Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary covers 27mm to 75mm in the 35mm format, and has a wide aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. This makes it easy to achieve blurry backgrounds, which is ideal for shooting attractive portraits and close-ups. The bokeh is smooth and attractive so doesn’t distract from the in-focus subject.

The lens’s three high-precision glass-molded aspherical elements coupled with the minimization of the total number of elements yields superb optical quality without excessive weight, and the use of in-camera aberration correction further eliminates optical imperfections such as distortion and vignetting. This has all been made possible by the latest optical design technology at Sigma’s only production base in Aizu, where all Sigma lenses are built.

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary is remarkably compact, matching the portability of APS-C mirrorless camera bodies. This makes it a perfect workhorse lens that is ideal for general day-to-day use. The lens is currently the smallest and lightest in its class^*1, boasting a maximum diameter of φ65.4mm, a length of 74.5mm and weight of 290g^*2, yet still maintains a constant aperture of F2.8.

To keep the lens as light as possible, Sigma constructed the body from carefully selected materials. A polycarbonate called Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) was used for the construction of the barrel, which is sleek, robust, and importantly has a thermal conductivity close to that of aluminum. This ensures stable performance and good operability when used in changing temperatures. By deliberately using metal for some of the internal structure, the parts could be much thinner and have a higher rigidity, ensuring the lens can stand up to frequent, heavy use.

*1 As an AF compatible, F2.8 constant aperture zoom lens for APS-C (as of October 2021, by Sigma)
*2 The values are for L-Mount.

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary has fast and near-silent AF that makes it perfectly suited to a range of photographic applications, including shooting in quiet environments, recording videos and capturing fast-moving subjects. This has been achieved by using a stepping motor as the AF actuator. Since it is small and lightweight, it can be used flexibly in situations such as handheld shooting, which requires high mobility, gimbal shooting, one-man operation video shooting and vlogging.

Combined with the “Pocketable Full-Frame” Sigma fp, the total weight is only 712g, and it can also be useful as a sub-lens for full-frame cameras (used in crop mode) to keep weight down. The 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary, which combines compactness, light weight, high performance, and large aperture, supports a variety of shooting situations, from introductory single-lens mirrorless cameras to video shooting and combination with full-frame cameras.

With an emphasis on making the lens as versatile as possible in a wide variety of shooting conditions, Sigma designed the lens with a minimum focusing distance of 12.1cm and maximum magnification of 1:2.8*, making it also ideal for close-ups.

*The minimum focusing distance and maximum magnification are both values at the wide end. Remove the lens hood from the lens before use when photographing at the minimum focusing distance at the wide-angle end.