Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mm

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mm

Sigma
78 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Tamron
100 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mm

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

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

92 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom wins praise for its lightweight design, versatile focal range, and solid image quality. Users appreciate the compact build and smooth zoom mechanism, but note the slow aperture and trade-offs in sharpness compared to more expensive zooms. Verified reviewers find it an ideal travel lens that pairs well with Sony bodies.

Pros
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile 28-300mm focal range
  • Smooth zoom ring operation
  • Compact build for travel
  • Good integration with Sony bodies
Cons
  • Small maximum aperture (f/4-7.1)
  • Reduced sharpness vs. premium zooms
  • Not an internal zoom lens
  • Slow autofocus at high fps on some bodies
👍 Build quality 3
🤔 Sharpness 3
👎 Aperture 2
👍 Weight and portability 3
👍 Zoom range 4
👎 Autofocus performance 1

Scores

Travel
Sigma
95
Tamron
84
Macro
Sigma
85
Tamron
91
Budget
Sigma
72
Tamron
91
Landscape
Sigma
74
Tamron
90
Portrait
Sigma
47
Tamron
87
Professional
Sigma
69
Tamron
85
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
64
Tamron
84
Street
Sigma
69
Tamron
82
Video Cinema
Sigma
60
Tamron
80

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mmTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min18 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm300 mm
Elements1320
Groups1013
Aspherical Elements33
ED Elements12★
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer Coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/22f/4
Min Aperturef/2.84-7.1
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony ESony E
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread55 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motorVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★190 mm
Max Magnification1:2.81:2.8

Pros & Cons

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mm

  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong macro (89th percentile)89th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong build (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average bokeh (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (93rd percentile)93rd %ile

Pricing

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN 50mm

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Scores 100 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

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

Travel

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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