 |   Publisher : Sigma Corporation Company : Sigma List Price: Our Price: $419.00 |
Features
- Large aperture of f2.8 throughout the entire zoom range
- Minimum focusing distance of 8" & a maximum magnification factor of 1 to 3
- Aspherical lenses offer compact and lightweight construction
- SLD and ELD glasses offer excellent correction of color aberrations
- Designed to fit Canon digital SLR cameras
Product Description
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO lens. This lens has a large aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, a minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9..) and a maximum magnification of 1:3, making it ideal for close-up photography. Specially designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras this lens provides a high level of optical performance. Its design incorporates both glass-mold and hybrid aspherical lens technology which offers extremely high image quality as well as a compact and lightweight construction. Minimal vignetting and superior peripheral brightness is ensured. Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements provide excellent correction of color aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting, a common problem with digital cameras. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.SimilarProduct
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Customer reviews
A versatile lens for a great price 
by .. J. Kim ()
Just another vote of confidence for this lens. (I posted this same review at another online retailer, but since I bought it from Amazon, I decided to post it here, too.)
After learning to love prime lenses, it was time to replace the underwhelming kit lens of my Rebel XT with better quality glass. I looked long and hard for a fast zoom that covered the wide-to-medium range despite the XT's crop factor, and finally settled on the Sigma.
Although I haven't laid my hands on the competition (including a similar 17-55mm f2.8 EF-S from Canon for more than *twice* as much, and the slower 17-40mm f4L), I don't regret my purchase at all. I was a bit wary at first about buying a non-Canon lens, especially after reading a few complaints online about bad samples, but the lens turned out to be just fine.
Edge-to-edge sharpness looks great to me, even wide open, and vignetting doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm not a professional, and don't own any L-series glass, but this is far more than I expected for the price.
The macro ability is also a nice bonus, as is the lens hood and case included in the package. I wouldn't call the lens "lightweight" (since I still prefer small primes when I don't need the versatility), but it's still a reasonable fit on the diminutive XT body.
I'm not crazy about the slight sparkle in the powder coat, but hey, that's hardly a complaint. All in all, I couldn't be happier!
Terrific, versatile lens by .. Nathan (Pennsylvania, USA)
At ~$600 less than the comparable Canon model, this lens is tough to beat! After several hundred shots, it's a keeper for me. I debated between this zoom range and 24-70mm, but found that 24mm was just not wide enough for my 1.6x crop Rebel XT, especially for crowded rooms and landscapes. 50mm (80mm FF equivalent) has been fine for most portraits and that zoom combined with large aperature produces nice bokeh. F2.8 makes it terrific for existing light use, though I do still find my 430EX flash necessary sometimes. I find the lens to have good sharpness at f2.8 throughout the zoom range, and at f4.0 and above it's very sharp. Colors are great. I have had no trouble with flare, or fringing, though I haven't pushed it hard in this respect. Sigma seems to have corrected the flare and CA issues with the first version of this lens. Though it's not a true 1:1 macro, I have found the macro function very useful and lots of fun. That said, the extremely small depth of field with f2.8 and macro has exposed my need for a good tripod! Build quality seems to be very good; zoom and focus are well damped. Autofocus seems accurate to me while being fast and quiet. Highly recommended.
[...]
Blows kit lens out of water by .. Houston Cougars ()
I've had the pleasure of having this lens for about a week and have to say I'm very impressed by the constant f/2.8 aperture that it offers. In normal indoor lighting and ISO of about 400 or even 200 I can shoot some very nice shots without flash.
Your first reaction when you get this lens is it's freaking huge! It has a 72mm lenscap which is almost 1.5 times bigger than the kit. It also weighs much more because it uses more metal and glass. For handheld shots that's not a problem and in my opinion can actually help stability a little. For tripod pictures however, I will need another tripod because it just makes the camera too heavy. You'll also want to hold on to your kit lens when you are hiking and don't want to carry a heavy lens.
I am a D40 user so I didn't have too many choices that autofocused. the 50mm prime lens that I bought before did was not easy to focus manually and I wish I would have bought this first.
*update*, I've had this lens for almost a year now and have upgraded my body with the Nikon D90 and this lens is still my most used lens and I noticed the price was lower too so it's a true bargin. I briefly tried the Nikkor 17-55mm DX f/2.8 (the one that costs more than 3 times the sigma) just to see whether the grass is greener on the other side and the first thing I missed was that I couldn't get as close to my subjects the way I can with the sigma. I'm sure the Nikkor is better in other areas but at 1/3 the price, you'd love the Sigma. This will be my last DX zoom lens until I upgrade to full frame.
Perfect Kit Lens Replacement! by .. R. Reed (Omaha, NE USA)
I was looking for a replacement to the very good AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm kit lens that came with my D40. I was looking for a walkaround/travel lens that was relatively inexpensive and in a compact package that would give me better low light/natural light capability. Since the D40 requires lenses with built in AF motors, this Sigma was pretty much my only option unless I wanted to spend more than twice the money for the larger and heavier Nikon 17-55 2.8 or wait for Tamron to release their comparable 17-50 2.8 (w/ internal AF motor) - which I've read is another great lens.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase! Build quality is superb (compared the the plasticky Tamron), the HSM motor is quiet and fast, and IQ has been very good so far. I haven't run the lens through its paces yet, but I'm looking forward to. This lens gives me the natural light capability that I've wanted and the shallow depth of field I couldn't get with my kit lens.
If you're on the fence, I'd say pull the trigger. This is a great lens for the money.
**** Update Jan 2009 ****
I've had the lens now for nearly a year and I've been very pleased. The constant 2.8 aperture has really been great. I will say HOWEVER, it seems as if some of the photos are coming out a bit soft. I suspect a front focusing issue inherent in many Sigma lenses, so I'm sending it in (under warranty) for repair. Hopefully this resolves any softness issues with the lens.
"Good walk around lens" by .. R. Figgins (Seattle, WA)
I have been very pleased with this lens. I am using it for a combonation of things. I purchased it primarily for my D80, that my wife uses, for wedding photography. This lens is also great for close up/Macro photography of flowers,etc. I replace a lens, much like this one. The other lens was also a Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4, and was very pleased with it also. Sigma makes wonderful equipment.