Not compatible with 35mm or digital cameras with larger image sensor than APS-C size
The Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens offers a high zoom ratio lens solution to digital SLR cameras, allowing you to zoom from wide-angle to long telephoto. It provides the equivalent focal range of approx. 29-200mm when used with a Canon digital SLR camera(*). This lens has now been updated with the OS (Optical Stabilizer) system, which minimizes image blur caused by camera shake, and offers the equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed 3-4 stops faster. This allows handheld telephoto zoom shooting even in poorly lit conditions.
The 18-125mm's optical design incorporates aspherical lenses and SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass, which provides the utmost correction for all types of aberrations. It also enables this high zoom ratio lens to be housed in a compact and lightweight construction.
DC lenses are exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. The image circle (rear of lens) is sized to match the smaller dimensions used for the image sensor on digital cameras. As a result these lenses are also more compact and lightweight, and are better matched to digital SLR cameras.
Note! (*) Not suitable for 35mm film SLR cameras or for any digital SLR camera with image sensor bigger than APS-C size, e.g. 1D series or Kodak Pro SLR/c.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 18 - 125 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/3.8 - 5.6 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Canon EF-S |
| Format Compatibility | Canon (APS-C) |
| Angle of View | 69.3° - 11.4° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.15' (35.05 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.26x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:3.8 |
| Groups/Elements | 12/16 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 67 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.9 x 3.5" (7.37 x 8.89 cm) |
| Weight | 1.11 lb (503 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Most Liked Positive Review
Great lens if you can put up with noise
This is an exceptional walk-around lens. The photo quality is wonderful. Not too heavy or bulky. There is one significant problem that is emerging from many users, which is the only reason I ...Read complete review
This is an exceptional walk-around lens. The photo quality is wonderful. Not too heavy or bulky. There is one significant problem that is emerging from many users, which is the only reason I did not give this 5 stars. The OS gears rarely stop turning. Instead of coming on only when using the OS, you can hear an annoying chatter noise from inside the lens for at least a minute. It stays this way until you press the shutter release half-way. Then it wakes up and stays on forever again. This is true whether the OS is physically turned on or not. This is a big problem that must be addressed by Sigma. I certainly must have a detrimental effect on camera battery life, not to mention possible lens life issues. I returned my first lens of this model to B&H, thinking it was defective (major judos to B&H for helping with this!). The replacement lens exhibited the same problem. Internet posts from other users confirm the issue. Interestingly, the new Sigma 150-500 OS HSM that I also purchases exhibits no noise at all. Overall, if you can put up with the noise, this is an awesome lens. I only wish they made it in an 18-200+
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Most Liked Negative Review
Error 99 on Rebel XTi
I like everything about this lense, except I was getting intermittent Error 99 Impossible to take the picture..............turn the camera off and back on messages when used ...Read complete review
I like everything about this lense, except I was getting intermittent Error 99 Impossible to take the picture..............turn the camera off and back on messages when used with my Rebel XTi. I do not get this error with any other of my lenses. Sigma says maybe this particular lense is bad. I chose to return for a refund until I can find out more about the situation. I do not know all the conditions that cause this to happen, but I could force it with F6.3 at 160 shutter speed at ISO 400. Time will tell if I try again.[...]
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 21 customers
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
This is not a professional lens but its excellent for a passionate amateur and we are very happy with it and strongly recommend it.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I Use this product with my Canon 60D....
What I love about this camera is that it is very clear at day time.
BAD resolution with low-light conditions
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
fantastic
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I can use this lens for almost all of my photographic needs. I do landscape photography as well as portraits and macro. This lens fits all these needs. I really like the 18-125 range. It's great not to have to keep changing lenses. I haven't found a thing to complain about yet!
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
It's practicly The only lens I have to use now.
Lightweigth. Over all very convinient.
It's very very good
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
well made, sharp
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
So far, I have been shooting casually with this lens; as well as using it for still-lifes. I am happy with the clarity and quality of the images. My main complaint is the extreme delayed reaction when depressing the shutter button which occurs more frequently than I would have hoped.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
The lens is used for advanced amature photography including events such as equestrian, wedding, partys.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I am still new to this lens but so far the pictures have turned out awesome. Other then the sound of the OS motor running constantly making a small but very unnoticeable grinding noise, it has been a good lens. The AF is quick and efficient. Great lens to have in your arsenal!
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I got this lens about a month and a half ago and I have been pleased with it so far. It is my second walk-around lens for my Canon XTi. My default lens is the Sigma 17-70mm Macro, which I'll use if I don't need extra "reach" in low light conditions, or I know I'll be using a flash.
I bought this lens after doing some research. It takes a lot more money to get a significantly better lens. Since most of what I do winds up at 72 dpi, why not save the money?
I have read complaints about the fact that the optical stabilization system makes noise and is hunting all the time. I agree that this will cause extra wear, but the noise is quiet and does not bother me. It does drain on the camera battery, but just a bit. This does further relegate this lens to "second walk around", along with the fact that my 17-70mm lens is sharper.
It is good to fill the frame with the subject. It is not the sharpest lens when subjected to very close scrutiny. There is color aberration and it is a bit soft. But with minimal cropping, it is plenty sharp, even at high resolution. Too, there is a bit of barrel and pin cushion distortion at full wide angle and full telephoto, respectively.
The zoom is smooth and the lens has a good quality feel. The focus throw is very short, so manual focus takes practice. It does have some zoom creep, but it can be locked at 18mm for transport. I would like to see this lens with a fixed minimum aperture of f/3.5 or f/4 to help with low light conditions, but I'm sure that would raise the price significantly. I like the fact that the front element does not rotate, and that the lens comes with a petal shade (which is an annoying adder with some lenses).
My principal use of this lens is indoor candid photography, and for that, it works well. However, a stabilized lens helps make the camera appear steady, but it won't stabilize your subject! This could make for some interesting effects. Too, pushing this lens (or any other lens) under low light and telephoto conditions makes focusing critical, as there is little depth of field.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
Excelent quality and price!
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
This lens seems like a good value for the price. The IQ seemed good and i loved the zoom range. But the focus or IS motor seems to run constantly when the camera is on and the noise is troubling...what is that motor doing to my camera's battery charge when it runs constantly? I returned for a refund. B&H is awesome to deal with on such returns.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I've had this lens for about six months now and must say i had my doubts at first. within the first few days out of the box the OS started messing up. when it would focus from something up close to something far away or vice versa the image through the view finder shake up and down and then the lens wouldn't focus on anything at all. after turning the camera off and waiting a while it would go back to normal, but still continued. right before i was ready to send it back it stopped happening. i tried to get it to happen again and couldn't. i originally bought it for a wedding that i was going to photograph and i put it through 13+ hours of shooting and it worked perfectly and produced beautifully sharp images. I've been able to shoot as low as 1/4 shutter speed with OS on. auto-focus is decently fast but could be quicker. if your thinking of buying this for sports the AF might be a little to slow. and the sound that people say they hear from the OS is really not that bad. you can only hear it when you have the camera to your face.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I was looking for a lens with a better focal lenght range than the kit 18-55 lens. I found this one to be perfect, because of the focal lenght, the OS, the HSM and the reasonable price for the features.
It is a good lens, but I didn't give it full mark because sometimes the images seem not to be in perfect focus and perfectly sharp. I thought that the quality under that point of view would have been better.
It makes a high pitched noise (probably because of the OS, but you can hear it even if you turn it off), but I don't find it annoying.
The HSM is quiet and fast.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
Has bought this lens and at once has left with it for holiday. All pictures did only by this objective. I have received huge quantity of excellent portraits, landscapes and stages of the wild nature
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I was anticipating the release of this lens for months. Finally a lens that has a decent amount of reach, while being able to back off to 18mm for landscapes. The focal length is probably the best part of this lens, its the perfect walk-around focal length. I thought its image quality would also be great and the IS and HSM would make this lens unbeatable. I was wrong
To test it out I tripoded my XTi and switched between my 18-55 non IS kit lens and this sigma, the kit lens outperfomed the sigma at all focal lengths I shot at up to 55mm. The IS really does work good but it makes an annoying high pitched ringing noise.
The image quality really wasnt up to my standards, and this lens isnt worth 400 dollars in my opinion. I did have a few good shots, but i prefer the kit lens over this lens
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
Great range, sharp lens. Stabilization works great. Took it on vacation right after getting it and ended up using it about 80% of the time. Used it with a Canon 40D.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
I like everything about this lense, except I was getting intermittent Error 99 Impossible to take the picture..............turn the camera off and back on messages when used with my Rebel XTi. I do not get this error with any other of my lenses. Sigma says maybe this particular lense is bad. I chose to return for a refund until I can find out more about the situation. I do not know all the conditions that cause this to happen, but I could force it with F6.3 at 160 shutter speed at ISO 400. Time will tell if I try again.[...]
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
This lens takes great photos. The only two issues I have noticed is that the lens makes a constant faint grinding noise, that is presumably the OS. It stops after about a minute, but then starts again when you wake-up the camera by pushing the shutter release half-way. I've also noticed a slight rattle when walking with the lens and camera around by neck. It's not loose on the body. It is something internal. Perhaps all normal. Perhaps manufacturing defects on a first release. Wonderful quality photos nevertheless.
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Comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM Lens for Canon Digital EOS:
Nice feel about it. Solid. The HSM keeps it nice and quiet. A very nice range. I sold my Tamron 17-50 because I needed more reach. This lens has produced more keepers than the Tamron lens would. Probally because of the OS and the extra reach.
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