Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Sigma
94 Overall Score
vs
Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm

Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm

Rokinon
37 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

Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm

78 out of 100 high confidence 30 reviews

The Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 lens receives generally positive feedback for its excellent value, sharp optics, and solid build quality, especially for astrophotography and low-light use. However, many users note that the autofocus can be inconsistent and unreliable for fast-moving subjects, and some copies have decentering issues. The lens is fully manual on certain mounts, which is a key consideration for buyers.

Pros
  • Excellent value for money
  • Sharp optics for the price
  • Solid all-metal build quality
  • Great for astrophotography
  • Good low-light performance at f/1.4
Cons
  • Inconsistent autofocus performance
  • Autofocus unreliable for fast-moving subjects
  • Some copies have decentering issues
  • Soft corners at f/1.4
  • Fully manual on certain mounts
👍 Value for money 8
👍 Image quality 12
👍 Build quality 6
👎 Autofocus performance 7
👍 Astrophotography suitability 5
👍 Low light performance 4

Scores

Travel
Sigma
100
Rokinon
40
Street
Sigma
96
Rokinon
36
Budget
Sigma
95
Rokinon
38
Professional
Sigma
91
Rokinon
44
Portrait
Sigma
88
Rokinon
32
Macro
Sigma
88
Rokinon
48
Video Cinema
Sigma
86
Rokinon
36
Landscape
Sigma
80
Rokinon
44
Wildlife Sports
Sigma
76
Rokinon
30

Specifications

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DNRokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm50 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm50 mm
Elements139
Groups106
Aspherical Elements3★2
ED Elements11
CoatingSuper Multi-Layer CoatingUltra Multi-Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/1.4
Min Aperturef/2.8f/1.4
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades78★
Build
MountSony ESony E
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.29 kg★0.42 kg
Filter Thread55 mm77 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typestepping motor★manual focus only
Stabilization✗✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance121 mm★450 mm
Max Magnification1:2.81:6.25

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 (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm

  • Strong build (76th percentile)
  • Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average bokeh (19th percentile)19th %ile
  • Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)

Pricing

Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm is $288 cheaper (2.0x less).

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN0.165score per dollar
vs
Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm0.132score per dollar

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN offers 1.3x better value for money

Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN

Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 50mm

Verdict

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

Scores 94 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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