Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

by Sigma

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.1 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches ; 14.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000CHR0XQ
• Item model number: B000CHR0XQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 19, 2006

Product Description

Style: Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

This high zoom ratio lens is exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras and capable of covering a wide range of focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto. Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements and two hybrid aspherical lensesoffer the utmost correction for all types of aberrations, and enables this extended range super zoom lens to be housed in a compact and lightweight construction of 70mm (2.8") diameter, and 78.1mm (3.1") in length, and weighing just 405g/14.3oz. The new lens coating reduces flare and ghost, which is a common problem of digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7") at all focal lengths and has maximum magnification of 1:4.4. The lens design incorporates an inner focusing system, which prevents the front of the lens from rotating, making it particularly suitable for using circular polarizing filters and petal shaped lens hoods. The overall length of the lens does not change during focusing, ensuring convenient handling and ease of use. Azoom lock switch eliminates 'zoom creep' during transportation, a convenient addition when traveling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

230 of 235 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good utility lens, April 30, 2009

By 

T. Norris (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Reading reviews is a crap shoot. You know nothing about the reviewer or the use of the product. That said, I am assuming you are not a struggling professional trying to shoot a high quality, tight-budget job. You are a user looking for one lens to carry to cover a wide range of service.

I'm a pro. I have a many bodies and L lenses to use.

I carry an XSI with THIS Sigma 18-200mm non OS lens just about everywhere I go. It is a great vacation tool, where most pix are shown in a digital frame or are never going to be more than 4x6.

Yes, the MTF is not great (simply: contrast across the lens), there is some chromatic fringing and watch out! the lens hood will cause vignetting and shadows with a flash at wide angle. I've been using this lens since it was released in early '05.

It's a $300 lens. Does it compare to a $1500 L lens? Yeah - very badly. So what? The first rule of photography is get the picture. Missing the shot while changing lenses is not photography. Is this the preferred lens in my arsenal? No. But for general non-client, daylight, non-sports shooting, it's the one I'll probably be using. I prefer the non-optical stabilzed version - less complexity.

To help you weigh this review: I use five professional (5D, 1D) and several prosumer (40D, 50D, XTI, XSI) bodies and nine L lenses, plus a slew of others.

Photo tip: night shooting of foreground against backround (done a lot with this lens!): typical situation: girl on beach in front of sunset. Manually set exposure to flash shutter speed, aperature & ISO to get background. Turn flash on to expose and meter foreground. You'll get some great "how did you do that?" pix. All the MTF, abberetion and linearity issues will mean nothing, because you got a picture no one else could and th L doesn't really add anything, because you want depth of field here.

Thanks for reading my review.

91 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Lens for the Price!, June 24, 2005

By 

S. Kanter (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I disagree with the previous poster. I think this lens is pretty great.

The quality is exceptional for a lens of this price and range.
There seems to be a controversy regarding how focal lengths of lenses are measured; from what I've read, the lens does go to 200mm if measured at infinity.

In the real world, the lens takes fine pics as long as you have enough light. The size and weight is perfect for a walk-around lens. My Rebel XT with this lens (and the Hakuba hand grip) is a perfect fit, and feels great to carry around and shoot. To get better optical quality at this range, you would need to get a few lenses that each cost a lot more. There is nothing quite like this, except for Tamaron's 18-200, which I hear doesn't compare favorably to the Sigma.

It seems that Sigma has quality control issues, so I would buy
the lens from a local dealer that has a return policy. Test the lens, and if you don't think it's up to par, return it for another.

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars THE 'one and only' travelling lens., September 25, 2005

By 

TheTeh "TheTeh.Com Photography" (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

3 stars because of:
1) soft corners at 18mm (f3.5)
2) vignetting at 18mm (f3.5)
3) lens creep (self extension of lens barrel while walking) if not retracted/lock at 18mm

This lens has the most useful range one can possibly have. It has become my only lens for short travelling trip when I don't want hassel of changing lens. I took only this lens with my Canon XT to Amsterdam (5days) without missing my other lenses at all. Here are some photos taken with this lens in my website:
http://www.theteh.com/html/london_street_.html
http://www.theteh.com/html/croatia.html
http://www.theteh.com/html/index1.html

For this price range (other than the Tamron 18-200) there is no other lenses that can compete!

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