What to look for…

Check out the feature list to avoid disappointment

ZOOM RANGE

You need to take the 1.5x crop factor or ‘focal length multiplier’ into account when working out the ‘effective’ zoom range on a DX format camera.

VIBRATION REDUCTION

All of the lenses in this group, apart from the Sigma 14-24mm, feature optical stabilization, ideal for Nikon DSLRS as they all lack in-body stabilization.

AUTOFOCUS TYPE

Ring-type ultrasonic autofocus is the historical favourite but ‘pulse’ stepping motor systems are becoming more popular in many categories of lens.

DX DELIGHTS

DX format lenses tend to be more compact, lightweight and inexpensive, as they only need to produce a relatively small APS-C sized image circle.

APERTURE RATING

A fast aperture rating of f/2.8 that remains constant throughout the zoom range is generally preferred for ‘professional’ grade wide-angle, standard and telephoto zooms.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

The lenses in this test group for DX format cameras are fairly compact and lightweight but the Sigma FX format telephoto zooms are rather larger and heavier.