What is a Zoom Lens and When to Choose a Zoom Lens?

Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in 2014. In April 2020, it was revised to include updated product information and links, mirrorless zoom lens information etc.

What is a Zoom Lens?

A zoom lens is a type of camera lens that offers the photographer a useful range of different focal lengths in a single lens. This is in comparison to a prime lens, which only offers a single focal length. A zoom lens allows for quick and easy re-framing of a scene while staying in the same physical position. SIGMA offers a wide variety of zoom lenses, ranging from wide-angle zooms, super telephoto zoom lenses, and standard zoom lenses designed for everyday use.

Which SIGMA zoom lenses are right for you depends on your photographic intentions, budgets, and overall size constraints. In this article, we are going to explore many facets of zoom lenses for digital photography and explain the terminology, key features and benefits of the different types of zoom lens. We’re also going to showcase images made with a variety of SIGMA zoom lenses to illustrate key concepts.

Explore All SIGMA Zoom Lenses!

Zoom Ratio, and Constant-Aperture or Variable-Aperture Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses always feature two focal lengths in the name which indicate the shortest and longest focal lengths in relation to the 35mm/full-frame sensor. To determine the overall zoom ratio of the lens, simply divide the longest focal length by the shortest. For example, the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art and the 8-16mm F3.5-4.5 are both examples of 2x zoom lenses: 35 divided by 16 equals 1.95, and 16 divided by 8 equals 2. (It is common practice to round to the nearest whole number or major fraction.)

Fall leaves seen through the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM lens at 24mm. 1/400 F4.5 ISO 100 on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. — Fall leaves seen through the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art lens at 24mm. 1/400 F4.5 ISO 100 on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i.

Same scene, seen through the same lens, this time fully zoomed to 35mm. Notice how the background is more abstract, even with the same F4.5 aperture as the previous shot at a wider field of view. A quick twist of the zoom ring can easily change the overall image characteristics, and this is a key advantage of zoom lenses. — Same scene, seen through the same lens, this time fully zoomed to 35mm. Notice how the background is more abstract, even with the same F4.5 aperture as the previous shot at a wider field of view. A quick twist of the zoom ring can easily change the feel of the scene, and this is a key advantage of zoom lenses.

The 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports is a 2.5x zoom lens and the 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports is a 2.8 zoom lens. Zoom ratio only relates to the difference between the shortest and longest focal lengths, so the 150-600mm F5-6.3 Contemporary and Sports lenses are 4x zoom lenses, while the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports is a 10x high ratio zoom lens. All three of of these lenses offer the same maximum telephoto focal length, but the 60-600mm offers a much longer zoom range.

Here is a view of a rock quarry made with the Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 at 50mm on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. Look at the shortest and longest focal length to determine the zoom ratio of a lens. — Here is a view of a rock quarry made with the vintage SIGMA 50-150mm F2.8 at 50mm on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. Look at the shortest and longest focal length to determine the zoom ratio of a lens.

Here, the camera is zoomed all the way to 150mm and as you can see, that's a 3x closer view. (150/50=3). — In this image, the camera is zoomed all the way to 150mm (and panned slightly right) and as you can see, that’s a 3x closer view. (150/50=3).

So, you can have a wide to short telephoto zoom lens with a higher overall zoom ratio than a telephoto to super telephoto zoom lens. For example, the 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art is a 4.3x zoom, while the huge 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens is a 2.6x zoom lens, and the SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary is a wide to telephoto zoom lens with a very high zoom ratio. (We’ll let you do the math on this one!)

Zoom lenses also come in two main varieties: constant-aperture and variable-aperture. Each type has its strengths and purposes, depending on what is most critical to the photographer. When you look at the name of a zoom lens, if there is only a single aperture given, this is a constant aperture zoom lens. If there are two F-stops named with a dash in between, this is a variable aperture zoom lens.

The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Macro is a very high zoom ratio lens covering wide-angle to telephoto for APS-C DSLRs. Take a look at the view of the tip of Sandy Hook, NJ captured at 18mm on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i That's a 28.8mm full-frame equivalent field of view.) — The SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC (OS)* MACRO HSM is a very high zoom ratio lens covering wide-angle to telephoto for APS-C DSLRs. Take a look at the view of the tip of Sandy Hook, NJ captured at 18mm on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i That’s a 28.8mm full-frame equivalent field of view.) This image was made wide-open at F3.5 at 1/1000 second.

Now, here the 18-250mm is zoomed all the way to 250mm (400mm full-frame equivalent). Divide the longest focal length by the shortest to determine the total zoom ratio of this lens. As you can see, this offers a much greater difference in the zoom ratio than the 3x zoom lens example shown earlier. This image was made wide-open, at F6.3 at 250mm, meaning that the shutter speed needed to slow down to 1/320 to expose the scene since the maximum aperture decreases as a variable-aperture zoom lens increases its focal distance.

Constant-Aperture zoom lenses keep the same maximum aperture throughout the entire focal range. So, for example, the 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM | Sports and the 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art are both constant aperture zoom lenses. The key advantage of constant aperture zoom lenses is that you do not lose any light-gathering power as the focal length increases. This is helpful in challenging lighting situations, where the extra F-stops allow for faster shutter speeds. Autofocus operations inside a camera’s body also depend on the amount of light coming through the lens.

The Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS is a constant-aperture zoom lens, meaning that at all focal lengths, the maximum aperture remains at F2.8. This is Sandy Hook lighthouse, captured in Infrared on the Sigma SD1 at 17mm, the shortest focal length on this zoom lens. — The SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC (OS)* HSM is a constant-aperture zoom lens, meaning that at all focal lengths, the maximum aperture remains at F2.8. This is Sandy Hook lighthouse, captured in Infrared on the SIGMA SD1 at 17mm, the shortest focal length on this zoom lens.

For photographers who want to shoot wide-open in manual exposure mode, this also means you won’t be underexposing your shots as you zoom out, since the F-stop remains constant. Same goes for off-camera strobes—there doesn’t need to be any adjustments as you zoom to recompose with a constant aperture zoom lens.

This helicopter was captured with the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM lens fully zoomed to 300mm. The aperture remains constant on this lens, which makes is great for long-reach photography with a fast shutter speed, since there's loss light-gathering power as the lens zooms. — This helicopter was captured with the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports lens fully zoomed to 300mm. The aperture remains constant on this lens, which makes it great for long-reach photography with a fast shutter speed, since there’s no loss of light-gathering power as the lens zooms.

However, constant-aperture zoom lenses are limited in total zoom range: the 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art is the highest zoom ratio constant-aperture zoom lens in our catalog. And the demands of optical physics require a lot of big glass to make constant-aperture zooms, especially for the full-frame image circle.

Transit of Venus, captured with the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 10x zoom lens. The forecast called for clouds the whole day this last-in-a-lifetime event was taking place; but late in the afternoon, the clouds broke just enough to grab seven frames through the Sigma SD1 at 500mm at F25. At 750mm equivalent, this was a lot of reach in a lens I could quickly mobilize when the opportunity appeared. 1/8000 F25 ISO 100, worked up in Sigma Photo Pro. — Transit of Venus, captured with the SIGMA 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 10x zoom lens. The forecast called for clouds the whole day this last-in-a-lifetime event was taking place; but late in the afternoon, the clouds broke just enough to grab seven frames through the SIGMA SD1 at 500mm at F25. At 750mm equivalent on the Foveon APS-C sensor, this was a lot of reach in a lens I could quickly mobilize when the opportunity appeared. 1/8000 F25 ISO 100, worked up in SIGMA Photo Pro.

Variable-aperture zoom lenses feature two F-stops in the name, indicating the maximum aperture at the shortest and longest focal distance. This means that the overall light-gathering power of the lens decreases as the focal length increases, leading to slower shutter speeds at longer focal lengths. The benefits of this trade-off include more compact lens designs and higher zoom ratios.

Eastern Willets, seen through the 10x variable-aperture Sigma 50-500mm zoom lens at 75mm on the Sigma SD1. 1/640 F5.6 ISO 100. — Eastern Willets, seen through the 10x variable-aperture SIGMA 50-500mm zoom lens at 75mm on the SIGMA SD1. 1/640 F5.6 ISO 100.

And here is a close-up shot of the eastern willet, from the same spot on the beach, by zooming this lens all the way to 500mm. Notice how these two images from the same spot, with the same lens, feel so different to one another? 1/640 F6.3 ISO 100 on the SD1. — A close-up shot of the Eastern Willet, from the same spot on the beach, by zooming this lens all the way to 500mm. Notice how these two images from the same spot, with the same lens, feel so different to one another. 1/640 F6.3 ISO 100 on the SD1.

One type of zoom lens is not “better” than the other in an absolute sense—each type of zoom lens has its appeal for different types of photographers and applications, depending on budget, weight considerations, and other variables.

Each Sigma zoom lens is uniquely designed to create the best possible images throughout its zoom range. Here is the schematic of the new Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM lens. — Each SIGMA zoom lens is uniquely designed to create the best possible images throughout its zoom range. Here is the schematic of the new SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art lens.

Whichever type of zoom lens it is, the SIGMA lens designers strive to create the best possible lens, incorporating aspherical, SLD and FLD elements as necessary to best transmit the scene to sensor. The optimum optical formula varies depending on the focal lengths, and the goal is to always design the best-performing lens possible within the design parameters.

What is “Optical Stabilizer”?

Many SIGMA zoom lenses feature an Optical Stabilizer, which is a floating lens group that counteracts slight camera movement during image capture—these lenses all have OS in the official lens name. The Optical Stabilizer acts like an invisible tripod, minimizing slight camera movements during longer exposures.

This image was captured at 3/10 second at 18mm on the Sigma 18-250mm with Optical Stabilizer activated to keep the shot sharp by minimizing slight camera shake during the exposure. As you can see, it was long enough to blur the face of the person climbing down the stairs of the Sandy Hook lighthouse. Without OS, this shot would show serious camera-shake blur when hand-held at such a slow shutter speed. — This image was captured at 3/10 second at 18mm on the SIGMA 18-250mm with Optical Stabilizer activated to keep the shot sharp by minimizing slight camera shake during the exposure. As you can see, it was long enough to blur the face of the person climbing down the stairs of the Sandy Hook lighthouse. Without OS, this shot would show serious camera-shake blur when hand-held at such a slow shutter speed.

This can help keep handheld shots sharp at slower shutter speeds. The general rule of thumb is that OS can help keep images acceptably sharp for a few stops under the reciprocal of the focal length, so, the effective slowest shutter speed for sharp shots will change as you zoom in or out. We take a long look at OS in this companion piece, if you want to learn more about how, when, and why to use OS when it is offered on a lens.

Why Use Tripod Collars?

Many of the larger SIGMA lenses ship with tripod collars. These tripod collars are paired with the lens because the tripod collar indicates where the center of gravity of the lens and camera resides. If you’ve got a lens that includes a tripod collar, you should always use this for mounting to a tripod, monopod, or other quarter-twenty threaded stabilizing accessory.

Don’t ever use the tripod socket in the base of your camera when paired with a lens that has a tripod collar. You can stress the lens and camera mounts, and while the center of gravity is under the tripod collar mounting point, this can lead to a tripod crashing over!

Versatility is the Key to the Appeal of the Zoom lens

Zoom lenses are designed to offer the photographer a great deal of flexibility in composition and framing without ever having to change lenses, or even physical position, for that matter. All it takes is a quick twist of the zoom ring and the composition can go from the shortest focal distance to the longest for a very different take of the scene presented before your lens. And many SIGMA zoom lenses offer true macro capture at the telephoto end, for close-up capture of tiny objects, adding to the overall versatility.

Early morning, Sandy Hook, NJ, captured at 17mm on the new Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC OS HSM Macro. Here's a wide-angle shot showing us exactly where these photos were made with the writing in the sand and the view north of the waters. — Early morning, Sandy Hook, NJ, captured at 17mm on the new SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC MACRO (OS)* HSM | Contemporary. Here’s a wide-angle shot showing us exactly where these photos were made with the writing in the sand and the view north of the waters. The image is focused squarely on the sand-writing with some slight softening off the focal plane towards the horizon–typical of a wide-angle image that isn’t completely close-focused inches from the lens.

Now here is a detail of the "A" written in the sand, at closest focus at 70mm with this same lens. It is a very different image made just by zooming in and kneeling down to grab a close detail. — Now here is a detail of the “A” written in the sand, at closest focus at 70mm with this same lens. It is a very different image made just by zooming in and kneeling down to grab a close detail.

And keeping the lens at 70mm, but focusing a bit farther away and into the morning sun creates yet another very different image and take from the same spot. 1/1000 F4 ISO 200. All three of these images made with the Sigma 17-70 lens on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i. — And keeping the lens at 70mm, but focusing a bit farther away and into the morning sun creates yet another very different image and takeaway from the same spot. Notice how the repetitive details get more abstract as your eye migrates upward through the frame. 1/1000 F4 ISO 200. All three of these images made with the SIGMA 17-70 lens on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i.

The depth of field in this image, made fully zoomed with the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM lens, plus 1.4 telextender, on a the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with a 1.6x crop factor at closest focusing distance can be measured in grains of sand. 1/1000 F/4 ISO 100. — The depth of field in this image, made fully zoomed with the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports lens, plus 1.4x teleconverter, on a the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with a 1.6x crop factor at closest focusing distance can be measured in grains of sand. 1/1000 F/4 ISO 100.

Of course, as you zoom in or out and recompose, the overall feel of the image can change dramatically, as a lens goes from a wide field of view to standard, or a standard field of view to super telephoto.

At 18mm with the Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, the dune grasses seem to go on forever in this photo. Look at the horizon near the right edge of the frame and notice the red wing blackbird and the lighthouse. 1/1000 F6.3 ISO 100. — At 18mm with the SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, the dune grasses seem to go on forever in this photo. Look at the horizon near the right edge of the frame and notice the red wing blackbird and the lighthouse. 1/1000 F6.3 ISO 100.

And now, we've zoom all the way in to 250mm, and focused right on the bird on the the evergreen branch. One lens, on scene, two very different photos taken moments apart thanks to the versatility of this high-ratio zoom lens! — And now, we’ve zoom all the way in to 250mm, and focused right on the bird on the the evergreen branch. One lens, on scene, two very different photos taken moments apart thanks to the versatility of this high-ratio zoom lens!

Depth of field gets much more shallow as focal distance increases, even as telephoto compression diminishes the apparent relation between distant objects. The same scene can quickly be seen many different ways with a zoom lens. What’s most important is to choose the focal length and depth of field that will best capture what you are trying to say with your image.

Let's take a look now at focal length and total reach of lenses, aiming at the Sandy Hook Lighthouse from the Observation Deck at North Beach a half mile North by Northeast of it. All images made on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i, with a 1.6x APS-C crop/sensor. — Let’s take a look now at focal length and total reach of lenses, aiming at the Sandy Hook Lighthouse from the Observation Deck at North Beach a half mile North by Northeast of it. All images made on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i, with a 1.6x APS-C crop-sensor. Google Earth is a great tool for photographers!

Here is the view of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse from the North Beach Observation Deck, a half mile away, as seen through the Sigma 8-16mm zoom lens at 16mm. The lighthouse is just a tiny mote inside that red highlighted box, which we'll expand in the next photo. — Here is the view of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse from the North Beach Observation Deck, a half mile away, as seen through the SIGMA 8-16mm zoom lens at 16mm at F/13 for virtually limitless depth of field. The lighthouse is just a tiny mote inside that red highlighted box, which we’ll expand in the next photo.

If you look very closely at this detail of the 16mm framing, you can just make out a hint of the top of the Lighthouse peeking out from between the branches. — If you look very closely at this detail of the 16mm framing, you can just make out a hint of the top of the lighthouse peeking out from between the branches.

Here we are seeing through the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 at 70mm. The distant lighthouse is still a very small background detail at this focal length and distance. — Here we are seeing through the SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC MACRO (OS)* HSM | Contemporary at 70mm. The distant lighthouse is still a very small background detail at this focal length and distance. At f/11 at this focal length and focal distance, we are hyperfocal, and both the branches and the lighthouse are sharp.

At 120mm on the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8, the lighthouse is a bit bigger in frame, and even at F/11, the foreground foliage is defocused. — At 120mm on the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports, the lighthouse is a bit bigger in frame, and even at F/11, the foreground foliage is defocused when we focus sharply on the distant lighthouse.

Here, we are zoomed in to 200mm on the 120-300mm. Notice both how the lighthouse is larger in frame, and how the foreground greenery is more blurred, again at F/11.

Here's the same scene again through the 120-300mm at 300mm, this time. I opened the lens to F/4 as it was a bit windy, and the branches were swaying more, (as was the big lens on the tripod!) Notice how blurred the foreground branches are at this focal length and focal distance. — Here’s the same scene again through the 120-300mm, at 300mm this time. I opened the lens to F/4 as it was a bit windy, and the branches were swaying more, (as was the big lens on the tripod!) Notice how blurred the foreground branches are at this focal length and focal distance.

And finally, here is the lighthouse from a half-mile away at 420mm, again at F4 (the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 plus a 1.4x telextender.) Focal length, aperture, and focal distance all play a role in object size in the frame and the presentation and apparent relationship of near and far details — And finally, here is the lighthouse from a half-mile away at 420mm, again at F4 (the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports plus a 1.4x teleconverter.) Focal length, aperture, and focal distance all play a role in object size in the frame and the presentation and apparent relationship of near and far details.

Zoom lens construction technology has come a very long way over the past forty years. And while it is still very typical for many zoom lenses to have some degree of field distortion at one end or the other of the zoom range as well as some slight vignetting at times, the overall image quality straight from the sensor of a modern zoom lens flat-out blows away the results of lenses from a few generations back.

The technical information for the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC OS HSM Macro lens shows the MTF chart, distortion and vignetting data at both 17mm and 70mm. — The technical information for the SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC MACRO (OS)* HSM | Contemporary lens shows the MTF chart, distortion and vignetting data at both 17mm and 70mm.

And when you add in the ease of use and accuracy of lens profile corrections that are bundled in most RAW conversion software programs such as the Adobe Camera Raw Engine that is the heart of Lightroom and Bridge/Photoshop toning, many of the historical disputes about prime lenses being the unsurpassed imaging kings don’t resound so absolutely any more.

Field distortion and any slight vignetting from a lens can quickly and easily be tuned during toning and processing in many image editing programs including the Adobe Camera Raw Engine in Lightroom and Photoshop/Bridge. In general, barrel and pincushion distortion effects are most noticeable in images that have crips straight lines near the edges of the frame. — Field distortion and any slight vignetting from a lens can quickly and easily be tuned during toning and processing in many image editing programs including the Adobe Camera Raw Engine in Lightroom and Photoshop/Bridge. In general, barrel and pincushion distortion effects are most noticeable in images that have crisp straight lines near the edges of the frame.

Crop-Sensor Cameras and Zoom Lenses

SIGMA offers many zoom lenses designed specifically for APS-C DSLRs. These lenses for the smaller image circle are designated with DC in the official name. And every DG lens for full-frame cameras will mount on the APS-C DSLRs in that same mount, too. All SIGMA lens focal lengths are given in relation to the full-frame size, whether it’s a DG or DC lens, so whenever a lens is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera, it is necessary to take the sensor size into account and adjust the apparent focal length and field of view accordingly. For most APS-C DSLRs, it is a 1.5x factor, so the SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM lens equates to a 15-30mm F3.5 zoom lens. (10 x 1.5 = 15) – (20 x 1.5 = 30).

This infrared scene was captured with the Sigma SD1 and the 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM lens at 10mm. This zoom lens keeps the same maximum aperture throughout its zoom range. 1/80 F13 ISO 100, processed in Sigma Photo Pro. — This infrared scene was captured with the SIGMA SD1 and the 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM lens at 10mm. Given the 1.5x APS-C sensor, this equates to 15mm on a full-frame camera. This zoom lens keeps the same maximum aperture throughout its zoom range. 1/80 F13 ISO 100, processed in SIGMA Photo Pro.

This is how it works, and this is how it is. On the shorter end of the focal lengths, it usually feels like APS-C is losing some of the wide-angle capabilities. But lenses like the pair of 10-20mm DC zooms and the 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 ultrawide zooms offer APS-C photographers incredibly wide fields of view that equate to the widest rectilinear fields of view for full-frame ultrawides.

This red winged blackbird fledging was captured with the Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 zoom lens at 500mm on the Sigma SD1. This DSLR has an APS-C sensor with a 1.5x factor, so it effectively offers more reach at the telephoto end: 750mm in this case, where 500mm x 1.5 = 750mm. The color, clarity, and overall presence of the images from the Foveon sensor is just amazing. — This red winged blackbird fledging was captured with the SIGMA 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 zoom lens at 500mm on the SIGMA SD1. This DSLR has an APS-C sensor with a 1.5x factor, so it effectively offers more reach at the telephoto end: 750mm in this case, where 500mm x 1.5 = 750mm. The color, clarity, and overall presence of the images from the Foveon sensor is just amazing.

But this smaller sensor also means their is an apparent gain in focal length on the longer side of the zoom range. This means that a 200mm focal length on an APS-C DSLR is more like a 300mm field of view and a 500mm focal length is like 750mm on a full-frame camera. For wildlife photographers, this sensor factor can make distant animals bigger in the frame. And when it comes to full-frame lenses on APS-C DSLRs, the smaller image circle means that the image is captured with incredible sharpness from the center section of the lens.

Zoom Lenses and Macro

Many SIGMA zoom lenses offer a macro capture mode at the longest focal length at magnification ratios between one-third and one-half life sized reproduction. When a SIGMA zoom lens has “MACRO” in the official name, it means that it has a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3 or greater. This means that at the closest focusing distance, a one inch object will be rendered as one-third of an inch (.333 inches) on the sensor. (In the metric system, one centimeter equals 10 millimeters, so a one centimeter object is drawn across 3.3mms on the sensor.)

Macro focusing at the longest focal lengths allows from great up-close details and adds to the versatility of many Sigma zoom lenses. Any Sigma zoom lens that offers a maximum magnification of 1:3 or greater includes "Macro" in the official lens designation. Search "MACRO" here on the Sigma blog for tons of great advice on this specialized photo technique! — Macro focusing at the longest focal lengths allows from great up-close details and adds to the versatility of many SIGMA zoom lenses. Any SIGMA zoom lens that offers a maximum magnification of 1:3 or greater includes “MACRO” in the official lens designation. Search “MACRO” here on the SIGMA blog for tons of great advice on this specialized photo technique!

For many photographers first exploring macro capture, this a great way to get comfortable with the nuances of macro photography. At very close focusing distances, all motion is amplified. For example, a bit of jittery camera movement, and the slight swaying of a flower can mean the difference between having that ladybug perfectly in focus or having the subject drift out of the sharpness zone. Macro takes practice, and if you crave higher magnification than is offered at the far end of a the zoom, SIGMA offers a line of pro-caliber prime macros offer true 1:1 (life-sized) magnification for even more close-up details.

Check Out Our Selection of MACRO Lenses!

What SIGMA Zoom Lenses are Designed for Mirrorless and DSLR Cameras?

As of April 2020, SIGMA offers two mirrorless-exclusive zoom lenses, the 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art and the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lenses. Additionally, many DSLR zoom lenses can be adapted to L-mount and Sony E-Mount cameras. Learn much more about which SIGMA lenses fit which camera systems here.

Which Zoom Lens is Right for Me?

Answering the question: “Which zoom lens is right for me?” depends on your photographic intentions. A single zoom lens such as the 18-250mm can cover wide-angle to telephoto, plus macro in a single lens, when traveling light with maximum versatility is the demand. Or a zoom lens like the 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM can offer telephoto prime performance with the added benefit of a zoom range, along with the ultimate in lens customization when paired with the SIGMA-exclusive USB Dock and SIGMA Optimization Pro. The SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM is the world’s first F1.8 zoom lens for APS-C DSLRs and offers image quality that surpasses top-shelf prime lenses in independent lab testing. The pair of SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM zoom lenses offers incredible full-frame telephoto zoom range in two different designs, with optical stabilization. The SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC (OS)* HSM and the 17-70 F2.8-4.0 DC MACRO (OS)* HSM | Contemporary are both fantastic standard zoom upgrades that blow away the standard kit lens that ships with so many DSLRs.

There’s a SIGMA zoom lens that’s right for just about every photographer on any budget. Check out the full lineup here!

Shop all SIGMA Zoom Lenses at sigmaphoto.com

Learn More on the SIGMA America Blog!

What is a Prime Lens?

Understanding Optical Stabilization

Shallow Depth of Field, Background Blur and Bokeh

Single-Shot Autofocus, or Continuous Autofocus, Or…

Making the Most of New Lenses, Cameras, and Other Photo Gadgetry

Comments (3)

WILFRED SWAIN says:
March 12, 2014 at 2:43 PM
Hi, can I use the zooms on my Canon 5 d 3 with a 1.4 tele- converter fitted ?
Marius says:
April 29, 2020 at 3:01 PM
Nice lenses. I alreay own two of them with canon mount. Great optics.
Мtorgan says:
June 6, 2020 at 3:41 AM
Zoom is also commonly confused with how close a lens can bring a subject. The zoom number, like, only shows the range from the widest to narrowest angle of view for that lens. Zoom is a good indicator of flexibility, then, but not how close you can get with that lens. For that, you need the focal length, like m, 1m, etc. In point-and-shoot cameras, it s more common for manufacturers to advertise the zoom rating of a lens (,, etc.), whereas DSLR and mirrorless lenses will be advertised by their focal length range (18-m, 24-1m, etc.). If a lens has a single focal length number, e.g. m, it is a prime lens and doesn t zoom at all, but generally offers superior sharpness, depth of field control, and light-gathering ability.