Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
98 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3

Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3

Tamron
84 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

Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3

85 out of 100 high confidence 33 reviews

The Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD is widely praised for its versatile zoom range, sharp image quality, and excellent value for money. Users highlight its usefulness for wildlife, sports, and travel photography, though some note it is heavier than expected and the maximum aperture limits low-light performance. A few Sony users reported issues with image stabilization when paired with certain camera bodies, but overall sentiment is very positive.

Pros
  • Versatile 50-400mm zoom range
  • Sharp image quality
  • Excellent value for money
  • Good build quality
  • Fast and quiet autofocus
Cons
  • Heavier than expected
  • Limited low-light performance due to small aperture
  • Image stabilization issues with some Sony bodies
  • Lens collar not included
  • A bit dark compared to faster lenses
👍 Zoom range versatility 12
👍 Image quality sharpness 14
👍 Value for money 10
👍 Build quality 8
🤔 Weight and portability 9
👎 Low light performance 5

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Tamron
71
Budget
Sigma
96
Tamron
88
Street
Sigma
95
Tamron
70
Macro
Sigma
88
Tamron
91
Professional
Sigma
91
Tamron
72
Portrait
Sigma
87
Tamron
71
Video Cinema
Sigma
85
Tamron
71
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
76
Tamron
82
Landscape
Sigma
80
Tamron
82

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNTamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min18 mm50 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm400 mm
Elements1324
Groups1018
Aspherical Elements3★1
ED Elements1★—
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer CoatingBBAR-G2
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/6.3
Min Aperturef/2.84.5-6.3
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountSony ENikon Z
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg★1.18 kg
Filter Thread55 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motorVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★250 mm
Max Magnification1:2.81:2

Pros & Cons

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong macro (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong aperture (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong optical (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Below average build (24th percentile)

Pricing

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN is ¥163,320 cheaper (3.5x less).

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3

Verdict

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

Scores 98 overall, wins 6 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

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

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitProfessionalVideo Cinema

Tamron Di III VXD 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Better at:

MacroWildlife Sports

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