Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC  reviews

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: GHK_so36   review date: May-20-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Beercan

price paid:

180 EUR (almost new)

positive:

-price/value rate
-range
-colors
-weight

negative:

-distortion in wide
-AF hunts in low light

comment:

Bought this 2gether with my SLT A37 body to avoid the kit lens, after studying several reviews on the web, as my first SLT equipment. :-)
My copy' s quite sharp up to 200, makes nice colors though not as warm as Minolta's Beercan.
Good Macro capabilities as well.
See my Photos on Flickr:

Planespotting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghk_so36/8723183281/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghk_so36/8723180273/in/photostream/

Macro
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghk_so36/8723182415/in/photostream/

@night compared 2 Beercan
Sigma
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghk_so36/8757351856/in/photostream/
Beercan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghk_so36/8756225635/in/photostream/

I use this as my everyday lens and I can clearly recommend it as it's a lot of lens @ the price I paid and I like its colors & bokeh.
(More 2 come w/ more experience) ;-) ;-) ;-)

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: derekw   review date: April-03-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony/Tamron 18-250s
Sony/Tamron 18-200s
Sigma 24-135

price paid:

£98 GBP used

positive:

Cost
Good overall sharpness
Colours

negative:

Distortion - to be expected.

comment:

Better than the Sony/Tamron 18-200 but not as good as the 18-250s (but available at half the price)

About the best all purpose zoom if you can't afford the 18-250s.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Peter1982   review date: January-12-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- Minolta 24-85 mm RS
- Minolta 28-105 mm RS
- Sony 18-135 mm SAM
- Sony 18-55 mm
- Sony 18-70 mm
- Tamron 28-200mm (not macro)

price paid:

199 € (new)

positive:

- Sharp (stopped down)
- good range

negative:

- CA (can be corrected)
- loud AF

comment:

It's a good lens for trevelling. My copy is very sharp, especially stopped down a little bit, but sometimes it has some CA. It can be easily corrected with some software, but it can be awful when you have to edit hundreds of pictures. It's also not the best choice for video recording, because the AF is unmistakable.
That's why i bought the Sony SAM18135, which has with camera correction no CA and a silent AF (SAM). With my Sony A200 the sigma was a great lens, but for the A65 the Sony is (on my opinion) better.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: potlurip   review date: July-18-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 18-200

price paid:

150ish $

positive:

Price
Size
Minimum focusing distance
Focusing accuracy

negative:

Colors could be better BUT in reality it should not be held against this otherwise ok lens.

comment:

Got the Quantaray flavor. I am really impressed with the focusing accuracy of this little guy. For the price/performance quotient this is by far my best bang for buck. It is the default lens on my A700 for the past 4-5 years. Compared to Tamron 18-200 (a colleague has this and I used it on my A700) focusing is much faster and accurate.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: robert.pierrick   review date: July-18-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

28-105 minolta and 100-300 apo minolta.

price paid:

130€

positive:

Sharper than my minolta 28-105 and 100-300 apo excepted at mid lentgh wide open. Very sharp at 200 mm. Manual focusing is very pleasant.

negative:

Not a true 200mm but equivalent to 180 mm on infinite focusing.

comment:

Much more better than excepted.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: kaiser_jeff1986   review date: February-11-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

minolta 24-85mm f3.5
minolta 70-210mm f4.5

positive:

sharp, range, weight, affordable wide to telephoto zoom lens.

negative:

noise when it starts to focus.

comment:

this lens is a good walk around lens. i bought this just to have a back up lens just in case, cause most of the time i used prime lenses for composition, creativity and macro shots.

sharpness: 3 

color: 4 

build: 2 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: sonicx   review date: November-21-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 16-50mm 2,8
Minolta 50mm 1,7
Tokina 11-16mm 2,8
Tamron 70-300mm VC

price paid:

260 EUR (in 2006)

positive:

+ range

negative:

- sharpness
- build quality
- focus speed
- noisy

comment:

I would not recommend to buy this lens. It is awfully slow, sharpness isn't good at all and some gearing inside the tubus broke twice (was fixed by Sigma so). The only nice thing is the range if you travel (only outside at good weather conditions).

And I can testify the complaint of the previous speaker that the 200mm aren't 200mm. My Tamron 70-300 SP has much more tele at 200mm (200mm print on the lens and EXIF data).

sharpness: 3 

color: 3 

build: 3 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 2 

user: Menkert   review date: January-05-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

minolta 50mm f2.8 marco
tokina 60-300mm f4-5.6 AF

price paid:

150 eur (new)

positive:

usefull on vacation amd at a motocross track
cheap

negative:

not 18-200, more like 18-130.
cheap
not very useful in low light

comment:

I thought it was a very handy lens. But recently i've compared it to my other Tokina 60-300mm (in the overlap region) and i can draw two main conclusions. (I made a creative iso 12233 setup)

- It is not a sharp lens, throughout the complete overlap at every f stop the old pre-90'ties Tokina is sharper!! The old tokina is sharper at 300mm (corner to corner) than the sigma at 200mm.
Corner sharpness of the 18-200mm is moderate.
- IT IS NOT A -200mm LENS BY FAR !!! The tokina had more 'tele' at 130mm than the sigma at 200mm.


I'd recommend not to buy this lens. You should probably buy a 17-70mm or a (tamron) 17-50mm, and a secondhand telezoom.
*** added 2011-03-20****
Since i'm not that attached to this lens, i used it in a dusty situation at a motocross track, where it became very handy. Shooting pictures of a rider at 2 m fits the picture and jumps furter away can also be perfectly fit.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: der dickgg   review date: December-08-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

All my other lenses... (the range covers almost all my other lenses)

price paid:

eur. 129,- used

positive:

Obviously... the range! But also size and weight.

negative:

Vignette at every zoom-position but the most at 18mm.
Poor AF preformance under low-light conditions. A bit flare and CA.

comment:

Ideal lens for walk-around and during 'mountainexpeditions' but not as fast (f6.3 at 200mm) as I wish. Vignette is always there. Can be corrected with Photoshop, but it is necessary to adjust it at specific focal length.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: ulyshut   review date: May-09-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

sony 18-70mm kitlens

price paid:

249

positive:

sharp at end to end
color
zoom range is great
no more changing lens
build to last
good bokeh
manual focusing is easy
focusing is faster than kitlens

negative:

heavy compared to kitlens
noisy barrel when focusing but i can handle it
slow in focusing

comment:

this is my first owned lens and i definitely like it compared to my kitlens. an all around lens sharper at end to end. range is very good for me, it covers my likings, a bit slow in focusing in low light situation but easy in manual focus. Bokeh is great and i can now do closeup to my subject at ease. at 200mm zoom still the subject is sharp even at night. no more sharpening, color correction, it does what i want
i recommend this to people that doesn't want to change lens and wants to escape the kitlens.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Raimios   review date: January-08-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-55 SAM
18-125 Sigma

price paid:

200€

positive:

Colors
Pretty sharp "super zoom"
Light and compact
Cheap, a lot of lens for small amount of money....

negative:

Not super sharp
Chromatic aberration (easy to fix)
F6.3 at long end...

comment:

I bought this one to my wife as a travel zoom. It's pretty good, almost amazing good zoom. Of course you can't compare it G series or Zeiss or primes, but as a super zoom is very good one.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Robokeh   review date: November-15-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70mm (kitlens)
Sony 55-200mm

price paid:

200 EURO (new)

positive:

* Colors!
* Rather solid build compared to kitlens
* Range

negative:

* Bit distortion on wide end (to be expected)
* Sometimes soft corners
* Zoom creep (a lock button is present)

comment:

This lens I bought to fit my needs during the past summer holidays. Together with my Minolta 50mm F1.7 for lowlight situations it formed an ideal lightweight travelpack.

I was actually surprised about the pleasant and saturated colors this lens give! Considering the range it provides, the kitlens was never used again after I bought this one. I had to get used to the zoom creep though, when walking around. There is however a zoom lock button which locks the lens into the 18mm position. I noticed some soft corners in some pictures but only when pixel peeping. In normal to mid-size prints or on screen not noticeable. The distortion can be obvious at 18mm but that's nothing new for this type of lens, I guess.

The Sony 55-200mm is a good competitor for sharpness and has more muted colors. But considering the range, you'd always need to carry a second lens to cover the wide to normal range.

Altogether for the price I paid it is a good deal (certainly when you are still using the 18-70mm kitlens) and I found myself using it still a lot after the summer holidays. Perfect daytrip and holiday lens!

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: mikeone1000   review date: July-30-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70mm
Beercan 70-210mm
BIGMA 50-500mm
Minolta 50mm 1.7
Minolta 28-70mm F4

price paid:

160

positive:

I like the range on the lens. The focus ring is smooth and the coating on the exterior is really nice.

The hood doesnt move when focusing and is a good size hood for the lens.

Very light and easy to handle.

negative:

Could be sharper.
Could be faster.
Can hunt in dark situations forever.

comment:

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to get away from the kit lens. If you can pickup a good copy on ebay I wouldnt look back.

I like the range and have it on the camera when I want to bring a camera out for an everyday walkaround situation.

Recommendation, change the AF to continuous to get clearer shots.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 4 

user: tpolakov   review date: July-23-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70 kit lens
Sony 55-200 kit lens
Sigma 17-70

price paid:

190 EUR new

positive:

Convenience factor
Exceptional performance/price
Central sharpness
Fast AF for this type of lens

negative:

Distortion
Bit slow at the long end

comment:

At its current price around 200EUR, I would view this as THE kit lens for the lower end A2xx or A3xx range.
Convenient zoom range, usable central sharpness wide open, fast AF, OK build (still light!), non rotating front element good for polarizers. Perfect for walkaround, outdoors, tourist trips, snapshots. It kicks ass of the 18-70 kitlens in everything and is comparable to the 55-200 (which is a very good value as well).
The Sigma 17-70 may have a bit better corner sharpness and local contrast and is a bit faster, but it is also shorter in range, bulkier and costs 50% more.
Highly recommended.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: alphaPDX   review date: May-22-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 18-250
Minolta 70-210/3.5-4.5
Minolta 35-105N

price paid:

$145 USD (new!)

positive:

relatively light, sharp, good bokeh, no zoom creep

negative:

soft around the edges esp. wide open - no worse than others of its type

comment:

(This copy is a Quantaray badge, bought at Ritz closeout.)
A far better lens than its reputation. Comparing this to my Tamron 18-250, my 18-200 matches or slightly betters it in everything but zoom range. Sharpness is too close to call, but bokeh is better. Focus is slightly faster than 18-250 but no speed demon; close to 1:3 'macro' also just a bit better than the Tamron. Stays at f/5.6 out to 180mm while my Tamron is at f/6.3 by 135mm. I never thought I'd say this - but the Tamron will be sold.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: andrewlamwc   review date: April-05-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony/Carl Zeiss - Vario-Sonnar T* DT 16-80 F3.5-4.5
Sony - AF DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6
Minolta - AF 24-105 F3.5-4.5 D
Minolta - AF 35-105 F3.5-4.5 N
Sony - AF DT 55-200 F4-5.6
Sony - AF 70-300 F4.5-5.6 G SSM
Sony - AF 75-300 F4.5-5.6

price paid:

255 USD (new)

positive:

+ Colour
+ Sharpness
+ Range (18-200)
+ Cheap
+ Close focus distance
+ Zoom lock

negative:

- Lost focus in dim light
- Fall-off

comment:

A good always-on lens for travelling. For the economical price, I get good colour controlled and acceptable sharpness pictures being produced with it. However, fall-off is notable in wide but still acceptable.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Potzblitz   review date: December-06-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70
Tokina 24-200
Tokina 28-210
KM 28-135
Tokina 28-70/2.8

price paid:

180€ (new)

positive:

range
lightweight
cheap
close focus distance

negative:

slow AF
soft "wide" open

comment:

Good always-on lens for travel or as a kit replacement, unless more robustness is required (-> Tokina 24-200).
Apparently I got a sharp copy, not anything near the KM 28-135 but quite good 2 or at least 1 stops down.
Flare is absolutely ok for the range but the supplied hood can only be a compromise in a wide-to-tele-angle design.
As expected with a 11x zoom, the long end (>150mm) suffers a bit but is still much better than cropping.

In close focus distance, say table-top, the 200mm feels more like 100mm effectively.

Vignetting is ok but using filters is somewhat problematic in wide-angle setting.

Overall, I only use this lens to travel light (rare).
Otherwise, the 28-135 or 28-70/2.8 (depending on light situation expected) remain my always-ons plus some other lenses (not listed).

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 4 

user: Dynaton-DK   review date: October-09-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta AF28-135 F4-4.5
Minolta AF24-85 F3.5-4.5
Minolta AF24-105D F3.5-4.5
Sigma AF17-70 F2.8-4
Cosina AF28-105 F2.8-3.8
Minolta AF28-85 F3.5-4.5
Minolta AF35-105N F3.5-4.5
Minolta AF35-70 F3.5-4.5
Minolta AF35-70 F4 Macro
Sigma AF28-105 F3.8-5.6
Sigma AF10-20 F4-5.6
Sigma APO AF70-300 F4.5-5.6
Cosina AF100-400 F4.5-6.7
Minolta AF28 F2.8
Minolta AF50 F1.7
(Minolta AF18-70 kit lens)

price paid:

285 EUR (New)

positive:

Very flexible.
"One size fits all".
Zoom-range.
Sharp for this zoom-range.
Very close minimum focus distance.
Low price tag for such a lens.

negative:

Barrel distortion on wide (18mm-24mm).
A little larger aperture at tele (200mm) would have been nice to have.

comment:

A highly recommended flexible lens. It is my favorite daily lens as it covers virtually all normal daily requirements - thus in my mind a "one size fits all" kind of lens.

Okay, the zoom range has a few minor drawbacks like some barrel distortion on wide (18mm-24mm) and the aperture at the long end (200mm) does not allow as much light to pass wide open as more dedicated lenses.
However, I find these minor drawbacks are more than compensated for by the flexibility of the lens. Barrel distortion can be adjusted for in e.g PTLens software and in normal daylight the lens is okay also at the long end.

I find the lens much sharper than should be imagined - considering the zoom-range. It is of cause not as sharp as lenses with significantly smaller zoom-range - and can not be compared to primes, but again; The lens is more than adequate for 90% of all my demands.

Colour and contrast is good, but images becomes significantly better after minor adjustments in a photo software application. With a little quick and easy processing in photo software images becomes vibrant, colourfull and sharp.

This lens was also the best match to my previous Minolta 5D in regard to exposure. This lens only very rarely results in overexposed pictures with the 5D.
Exposure is always perfect with my present A300.

First thing I did when getting my first Minolta digital SLR was to get rid of the kit lens (Minolta/Sony AF18-70) and replace it by this Sigma AF18-200. I can recommend everyone with "normal" demands for good image quality to do the same. I do use the other lenses to, but only for more specialised situations.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: icefreez   review date: June-23-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-80 MM AF (Default lens with Sony A-200

price paid:

320 USD (New)

positive:

Great range
Great pedal hood
Does not collapse under its own weight when shooting up.

negative:

Occasionally will slide out under its own weight when hanging down. Can be locked though.

comment:

This lens is very clear at its 200mm setting. Although I agree with most reviewers that this lens does not really reach 200mm. It is however sharper than the 18-200mm Tameron lens and that's what made me buy this one.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: nicj   review date: May-10-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

Good range
Designed for APS-C
Very compact

negative:

Slow AF
Hunts when light is low
Distortions controlled, but there

comment:

The build of the lens is quite good. The sharpness is not bad, but you do need to stop it down to get really good (but then again this means f8 and you expect something good when aperture is so closed. The hood is good. The colors are not bad, but could be more vibrant I find. You do have to accept compromises on a lens like this, but it's certainly good enough for the amateur who wants to use it on holiday in a sunny place during daytime and who does not want to carry around several lenses. Not so good when light is low like sun coming up or down, but that was to be expected of F3.5-6.3. It doesn't stay at 3.5 for much of the range.

Sony Alpha 100
Minolta - AF 80-200 F2.8 HS APO G
Tamron - SP AF 17-50 F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical
Sigma - 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC
Sony - AF 50 F1.4
Sony - AF DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6
Sigma - EF 500 DG SUPER

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Looleylaylow   review date: February-23-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 17-35
Beercan

price paid:

$310 USD

positive:

- Range
- Build
- Reasonably bright and sharp at wide end

negative:

- Long end well short of 200mm
- APS-C and associated vignetting when wide open

comment:

A good travel/vacation/all-purpose/outdoor-only/when you don't want to change lenses at the beach type solution. Sharpness is acceptable and distortion (even at wide end) is negligable (and easily fixed). This is my only APS-C lens, and the difference is obvious at wide apertures. Also comes up well short of 200mm on the long end, which is disappointing. If used outdoors in good light without super-high expectations, this is a serviceable lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: HBrotherus   review date: January-09-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

veru nice range, a good all-around lens if you dont want the take your entire collection with you.

negative:

build quality a bit disapointing after the EX-series...but stil not bad at all

comment:

sharpness: 4 

color: 3 

build: 4 

distortion: 2 

flare control: 4 

user: Diddlbiker   review date: October-08-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70 kit lens

price paid:

379 USD (new)

positive:

Wide zoom range, decent build quality, zoom lock

negative:

Fuzzy colors in wide-angle shots, hard to get 'close by to infinity in focus'

comment:

I have this lens for a month now. I intended it as a replacment 'walk around' lens for the kit 18-70 lens, and as such, it performs wonderful. Sharpness is on par with the 18-70 through a much longer range.
Expect no miracles though. This hyperzoom has issues that come with any hyperzoom. There seems to be some abberation and fringing in wide-angle shots, or at least some color blending when the diaphragm is open. These problems disappear when there is plenty of light - shots taken of subjects inside a light tent and strobed from two sides have none of these issues.
Do not use the lens if absolute image quality is a must - it is no match for prime lenses or small-range zooms. On the other hand, image quality is more than adequate for any other shots where you don't want to change lenses, or you can't (time/environment/weight issues). Great for your kid's soccer games, etc.
A final note on the build quality: metal mount, and very decent construction. The lens is also surprisingly heavy - probably because there's a lot of glass in it.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: zbozic   review date: September-15-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Vivitar 28-210
Tamron 18-200 (on Canon 350D)
Minolta 50/1.7

price paid:

300 Euro (new)

positive:

Zoom range
focus accuracy

negative:

vigneting at open aperture
focus hunting on tele end in low light

comment:

Great allround lens for family/tourist needs. Less CA than Tamron and Vivitar. It's new series for Alpha 100 (box is marked 777 SO) and 10Mpix camera. On 50mm is comparable sharpness with 50mm prime, but 50/1.7 has a better colours and bokeh especially on portraits and low light.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: juggernox   review date: September-11-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony AF 18-70mm

positive:

Nice focal range.
Solid Built compared to the Sony 18-200mm and Tamron 18-200mm.
Comes with a hood.
No Zoom creep at all.
Optical Quality good for a 11.1x zoom lens.

negative:

AF hunts like mad in low light conditions.
Wish it had better macro capability.

comment:

I bought this lens while on vacation, knowing that the picture quality will never be as good as a 2 lens setup. I wanted something that was convienient, and had a longer reach than the 18-70mm kit lens that I purchased with my Sony Alpha 100. As far as I am concerned, the optical quality of the Sigma more than matches the Kit lens. At 200mm and with the anti-shake system turned on, it is possible to hand hold and shoot sharply in relatively low light conditions, even though this is not a fast lens.

The view finder is slightly darker than the Sony, and photos tend to be warmer too. All in all, a great vacation lens. One has to keep in mind the limitations of a 18-200mm zoom lens. If you can live with these limitations, you will be happy with this lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: madtownkeith   review date: August-11-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

KM 18-200
Tamron 24-135

price paid:

325 USD (new)

positive:

Excellent travel lens
Nice build quality - no zoom creep, plus has zoom lock
Decent AF speed
Sharper than the KM version

negative:

Hunts in low light, especially at tele end - no surprise.

comment:

I really like this lens. I bought it as an all-in-one walkabout/travel lens, and it fits the bill well. Hardly ever comes off my 5D now. Surprisingly, the results have been much better from this than the KM version I had (and sold). Also, the build quality (metal mount, no zoom creep) is better than the KM version. Image quality is very good for a zoom of this range - I prefer it to the Tamron 24-135.

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Malcy   review date: May-03-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

KM 18-70mm DT, Sigma 70-300 Apo, Minolta 50mm f1.7, Beercan

positive:

Compact with a great zoom range.

Best on 6MP bodies.

negative:

CA can be seen at max focal length on high contrast edges, but no worse than Tamron/KM 18-200 lenses.

Soft on 10MP bodies.

comment:

As sharp as the 18-70mm kit lens across it's range. Slightly softer than the Sigma 70-300 Apo at 200mm. Good colour and contrast, flare does not seem to be a problem.

Good construction with a metal lens mount. The filter holder does not rotate which is great for polariser use. AF is generally good and fast, except on very low contrast surfaces such as a cloudy sky.

A peculiarity at long focal lengths is that the actual focal length reduces as the point of focus is reduced from infinity, but as far as I can work out it is 200mm at infinity.

A great traveling lens.

Update:

Having changed to the A200, I now find the sharpness of the lens disappointing. The lens is clearly not out resolving the sensor leading to a noticeable softness in the images produced using it.