Sigma 883306 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS Hyper Sonic Motor (Black)

I wanted a lens I could use for video without having to use my large fluid head tripod. I have lots of good 2.8 and f4 Nikkor glass I use on my D7000 for video but I really wanted a walk around lens specifically for OS/VR for handheld video. I found this lens to be surprisingly well made for the price. Here is a Youtube 6 minute video I made with this lens: http://youtu.be/KcVhJSvhL6E If you've read the review at DPreview, you know that they think this is a better lens than the Tamron or the 18-300 Nikkor. In the first hours of use I found that the OS is very good on this lens. From 18 to about 100mm you get very steady shots with almost no effort, and with some good technique even 250mm is very good. The close focus (Macro is really 1:1) is also very good on this lens for insects and flowers and close ups of small objects. One of the things I like about the D7000 is its relative small size, and the Sigma is really amazing small for what it does. I have not seen zoom creep and its a little tight at about 135 IF you are not holding the lens horizontal. That is if you are shooting at something in the sky, up a building, or other high subject you feel the slight tightness in the lens but not when you are imaging level or pointed down. The mount fits perfectly on my D7000 and the control buttons on the lens feel substantial. I always use a hood with my lenses, but I also use a UV Filter (saved 4 lenses having filters on them). I opted for the Sigma DG UV, and the combination of the lens, hood, and filter gave no flare with the sun just outside the image (fov). I haven't tried it as a still lens yet, but as a video lens for a DSLR I highly recommend it. I use an external mic, but in my video test on youtube using the camera's own mic on auto gain it was pretty quite. It does focus very fast and accurately. The weight is such that I can carry my D7000 and the lens very comfortably with my Black Rapid Strap for hours (well at least two so far with no pain at all). The only weakness the slow aperture, but OS and the D7000 high ISO capability really make this a non-issue. When I get some time I will compare it for stills against my 12-24, 80-200 f2.8, and 300mm AFS. The few stills I took with this lens looked very good, but I shoot RAW files and have presets in LightRoom for my D7000. Depending on your specific camera and whether you are a JPG or RAW shooter could make a big difference. Over all, this lens would work for me as a travel lens from the few stills I've seen and its very good video performance. I would recommend this lens to a friend if he or she's needs were to have a good to very good, well built lens that covered a wide range of FOV's (Field of Views) for still and video imaging with optical stabilization.

I owned and used an analog fully manual SLR until 2 years ago (yes, a film camera, no autofocus, no automatic exposure, no electronics save for the embedded photometer). I bought a Nikon D3000 bundle with the 18-55mm kit lens, and have used the kit lens for some time. I wanted a lens with more reach, so I researched both this lens, the Tamron 18-270mm PZD and the new and very expensive (for me, at least) Nikon 18-300mm. This is the cheapest and it has the least reach, but it suited my budget. Besides, I read some reviews that the Tamron tended to be soft at bigger focal distances, where the Sigma was softer at the lower range. I'm not a pro, I just like to take pictures of my kids in events and vacations, so I'm not picky about some tolerable chromatic aberrations or distortions. Since every lens must compromise something in exchange of another, every superzoom trades a wide focal range for a higher level of distortions and aberrations than the narrower lenses. It didn't bother me yet, and I have a great time shooting with it. It's bigger and heavier than the kit lens, but in my opinion it beats carrying two lenses and having to switch, risking missing that crucial moment. The focusing speed is good, not lightning fast as the pro lenses out there, but very well within the acceptable limit. I don't use it for video, so I cannot vouch for its continuous focus capabilities. Of course, the maximum aperture is not as good as the full-frame lenses, but it's good enough. Overall, I recommend this lens to people on a budget who want a wide focal range with a good enough image quality (not aberration and distortion free, though) without having to carry many lenses and taking time to switch.

First off, photography is just a hobby for me. I love capturing memories but never liked being in photos so being the photographer was the best way to compromise. In no way am I an advanced photographer nor do I know every function of my camera. With that said, I use this with a Nikon D3200 and D3300 and I get great 6000 x 4000 resolution pictures that most people think are professional. Obviously the most important thing about this lens is that it is a macro 18-250mm which effectively made my 18-55mm, 55-200mm stock lenses useless. It works great indoors and outdoors so I don't have to compromise the way I frame a photo or carry extra lenses when I go out. I mostly use my camera now to photograph dogs at play on a beach which ranges from them being really up close to being quite far away so this does the job perfectly. It makes traveling with a camera easy too because I only have to carry one lens that is already attached to the body. I did notice that the lens is quite heavy so the lens tends to zoom on its own if directed downward and not held onto (like when you're walking or standing still not taking photos). The other thing I noticed was that (I don't know the term for it) but the zoom spins the opposite way of all my other lenses. I got used to it quickly but it was annoying zooming in instead of out or vice versa when trying to capture an action shot in the beginning. Overall a great lens for an adventurous person who wants to take pictures of everything on the move without wasting time changing lenses.

I purchased this lens to replace my favorite walk-around lens, a Nikon 18-135. I'm using a Nikon D300 that's hitting 5 years old. In terms of Sigma quality in general, I will say that my two most-used lenses are a Sigma 24-70 2.8 and the Nikon 18-135, and both have needed repairs once. I took about 11,000 shots last year (I'm an enthusiast), and each lens is several years old. The worst thing about this lens is the vignetting and pin-cushion distortions. The vignetting seems to be the hardest to fix in Photoshop, and it can be noticed at a variety of focal lengths. Both are probably the worse of any lens I've owned. In terms of sharpness, it's not bad. It doesn't compare when pixel-peeping against my 50mm 1.8 or Sigma 24-70/2.8 or 70-200/2.8, but it can get very respectable with sufficient light. My copy seems to be sharper towards the telephoto end, but it's hard to compare precisely. I took test shots of an ornament filling the frame at various focal lengths while stepping back, and in that test it seems to be sharper at the wide-angle focal lengths. In general, scrutinizing pixels of a telephoto shot will turn up less detail than a portrait just because you're typically much further away. The 6.3 aperture was a bit of a turn off, but it's not so bad. The widest apertures are: 18mm=3.5, 25mm=4, 35mm=4.2, 50mm=4.8, 80mm=5.3, 135=5.6, 250mm=6.3, so it's actually right about in line with my more expensive Nikon 18-135. The Optical Stabilization works well, and is somewhat impressive. I can see it coming in handy with real telephoto shots in average light. I've never had a lens with any sort of stabilization, but I can see this technology coming in quite handy in the right situations. I would have rather gotten better sharpness in a lens with less zoom range, but in comparison this lens seemed to get better reviews than corresponding smaller-range lenses of similar price. I had figured that with an 18-250 lens I might get a good 18-135 lens out of it all, but the longer length seems usable. I have a school auction even coming up, and I typically spend about 5 hours shooting. I will probably pack some better lenses just in case, as it will be my first full-on test of the lens but I hope to use the 18-250 for most of the evening. So the pros are the zoom range, decent sharpness, Optical Stabilization, weight/size, and price. The cons, a little soft and a lot of vignetting and pin-cushion control. You can spend another $1000-$2000 and get a perfect-performing lens, but it won't be as light or have as big a zoom range. I think as a walk-around lens, this certainly earns a place in my kit bag.

Where to start....It is lightweight and compact. The vibration control (Sigma calls it OS) is superb. The color rendition is awesome. It is one of the sharpest telephotos I have ever owned. Out of the box, I put it on my camera and take some test shots. A+ in all regards. All my shots were handheld, and a good deal of them were at 250mm. At 1:1 they are very sharp. I can only imagine how sharp if I had used a tripod, or even a monopod. Why did I buy this lens? Because a month ago I bought a Nikon 70-300mm and thought to myself...."this lens can't be this bad; it must be my camera." (I had just traded cameras from a D3100 to a D90). But it was that bad. This lens is far superior to the Nikon in every way. I have tried three different Sigma lenses now in the past two months. I am of the opinion that they now make a better lens than Nikon. This is an awesome lens, with a wide range that will accommodate almost every situation. I am so pleased I chose it.

This lens works just fine on my Nikon D90. Pictures throughtout the zoom and macro range were clear. It focused quickly and quietly. However it suffers one flaw, and that is lens creep. When the lens is pointed down and not in the locked position, it extends by itself, Even when horizontal when the focus motor starts the zoom sometimes shifted. I really wanted this lens to perform as well as other Sigmas I have purchased, but this one falls short, not because of optics, but of the lens creep. The price is very good and I would recommend to anybody who didn't mind holding the lens barrel while shooting. I would hope Sigma fixes this problem, the lens is otherwise excellent.

I was a bit anxious about this lens after reading some of the less than stellar reviews, but for the sale price and its features gave it a try, knowing that if it wasn't as good as other's said it was, with Amazon's EXCELLENT return policy there was very little risk. Boy, am I glad I did. I've got a Nikon D5100 body, a Nikon 300mm telephoto, and a Tamron 10-24mm wide angle lens. They are wonderful lenses, but I never seemed to have the right lens on for what I needed, and was constantly having to stop and switch. I was looking for a good "walking around" lens and I've found it. Not only do I not need to carry all the heavy equipment and the backpack to protect it, but no more missed shots. I like to hike and the smaller weight and less hassle is important. This isn't intended to be a detail technical review, but rather my impressions after using the lens in various situations. I've had the lens for 1 month, and have taken a couple of thousand shots by now. It gets the job done. I'm not a professional photographer but have been seriously involved for over 50 years. I'm extremely satisfied with the quality of not only the manufacturing, but the digital images themselves. (You can see samples at [...] ). I would not hesitate to recommend this lens to anyone.

This is a great lens as long as one uses it within its capabilities. It is not a low light lens, nor is it a fast action lens. Essentially, it is an outdoor, static, or slow movement lens. It will capture very well flowers, children engaged in a concentrated activity, landscapes, and some street photography. This is a highly rated lens. Dpreview ranks this lens as one of the best in its category. The build is good and solid, but do not use it to pound nails. The focus is very good and the end result is very pleasing. If you are looking for an all around lens for travel, outdoor activities, some people pictures, and landscapes, consider this lens. Within itself, it is a real winner!

Um es vorweg zu nehmen... Man sollte dieses Objektiv als das sehen was es ist: ein Super-Zoom. Beim Vergleich mit einem guten Standard-Zoom oder gar einer Festbrennweite wird es naturgemäß immer schlechter abschneiden! Für meinen nächsten Urlaub war ich auf der Suche nach einem guten und relativ preiswerten Reiseobjektiv. Die vielen positiven Bewertungen haben letztendlich dazu geführt, dass ich mich für das Sigma 18-250mm entschieden habe. Etwas skeptisch war ich noch, da ich in einem Testbericht gelesen habe, dass es gerade an der Nikon arge Verzeichnungen aufweisen soll. Nach den ersten Testfotos kann ich nur sagen, ich bin echt begeistert und habe den Kauf nicht bereut. Ab f8 hat es über den gesamten Brennweitenbereich eine gute, knackige Schärfe (z.B. bei f5 und 50mm finde ich es etwas schwammig). An der Nikon D90, die ein sehr gutes Rauschverhalten hat, habe ich mit der geringeren Lichtstärke auch bei schlechteren Lichtverhältnissen (trübes Wetter) keine Probleme, da ich auf höhere ISO-Werte ausweichen kann. Ausserdem gibt es ja auch noch den Bildstabilisator. Diesen merkt man kaum, doch er leistet gute Arbeit. Eine 1/200s bei 250mm schafft er ohne Probleme. Besonders im WW-Bereich sind Randunschärfen, Verzeichnungen und auch eine Vignettierung vorhanden, doch alles in einem für mich durchaus akzeptablen Rahmen, ähnlich wie beim alten Nikon-Kit-Objektiv 18-70mm. Wer Lightroom benutzt, dem kann die "Objektivkorrektur" hierbei sehr gute Dienste leisten. Die Farbwidergabe finde ich in Ordnung, wobei ich dazu sagen muss, dass ich in RAW fotografiere. Den Weißabgleich habe ich meistens auf Automatik stehen und passe dann bei der Entwicklung an. Wenn man JPEG fotografiert hängt das ja auch immer etwas vom Kameramodell bzw. von den JPEG-Einstellungen ab. Richtig gut finde ich die Naheinstellgrenze von 35cm über den gesamten Brennweitenbereich. Damit sind bei voller Brennweite tolle Nahaufnahmen möglich. Das hat so manches Telezoom nicht zu bieten! Die Verarbeitung finde ich insgesamt hochwertig. Der einzige kleine Makel ist, dass sich der Zoom ab 50mm selbstständig macht wenn mann das Objektiv nach unten hält um z. B. auf den Monitor zu schauen. Wenn man also die Aufnahme wiederholen möchte, gilt es die Brennweite wieder neu einzustellen. Dabei hilft auch der vorhandene Lock-Schalter nicht, denn der funktioniert nur bei eingefahrenem Objektiv, also bei 18mm. Wenn das ginge, würde ich dafür einen halben Punkt abziehen. Fazit: Es ist kein Objektiv für Qualitäts-Perfektionisten und es wird auch nicht meine Sammlung an diversen Linsen für die jeweilige Situation ersetzen. Wer es allerdings so wie ich unterwegs zuweilen leid ist, ständig das Objektiv zu wechseln und damit seine Reisebegleitung zu nerven oder sich alternativ auf z. B. 17-50mm zu beschränken, dem kann ich dieses Objektiv nur empfehlen. Meiner Meinung nach ist Sigma hier ein sehr guter Kompromiss gelungen, bei ca. 300€ ein gutes Preis-Leistungsverhältnis. Viel mehr würde ich für ein Super-Zoom übrigens generell nicht ausgeben, weil ich für einen höheren Preis eine Qualität erwarten würde, die ein Super-Zoom meiner Meinung nach eben nicht bringen kann. Ich freu mich jetzt auf ein entspanntes Fotografieren im Urlaub, wo ich mir keine Teleaufnahmen mehr verkneifen muss ;-).

Awasom Lense! Bought this Lense for my Nikon D5000 and it worked right out of the box. I have used it for over a month now and it's just super ! The image quality is sharp throughout the range, AF is fast and optical stabilization is effective. Also the build quality is commendable too. Bear in mind that this is not a Prime lense however quite frankly it's the best 3rd party budget lens for travel photography in the market. Just go for the yr 2012 model no 883306. Hear are a few unedited jpec quality pic from my recent trip to Ladakh taken with this lens.

Compre este objetivo con muchas dudas la verdad, pero cuando llego a mis manos lo cierto es, que mi opinión cambio con solo tacto que tiene, a primera vista ya se ve su calidad y la de sus componentes. Cuando monte el filtro que le puse y empecé a tirar las primeras fotos, me quede impresionado por la calidad de ellas. Antes de comprarlo como todos, empecé a leer en internet todo lo referente a objetivos. Decían de los 4X4 que al final dejaban, pequeñas aberraciones y cosas de esas. Yo sinceramente para mi es genial y la calidad que obtengo es extraordinaria, en mi opinión hasta un profesional de la fotografía trabaja con este tipo de objetivos y le saca un partido extraordinario. Lo recomiendo a todos sinceramente....!!!

parfait pour mon utilisation au quotidien

If you have a Nikon D3000/3100/3200 or D5000/5100/5200 and you want the convenience of point and shoot zooms with the quality of DSLR this is THE lens for you. Yes it is expensive, yes it might well cost more than you camera but it is worth it. The problem with lenses is that the more the zoom the less the quality, it is always a balance. This hits the sweet spot for most uses that these types of cameras will be put to. It has a nearly 15 X zoom, a macro feature for close ups and doesn't weigh too much. The price is great as well. Be warned the "lightweight" in the product description is relative to other super zooms. This is a hefty piece of glass and adds considerable weight to the smaller camera it would normally be paired with. But once again it is a question of balance. If you want that range of zoom (super useful for not missing photos, for wandering around taking great pictures) and reasonable quality well there will be some weight. If you aren't worried about quality get a cheap point and shoot camera (any will do) with more zoom than this lens alone at a cheaper price and forget about DSLR. If you don't need zoom consider the awesome Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G Lens a lens that, at less than half the price, can take much better photos and awesome portrait shots. But it can't zoom in on that bird you just saw landing on the tree. It can't take a great shot of the butterfly hovering nearby. This is the lens for flexibility at a reasonable price, weight and quality.