Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
What Buyers Say
Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN
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
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD lens is widely praised for its sharpness, versatile zoom range, constant aperture, and effective stabilization, making it an excellent all-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users appreciate its solid build quality and value for money, though many note it is noticeably heavier and larger than typical kit lenses, which can feel unbalanced on smaller camera bodies. A few reviewers mention minor issues like chromatic aberration at the longer end and noise from the aperture blades at certain settings, but overall sentiment is very positive.
Pros
- sharp image quality across zoom range
- constant f/2.8 aperture
- effective image stabilization
- fast and quiet autofocus
- versatile 17-70mm focal range
Cons
- heavy and large for APS-C body
- chromatic aberration at 50-70mm
- aperture blade noise above f/5.6
- short zoom throw initially stiff
- no aperture ring on Fuji version
Scores
Specifications
| Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 18 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 50 mm | 70 mm |
| Elements | 13 | 16 |
| Groups | 10 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 3 | 3 |
| ED Elements | 1 | 2★ |
| Coating | Super Multi-Layer Coating | Fluorine Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Sony E | Nikon Z |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.29 kg★ | 0.54 kg |
| Filter Thread | 55 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | stepping motor★ | RXD Stepping AF Motor |
| Stabilization | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 121 mm | 70 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 1:2.8 | 1:4.8 |
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
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong macro (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Below average social proof (17th percentile)17th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average bokeh (25th percentile)
Pricing
Verdict
Scores 98 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 2 of 21 specs.
