Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Contemporary DC Macro OS HSM Lens for Canon

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great value for a powerful zoom lens. The images are pretty sharp, and auto-focus is fast. The only complaint is not about the lens itself but about its description. In its compatibility search, it says the lens for Sony SLR mount compatible with Sony a6000 but is is not. I had to buy the lens for Canon mount, and buy a separate Sigma MC-11 Mount Converter to make it fit.

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Its a good lens. Pictures are reasonably sharp. I added some pictures I took at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego

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I got this lens only a few hours ago, and immediately put it to the test. My first impressions were very good. The lens seemed sharp throughout its range. I compared shots with it and with two highly-regarded zooms I already own: the Canon EFS 15-85 and the Canon EF 70-300L. Of course the two Canon zooms were sharper, but not by much. I found the Sigma results quite acceptable. Curiously, unlike many other superzooms, the lens gets sharper at its longer focal lengths. I wasnt expecting much anyway, but the extreme close-ups I tried were not very sharp. But I might try again. An added bonus for Canon users, the zoom ring rotates in the same direction as does Canon zooms. I will probably retire the two Canon lenses, saving my 72-year-old back quite a bit of stress. I have only two complaints, neither of which is worth deducting a star. 1) The zoom ring is a bit stiff, but will probably loosen with use. 2) The lens does not allow full-time manual focus. Much of my decision making was based on test results that I found on "the-digital-picture/reviews" website. Edited a week later - I have taken several hundred photos and am very satisfied with the results. Edited a month later - I took it on a cruise and took many photos on and off the ship. The lens performed well, and its wide range mostly eliminated the need to switch lenses. For most shots center sharpness was good with perhaps a loss of sharpness in the corners. Edited another month later - I took it to Hawaii, where it produced good results again. Its extended range allowed me to carry only the camera and lens for many outings, rather than a camera bag with two lenses.

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You cant find a better all around lens. They have really raised the bar with this product. The previous 18-250 is NOT EVEN CLOSE to the performance of this lens, both in physical handling AND general picture taking. This really fits the bill for a medium purpose lens AND does Macro to boot. This lens (i.m.h.o.) kicks butt on the Canon 70-300 (though understand at 300mm this lens is not quite as long, because of its design to have the short 18mm side).

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This is the best lens I have ever used. I have been using DSLR cameras for almost 10 years and this is the best lens I have ever used. The lens has in impressive range that almost eliminates the need to carry multiple lenses as long as you are not trying to photograph something that is miles away. This lens also improved the image quality of my Nikon D5000, which only had 12 MP. The autofocus is extremely quiet and more accurate than my 55mm-200mm Nikon lens as well. Below is a picture I took with the new lens using my Nikon D5000. I will let the image speak for itself.

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I bought this to replace my Tamron 18-270mm that finally cratered this Spring; the zoom ring simply quit engaging the lens. I was shocked at the better feel of the Sigma, and overall build quality seems higher. The zoom operation is MUCH better than the Tamron, and it also auto-focuses much better in low light. Unlike the Tamron, it will achieve focus at the widest(18mm) setting, and fire the shutter; my D90 will not shutter fire until focus has been achieved. At this point, I am VERY satisfied with it.

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Build quality is ok. Zoom might be stiff when lenses are new, zoom lock is also nice thing to prevent zoom creep when you walk with camera banging on your chest. AF is fast and quiet, though focus ring is tiny so is not handy if you like mastering focus on your own. AF in low light may result in premature shots though. Beside zoom range, acceptable distortion level is one of reason why those are good all around lenses. With such long zoom range, distortion is well controlled on most of focal length and noticeable only at the beginning 18-20mm. Sharpness of lenses is ok. 7-8mpx is the sharpest they can deliver according to DXO and I feel same. This is more than enough for enthusiast photography and also enough to store photos for memories. Though, doing +2 +3 sharpness in ViewNX or in in-camera setting you can achieve sharpness of more expensive lenses if you shoot jpeg only. OS does not seem to be revolutionary, though not many blurry photos so far. CA does not bother much, though my camera is constantly set to aperture priority with F8. It seems the cheapest option on market vs Nikkor 18-300mm, Tamron 16-300mm. So after studying all reviews of competitor lenses I did not notice features making me buy more expensive Tamron/Nikkor vs over Sigma, so Sigma was win for me. Internal flash should not be used on short focal length as there will be shadow at beneath, also my personal feeling those zoom lenses not good for flash photography at all, due to high tendency to flare/ghosting, so keep it in mind. Lenses cap is horrendous, it is made out of rough plastic and actually scratches filter ring from inside. So if you know good alternative please let me know. Overall, I would recommend them to anyone who bought DSLR camera and few lenses, but end up shooting on cell phone when traveling, as switching lenses is boring, time consuming, camera bag gets bigger and heavier and etc. You can safely sell anything you have and just have this lenses full time on camera.

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300 MM make a difference. This lens works beautiful with the Nikon D7500. Did I say that I did not break my piggy bank to buy it?

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I love this lens. I bought it specifically to capture the total solar eclipse and it produced some amazing pics. Since then, its become my "go-to" lens for a variety of occasions. The heft (weight) is impressive and it puts the kit lenses that came with my d3300 to shame. Since I picked this up Ive been searching for more lenses as my dedication to my photography hobby has blossomed. I spent a couple years traveling in China and Europe not too long ago and wish Id had this lens then.

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This is a great lens for travelling especially if you are tight on space. I have used it for taking pictures of sunsets, the moon, special blood moons, for close-ups. The lens performs pretty well. Mine is a bit stiff yet, when I turn it to change frame up my picture properly. Like all lenses like this, there are times that the edges etc are a bit blurry. The lens has limits, but for me they are livable. I am taking it to France with me in April/May. I am looking forward to taking a lot of great pictures with this lens.

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