Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM |C

£370/$500 A classy, contemporary lens

Hailing from the Contemporary line-up of Sigma’s Global Vision lenses, this superzoom is designed to be compact and light, with

stylish looks. It’s noticeably larger and heavier than Sigma’s 18‑200mm C lens, and is actually bulkier than the Nikon 18-300mm and Tamron 16‑300mm DSLR lenses on test.

Ultrasonic motor-driven rather than ring-type autofocus has the typical drawback that the focus ring rotates during autofocus, which impairs handling. A rudimentary focus scale is printed on the focus ring, and a macro scale on one of the inner barrels is visible during zooming. At the maximum zoom setting and minimum focus distance, the magnification ratio is 0.33x, practically the same as the Nikon and Tamron. Unlike those two lenses, there’s no weather-seal ring on the mounting plate.

Performance

Autofocus is a little sluggish but fairly quiet, and the optical stabiliser works well. The Sigma is a little sharper than the Tamron, and controls colour fringing and distortions rather better.