Review on Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens: Enhanced Performance for Sony Digital SLR Cameras by Jeff Keegan

I bought this lens as the primary lens for my Sony SLT-A55, a necessary addition to my collection of non-18-55mm prime lenses. whale lens. In other words, it's the ideal DSLR travel lens if you want to minimize carrying multiple lenses and, perhaps more importantly, switch lenses where you might not want to. This lens is not intended for full-frame SLR cameras like the Sony A900, but for the Sony Alpha series APS-C sensors and similar SLRs from other manufacturers. Please make sure you select the correct brand when ordering. So the 18-250mm zoom spec actually means 28-375mm on the Sony Alpha (and up to 30-425mm on similar DSLRs from Canon, Nikon etc.) with an APS-C sensor. Based on my brief experience with this lens after receiving it last night I can say this is a good product and worth the money. I was pleasantly surprised by its ability to focus quickly and capture the details of a small aircraft from a considerable distance. Another surprise was the ability to focus to just 1.5 feet, even at maximum magnification. Maximum magnification at this setting is f/3.4, so it's not exactly a great macro lens, but it does the job, albeit no larger than f/6.3. The optical stabilization seems to work well. Since the Sony Alpha has integrated image stabilization, either the integrated operating system or the internal operating system must be selected. Personally, I intend to use in-lens stabilization at higher magnifications and switch to the onboard OS at wider angles. The stabilization in the lens worked very well at full zoom. The only disadvantage may be that the lens is not fast. But given the cost, it's clearly built on a compromise. It's no faster than a kit lens (f/3.5) at wide angle, but the optical stabilization should help a bit. At the telephoto end, a larger aperture would be the icing on the cake, even if it means going from f/6.3 to f/5.6. If this lens was a little faster I would give it five stars instead of four for performance. hp Keep in mind that this is not a lightweight lens. It may not be lighter than two lenses covering the range, but it offers great convenience. It also looks huge on the Sony A55's small body.