Sigma C 18-50 mm f/2.8 DC DN – first impressions and sample images - Introduction

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Sigma C 18-50 mm f/2.8 DC DN – first impressions and sample images

19 October 2021

Arkadiusz Olech

1. Introduction

I've been wondering for some time whether or not I can call myself a professional photographer. On the one hand I partially earn my living by taking photos; the problem is, more often than not these are photos of different testing charts, hardly a topic worth professional photography. Many people might say that also my ideas concerning dimensions of sensors aren't on par with those of a professional – after all a real pro doesn't even look at anything smaller than full frame and if they are forced to do so, they show nothing but contempt...

Of course I am joking and deliberately going over the top but it doesn't change the fact that I like smaller sensors. The APS-C format is, in my opinion, a very sensible solution, offering you an excellent image quality while allowing you to construct small, shapely, lightweight optics and camera bodies.

Because of my views, unworthy of a professional, I do regret so few companies treat smaller sensors seriously. Nikon tried to do so at the beginning of the digital era - it lasted only up to a point, ending when they got an access to full frame sensors.

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Sigma C 18-50 mm f/2.8 DC DN – first impressions and sample images - Introduction

Then most of companies considered such systems as toys for amateurs, filling them with cheap, dark 18-55 zooms, 18-200 or 18-300 mm megazooms, quite basic 1.8/35 primes and such. Few brand name producers have been offering really fast fixed focal length lenses.

After a launch of mirrorless cameras the situation changed just slightly. Only Fujifilm tackled the topic of smaller sensors, offering a very successful X system. Sony got engaged seriously at first, but when they launched full frame optics they put both lenses and bodies designed for APS-C sensor in second place. The Canon EF-M, after a decade of presence on the market, can offer you just eight lenses, one fast prime among them. When Nikon got rid of the madness called Nikon 1 system, they started to develop DX sensors as a part of their Nikon Z mirrorless project but so far we have been shown just cheap zoom lenses dedicated to it.

Fortunately idependent producers try to save the day and Sigma is here an excellent example. They have constructed three well-put-together fixed-focal f/1.4 lenses for mirrorless cameras with smaller sensors – it is more than Canon, Nikon, and Sony combined...

Still it wasn't their last word – they've just presented the Sigma C 18-50 mm f/2.8 DC DN, a very compact universal lens which, at the beggining, will be offered as Sony E and L-mount versions. Its pre-production specimen has been sent to our editorial office and now we can share with You our first impressions – enjoy Your lecture!

We would like to thank K-Consult, the distributor of Sigma products on the Polish market, for a very fast delivery of the pre-production model of this lens. We do appreciate this tactics as it enables our Readers to get something more than just a dry list of parameters and a vague press release. Of course full tests will have to wait till we get the final specimen of that lens.