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Superzoom Lenses<br />
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-<br />
6.3 DC Macro OS HSM C<br />
£290/<br />
$400<br />
Small and light, but with a respectable zoom range<br />
Typical of the Sigma’s<br />
Contemporary lenses,<br />
this 18-200mm is<br />
designed to be small,<br />
lightweight and stylish.<br />
Despite matching Canon’s<br />
much heftier lens for zoom<br />
range, the Sigma measures<br />
a mere 71x86mm, making it<br />
the smallest in the group, and<br />
the second lightest at 430g.<br />
Despite the lightness in<br />
weight, the lens features a<br />
metal mounting plate, unlike<br />
the plastic mount of the<br />
directly competing Tamron,<br />
although the Sigma omits<br />
a weather-seal ring. As in<br />
the larger Sigma lens on test,<br />
the focus ring rotates during<br />
autofocus, but the ring is small<br />
and positioned right at the<br />
forward end of the barrel,<br />
so handling isn’t impaired<br />
too drastically. As usual<br />
with ultrasonic motor-driven<br />
autofocus systems, there’s<br />
no full-time manual override.<br />
The Sigma is based on<br />
16 optical elements, with<br />
multiple aspherical and SLD<br />
(Special Low Dispersion)<br />
elements, all wrapped up<br />
in TSC (Thermally Stable<br />
Composite) barrel sections,<br />
formed from a tough, highgrade<br />
plastic that’s resistant<br />
to size fluctuations during<br />
temperature changes.<br />
Performance<br />
Autofocus is fairly quiet but<br />
clearly audible, as well as<br />
being slower than the virtually<br />
silent systems featured in the<br />
Canon 18-135mm lenses.<br />
Optical image stabilization<br />
is as effective as in the Canon<br />
lenses and, again, features<br />
automatic panning detection.<br />
Sharpness is less impressive<br />
than in Sigma’s 18-300mm,<br />
but other attributes of image<br />
quality are impressive overall.<br />
Centre<br />
Edge<br />
Sharpness<br />
04<br />
02<br />
03<br />
01<br />
05<br />
FEATURES<br />
01<br />
At 71mm diameter,<br />
it’s the slimmest<br />
lens on test.<br />
02<br />
The focus ring is<br />
small but rotates<br />
during autofocus.<br />
03<br />
A focus distance<br />
scale is printed on<br />
the focus ring, and<br />
there’s a macro scale<br />
on the inner barrel.<br />
04<br />
There are switches<br />
for auto/manual<br />
focus, stabilization<br />
and zoom lock.<br />
05<br />
The mount is metal<br />
rather than plastic,<br />
but has no<br />
weather-seal ring.<br />
VERDICT<br />
FEATURES<br />
Build & handling<br />
Performance<br />
Value<br />
Overall<br />
135mm<br />
200mm<br />
300mm<br />
The Canon Magazine 111
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