lens that was bundled with my S5. I felt is was an odd focal length combo, not really ultra wide and certainly not a telephoto. So I sold it with a plan to replace it with some lenses that will have a much better range and compliment each other.After doing much research and watching reviews I decided on this Sigma 16-28 Contemporary Series. Here's why:Compact, lightweight lens with solid constructionIncludes some weather sealing at mount which is adequate for my shootingInternal zoomingBroad zoom rangeVery Fast, quiet autofocusSmooth and quiet video AF workGood up close performanceExcellent flare resistanceCA is well controlledExcellent sharpness and contrast across the frame even wide openWeight only 450g which is a criteria for my Travel needs.I plan on adding the other Sigma Contemporary Series 28-70mm for the very same reasons.This combo for me is perfect, in essence giving me a focal range of 16-70mm with just 2 lenses.I already own the Lumix S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 MACRO which further extends my overall focal length range. (This lens is still much lighter than both the Lumix and Sigma 24-70's)A 3 lense travel kit is ideal and this combo really gives me everthing I could need in a light travel camera bag.My early test shots have convinced me that this lens was the right decision. It focuses super fast, is super sharp even at the corners, Chromatic Abberation is Non Existent. The price is right!
My first impression of this lens in a store was that it was too small and didn't feel like a serious lens. I still put it on my a6600 and took a few shots and then compared it to the Sony 16-55 which felt more substantial with a price to match. When I looked at the raw files at home I noticed that there wasn't really a resolution difference and the Sony files had heavy distortion and vignetting before a profile was applied.I decided to get the Sigma knowing I could resell it if needed. Well, I tested it against my old Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 (EOS) which was my main zoom and then also the excellent Sony 55mm 1.8 and Sony Zeiss 24mm 1.8.Moving away from the retrofocal design for DSLRs meant there was no optical compromise- on the wide end the Sigma is far more detailed ... MoreMy first impression of this lens in a store was that it was too small and didn't feel like a serious lens. I still put it on my a6600 and took a few shots and then compared it to the Sony 16-55 which felt more substantial with a price to match. When I looked at the raw files at home I noticed that there wasn't really a resolution difference and the Sony files had heavy distortion and vignetting before a profile was applied.I decided to get the Sigma knowing I could resell it if needed. Well, I tested it against my old Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 (EOS) which was my main zoom and then also the excellent Sony 55mm 1.8 and Sony Zeiss 24mm 1.8.Moving away from the retrofocal design for DSLRs meant there was no optical compromise- on the wide end the Sigma is far more detailed with sharper corners and less haze and aberration than the older Sigma had despite a huge decrease in size and weight. Even stopped down the new lens is a winner. At longer focal lengths they are similar. Much less coma for point light sources at night as well even wide open.The Sigma wasn't quite the equal to the primes wide open but very close stopped down which is more than acceptable for an all-purpose lens given the price and size.Are there downsides? Yes. I find it initially misfocuses some of the time which is a problem if you aren't paying attention (shooting from the hip, etc.). Give it a second to acquire focus and it will be fine. None of my other lenses exhibit this oddity. Tracking autofocus with the a6600 works very well as does burst autofocus and video autofocus.Also, the filter size is small so you'll save money on polarizers or ND filters. Sigma really nailed this lens design and didn't have to sacrifice optical quality like Sony did with the horrible 16-50 kit lens.
I recently bought the Fuji XT-5. I already own the Fuji 16-55 - 2.8 but it's SO big/heavy I rarely use it. Saw how small this Sigma 2.8 was, plus read several very positive reviews so decided t buy it. Long story short I found this lens to be super soft at some focal lengths, ESP 18mm. I know most zoom lenses need compromise a bit on the wide and or fully zoomed in ends. Thing is esp around 18-22mm no matter what the aperture I used, a large part of the corners were SUPER soft like almost smearing soft. I'm talking like smartphone soft. I live near some mountains and there's a paved road on a big incline where I can overlook a ton of houses, a lake..and some mountains in the background. Again even if I stopped down to f 7-ish or/f11 all of the houses in the corners ... MoreI recently bought the Fuji XT-5. I already own the Fuji 16-55 - 2.8 but it's SO big/heavy I rarely use it. Saw how small this Sigma 2.8 was, plus read several very positive reviews so decided t buy it. Long story short I found this lens to be super soft at some focal lengths, ESP 18mm. I know most zoom lenses need compromise a bit on the wide and or fully zoomed in ends. Thing is esp around 18-22mm no matter what the aperture I used, a large part of the corners were SUPER soft like almost smearing soft. I'm talking like smartphone soft. I live near some mountains and there's a paved road on a big incline where I can overlook a ton of houses, a lake..and some mountains in the background. Again even if I stopped down to f 7-ish or/f11 all of the houses in the corners looked like mush or just lacking any kind of detail. It drove me so crazy I returned to the same spot with my Ricoh GRIII as it's also 18mm - 28mm equivalent full frame.. Even at 2.8 the Ricoh was like 5 times more sharp than this Sigma esp in the corners. Shooting in other settings with this Sigma ex: on streets, buildings etc..I did not notice the wide end being so mushy in the corners, so you may not notice this till you have the opportunity to take some wide landscape pictures. Also I'd like to say MAYBE? this is not so much the fault of THIS lens. I have older Fuji primes too, The 23mm 1.4 and 35 1.4...and though generally sharper than this Sigma, all my older Fuji lenses don't look that great or SHARP overall with the new 40meg sensor. I know Fuji has a recommended list of newer lenses to pair with the new 40meg sensor...My older primes were not on the list..and they are not going to list any third party lenses, aka this Sigma. One other thing I did not like but got used to is, the manual focus ring is totally flush with the barrel. It's almost impossible to use it without being super careful you are not grabbing the barrel too. It's not a big deal, but you will notice this. Now that I bashed this lens, I LOVE the overall size of it, it feels very well made, zooming in out feels smooth and silky. It MAY be this lens may just be better suited for the 24/26 meg Fuji sensors and perhaps you would not notice the almost smearing I saw in the corners on the 40 meg XT-5. I admit I DO pixel peep a bit! If you don't zoom into 100% on a 40 meg photo, this lens renders everything very well, great Fuji color..even rather good overall detail, it focuses quickly and quietly, and I LOVE it's size/LOVE it's price. But unless MAYBE I just got a bad or soft copy which IS possible...this lens overall, is rather soft on my XT5 at least, vs a cyclically sharp type lens, and that may be fine...but doesn't work for my taste.
| Angle of View | 76.5° to 31.7° |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Focal Length | 18 to 50mm |
| Format Compatibility | APS-C |
| Groups/Elements | 13 Elements in 10 Groups |
