Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-F6.3 Contemporary

Construction and Handling

The Sigma 18-300mm is a medium-sized lens with a modern look. This section will give you a complete tour of the lens, from every angle. You will also see the lens alongside other comparable lenses and mounted on various camera bodies.

Front Element

The front of the lens is made of a large piece of glass, surrounded by a plastic ring.

The lens name and the "Made in Japan" label are printed in glossy black over matte black, a departure from the universal white print. The effect is remarkably effective, and looks good.

The lens uses a large 72mm filter thread. Many fast aperture or long zoom lenses use this diameter, so filters will not be hard to find. They will, however, be expensive.

The lens cap is made of plastic. It retains the glossy black lettering scheme of the front of the lens.

Lens Body

The body of the lens is made of smooth plastic with a huge ribbed zoom ring. Several design choices contribute to the modern appearance of this lens.

Starting from the base (at the lens mount) and going up, we first encounter a raised white dot helping with lens alignment. Right above, to the front, is printed the lens specs, filter diameter, and brand. Sigma went with a white print here.

Above the Sigma logo is the serial number, printed in gray. It is good to see the serial number printed on the lens instead of on a sticker.

To the left is the silver C for "Contemporary".

Further left is the Manual-Autofocus switch. Surrounding the lens on the back is a ribbed, hard plastic surface which arguably feels a bit cheap.

Above is the huge zoom ring. At 4.7cm, it makes up almost half the length of the lens. It is also ribbed, but with a nicer rubber texture. A thin smooth section bears the focal length markings to the front and the zoom lock to the left. It only engages at the widest (and shortest) setting, which is usual.

Higher up is the focus ring. It has a smooth lower section and a ribbed top section where the lettering is located. It has white markings for meters, and gray letters for feet.

The label "014" is written on the smooth section of our copy, somewhere to the back. The focus ring will not turn if the AF/MF switch is set to AF; there is no quick-shift equivalent here.

The lens does not extend when focusing. It does extend significantly when zooming. The dual barrel includes markings for magnification.

Some materials feel cheaper than we would like. In some areas, textures are hard and molding seams are visible, as can be seen from the image above. This does not make the lens less effective for taking pictures but decreases the perceived quality level.

Aperture

The Sigma 18-300 uses 7 rounded aperture blades. As can be seen from the picture above, when closed down the aperture is not circular, however.

Lens Mount

The lens mount is metal. There are no weather seals. There is also no coupling for screw-drive, the lens will not work with very old cameras.

Lens Hood

The lens includes a petal-shaped hood. Its look matches that of the lens body, with smooth surfaces and ribbed plastic. The interior is textured.

The bottom part sports a thin rubbery surface where the lens specs are engraved.

The hood reverses for storage and transportation. When reversed, it completely covers the focus ring.

Compared to Other Lenses

Here is the Sigma 18-300mm next to the Pentax DA 16-85mm and FA 43mm.

Mounted on Camera

Below are images of the 18-300mm mounted on a Pentax K-1 (full frame) and a Pentax K-3 (APS-C). The lens is properly balanced on either body.

Verdict

The Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 is well made and tightly assembled. However, it is obvious that some compromises had to be made to reach a specific price point. The plastics certainly do not feel premium and some molding seams are visible. This has no negative impact on the lens operation but deserves to be noted.

The Contemporary design language fresh and effective, giving a pleasing appearance that is easily recognized.