Sigma has just launched its first Canon RF-mount lens – the APS-C format Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN zoom lens – with a slate of additional RF lenses scheduled for release in the fall of 2024*.
This new standard zoom joins a string of identical launches for E-mount, X-mount and L-mount cameras in previous years.
Canon’s RF lens mount made its debut in September 2018 along with the EOS R, Canon’s first mirrorless camera. While retaining the same wide 54mm diameter as the original Canon EF mount, this new lens mount was characterized by a shortened back-focus distance – from 44mm to 20mm – to enhance optical performance on the new mirrorless system.
To date, Canon’s APS-C format EOS R System cameras include the EOS R7, R10, R50 and R100, the four models that will be able to make the best use of Sigma’s latest new lens, filling a void in the marketplace. Canon currently offers a comparable zoom lens model but only in full-frame format.
With a length of 74.5mm and weighing just 300g, the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary is surprisingly compact and lightweight for a zoom lens boasting such a large maximum aperture. In keeping with the Contemporary line, it’s also surprisingly affordable.
Using the latest optical design technology to deliver superbly sharp images, the lens retains its wide aperture throughout the zoom range to produce shallow depth of field and pleasant bokeh effects. With a minimum focusing distance of 12.1cm and a maximum magnification of 1:2.8, you can also get nice and close to your subject.
As you’d expect, the lens has been optimized to work seamlessly with Canon’s RF-mount AF drive and communication system, with additional support for Servo AF and in-camera aberration correction where available.
Whether you’re shooting stills or video, the versatile Sigma Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN zoom lens lends itself to a wide variety of applications, from macro-style close-up photography and portraiture to landscapes and street photography. Its lightweight compactness makes it easy to carry around, and that wide aperture makes it ideal for shooting in low-light conditions. It could just be the very lens many Canon EOS R shooters have been waiting for.
Features
* Future additions to Sigma’s RF-mount lineup include the 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN, 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, 23mm f/1.4 DC DN, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN lenses.
