Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
98 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm

Viltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm

Viltrox
56 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 AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm

78 out of 100 medium confidence 14 reviews

The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 for Nikon Z receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its exceptional image quality, solid build, and great value. Users praise its sharpness, bokeh, and low-light performance, though a few report autofocus glitches or defects. Overall, it is seen as a fantastic alternative to more expensive Nikon lenses.

Pros
  • Exceptional image quality
  • Solid build quality
  • Great value for money
  • Fast and responsive autofocus
  • Beautiful bokeh and subject isolation
Cons
  • Occasional autofocus tracking drops
  • Defective unit reported (FEE error)
  • Fixed aperture limitation
  • Not as sharp as Nikkor 50mm 1.8 S
  • Soft and slow focus for astrophotography
👍 Image quality 10
👍 Build quality 6
👍 Value for money 8
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👍 Low light performance 3
👎 Defects and reliability 2

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Viltrox
62
Budget
Sigma
96
Viltrox
59
Street
Sigma
96
Viltrox
69
Professional
Sigma
91
Viltrox
67
Portrait
Sigma
88
Viltrox
52
Macro
Sigma
88
Viltrox
52
Video Cinema
Sigma
85
Viltrox
61
Landscape
Sigma
77
Viltrox
61
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
76
Viltrox
60

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNViltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm
Optics
Typezoomwide-angle
Focal Length Min18 mm20 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm20 mm
Elements1310
Groups108
Aspherical Elements3★2
ED Elements12★
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer Coatinghigh-definition nano multi-layer coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperturef/2.8f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony ENikon Z
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg0.17 kg★
Filter Thread55 mm52 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motorSTM★
Stabilization✗✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★190 mm
Max Magnification1:2.8★0.17X

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 AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm

  • Strong build (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong optical (70th percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (31st percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Viltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm is $420 cheaper (3.8x less).

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN0.172score per dollar
vs
Viltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm0.376score per dollar

Viltrox AF 20/2.8 Z 20mm offers 2.2x better value for money

Verdict

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

Scores 98 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

Also Consider