Product Description

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS lens. This high ratio zoom lens incorporates Sigmas original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function and exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. It is perfectly suitable for low light conditions indoors at dusk and telephoto range. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass and aspherical glass provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7) throughout the entire zoom range and has a maximum magnification of 1:3.9. The inner focusing system is suitable for using a petal-type lens hood supplied and also circular polarizing filters.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9087 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sigma
• Model: B000NOSCGM
• Released on: 2007-11-21
• Dimensions: 3.10" h x 3.10" w x 3.90" l, 1.34 pounds

Manufacturer's Description
This is a high-power zoom lens for digital cameras, equipped with Sigma's own Camera Shake Compensation OS (Optical Stabilizer) System. This lens allows you to take indoor and evening shots without worrying about camera shake. SLD glass and aspherical lens elements deliver high image quality throughout the entire zoom range. A Super Multi-Layer Coating is used to cut down on the occurrence of flare and ghosting. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45 cm (17.7 inches) at all focal lengths and a maximum photography magnification of 1:3.9. It also has an inner focus system, so accepts a Petal-type hood, which is excellent for blocking out extraneous light, as well as a circular polarising filter

Customer Reviews

Great Product
I spent hours and days reading reviews and comparing features and prices of all zoom lenses on the market for my Canon EOS300D. I wanted a lens replacing my old Canon 18-55 kit lens which is ... well simply a kit lens. I've decided for this Sigma 18-200 all around zoom with OS (optical stabilisation) which is Sigma's version of Canon's IS and Nikon's VR. And I can't be more happy with my decision! OS works like advertised helping me get sharp images even in the bad light conditions and using long focal lengths. Image quality is superb comparing to my old lens. Of course you can't expect Canon "L" lens but who cares for such a price? Build quality is perfect and as a side effect of using quality materials lens is quite heavy. I really recommend this lens for everybody who want solid quality and don't want to change lens every 5 minutes.

Good purchase
Bought this some months ago from a small independent before it was generally available in Nikon fit with the HSM. Purchased to be able to have a lens that I could just fit to my D40 SLR and do away with all the faffing about changing lenses. Having had a previous bad 'dust on the sensor' experience with a previously owned D50 I wanted to be sure that I needed to swap lenses as few times as possible.

Since the day I bought it it has been fitted and never removed as it has suited all the photo opportunities I have encountered.

The 18-55 Kit lens has been in the box ever since and never used - simply no need - apart from size/weight which I will come onto later.

I have been very happy with the image quality the in built OS is a god send at the far end of the zoom range (note the picture does 'jump and judder' for a milli-second while the OS kicks in but this is normal).

If this lens has a down size it is it's size and bulk. Given the optics required to create the zoom range this should not be a surprise but understand this is a heavy and quite sizeable piece of kit.

I mention this because the D40 is marketed by Nikon on the strength of its weight and size - being a very easy to carry SLR - when you fit this lens you lose this advantage.

We are off to Florida shortly and for the theme parks I plan to use the kit lens just to make i that bit easier to carry - any zooming I will do 'post production' with Paint Shop pro.

Other issues - I also sometimes find the zoom ring a bit stiff, thought it might have been faulty at first but this was either down to the newness or I have got used to it.

It comes with everything you need, front and rear caps and a very nice 'petal' type lens hood.

For my money this is very good value when comparing with the Nikon equivalent - it cost just about the same as I paid at the time for my D40 - didn't want to lash out much more than the price of the camera, just for a lens - so settled on this.

A contender for the best walkabout...
at this range nothing's perfect, but this comes quite close.

Let's get the niggles out of the way first... It's quite heavy compared to say, a Canon 17-85mm IS , but then it also seems a lot more solid (and has a lot bigger range. The zoom ring is in a different place and the movement is hard, but once you're used to it, you're used to it.

It's not the fastest of lenses, but again, once you know that you can use the OS to compensate.

All that said, it is well worth the investment. It sits on my EOS400D all the time now and I have no complaints. It kind of makes you wonder why I ever bothered with a multi lens setup in the first place. I doubt I'll go back to other lenses, unless it's for a very specific subject or absolute quality within a small range.

Some reviews cite softness at mid-range, and that's a fair comment, but with a tad sharpening the results are completely acceptable and usually impressive even at A3 size, unless you're a pro, in which case you won't even be looking at this.

If it was lost or stolen, I'd buy another. 'nuff said.