List Price: $419.99 Our Price: $419.00 You Save: $0.99 (0%)

Product Description

The characteristics of digital SLR cameras were taken into consideration when designing the lens power layout. The new advanced lens design corrects various aberrations. This lens provides the utmost correction against lateral chromatic aberration which is a serious problem for digital SLR cameras. This lens is specially coated to get the best color balance whilst cutting down flare and ghost caused by reflections from the digital image sensor and lens. It has excellent correction for vignetting and superior peripheral brightness is ensured. A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) lens and two aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. The design produces a compact and lightweight, yet robust, construction with an overall length of 84.1mm (3.3in.) and maximum diameter of 74.1mm (2.9in.) and weight of 445g (15.6oz). This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 11 inches (28 cm.). It is equipped with inner focusing system. The non-rotating front lens element makes the lens suitable for using its petal-type lens hood and circular polarizing filters. Minimum Aperture - F22 Lens Construction - 15 Elements in 13 Groups Number of Diaphragm Blades - 7pcs Minimum Focusing Distance - 11inches (28 cm.) Filter Size - 67mm Lens Hood - Petal-type hood Dimensions - Diameter 74.1mm (2.9 in.)X Length 84.1mm (3.3in.) Weight - 445gr/15.6ounces

Customer Reviews:

• Decent, but not great
  Been using this lens for about a week now. Overall performance is Ok. The photos come out fairly sharp. However, when I switch over to my canon 50mm 1.8, the sharpness is way better than this lens. For more than 3x the cost, I would expect it to be close comparison, but I definitely love the sharpness of my 50mm a lot more. The other thing is that there is no IS on this. I gave my sister to take pictures and most came out to be blurry because I suppose she did not have steady hands. I also noticed that some of my shots were blurry due to the non-IS. If you have sure hands and steady, then this is a decent lens to have. I was shooting children and babies, so had to move around quite a bit, and the results were not good. The focus is not as fast as I would like either. I did like the fact that it came with a hood and a nice case. I really would like something as sharp as my 50mm that can zoom wide angles. I think I will be returning this one. Before this lens, I was using the canon 17-85mm IS USM. I'm spoiled by the IS and really feel unless Tamron or Sigma has that technology in their lens, I wont be switching over. ...more info
• Just the lens I needed
  This is a solid well made lens, f2.8, 7inch close focus approximate 1:3. I would like the lens shade to fit a little tighter. The pictures are great....more info
• A great lens for the price
  This lens is sharp and accurate. Its functions VERY well in low light and in up close, macro shots. Its awesome to have a minimum focusing distance of 8 inches! Since this lens serves two functions for me (low light and macro), I can't complain much.
  The only things I didn't like are that its not internal focusing (but that's something I can get used to) and, every once and a while, it will take its time autofocusing. Sometimes, the lens will not allow the shot to go at all! Its not that much of a pain and is something you can deal with for the versatility and the price!...more info
• Good lens! Glad I bought it!
  It is a really nice lens for those who can't or don't want to drop $1k+ on the comparable Nikon 2.8 lens. It has nice bokeh. My copy was tack sharp. Highly recommended!...more info
• Great low light lens for my Pentax K20D
  In 2007 I bought a Pentax K10D with the standard factory 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens. In 2008 I upgraded to the Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only) and chose to buy this lens separately. A great decision that gave me much better results.
  
  I was worried about losing the extra 5mm of zoom but the lower light f2.8 capability absolutely made this lens the way to go. I'm a research photographer doing work in Khmer temples in Cambodia. My light conditions constantly range from "too much" to "not enough". This lens performed perfectly in all conditions.
  
  Mechanical motions are smooth and didn't change in a recent 9 day temple shoot of 7,000 photos in 9 days. The lens feels solid and performed reliably.
  
  I drove myself nuts researching dozens of lenses before deciding on this one. It seemed to offer the best ratio between performance and cost. I am delighted with my choice....more info
• Be wary of quality control
  I went through two copies of this lens. The first copy had a front-focus problem approaching 20mm. I sent sample shots to Sigma, and they directed me to simply return the lens to Amazon rather than have it serviced. So, I exchanged it (big points to Amazon for making that so easy!), and the second copy front-focussed by approximately 8mm. That's not nearly as bad, of course, but for close-up photography, it meant few keepers. (I bought this lens for the macro capabilities, as I intended to use it in restaurants, taking pictures of my plate without moving away from the table.) The focus problem was in both my Canon XTi and my Canon 40D. None of my Canon lenses have any focus problems whatsoever; this issue was limited to the Sigma lens.
  
  I sent the lens to Sigma for service, and three weeks later, received my lens back in even worse condition than it started. It still front-focusses by 8mm, and now, even what is "in focus" is much softer than before. I contacted Sigma repeatedly to ask them what I should do, and they ignored my emails.
  
  I have seen many good shots from this lens from people who had good copies. When I shot at f/5.6 or above, I would catch my intended focus point (since the depth of field was increased), but that made shots in lower-light too blurry due to the slower shutter speeds.
  
  This lens can be very good -- if you get a good copy from the start. If you read comments on the photography forums, you'll see story after story of quality control problems from Sigma, and the need for repeated service attempts before a lens will be correctly calibrated. (Several people even report having to send the lens WITH their camera body so the lens could be matched -- even though their camera was correctly calibrated to Canon spec -- being without their camera entirely for several weeks.) If you luck out with a good copy (which is not as likely as it should be), you'll enjoy the lens. If you don't, return it immediately rather than dealing with Sigma service.
  
  The price is low, but the risk is high....more info
• Great lens :)
  Great lens for low light shooting. I use it mainly for indoor shots. Better option than the Pentax 16-50 2.8 if you're on a budget....more info
• Awesome lens
  This is an awesome lens. I've had the 1st edition (non-macro) version and even that was nice. This is nicer where the lens is sharper and delivers more vivid color. The macro function is nice and even sharp as well. At 2.8 it's not that sharp, but bump it up a bit to 4, you'll get an amazing result. It also gives you a nice bokeh between 2.8 to 4 for close up photography. Barrel distortion is not that noticeable at the wide end. I just got this lens last Friday and already make a print result of this lens on 40D, 20D and XTI. The close up result is awesome, nice and sharp came out from all 3 cameras. Very nice you can see it at least in 5x7 size. I did notice a loud motor sound when it focuses. I wouldn't care too much if this is just your walk around lens. There is HSM version on this but only available for Nikon at this time.
  
  This will become my walk around lens. I also have Canon EF 24-105 F/4 L for my main wedding lens. Although this is not L quality, I say it's a very nice lens and really close to the L result. I'm not that L junkie anyway. I let go EF 24-70 F2.8 for this lens so I can take it anywhere. I do wedding ocassionaly and I almost lose my neck for holding that beast. That lens is a beast, but very nice though, sharp all the way around. If you have the money, of coarse you'll get the canon 17-55 2.8 IS but I'd rather have a nice weekend vacation with my wife and get this nice, sweet and lite lens. Funny how much I spent on the UV for this with B+W UV MRC, about 1/3 the cost of the lens. But this lens deserves a nice UV.
  
  So guys, if you get this lens enjoy your extra money you've saved for the canon lens. Best bang for your buck.........more info
• "Good walk around lens"
  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. ...more info
• Absolutley Great Lens
  The Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 EX Macro is an absotuley great lens. Is it perfect? No. Is it as good as primes in the same range? No. But it is darn close to those primes. I have seen and used the Pentax 16-50 and if you need that little bit of added width from 18mm to 16mm, and you do not mind paying another $500.00 for it (and the silent focusing, but not any faster focusing), then buy the Pentax.
  
  This lens gives the photographer sharp photos throughout the range and a fast 2.8 to boot. F/4 and above give the sharpest photos, but even at 2.8 the photos are still very good. Well worth the money I paid for this lens. I would but again if I were to lose this lens or have it stolen (God forbid!).
  
  dwj2045
  Ventura, CA...more info
• Great Lens......Great Price!
  After doing a few hours of research on these lenses I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go with the Canon 17-55 but couldn't justify spending $1000 on it at this time. So I concentrated on the Tamron and the Sigma both were in a better price range for my budget. In my research I couldn't find any major differences in the two. All the reviews were about the same with no pro or cons with one over the other. The only thing was the Tamron is a 17-50mm slightly wider than the sigma but again nothing major.
  
  So I decided on the Sigma because well it look more like a pro lens than the Tamron and it was about $50 cheaper. And I have not been disappointed in this lens.
  
  I wrote a more detailed review with pictures on this lens on my site [...]...more info
• HORRIBLE QC!!!
  Well, I was excited about the review comparrisons between this, the Canon EF-S 17-85mm, and the Tameron equivalent. It was supposed to be very high sharpness, and nice bokeh compared to canon and just better all around than Tameron.
  
  I have heard (and read on here) that quality control is hit or miss and that you sometimes have to go through two or three before getting a good one. Well, to me that screams P.O.S. but I didn't notice how common a problem it was until AFTER I ordered mine!!! and sure enough mine had MORE THAN a 20mm front focus! I RMA'd it back to Amazon the day I got it and ordered a Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS USM.
  
  The Sigma has a great tight build, comes with a soft case and a hood to reduce flare. The Canon does NOT come with a case or a hood and feels like it could be more prone to lens creap than the Sigma (but doesn't at all out of the box). Basically, if you trust the comparison reviews between the two and are willing to deal with the possible 1-3x exchanges necessary to get an accurate focusing copy then the Sigma is for you: it has faster f-stop (2.8 constant vs. 4-5.6) and has a zoom lock to make lens creap impossible.
  If you are more comfortable with a Canon lens on a 1.6x crop canon camera, and are ok not having (or buying separately) your hood and soft case then BUY THE CANON! The EF-S 17-85 is SO much better than the 18-55 kit lens there is no way to compare them.
  
  BTW- the Lens Hood for the canon- bought seperately- has a felt lining that the Sigma did NOT have. This is an extra light blocker compared to a reflective plastic interior in other brand hoods (even those available for the canon lens)
  
  I would have preferred to skip both and get the Canon EF-S 17-55mm IS USM but it is over $1K and would still have to buy hood. It is compared, however to the 17-40mm L lens and said to have BETTER optics than this full size sensor L lens. I would have LOVED to have had that lens BUT couldn't justify the extra $500+!
  ...more info
• Great lens for the $
  Mine had no problems whatsoever. AF is on point and very sharp. Great lens for the money, nice hood and case to boot....more info
• Great for low-light situations
  I got this lens as a replacement for my kit lens on my D40 - what a difference it's made. Take a look at some of my pictures taken with this combination. All these pictures were taken hand-held: http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=893232
  
  I have not noticed any front/ rear focus issues that others have had. The only thing I dislike is the noisy hunting that it occasionally does when in auto-focus mode. All-in-all, it's a great lens. Recommended.
  ...more info
• Excellent Image Quality, Low Cost, Great Build!
  This is evidently Sigma's third release of this lens, and it now includes HSM (HyperSonic Motor) so that it will work on cameras like the Nikon D40 and D60 and others with no built-in body autofocus (AF) motor. The AF motor is built into the lens, instead. It is very fast and quiet during autofocus, and does not hunt. The focus snaps into place quickly.
  
  The easy way to make sure you are getting the HSM version is to check the sales ad for the filter size. The older lenses had a 67mm filter, while the new lens has a 72mm filter and lens cap. Looking at the lens, it seems a little shorter in length, yet slightly bigger around compared to the older lenses, due to the larger glass.
  
  In shooting with this lens, I find the image quality to be simply superb at f/5.6 and f/8. At f/8 it is every bit as good as some of my Nikkor prime lenses. I don't make that statement lightly! I am a strong user of single focal length prime lenses. The reason I bought this lens is because I own the Sigma 10-20mm super-wide, and found its image quality to be excellent at f/8, also. I am a tripod-based landscape shooter, so I am mostly concerned with maximum sharpness, low chromatic aberration, and nice contrast. The newest Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 EX DC HSM lens delivers on all those fronts. It is a lightweight carry lens for everyday "normal" use.
  
  Opening the lens up to f/2.8 lowers sharpness, especially in the extreme corners. The nice thing, though, is that my Sigma is about as sharp wide-open, as my Nikkor 24-120mm VR lens is at f/5.6. It is quite usable and impressive at f/2.8 and even has very low vignetting, which is an unexpected bonus. Stopping down to f/4 brings this lens into a high-sharpness range that gets progressively better to about f/11. After that significant sharpness is lost due to diffraction (light being diverted by the edges of the aperture blades). At F/22, this lens seems less sharp than when wide-open. I consider the maximum-quality usability range of this lens to be between f/4 and f/11. The larger and smaller apertures are there when you need them, but with some loss of sharpness.
  
  The short focal length range (18 to 50mm) is necessary to keep image quality under strict control. Most "professional" lenses will not have a large focal length range, since it is very difficult to correct for lens issues over a broad range of lengths in one lens.
  
  The Macro feature on this lens is quite usable. I was carrying a 60mm Micro Nikkor in my daily carry bag, but no longer do so. While not true macro, it is very close, and allows me to get up to within a couple of inches of my subject at 50mm. Quite impressive!
  
  Pros:
  Light-weight and small size
  Solid EX build
  Very high sharpness between f/4 and f/11
  f/2.8 when you need it!
  High contrast
  Fast and Quiet AF - HSM Style
  Macro that works pretty well
  Low price
  
  Cons:
  Short focal length range
  Loss of sharpness in edges at f/2.8
  Diffraction unsharpness quite noticeable at f/22
  Mild vignetting (light falloff on edges) wide open.
  
  I've been using this lens for several weeks now, and would buy it again! No lens is perfect, and I don't expect this one to be. However, it easily meets my needs for a very sharp lens that will replace my use of several prime lenses. It adds little weight to my digital Nikons, so I can take it with me everywhere. It has become the daily "carry" lens on my Nikon D300. The images I have created with this lens, so far, have made me very happy. I enthusiastically recommend it!...more info
• Issue with connectivity
  I liked the photos I took with this lens. THe macro is just fantastic. After a week I started having problems when the camera would not fire and the display would show F-- . The lens metal connectors were not sitting right on the camera connectors. It had to be twisted a little to connect with the camera body connectors otherwise it would not fire. I returned it to Amazon.
  Just to make sure I have no faulty camera body I tried the original Nikon lens and it works perfect.
  PS: I used this on a Nikon D50...more info
• Another Sigma front-focus problem
  I've owned Sigma before and this is yet another lens from them that has the front focus problem. I used this on the D200. I own the Sigma 24 1.8 and I had to send both the lens and camera body to Sigma to fix the focusing problem. I just don't want to bother with that any more so I returned it. The Sigma 18-50 has the potential to be a good lens but focusing issue causes images to be extremely soft (especially at 50mm). I borrowed a friend's Tamron 17-50 and it focused perfectly on his D80 and my D200. The pictures on the Tamron 17-50 were much sharper (because it focuses correctly). The Sigma has HSM which is nice but focusing was not quicker than the Tamron's. Also, the focus ring turns during autofocus which is annoying since you have to be careful of your hand position. Tamron has just released the 17-50 with an internal motor so that should be equivalent of the Sigma with better sharpness. Go with the Tamron for the same price....more info
• Great Lens for the Price
  I was initially thinking about the Pentax 16-50mm, but changed my mind due to the QC problems they are having with it. I did my research and many, many users highly recommend this one. I took the chance and could not be happier. This lens is fast and the IQ is as good or better than most other lenses.
  
  Highly recommended....more info
• Excellent lens
  This lens is great. It's incredibly sharp through the entire range. It's a fantastic purchase and I would do it again in a heartbeat....more info
• One of the best inexpensive lens in my collection!
  Wow! I have 10-20mm Sigma that was pretty good (better sharpness than Nikkor 50mm 1.8), but this 18-50mm F2.8 is simply outstanding. Good optics, focus and zoom operation, working "crazy" macro, compact design, well built , light weight. What else to ask for? May be, I just got a good sample - who knows, time will tell...
  
  The truth is: If it is working - you will like it a lot. If it does not impress you - do not give up and try exchanging it, it could be your lucky ticket.
  
  Good Luck...
  ...more info
• soft and blurry at 2.8
  I've received one copy of this through amazon, not through a vendor and when compared to my tamron 17-50 2.8, this one is blurry and soft at 2.8.
  
  Before I purchased this lens, I emailed sigma and they claim this lens in some European magazines report this lens is sharper then the tamron 17-50 2.8, however, after getting a soft copy, I emailed sigma with sample shots with comparison to Tamron, and Sigma never replied.
  
  I remember going through 3 copies of the Tamron before I got a good copy from various companies. At least Tamron replied to me when I told them I got a bad copy, and person there gave me the option to exchange it for a good copy. I didn't do that of course, afraid I'd get another bad copy.
  
  The lens was more quiet and seemed to focus faster than the tamron, but it's ashame that the copy I got wasn't up to the quality I expected. For me, it had to be at least 5.6 before things become sharp.
  
  check out photozone dot de that site seems to prefer the tamron. Here's my thought on these review sites. I personally trust photozone, and if there are sites that says lens A is sharper than lens B, it's possible that the particular review site had a bad copy....more info
• Fantastic Lens for the $$$
  I bought this lens based on other reviews and Popular Photography's in depth testing. Everyone had all good things to say.
  
  Popular Photography said "...shooters who like to reach out from the camera position to reposition or otherwise manipulate their subject, this 1:3 macro is probably the closest focusing lens in its class. In all, it's a stellar performer, and significantly better by virtually all optical benchmarks than its predecessor, or, for that matter, competitors such as Nikon's comparable 17-55mm f/2.8 ..." at $1,200+ dollars.
  
  I've used the lens for a few weeks now on both a Canon 40D and an XTi and find the lens comfortable to work with, easy to operate and have gotten great pix. While there's no IS, at f-2.8 you rarly would need it. Is it as good as Canon's "L" series? No, but damn close for almost every kind of work. Much lighter than Canon's "L" series so it's easy to carry. The picture quality I found to be outstanding thru the full range. (see my pix of the Sacramento RR Museum, under "see customer images, above)
  
  I recommend this lens as a 'walk-about' lens, indoors or outdoors.
  
  Feb-2008 Update:
  
  So satisfied with this lens I bought a second copy as a gift for my sister.
  ...more info
• Wonderful Portrait / Macro lens
  Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R13I26IV8OQKX0 Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR
  In this video I tell you why this is a good candid portrait and macro lens. I demonstrate using the lens on a Nikon D40 along with the SB-600 flash shooting both macro and portrait pictures....more info
• Sigma 18-50 f2.8 EX DC SLD ELD
  Purchased the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC for use with Pentax K100D Super, mostly for low light photography. Macro and its low light capability are the strongest points of this lens. It also comes with a four year manufacturer's warranty. Great lens. Will recommend....more info
• Great alternative to Canon EFS 17-55 f.2.8
  I purchased this lens after some considerable thought and comparative research against the Canon EFS 17-55 F2.8. While the Canon is a great lens, I couldn't justify the huge difference in price for what seemed to be a very comparative lens in terms of quality and features. Sure, it doesn't have the image stabilization, but in most cases, my problem is not lens shake but rather subject movement (little kids for the most part) and IS doesn't do any good for that. Here is where the 2.8 fixed aperture is great.
  
  I use this as my main lens with a Canon 40D and find it works great as an every day lens. This lense absolutely blows away the Canon EFS 17-85 kit lens that is often paired with the 40D. That lens, although more versatile in terms of focal length, did not seem nearly as high quality and with the much slower speed of the lense (4-5.6), I found myself always having to use the flash.
  
  Overall build-quality is excellent. The lens has a good solid feel to it, but isn't too heavy.
  
  Great lens and a fantastic price....more info