Customer Reviews

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC AF OS (Optical Stabilizer) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We've been using this Sigma AF 18-200 lens for a couple of months now. Recently we compared the Sigma with Canon's 28-135mm image stabilized lens on a Canon 30D. We shot side by side photographs at 28mm & 135 mm both, set to ISO 100 with camera in Program mode. Our lenses were set to autofocus with image stabilization on.

The good news which I really didn't expect was to see both lenses produce images that were nearly identical-- I thought for sure Canon's optics would far surpass Sigma's. Color saturation, light exposure through the lens, and detail were indistinguishable. The autofocus worked equally well on both. Both weighed about the same and were about the same size. The Sigma has a 72mm diameter aperture which I liked (so does the Canon). Of course the Sigma is 18-200, and at this time Canon does not have a competing option in the same digital SLR lens class with image stabilization.

The only aspect of the Sigma that differed significantly from Canon's lens was the noise of Sigma's autofocus motor. Sigma produces noticeable motor noise, though it wasn't overly loud. Still if you were shooting in a spot where silence was critical such as a ceremony, it may become an issue but probably not. In comparison, the Canon autofocus motor is silent and fast every time.

Sigma places a locking mechanism on the lens barrel to eliminate any possibility of lens creep (lens extending when pointed down). I doubt this would be a problem with the Sigma anyway. The zoom ring is a little stiff, but not too stiff. The manual focus ring is designed to be used with AF set to off to avoid manipulating the motor when focusing.

The image stabilization works well allowing you to shoot lower light photos without a tripod. I was quite satisfied with Sigma's newest effort here.

I'd say this Sigma makes a great choice for amateur photographers like us looking for a single lens option on Canon digital SLR cameras. The only dissuading factor 'might' be the motor noise if you hope to match Canon's silent motor system. Until Canon produces the same class of lens at a competitive price, Sigma has this round sown up.

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UPDATE: "LENS CREEP" September 18, 2007
We did just notice the Sigma lens starting creep for the first time (extend while pointed down). So apparently while the zoom mechanism starts off stiff enough to hold the lens in position, over time it will loosen up enough to move on its own with gravity assisting. Still love the lens though.

I've had the Sigma 18-200mm OS lens for several months and found it to give sharper images with my 40D than the Tamron 18-250mm (non-IS/OS) which it replaced. Then along comes the new Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, their own superzoom "travel lens." I bought one to see how it compares to the Sigma. My tests show mixed results regarding image quality. With both lenses wide open the Sigma wins at the wide end from 18-24mm, especially away from the center, while the Canon wins at the 135-200mm long end, also especially away from the center. The Sigma is f6.3 wide open at 200mm while the Canon is f5.6. This is only a small difference, but it does give the Canon even more advantage at 200mm where shutter speed needs to be the highest.

Both lenses auto-focus accurately (no front or back focus) although the Sigma is slower to lock focus in low light and is a little noisier in getting there. Their IS/OS are equally effective at about 3 stops of compensation. Build quality, size and weight are about the same and both use the same 72mm filter size. Sigma includes a lens hood while Canon wants to sell you one.

In summary, the Canon is slightly better for me due to the faster and quieter low-light focus and improved telephoto image quality. The trade-off is poorer image quality than the Sigma for wide angle shots, even after stopping down. Finally, the Sigma lens costs about $200 less than the Canon at this time.

This lens is phenomenal. It is the perfect walk-around lens. 28-300mm lenses don't compete, as I find the 18-28mm range to be far more useful than the 200-300mm range for APS-C sensor cameras like the Rebel and 40D. Sigma has an 18-250mm lens, but its lack of image stabilization is a deal-breaker. This lens isn't too heavy, isn't too large, and it zooms like a bastard. If I had to have one lens for an APS-C sensor camera, with cost as no object, this would be it. Second would be Canon's 10-22mm. I would pay big bucks for a faster version of this lens.

I bought this lens as a Christmas gift for my wife to use with her Rebel XTi about 4 months ago. When I got it, I was extremely happy with the quality and build of the lens. It has a nice matte black finish, and feels extremely rugged and sturdy.
The OS worked great too, reducing blur in handheld situations up to 3 stops for me, maybe more for someone who can hold steadier than I can.
My wife LOVES the lens, since her shooting patterns entail her shooting at wide angles (landscapes) and then she may suddenly switch to shooting at moderate to high zoom (abstract images of objects etc), and then back again.
Before this lens, she would have to constantly switch from her 18-55 kit lens to her Canon 70-300 IS USM lens and back again, or just miss the shot because it wasn't practical to switch at the time.
The Sigma changed that. Now her kit lens is practically obsolete, since this lens has the 18-55 focal range, AND it has optical stabilization, which her kit lens doesn't.
Some of the reviews of this lens mention aberrations, pin cushioning and light falloff at extreme focal ranges, but we saw no signs of that. In fact, the images at 18mm on this lens appeared sharper and brighter than with the Canon kit lens.
As a serious hobbyist, she couldn't be happier with the lens.
However, after using the lens for a couple weeks, she began getting an occasional "Err99" message on her camera. We isolated it to the lens, since she had 4 other lenses - the 2 Canons and 2 Sigmas (a 55-200mm and a 10-20mm), and in the 15 months she owned her camera, she never got that error with any of the other lenses.
I wrote Sigma about it and they were very apologetic and helpful. They said it sounded like "the FPC aperture issue", and recommended I send it in to them for repair, as it was still under warranty.
I don't know if it's a common problem with the lens or if we just got a bad copy, but I didn't see this problem on any of the other reviews I read here for this lens. That error message was the only blemish on a lens I don't regret buying. If it's any indication, my wife loved the lens so much, that instead of getting a refund for it from Amazon and purchasing another brand/type of lens, she opted to send it in to Sigma for repair so she could keep it.
Apart from this, the zoom and focus rings are very close together as others have mentioned, but we both got accustomed to it after just a few uses.
3 stars out of 5, because of the error message.

I bought this lens about a month ago and it has not come off my camera since. the OS function works wonders and I love the range. I have gotten extensive use of both wide angle and telefoto focal lengths and it hasn't disappointed at either range. I have taken this lens around SE Asia and the colors that come out when shooting in sunlight was much better than I originally expected. I've even taken some nice portrait shots with this.
My one annoyance would be the loud autofocus but you get used to it and I haven't been shooting in conditions where absolute silence was needed, such as a ceremony.
This lens came out for canon bodies since at this price point canon doesn't have something that rivals the Nikon 18-200mm VR.
My travel lens kit now consists of:
1. Sigma 18-200mm OS
2. Canon 100mm 2.8 USM Macro
3. Canon 50mm 1.8 (better for lowlight)

If I'm not taking macro shots specifically, the Sigma is on my camera 99% of time during the day. I absolutely feel that it is the best value you can get for a Canon body in terms of a walk-around lens at this price point.

At 14 oz. this lens is very light and I liked the operation except that there was a noticable increase in force needed to zoom from about 85mm to 135mm. The barrel turned easily from 18mm to 85mm and 135 to 200mm. It also zoomed back smoothly.

The lens offers a good bang for the buck, but I found the binding of the zoom mechanism distracting. I called Sigma and they offered to take it in and examine the lense, but said that some lenses will bind through some of the travel of the cam. Their customer service was easy to contact and helpful.

If price is a issue, this is a good choice. Otherwise, go for the Canon
70-200 F2.8L IS USM.

I have been using this lens almost exclusively during the past month on my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. The focus is slightly noisier than the Cannon lenses and perhaps a bit slower, especially indoors in dark light. However, picture quality is excellent, OS works great, and having the 18-200 range is fantastic for taking a single lens on short trips. This is a great lens for the money.

The lens works very well creating sharp images in challenging situations. The fact that it starts at 18mm as opposed to 28mm as many the OS zooms do and extends to 200mm give me the flexibility to truly have a "one lens solution."

Had this lens for about 6 weeks and it has performed beautifuly. Photographed a wedding, a family portrait and two family event with the lens (well over 1,500 images) and have not taken it off my 40D since it arrived. Not used it under extreme dim-light conditions yet so don't know about the low light focusing. Ready to sell the two lens this lens replaces.

I wish I could re-rate this as 3 stars.

I have to say that over time, this lens has worn out its welcome. When I got it, it was a thrill to use, its zoom range and price were its main points for me. However, I would argue that at this price, consistent results are an issue.

Lets looks at this lens's aperture, its not bad wide open at 3.5 but when you use the far zoom side, f/6.3 is exceptionally slow and all of a sudden shooting is blur-tastic.

Aperture aside, when you start looking at your shots at 100% magnification, a lot of the shots will turn out to just be disappointingly soft. The kit lens is sharper in the same range.

Over the past year the "superzoom" range of lenses has exploded. Tamron, Canon, Sigma all have lenses in this range. Sigma's is the cheapest, so if you simply MUST have a superzoom and can't handle the bite of better lenses, this is the choice. However,I would recommend either the Tamron or Canon models over this now.