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Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC IF Aspherical Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras | 
 enlarge | Brand: Sigma
Category: Photography
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $268.40
You Save: $131.59 (33%)
New (1) Used (2) from $190.00
Rating:  9 reviews
Media: Electronics
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Optical Zoom: 6.9
Maximum Focal Length: 125
Minimum Focal Length: 18
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.1 x 4.1
MPN: B0002CNYL8
Model: B0002CNYL8
UPC: 085126789275
EAN: 0411378010353
ASIN: B0002CNYL8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 6.9x zoom ratio with focal length of 18 to 125 millimeters | | • | Inner focusing system allows attachment of petal-shaped hoods and filters | | • | Low dispersion glass produces high optimal performance throughout zoom range | | • | 19.6-inch minimum focusing distance | | • | Designed for use with Canon digital SLR cameras |
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Product Description
This zoom lens was exclusively designed for use with digital Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and has 6.9 times high magnification zoom ratio. Image circle is designed to match the size of the image sensor of digital SLR cameras. A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and two pieces of aspherical glass elements produce high level of optical performance through the entire zoom range and also this has resulted in a compact, lightweight lens. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (19.6in.) at all focal lengths and equipped with inner focusing system. Since the front of the lens does not rotate, "Petal Shaped Hood" and a circular polarizing filter can be easily attached and used. This lens is also equipped with "Zoom Lock Switch" that eliminates "Zoom Creep".
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Master of the Seventh Ray May 27, 2008
Mr. A. Pomeroy (Wiltshire, England)
I've had one of these since February. The lens has a surprising dearth of reviews on the internet, which worried me a little bit, but I found a Japanese website that had some picture samples, and they put my mind at ease. Given the low price and wide zoom range, I am still very impressed. I have taken a couple of thousand images in a mixture of outdoors and indoors locations, about two-thirds of them in a studio, using studio flash units, with the lens stopped down to f11 or thereabouts. If you're doing shots of people, the zoom range goes from a full body shot, to head-and-shoulders, to full-face, without you having to walk backwards and forwards, potentially tripping over cables etc.
I have been using it on a 1.6x crop body, and I haven't noticed any purple fringing, which was my main worry. It's a bit soft around the edges when zoomed in, and there's noticeable barrel fully wide, but - perhaps because I'm using it with a cropped sensor, or perhaps because I'm easily pleased - I have no real complaints about the image quality. There is a fair amount of flare when shooting into studio lights; the supplied lens hood fits well, but it's very small. The zoom ring feels smooth, and it goes from wide to tele easily and quickly, with just enough resistance. It's stiff and awkward to use if you point the camera up or down, but horizontally it's fine. The focus motor whirrs a bit but it's not disturbing. You have to accept the f3.5-5.6 limitation, it's pretty standard for a lens of this range.
There are a few issues against it. The lens is lightweight, but it's also quite big and bulky, especially when extended to its full length. In fact it looks a little rude when it is extended. It doesn't feel very solid. The most substantive issue is focussing. The few reviews I have read mention a "back focussing" problem whereby the lens gets the focus slightly wrong; not enough to notice in the viewfinder or on the LCD, but present nonetheless. When I half-press the shutter button, the lens focusses; if I then momentarily let go of the shutter button, and quickly half-press it again, the lens focusses a tiny bit more. It seems to take two goes to focus properly. As a consequence of this I tend to focus twice, at which point it locks in solidly. I don't have a problem with this, because I tend to focus twice with every lens, just to make sure, but you might not be too keen.
Obviously, as this is a "designed for digital" lens, it's no use with a full-frame sensor. I have attached it to my 35mm Canon EOS 600, just to see what it is like. At 18mm it's like looking down a toilet roll tube, with a large black circular border that creates an odd quasi-fisheye effect. At 125mm there is no border, but you get loads of vignetting. It's the kind of effect you might use once.
Overall I enjoy this lens. For the price it is very handy. From what I have read there are many better zoom lenses that go from e.g. 17-55/85mm and from 55-200+mm, and there are a lot that go from e.g. 28-100+mm, but I can't think of any that go all the way between the two extremes of very wide and fairly tele.
As a postscript, I have also tried this lens on an old Canon D30 body (not 30D) without any problems. From what I have read, Canon's EF-S lenses have trouble with the older D30/D60 bodies, but Sigma's EF-S-esque DC lenses seem to work fine, or at least this particular lens worked fine.
 Great general purpose lens September 9, 2007
R. Beach (California, USA)
For work I take a lot of photos with my Canon EOS 20D, and I needed an all-around, general purpose lens. The Sigma 18-125mm is a useful tool that offers good macro usage, nice wide-angle shots (with little vignetting), and is just a good all-purpose lens.
The zoom mechanism is a little louder than I'm used to, but it isn't distracting. The lens, as far as feel, is sturdy but lightweight.
Overall, this is an excellent all-purpose lens.
All around great lens March 15, 2007
KC (San Francisco, CA)
Although it's not the fastest lens, it's great for outdoor shooting. I love the range that it gives me so I don't have to lug around lots of focal lengths. I use this more than any other lens. And for the price, it's an excellent buy.
 Doesn't focus December 12, 2006
Aki Tanaka (Sunnyvale, CA United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
After using that lens for 2 years, I had to sell it. It simply doesn't focus properly, and this is for all the lenses, not just the one I bought, as I checked others in the store afterwards. Simply zoom in onto your picture you will notice that what looked to be focused is not. I bought another one from another manufacturer, and make comparison over a month trial, and indeed the lens doesn't have a very accurate focus. Plus the range doesn't exist in my other manufacturers because it's not easy to build a high quality lens for a cheap price with such a high range.
Very versatile lens with acceptable shortcomings. August 10, 2005
P. M. Ip (Cleveland, OH)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
The good:
Excellent value. Has a very wide range so I can do wide landscapes, great macro shots, and everything else in between. The lens is also very light and compact. Makes a great walkaround lens. I went on a 3 week trip with this as my only lens, and I was very happy with it. AF is a twitch off, but close to perfect. All pics are super sharp.
The bad:
Noisy, slow autofocus compared to the kit lens as well as the 28-135 IS USM. No full time manual focus, and the switch for AF/MF gets switched to MF a lot when I take it out of my bag. There's also some vignetting around the corners that's noticeable in really bright scenes.
All in all, I still think it's a great value and I definitely recommend it.
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