Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
98 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm

Viltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm

Viltrox
57 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

Viltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm

82 out of 100 high confidence 51 reviews

The Viltrox lenses receive overwhelmingly positive feedback for their exceptional value, sharp image quality, and solid build. Users praise the fast apertures and autofocus performance, though some note issues with chromatic aberration in high-contrast scenes and noisy autofocus on certain models. Overall, these lenses are seen as a budget-friendly alternative that punches above their price point.

Pros
  • Excellent value for money
  • Sharp image quality wide open
  • Solid metal construction
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
  • Pleasing bokeh
Cons
  • Chromatic aberration in high contrast
  • Noisy autofocus in video
  • Slow autofocus in low light
  • No weather sealing
  • Front-heavy on small bodies
👍 Value for money 18
👍 Image quality 20
👍 Build quality 12
🤔 Autofocus performance 15
👍 Bokeh 6
🤔 Low light performance 8

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Viltrox
52
Budget
Sigma
96
Viltrox
56
Street
Sigma
96
Viltrox
69
Professional
Sigma
91
Viltrox
61
Macro
Sigma
88
Viltrox
56
Portrait
Sigma
88
Viltrox
53
Video Cinema
Sigma
85
Viltrox
61
Landscape
Sigma
77
Viltrox
55
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
76
Viltrox
52

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNViltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm
Optics
Typezoomwide-angle
Focal Length Min18 mm9 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm9 mm
Elements1313
Groups1011
Aspherical Elements3★2
ED Elements13★
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer CoatingHD multilayer nano coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperturef/2.8f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony ESony E
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓★✗
Weight0.29 kg0.17 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motorSTM★
Stabilization✗✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★130 mm
Max Magnification1:2.8★0.15x

Pros & Cons

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

  • Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong macro (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile

Viltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm

  • Strong build (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong optical (84th percentile)84th %ile
  • Below average bokeh (31st percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Viltrox Air AF 9mm F2.8 Air E 9mm

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 4 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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