Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

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

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

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

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
100
Tamron
81
Macro
Sigma
97
Tamron
91
Budget
Sigma
96
Tamron
95
Street
Sigma
96
Tamron
81
Professional
Sigma
92
Tamron
85
Portrait
Sigma
90
Tamron
87
Landscape
Sigma
77
Tamron
86
Video Cinema
Sigma
86
Tamron
82
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
77
Tamron
85

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
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/2.8f/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

  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong macro (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong aperture (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong af (86th percentile)86th %ile

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

  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile

Pricing

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is $289 cheaper (2.0x less).

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN0.174score per dollar
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD0.357score per dollar

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD offers 2.1x better value for money

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

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

Verdict

═ Tie

Both products are closely matched - Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN wins 3 specs while Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD wins 5.

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

MacroStreetTravelPortraitProfessionalVideo Cinema

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

LandscapeWildlife Sports

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