Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HS M | C £370/$500

TH IS BIGGER SIGMA IS A MORE ATTRACTIVE BUY

Measuring 79x102mm and weighing 585g, this is one of the bigger and heavier lenses on test, but it’s still manageable and feels well balanced, even on lighter weight DSLR bodies. It certainly goes large on zoom range, with a telephoto reach equivalent to 450mm in fullframe terms, although it can’t match the Tamron 16-300mm for ultra-wide viewing angles.

Very similar in look and feel to the Sigma 18-200mm, it also uses TSC (Thermally Stable Composite) barrel sections, made from a high-grade plastic that’s resistant to expansion and contraction during temperature changes. While both lenses have a 0.33x maximum magnification rating, Sigma offers an optional ‘close-up lens’ for the 18300mm, which screws into the filter attachment thread.

Performance

Autofocus is a little pedestrian and it would be nice if the manual focus ring didn’t rotate during AF. However, thanks to the inclusion of top-grade FLD (Fluorite Low Dispersion) elements, this lens outguns the Sigma 18-200mm for sharpness.