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I scored quite a deal for the Quantaray version of this lens. Some of the Sigma lenses are rebranded into Quantaray (among other brands I think) lenses with exactly the same optics and most of their external design. Looking for these deals might be a good idea if you don't mind what the tag on your lens says and you wouldn't mind the savings! I have had a Sigma version before and after using and selling it at one point, I missed the quality of this superzoom... and visited my buddy Mr. E. Bai. Having a superzoom is nice for obvious reasons, but when you shoot mainly a larger 1D/1Ds body, getting one for your backup cropped body will make you feel like you've been freed by the compactness. I've shot with superzooms for fullframe back in the day and these new ones are really getting better (and OS/IS/VC?!?). I think people now most often mistaken all superzooms to be too much of a trade off for image quality. Certainly, there are compromises with image quality, but it really is not that much, especially for the casual shooter (you're not going to take this out for a paid shoot anyways!) You really have to try this one out to appreciate the progress. Anyhow, I've used similar lenses, including the Canon 18-200mm IS. I find the Sigma sharper at focal lengths I care about and better built... oh yeah, and cheaper. Pick up a bargain one and free yourself of lenses and gear!! (at least some of the time). **UPDATE May, 2009: Just thought I'll let everyone know that this puppy is made for 1.6x field of view crop digital bodies (50D, 1000D, 500D, etc.), i.e. DSLRs with an EF-s mount. HOWEVER, it actually has an EF mount to fit on older cropped bodies before the EF-s mount was introduced (e.g. 10D, D30--not 30D, and older). AND THE MAGIC HERE is that I have mounted it on my Canon 1Dii (1.3x crop and EF mount only) and got pretty good results from it. Correctable vignetting starts at about 24mm (this is by memory I'm afraid), where as from 18-24mm, you get a darn good wide angle but some vignetting near the extreme corners that are not correctable (black corners). This can be for effect? The biggest deal here is that there aren't many EF 24/28-200/300mm superzooms out there with image stabilizer made for fullframe cameras or the 1D (I think there is only the Tamron 28-300mm VC). So this might be a viable way to get a superzoom for a 5D, 1Ds, or 1D if that floats your cool boat... after all, 18mm to 200mm is pretty darn cool on fullframe/1.3x. Hope that helps.Read full review
I was looking for a video lens that would give me a nice wide-angle to long telephoto to use on my Canon 7D without much bulk and at a reasonable price. I priced the Canon equivelant and even the used lenses (on e-bay) were a couple hundred dollars more than I wanted to pay. I have several Sigma lenses and, while they might lack some of the features of the Canon lenses, they are sharp and generally pretty durable. I was lucky enough to get this lens for $150 (plus shipping), about 1/3 of the price of the lens new. I am very pleased with the image quality (especially for video) and I don't have to change lenses to re-frame a shot. It has a couple of dings on it, but so does all my equipment. I haven't tried it for still photography, but I'm sure it would be adequate for all but high end work.Read full review
I have used many Canon Lenses including the 17-85mm IS USM, 28-135mm IS USM and the 18-55mm IS USM Lens. The Sigma 18-200mm OS Lens is better than all of the Canon Lenses i have used, the optical stabilization works well and the lens produces clean crisp images. This lens also performs very well in low light conditions and indoors under fluorescent lighting, the auto focus is fast and accurate, the focus ring is a bit stiff but other than that it is mechanically sound. The lens is quite big and so carries a bit of weight, i like heaver lenses as it feels good to have a bit of weight in front of the camera. As for construction i would say it's not far behind the Canon L series lenses, it's priced well at about $330 New and $285 used. This is a Great Zoom Lens for everyday use and i strongly recommend it above the other models i have listed.Read full review
I like the versatility of a zoom lens, with a number of focal lengths within one unit. The housing, although plastic, seems very solid. It's compact and easy to store in the camera bag.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great lens. I'm an archaeology student and filming my first archaeological documentary called "Inside Jerusalem" through Archaeology101.me - shooting with a Canon 7D and filmed a walk through Hezekiah's tunnel and replica inscriptions under the ancient city of Jerusalem with the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon lens plus a Merlin Steadicam. The footage turned out great and quality is excellent in HD on my iMac/Final Cut Studio. The lens is massive and strong and really produced a nice image - I've filmed with Canon wide-angle and Nikon 50mm in this project, and value the Sigma as well. Great price also as I'm on a limited budget. Obviously, low-light issues, but if well lit great lens. Also, used it for some general archaeological photos during site surveys and other...great all around lens and zoom features come in handy for "walk-around" type photography. But if you want a lens for portraits or interviews (for filming) I like a Canon or Nikon 50 mm. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions. regards, Pete KovacsRead full review
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