Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
98 Overall Score
vs
Olympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm

Olympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm

Olympus
49 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

88 out of 100 high confidence 91 reviews

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is widely praised as a compact, lightweight, and sharp standard zoom for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Users consistently highlight its excellent image quality, fast f/2.8 aperture, and affordable price as major strengths, making it a popular upgrade from kit lenses. Common criticisms include the lack of optical stabilization and a poorly designed lens hood, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

Pros
  • Excellent image sharpness
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Fast f/2.8 constant aperture
  • Great value for the price
  • Fast and silent autofocus
Cons
  • No optical image stabilization
  • Poorly designed lens hood
  • No weather sealing
  • Plastic build quality
  • Zoom ring direction opposite to Fujifilm
👍 Image quality 25
🤔 Build quality 12
👍 Value for money 18
👍 Size and weight 20
👍 Autofocus performance 10
👎 Stabilization 8

Olympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm

82 out of 100 low confidence 9 reviews

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2 Macro lens is highly praised for its exceptional sharpness, bright aperture, and solid build quality, making it a favorite for macro and portrait photography. Users note its compact size and splash-proof design, but many find the autofocus slow and prone to hunting, often treating it as a manual-focus lens. While it delivers stunning image quality with minimal chromatic aberration, its 1:2 magnification ratio and telephoto equivalence on 4/3 cameras limit its versatility for group shots or walk-around use.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Bright f/2 aperture
  • Solid build quality
  • Compact size
  • Splash and dust proof
Cons
  • Slow autofocus
  • AF hunts frequently
  • Not true 1:1 macro
  • Lens hood blocks manual focus when reversed
  • Telephoto equivalence limits group shots
👍 Image quality 8
👎 Autofocus performance 6
👍 Build quality 5
🤔 Macro capability 5
👍 Portrait use 4
🤔 Size and weight 4

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Olympus
46
Street
Sigma
98
Olympus
61
Budget
Sigma
97
Olympus
45
Professional
Sigma
92
Olympus
59
Macro
Sigma
88
Olympus
48
Video Cinema
Sigma
86
Olympus
53
Portrait
Sigma
85
Olympus
66
Landscape
Sigma
77
Olympus
37
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
77
Olympus
45

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNOlympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm50 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm50 mm
Elements136
Groups105
Aspherical Elements3★—
ED Elements11
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer CoatingHD Anti-Reflection
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/2
Min Aperturef/2.8f/2
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony EMicro Four Thirds
FormatAPS-C★micro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg0.19 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm49 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motor★manual focus only
Stabilization✗✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★648 mm
Max Magnification1:2.8★0.52x

Pros & Cons

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

  • Strong macro (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong af (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong build (86th percentile)86th %ile

Olympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm

  • Strong build (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong aperture (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong social proof (74th percentile)
  • Below average af (13th percentile)13th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Olympus Zuiko OPTM5020M43O 50mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Scores 98 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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