Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
99 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm

Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm

Viltrox
73 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 f/2.8 Air 9mm

85 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 lens for Fuji X mount receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its sharpness, fast and quiet autofocus, and excellent build quality at a budget price. A few users note the lack of an aperture ring and some corner softness, but most consider it a great value compared to the Fujifilm equivalent. One reviewer received a wrong hood, and another found it heavy and less sharp than the Viltrox 35mm Air lens.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Fast and quiet autofocus
  • Great build quality for the price
  • Good value compared to Fujifilm
  • Nice color rendering
Cons
  • No aperture ring
  • Slight corner softness
  • Heavy for some users
  • Received wrong hood
  • Less sharp than Viltrox 35mm Air
👍 Sharpness 7
👍 Autofocus performance 3
👍 Build quality 4
👍 Value for money 5
👎 Aperture ring 3
👎 Weight 2

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Viltrox
73
Budget
Sigma
97
Viltrox
69
Street
Sigma
96
Viltrox
77
Professional
Sigma
91
Viltrox
79
Portrait
Sigma
89
Viltrox
66
Macro
Sigma
88
Viltrox
66
Video Cinema
Sigma
85
Viltrox
75
Landscape
Sigma
77
Viltrox
76
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
76
Viltrox
72

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNViltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm
Optics
Typezoomwide-angle
Focal Length Min18 mm9 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm9 mm
Elements1313
Groups1011
Aspherical Elements3★2
ED Elements13★
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer CoatingSpecialized Multi-Layer Coating Technology
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperturef/2.8f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades7★—
Build
MountSony EFujifilm X
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg0.17 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motorSTM + Lead screw focus motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★130 mm
Max Magnification1:2.8★0.13 m

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 aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong af (86th percentile)86th %ile

Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm

  • Strong build (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong af (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong optical (84th percentile)84th %ile
  • Below average bokeh (31st percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm is €320 cheaper (2.4x less).

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN0.179score per dollar
vs
Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm0.319score per dollar

Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm offers 1.8x better value for money

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm

Verdict

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

Scores 99 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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