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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 for Canon RF Mount Review

Within a few weeks of completing the Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 DG DN II Art lens review, it was time to head out once again with another milestone Sigma lens. The newly developed Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Canon RF Mount provides a similar wide to short telephoto zoom range as the full-frame Art model, and ushers in a new era for Canon mirrorless cameras. It is the very first autofocus zoom produced by a third-party lens manufacturer for the EOS R system, and what a fantastic lens to start with.

Our Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 for Canon RF Lens Review gets hands-on with the compact APS-C format zoom lens, shares a variety of sample images, and explores what Canon creators can expect from this first-ever Sigma RF mount lens.

Whether you’ve been waiting patiently for this model to arrive, are considering buying one for your content creation, or simply want to know how the Sigma lens for Canon performs, continue reading to find out more.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @41mm. Camera settings: 1/2500 sec. f/2.8. ISO 100

Sigma 18-50mm for Canon RF Mount sample images

Nick Dautlich was fortunate to have the new Sigma zoom throughout a weekend and produced a variety of sample images, capturing architecture, landscapes, flowers, and close-ups. The lens also excels at portraits, street photography and more, and he hopes to expand this sample gallery when the opportunity arises.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @35mm. Camera settings: 1/200 sec. f/8. ISO 100

How much is the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 Canon Lens?

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Canon RF MOUnt costs £479.00 and arrives as the first third-party zoom with autofocus for the system. This attractive price point will definitely create great interest among photographers and video creators who use Canon mirrorless cameras.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @35mm. Camera settings: 1/640 sec. f/2.8. ISO 100

When did the Sigma 18-50mm for Canon RF Mount launch?

Having released the original 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary lens in 2021 for E and L-mounts, Sigma revisited the design to specifically develop the focus system and other aspects for Canon’s RF mount. This was completed, and the Sigma 18-50mm for Canon was released on June 25, 2024.

What does RF-S mean?

This RF-S lens, and Canon own-brand lenses with RF-S are designed for APS-C format crop sensor mirrorless cameras, like the EOS R7, EOS R100, R50, and R10. However, the RF mount is identical, allowing crop format lenses on full-frame cameras, which will automatically crop the image area.

Canon’s 1.6x crop factor means that the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary lens provides a full-frame equivalent zoom range of 28.8mm to 80mm, which is slightly longer than a traditional 24-70mm lens, whilst maintaining a bright constant aperture. This leads us on to the most important features that the lens provides.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @50mm. Camera settings: 1/640 sec. f/2.8. ISO 100

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Lens Canon RF Key features

Sigma's Contemporary range of lenses offers numerous appealing features for creators, and the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Lens for Canon RF Mount is ultra-compact and notably lightweight, in line with the range. Despite its light weight, the lens maintains a constant bright f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range.

Other key features include:

• Designed specifically for Canon mirrorless cameras
• Zoom range of 28.8-80mm on a crop sensor camera (full-frame equivalent)
• f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range
• Weighs 300g and measures 74.5mm long
• 7 rounded diaphragm blade
• High-speed AF mechanism
• Compatible with in-camera aberration correction
• Minimum focusing distance of 12.1cm (wide) with a maximum magnification of 1:2.8
• Rubber-sealed mount
• 55mm filter thread

It was instantly noticeable how small and lightweight the lens is when paired with a crop format camera, which was the Canon EOS R7 in this case.

Sample by Etsuko Aimu. With EOS R and lens @50mm. Camera settings: 1/4000 sec. f/2.8. ISO 100

What is an 18-50mm lens good for?

The lens was perfectly balanced on a smaller APS-C sensor body and extremely lightweight for handholding. This ensures you can leave the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN mounted on a Canon mirrorless body all day from sunrise to sunset and capture virtually anything from landscapes to portraits to movies.

Suitable subjects include:

• Portraits, lifestyle and head shots
• Landscapes
• Cityscapes and street photography
• Documentary
• Weddings and events
• Travel photography
• Close-ups and macro-styled shots
• Video
• General snapshots

The ability to zoom to an equivalent 80mm offers a useful short telephoto range, which, combined with the bright aperture, renders smooth backgrounds with slight compression. This is ideal for portraits and subject-driven shots where you want separation, featuring a sharp subject and beautifully blurry backgrounds.

Likewise the wide end of the zoom range is ideal for landscapes, cities and shots which include more in the frame. The wide end is also where you can get incredibly close to your subject (12.1cm), while benefiting from the high magnification ratio.

This extends the versatility to include close-up photos and videos, allowing you to capture pictures where the subject fills the frame, just like with macro shots.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @21mm. Camera settings: 1/320 sec. f/9. ISO 100

How is image quality?

Sigma is no stranger to designing bitingly sharp lenses and this particular Contemporary zoom managed to resolve the R7’s 32.5 megapixel sensor without any fuss. Centre sharpness when shooting wide open at f/2.8 was stellar, and you can achieve beautiful colours, with smooth defocus from the 7-bladed diaphragm.

The optical formula is simpler than some Art-series lenses, which are Sigma’s most premium, professional range. However, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN does include 1 SLD and 3 aspherical lenses within the 13 elements, which are arranged into 10 groups.

These special optics help to reduce chromatic aberration and other optical flaws, which the lens did well during this first impressions review. Whichever subjects you shoot you’ll be suitably impressed with the quality that you can achieve.

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @19 mm. Camera settings: 1/80 sec. f/2.8. ISO 250

What is Autofocus performance like?

Sigma redeveloped the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN lens specifically for the Canon RF mount with a new control algorithm, which included optimising the AF drive and communication speed. Autofocus was exceptionally quick and accurate when shooting with the R7, with the camera tracking subjects' faces and eyes remarkably well.

This is due to the fast focus motor in the lens, along with full compatibility with Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II.I also noted that lens AF was extremely quiet, which is ideal for creators who capture subjects

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @21 mm. Camera settings: 1/80 sec. f/5.6. ISO 125

Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary Specs

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @18 mm. Camera settings: 1/400 sec. f/7.1. ISO 100

Best accessories

Thanks to the compact 55mm filter thread you can add cost-effective lens filters when needed. These might include a protective UV filter, which is particularly useful when shooting at the extremely close distances that the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary is capable of.

You can also add a circular polariser to control reflections and contrast outdoors, or a variable ND filter for moviemaking. We also introduced Kase filters recently, which could be utilised on this lens for landscapes and other subjects.

55mm filter options include:

1. Hoya 55mm Fusion One Next Protector Filter
2. Hoya 55mm UX II PL-CIR Circular Polariser Filter
3. Hama 55mm Variable ND Filter or the Hoya 55mm Variable Density II Filter

Sample with EOS R7. Lens @50 mm. Camera settings: 1/80 sec. f/5.6. ISO 200

Conclusion

The long awaited Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary for Canon RF Mount is a versatile, lightweight zoom lens for Canon APS-C mirrorless cameras. Featuring a bright f/2.8 aperture, it excels in low light and provides smooth background blur, extending its versatility for a wide range of subjects.

With an equivalent full-frame zoom range of 28.8-80mm, it's perfect for portraits, landscapes, street photography, and as a single multi-purpose zoom lens you can leave on all day. The fast, quiet autofocus ensures precise tracking and is fully compatible with Canon AF systems, making it suitable for both photographers and videographers.

At 300g this is an especially portable lens too, making it perfect for creators who want the benefits of a bright zoom, without the bulk of an Art series lens. It’s also the first ever third party option for Canon shooters, who will no doubt be eying this keenly for their content creation, and a positive sign of things to come from Sigma.

Order your Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Canon RF Mount today and discover how this compact zoom can transform your photography and video.

If you’re selling an old lens to upgrade, why not get a fast and free quotation and use the money you make to offset against the cost of this notable zoom from Sigma.

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By Nick Dautlich on 25/06/2024