When buying your first (second, or third) DSLR camera, you may want to consider getting just the camera body along with a lens other than the recommended kit lens. There are a few reason for this:
- Get a wider focal range than what is offered in the kit lens
- Get better image quality than what is offered in the kit lens
- Save money by not having to purchase more than one lens initially
Sigma has just released a new lens that is excellent for the "walk around" lens category. It is the Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Zoom Lens. It is made specifically for APS-C cameras such as the Canon Rebels and Nikon D3000 or D5000.
I know that is a mouthful of lens, but it has already made an impact on DSLR owners because of its quality and performance.
This is from the B & H Photo Lens Description:
"The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Zoom Lens utilizes an anti-shake compensation function, with a 13.8 times zoom ratio. This lens's Hybrid Optical Stabilizer provides not only an anti-shake function for the camera body, but also compensates for image shaking in the view finder as the Optical Stabilizer is built in to the lens.Four special low dispersion glass elements and three aspherical lens elements, results in excellent image quality throughout the entire zoom range. With a minimum focusing distance of 17.7" at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1:3.4 reproduction ratio, this wide-range zoom is great for close-up photography as well as for telephoto shooting.
Note! This lens is only for APS-C / DX sensors (not full frame).
- Optical Stabilizer
- Low Dispersion Glass
- Super Multi-layer Coating Inner Focusing System
- Magnification of 1:3.4 For Close-up Photography
- Petal-type Lens Hood"
And here is just one comment from a happy buyer:
"I recently bought it (Sigma 18-250) to replace my Sigma 17-70mm and Canon 55-250mm IS lenses. This 18-250mm is very much like the 17-70mm in overall quality. It is of high quality! I've used it mostly so far for night photography and also for fast action, and wildlife (crocodiles in Jamaica; can't trust that ear to ear smile of theirs). All the pictures I shot with it were hand held and the OS system performed flawlessly. I DID brace myself against columns, trees, etc... when necessary for some night shots. So I was relatively stable, though not 100%. The OS took care of the rest and my exposures were blurr-free. I use it on my EOS 40D and it complements very well the speed and low light capabilities of the camera. It is fast and quiet. The zoom action is quite precise though smoothness varies over the range... understandable for a 13.9:1 zoom range! It shows virtually no play when fully extended. Also, I've checked its macro ability, and found it to be approx. 1:2.5, far better than Sigma's very conservative spec. Very highly recommended!!!!"
I am waiting for delivery of my new Sigma 18-250 right now. I will post a personal review at www.digital-photographic-resources.com as soon as I have tested it. If you are looking for a great digital camera, please look here.
