Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC SLD ELD Aspherical Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras

by Sigma

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000JDKFXK
• Item model number: B000JDKFXK
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 28, 2005

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO lens. This lens has a large aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, a minimum focusing distance of 7.9-inches and a maximum magnification of 1:3, making it ideal for close-up photography. Specially designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras this lens provides a high level of optical performance.Its design incorporates both glass-mold and hybrid aspherical lens technology which offers superior peripheral brightness, extremely high image quality as well as a compact and lightweight construction.

Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements provide excellent correction of color aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting, a common problem with digital cameras. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.

EX Lens
The exterior of this lens is EX-finished to denote the superior build and optical quality, and to enhance its appearance.

DC Lens
These are special lenses designed so that the image circle matches the smaller size of the image sensor of most digital SLR cameras. Their specialized design gives these lenses the ideal properties for digital cameras, the compact and lightweight construction is an added bonus ! including compact and lightweight construction.

Product Description

Minimum focusing distance of 20cm with a maximum magnification of 1:3. Aspherical lenses offer compact and lightweight construction. SLD and ELD glasses offer excellent correction of color aberrations.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent alternative for kit lens, March 16, 2008

By 

Yan "Yan" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC SLD ELD Aspherical Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

When ordering a Pentax K10D, I didn't want to spend a fortune on a top notch camera and put a 50$ kit lens on it. The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX is an excellent alternative, several times more expensive and better than a Pentax kit lens and a few times less expensive (and also a class below) than a Pentax zoom lens (Pentax SMC DA* Series 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL IF SDM). So this lens kind of fills the gap between Pentax entry level rubbish and Pentax hi-end super-expensive lenses.

I wouldn't call this a true macro lens, it's rather near-macro. When zoomed to 50mm, it can focus on objects just 20cm from it, which is excellent for a non-specialised default carry around with me lens.

The build quality is as usual for Sigma EX - top notch. This lens is much more compact than the superb lens Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX they used to make for 25mm film cameras. The most annoying feature of this lens is the focus ring which rotates in autofocus mode. The lens is quite small and when holding the zoom ring while shooting, my fingers often touch the rotating autofocus ring. Please note that 18-50 tanslates to 27-75mm in 35mm terms. If you are a wide angle fan like myself, prepare to look for a second, wide angle lens.

I would recommend this lens for a K10D or a K200D. If K20D is in your price range, consider buying a Pentax SMC DA* Series 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL IF SDM - possibly the best zoom lens for Pentax digital out there.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutley Great Lens, November 4, 2007

By 

Dennis W. Johnson (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC SLD ELD Aspherical Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

The Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 EX Macro is an absotuley great lens. Is it perfect? No. Is it as good as primes in the same range? No. But it is darn close to those primes. I have seen and used the Pentax 16-50 and if you need that little bit of added width from 18mm to 16mm, and you do not mind paying another $500.00 for it (and the silent focusing, but not any faster focusing), then buy the Pentax.

This lens gives the photographer sharp photos throughout the range and a fast 2.8 to boot. F/4 and above give the sharpest photos, but even at 2.8 the photos are still very good. Well worth the money I paid for this lens. I would but again if I were to lose this lens or have it stolen (God forbid!).

dwj2045
Ventura, CA

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great value lens for great value cameras, April 6, 2008

By 

Laurence Parry "GreenReaper" (Surrey, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC SLD ELD Aspherical Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

If you're reading this, you've probably bought a Pentax camera like the K10D or K100D, or are thinking of doing so. Most likely, you were drawn to Pentax cameras because they offer a good price/performance ratio. You don't want to pay for the biggest names - you want a great camera with which you can take great photographs, on a reasonable budget.

This lens is the perfect accompaniment to that philosophy. It is not the best in the world, but it is the best you can get for $400, and for some way above that. It covers the range required for walkabout photography, and is reasonable convenient for that purpose, despite the wide body required by a 2.8 lens system. It also feels good in your hand and looks great on the front of your camera.

Buy this lens now (perhaps along with the Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED) and make some great pictures.