I've been shooting with this lens for well over 3 years now on a Digital Rebel XT. My original Canon kit lens died on me after about 200k exposures, and the Canon replacement now costs twice as much. (it was even more three years ago) So I ended up getting the Sigma as a replacement. Its a solid lens for the money, but its not without its drawbacks. As other reviewers have mentioned the auto focus isn't great, and on more than one occasion I've had to switch to manual focusing during shooting to get an in focus image. Especially when shooting a subject that is moving fast or in low light. Also the focus ring is too loose for my liking, which can make it hard to get an in focus image manually of fast moving subjects when the auto focus fails. I also don't believe the optics are quite as good as they could be, especially when compared to their Canon counterparts. However I assumed this would be the case when I bought the lens. On the other hand, this lens has long out lived its Canon predecessor and has endured years of hard use, and allowed me to have a semi-wide angle lens without going broke trying to buy a name brand replacement.
It is important to take into consideration that on a Digital Rebel, 30D, or 20D the 1.6x crop factor resulting from the smaller sensor size will effectively make this a 29-80mm lens. So if you're expecting really wide angle images, you might want to be prepared to lower your expectations a little.
If you're looking for premium optics and flawless auto focusing this probably isn't the lens for you; but if you're tight on money and need a replacement lens or simply want to experiment with a lens of this type, then the Sigma 18-55mm f/3.5 represents a great value for the money. Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC AF Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi, T1i, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, & 50D Digital SLR Cameras
Bought this lens after I broke the original 18-55 lens of my EOS Rebel xTi. The official Canon replacement was ridiculously overpriced, so I got this one. Works just fine! I can't evaluate the new lens in technical terms, I don't notice any differences between the new and old lens, except this one looks a lot more solidly built. Same filter size.
The image quality of the pictures is average (tested with Canon D450), but the bad part was Autofocus performance. It failed 50% of the time and worked mostly on the pictures were objects were at the same distance from the camera. If not, the AF sets for the lower part of the image most of the time (tested for several days with the same effect in all image conditions).
Bought it thinking it would be great wide angle lens, it was not much better than my Canon 18-55mm lens that came with my T1i. If your looking to replace 18-55mm lens, then I would buy this one because the price is unbeatable. As far as construction, I have to give it to Sigma. The feel and weight distribution slightly better than the Canon lens.
In addition, it came with a hood. really nice add-on. If your looking to replace your 55mm lens, this is the one. If you want an extra good lens, this is the one. If you want Wide Angle Shots, not the one.
Overall, I am keeping this lens, just in case, my orginal breaks down.
This is the best under 100.00 lens I've purchased. I clicked off a few practice shots with my 40D before wrapping it as a gift for my son. We went out to shoot some cityscapes and the lens performed well. The focus speed is on par with the 10D capabilities. If you need a wide angle zoom and can find this lens...buy it.
after i lost my canon lens 18-55mm, i was shopping around to buy a new one,well the canon was over price,i guest you pay for the name.i came across the sigma 18-50mm,price was whit in my budget.i took my chance and order,shipping was excellent. this lens are better build,picture i don't see any different,aim very happy,i will give then six star but you can only give five,great lens
I bought this lens for my Rebel XT after I broke the stock lens that came with it. I must say, this lens might actually better than the stock lens Canon provided with my camera and at a cheaper price. Definitely a really good buy and would recommend it to anyone looking for a really good low-end lens.
Want to say this is my first review also I'm not a professional with dslr, truth being after talking to a friend at work about photography. I decided to dip my feet into the dslr world getting a Canon Rebel XS body with this lens, after playing around I find taking photos with this lens a real treat. Very crisp, sharp even trick my girl friend's daughter thinking a photo was a movie. Mostly taking photos of my tarantulas, with some outside day shots.
Night shots are not really ideal, but learning how to manual set it up is possible. From a beginner point of view you'll learn pretty quick how to use with out the need of image stabilization and playing around with different settings to your needs. Hope you enjoy this lens as much as I do. - Digital Slr - Photography - Autofocus - Sigma'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
