Lens Test: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS AF

Posted on September 28, 2007 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment | 73 views

Sigma’s long-awaited, second Optical Stabilizer (OS) lens ($549, street) is an 11.1X digital-only superzoom with one SLD and three aspheric elements. A 29-320mm equivalent, it follows Sigma’s first OS lens, an 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ($999, street), by more than four years, and outdoes its predecessor with a sophisticated new autopanning sensor that detects extended lateral movement, then engages only the vertical stabilizer to allow blur where you want it.

HANDS ON:

Average in weight and size, the body is polycarbonate and the lensmount is metal. Focus and zoom rings are clad in ribbed rubber. The manual-focus action is somewhat underdamped, and the turning radius is unusually short — so short that the digits of the distance scales are jammed together and not easily deciphered. But the macro scale on the extended barrel is a snap to read. The zoom ring turns stiffly enough to make the zoom lock unnecessary. Autofocus is moderately fast and somewhat noisy on our test camera, the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. The lens cast no shadow at any focal length when used sans hood with the Rebel’s built-in flash.

IN THE LAB:

SQF results showed Excellent sharpness and contrast at the four tested focal lengths. This beats most of the Sigma’s superzoom competition, which usually dips into the Very Good and Good ranges at the long end.

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