Sigma’s first mirrorless zoom for crop sensor cameras is the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN | Contemporary. It combines incredible versatility with an ultra-small and light body, superb build quality, and impressive optical performance with a full-frame comparable focal range of 27-75mm. It also has a huge F2.8 constant aperture, which is great for blurring backgrounds and photographing in low light without the use of a tripod.
The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C is ideal for a variety of photo and video applications, including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events. Its maximum magnification of 1:2.8 allows for a minimum focusing distance of just 12.1cm, making it ideal for macro-style close-up photography. The stepping motor in the lens allows for extremely rapid and quiet autofocus, which is especially handy for shooting video or capturing fast-moving subjects like youngsters and animals. The 18-50mm weighs less than 300g and is ideal as a daily lens for crop sensor cameras or as a sub-lens for full-frame cameras. It’s available for L-Mount and Sony E-mount cameras from 29 October 2021.
Features of the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens
Large F2.8 aperture and superb image quality
The Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN | Contemporary covers 27mm to 75mm in the 35mm format, and has a wide aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. This makes it easy to achieve blurry backgrounds, which is ideal for shooting attractive portraits and close-ups. The bokeh is smooth and attractive so doesn’t distract from the in-focus subject.
The lens’s three high-precision glass-moulded aspherical elements coupled with the minimisation of the total number of elements yields superb optical quality without excessive weight, and the use of in-camera aberration correction further eliminates optical imperfections such as distortion and vignetting. This has all been made possible by the latest optical design technology at SIGMA’s only production base in Aizu, where all SIGMA lenses are built.
Exceptionally compact and lightweight body ideal for mirrorless cameras
The SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary is remarkably compact, matching the portability of APS-C mirrorless camera bodies. This makes it a perfect workhorse lens that is ideal for general day-to-day use. The lens is currently the smallest and lightest in its class*1, boasting a maximum diameter of 65.4mm, a length of 74.5mm and a weight of 290g*2, yet still maintains a constant aperture of F2.8. To keep the lens as light as possible, SIGMA constructed the body from carefully selected materials.
A polycarbonate called Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) was used for the construction of the barrel, which is sleek, robust, and importantly has a thermal conductivity close to that of aluminium. This ensures stable performance and good operability when used in changing temperatures. By using metal for some of the PRESS RELEASE SIGMA GLOBAL VISION internal structure, the parts could be much thinner and have a higher rigidity, ensuring the lens can stand up to frequent, heavy use.
Supports a variety of shooting situations
The new Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN | Contemporary has fast and near-silent AF that makes it perfectly suited to a range of photographic applications, including shooting in quiet environments, recording video and capturing fast-moving subjects. This has been achieved by using a stepping motor as the AF actuator. Since it is small and lightweight, it can be used flexibly in situations such as handheld shooting, which requires high mobility, gimbal shooting, one-man operation video shooting and vlogging. With an emphasis on making the lens as versatile as possible in a wide variety of shooting conditions, SIGMA designed the lens with a minimum focusing distance of 12.1 cm and a maximum magnification of 1:2.8*, making it ideal for close-ups.
Combined with the pocketable full-frame SIGMA fp, the total weight is only 712g, and it can also be useful as a sub-lens for full-frame cameras (used in crop mode) to keep weight down. The 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary, which combines a compact and lightweight body, high optical performance and a large aperture supports a variety of shooting situations, from introductory single-lens mirrorless cameras to video shooting, and is ideal for a wide range of photographic genres.
What’s in the box?
- 1 x Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- 1 x FRONT CAP LCF-55III
- 1 x PETAL TYPE LENS HOOD LH582-02
- 1 x REAR CAP LCRII
Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary Sample Images
Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary Specifications
| Lens type | Zoom lens |
| Focal length | 18–50 mm |
| Image stab. | No |
| Lens mount | L-Mount, Sony E |
| Max aperture | F2.8 |
| Min aperture | F22 |
| Min focus | 0.12 m (4.72″) |
| Weight | 290 g (0.64 lb) |
| Length | 75 mm (2.93″) |
See full specifications here. For more Sigma products click here.
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