Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary Review
The Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM belongs to the lineup of Global Vision lenses from Sigma and fits in the Contemporary range (as marked by a C). The lens is meant for cameras that have an APS-C sensor. The mounts available for it are – Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma and Sony A. While the lens simply doesn’t have the longest possible focal length, it does make for a superzoom lens that has a lot of potential.
Build and design
First off, the Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM is made up of composite material and weighs lighter than previous superzoom lens models. Also, it is designed to be smaller and it has a pretty attractive look.
The lens is black in color and has a sort of matte finish. The zoom and manual focus rings through have been coated in rubber. The base of the lens hood is also rubber coated and that makes it easy for installation and removal.
The lens is not weather sealed and makes use of small 62mm filters. It is also compatible with a Sigma USB dock that allows lens’ firmware to be updated when needed.
Focal length
The Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM has DC in its name, meaning that it is only compatible with DSLR models having the APS-C/1.6x FOVCF sensor format. When mounted, the lens provides an angle of view of about 28.8-300mm. this range of focal length covers the wide-angle requirements in a general purpose lens and also surpasses the telephoto focal length.
The lens is largely meant for travel and family use, at least going by the range of focal lengths.
Sharpness
At 18mm, the Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM shows maximum sharpness at the center of the frame between f/4 and f/11. Sharpness is reasonable at the corners as well. Further, at f/16 and f/22, softness starts to show up.
This situation is similar across all focal lengths.
Chromatic aberration
The lens does show a good amount of control over chromatic aberrations. However, you can surely notice some in areas of images that have a high amount of contrast. For normal sizes, this shouldn’t be a problem though. It is only visible when pictures are viewed at 100 percent.
Shading/Vignetting
When shooting at 18mm and at the widest aperture f/3.5, some light does drop off in the corners of an image. This reduces a little at f/4 and is almost nil at f/5.6. Considering that f/4.0 is a wide aperture, the lens does perform decently.
Other focal lengths limit the maximum apertures. At 200mm, i.e. the longest focal length, the maximum aperture is f/6.3. A large amount of light falls off at the edges here and it is almost the same for f/8. This is then gone by f/11.
Distortion
When shooting geometric subjects at wide focal lengths, i.e. 18 and 28mm, you will notice some amount of distortion. Again, getting too close to a subject brings about distortion as well.
Focusing
The lens is capable of focusing well in a variety of conditions. However, it certainly takes a little longer when the lighting conditions are low. False focus confirmation rarely occurs but it does struggle to lock in under dark conditions.
Macro
The Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM can be a good alternative if you don’t have a macro lens. Its minimum focusing distance is 39cm and has a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.
The Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM is an apt lens for someone that does not like changing lenses frequently. It is good for travelling and is light. Also, it is good for nature and wildlife photography as a telephoto zoom lens.
This model is available at our Singapore camera shop now.
The Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Review By DG Electronics