Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm 2.8 DC DN

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DN DC Contemporary is a pretty obvious choice if you want to have a lightweight, fast standard zoom lens without breaking your bank account. On Fujifilm's 26-megapixel APS-C sensor, it is pretty sharp throughout the zoom range. However, it's worth noting that the corner performance at 18mm is visibly worse when using the lens on 40 megapixels - this will apply to most zoom lenses, though. For the secondary image aspects (image distortions, CAs, vignetting), it relies heavily on digital corrections - probably due to the same compact design that makes the lens so appealing. The RAW figures aren't overly impressive in these respects, especially with respect to vignetting. However, even so - from an end-user perspective, this isn't overly relevant. While you may spot the effects of auto-correction when looking closely, the final quality of the image is still very fine. The quality of the bokeh is pretty good for a standard zoom lens, although you shouldn't expect prime lens quality here. The build quality is perfectly fine. The lens is tightly assembled without showing any wobbling when fully extended. Sigma's TSC material feels nicer than other plastics that we have handled (I'm looking at you, Tamron). The dust- & moisture sealing is a bit on the basic side, but it's better than nothing. As already mentioned before, it's a tiny lens in the grand scheme of things, and we hope to see more Sigma lenses follow this design philosophy - after all, being smaller is a value proposition of APS-C format systems compared to full format. The AF is speedy and noiseless - no complaints here. For image stabilization, it relies on the camera. This is commendable because keeping a consistent lens alignment is difficult enough on standard zoom lenses. While there are a few caveats, we really liked this small little fellow. It strikes a really nice balance between decent optical quality, solid construction and a very attractive price tag.

Highly Recommended - A compact, high quality lens with a fast, bright f/2.8 aperture, perfect for travel.

The Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN is the zoom many cropped mirrorless cameras have been waiting for: the range may be fairly standard, but the constant f2.8 aperture, potential for shallow depth-of-field results, and corner sharpness are all a step-up over basic kit zooms, and crucially it won’t break the bank or your back either. The only downsides are a lack of optical stabilisation, an omission that will frustrate owners of the many APSC bodies lacking IBIS of their own, and a range that would have been more compelling had it started at 16 rather than 18mm. Sony and Tamron both offer broader ranges, but with larger, heavier and more expensive models. So at the asking price of $599, it seems almost churlish to complain about the Sigma’s shortcomings, other than the sheer cruelty of not announcing a version for Canon’s much-neglected EF-M mount. But if you own one of the many Sony A5000 or A6000 bodies and despair at the 16-50 kit zoom, salvation has arrived.

Highly Recommended – An excellent, versatile, fast standard zoom that matches the Canon RF system beautifully