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

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

Customer Rating:
Summary: very satisfied
Comment: I PURCHASED THIS LENS FOR MY NEW CANON XSI. IT HAS PROVEN TO BE ALL THAT IT CLAIMED TO BE. IT IS SHARP EASY TO USE & GIVES GREAT RESULTS. I WANTED AN ALL AROUND EVERY DAY LENS THAT COULD GET ME CLOSE TO A DISTANT SUBJECT WITHOUT THE INCONVIENENCE OF CHANGING LENSES. THE RANGE IS GOOD OPTICAL STABILIZATION WORKS WELL & IT IS AN ALL AROUND PLEASURE TO USE.
THE ONLY DOWN SIDE IS IT IS QUITE HEAVY & YOU MUST GET USED TO IT. THE FOCUS RING CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR THE ZOOM RING SO YOU MUST BE AWARE WHICH RING YOU ARE USING AS YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE FOCUS RING IF THE LENS IS SET TO AF AT THE RISK OF DAMAGING THE MECHANISIM. I WOULD RECOMEND THS LENS TO A FREIND

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the price!
Comment: I bought this lens to go with my d40 and it worked without a problem. I have since gotten the d90 and use the lens with that body again, with no problem. This could be the only lens you ever need since it does everything! This lens replaced the 18-55 and 55-200 I was using previously. The only time I change lenses now is to my 50mm f/1.8 for certain shots, otherwise this lens is always on my camera.

Of course there is no such thing as a free lunch since this lens does have a few(minor) problems. It has dark corners but it does not bother me one bit! A little adjustment in lightroom and all is fixed. It loses a LITTLE sharpness along the very edges but again, is no problem. You can not tell unless you below the pictures up to HUGE sizes on your screen. These are things that guys who only shoot test charts worry about. Just use it, take great pictures and fix any little problems in post production.

So to wrap up, I recommend this lens unless you are made of money then go with the Nikon 18-200mm .

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good range but a little softer for my liking
Comment: I had to return this. This lens was a little softer for my liking. Got some very good shots thou. At full zoom, the pictures are not as sharp as i would want them to be, but again, great for teh price!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I like it.
Comment: I am not a professional. I searched around for a lens that I would not have to be changing and does well in low light conditions. This lens is doing a very good job for both. It is a little heavy but not that bad. Very nice lens for the price.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: From a complete Amateur: I like this lens
Comment: Though I'm still learning the SLR ropes, I'm a very plodding, picky buyer, and I don't buy anything over $30.00 unless I've done research. Yes, I'm "One of those."

I wanted to find a good all-around lens for a Rebel XTi: I spend time at a remote lodge in Alaska, and the Central Valley of California. My wife and I like to travel. I don't like carrying around a lot of stuff. I want quality glass, but I know that I don't need professional gear. These are some of the things I knew going into this.

Round one of research had me reading a LOT of reviews. Here. Photography sites. Blogs. Anything Google could pull up.

Round two of research involved me bugging all of my photog friends, professionals and hobbyists.

After comparing cost, specs, my eventual use patterns, and recommendations, I chose this lens (One professional photog friend flat-out told me to buy this lens, too).

Final thoughts:

1. This is totally new to me. I used to be a waterproof, point-and-shoot guy. This lens allows me to take pictures that I only dreamed of taking, before. I know that Ansel Adams could take a better pic with a disposable -compared to what I compose- but I feel more confident in my ability to capture something I want to remember.

2. 200mm is great. 300mm would be awesome, but I understand that I would then have a much bigger lens swinging from my neck. Not fun when hiking in Alaska... or just about anywhere, really. I am an amateur. I will handle the loss of 100mm. I also like having the wide angle, as Alaska wilderness and California farm country screams for big shots.

3. The stability is nice, when I need it. I've found that I don't use the stability very much, but when I do, it's GREAT. When confronted by a cow moose and two calves at 2am in Alaska this summer, the stability option was the only tool that gave me anything resembling a pic in such low light, with the lens fully extended (even though it was blurry, I wanted proof that they were on the lawn). I will not post this pic because it's simply horrible, but please trust me that I'm telling the truth. If I'd had a tripod or a tree handy, the shot would have actually worked.

4. As others have said, the zoom and focus rings are quite close. I make it a point to tell EVERYONE that handles my camera to be cautious when the lens focus is on auto.

5. The lens focuses quite quickly. Some in-laws have a standard, no-bells 200mm Tamron. The Tamron is slower than this lens, and theirs seemed to search more in dappled or lower light (they have the same camera). This lens can search in low light where there's not much contrast, but pulses from the flash seem to provide the ability to focus immediately.

6. The little lock on the lens seems like a total drag, at first, but I've gotten used to it, and don't even notice it's there: My fingers automatically hit the lock and the camera's power switch at the same time.

7. This might sound silly, but I liked getting a hood with the lens. I actually used it in Alaska, to good effect (lake shots, animal shots).


CONCLUSION: A good lens for a good price. It doesn't have 300mm, and it's not a 2.8, but it does what it's meant to do very well. A great all-around.

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