If you’ve got an APS-C camera and are still using the kit lens, then the 18-50mm f2.8 lens from Sigma is the next lens you need.

In this post we’ll look at the lens’ build quality, features and performance.

Specifications

So as you can probably guess this lens has a zoom range of 18-50mm which is the full frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a constant maximum aperture of f2.8 which is fairly wide. It has a minimum focusing distance of just 12.1cm, weighs just 290g (10.2oz), and at 61.6mm×76.5mm / 2.4in.×3.0in it’s a fairly small lens. It also has a filter thread size of 55mm.

This is an autofocus lens but it does not have in-lens stabilization, also it is not a power zoom lens meaning the zoom can only be controlled by twisting the barrel, and not with in-camera controls.

This lens costs around $500/£430, so clearly not the cheapest, but for the zoom range and wide aperture in an autofocus lens, it is comparable with other lenses on the market.

In the box, you get the usual documentation with the lens secured in cardboard in a plastic bag, as well as the petal-shaped lens hood. Fairly straightforward packaging.

An electronic connection for autofocus is on the back of the lens. The lens details are written in grey on the front of the lens. And the barrel extends from the end of the lens when zooming in.

Both the zoom and the focus rings move very easily and smoothly, without much resistance at all.

Buy the Sigma 18-50mm on Amazon*

Attached to the sony a6000 the look of the sigma 18-50 fits well with its black plastic finish matching the finish of the a6000. 

So I took this Sigma lens away to Spain with me and it was the only lens I took with me as I wanted to test it as not only an all-around lens but also as part of a lightweight, small setup. I was using the Sony ZV-E10 as my camera. And was really happy with its performance here now are some example photos and videos I took with this lens, none of these have been edited or color corrected, and are exactly as they came out of the camera.

Image quality is sharp, especially in well-lit situation, and the fairly wide aperture means that low light photography and video, while not looking perfect, will be much better than the performance you’d expect from say the 16-50 sony kit lens.

The lack of in-lens stabilization is a shame, as if you’re using a camera with stabilization, it will make your video look very shaky.

Also it would have been nice if the lens had power zoom for it to be controllable in camera, rather than just by twisting the barrel.

Overall the Sigma 16-50 f2.8 is a great all-rounder, it has a solid zoom range making it suitable for a lot of types of shots. The wide maximum aperture of f2.8 makes it a great performer in low light and if you want professional out-of-focus looking backgrounds. And especially if you’re looking to upgrade fro mthe sony 16-50mm kit lens then this lens would be the obvious choice.

Buy the Sigma 18-50mm on Amazon*

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