Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary Review: The Smallest f/2.8 Ultra-Wide Zoom for APS-C
Sigma’s APS-C zooms have a knack for being tiny. The Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary launched in October 2023 for L-mount, Sony E and Fujifilm X at about $599, and a Canon RF version followed in September 2024 at $659. It weighs about 250 grams.
On APS-C it covers 15-27mm in full-frame terms, at a constant f/2.8. It pairs naturally with Sigma’s 18-50mm F2.8, one of the most popular APS-C standard zooms.
A wide zoom like this is the lens for old town squares: the whole gabled facade of a town hall, the cobbles in front, the carriage waiting for tourists.
Photo: Media Instances
Gordon Laing’s full review celebrates it as a long-awaited APS-C lens.
Video review: Gordon Laing
Design
The optical formula is 13 elements in 10 groups, including three FLD, one SLD and four aspherical elements. The aperture has seven rounded blades, and the 67mm filter thread doesn’t rotate. A stepping motor drives internal focusing.
Close focus is 11.6cm at 10mm, for 1:4 magnification, which is handy for vlogging and product shots. The lens extends slightly toward the wide end, by under a centimeter. There’s no aperture ring, no switches and no stabilization. Sealing is limited to a gasket at the mount.
How it performs
Camera Labs, Digital Camera World and OpticalLimits all found the center excellent, and Digital Camera World found it beat Fujifilm’s XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR. OpticalLimits found lateral color fringing low, flare resistance good and sunstars attractive. The zoom ring is smooth with a short throw.
The corners are soft wide open, at 10mm in Camera Labs’ tests and at 18mm in OpticalLimits’. Uncorrected raw files show about 4.7% distortion and heavy vignetting at 10mm. OpticalLimits found it weaker on 40MP sensors like the X-T5’s. The zoom range is short, and there’s no OIS or aperture ring, which Fujifilm users will miss.
Who should buy it
APS-C shooters who want a small, bright wide zoom for travel, interiors, astro and vlogging. On the Sony A6700, Fujifilm X-S20 or Canon EOS R7 it hardly adds bulk.
The Tamron 11-20mm F2.8 is sharper but about 1.5 times heavier. That XF 10-24mm adds stabilization and sealing at f/4 and about $999. For a prime, the Viltrox AF 13mm F1.4 is two stops brighter.
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