Compare lenses

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary vs Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary and the Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A if you want a wider view (from 24mm equivalent). On these specs the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary has no clear advantage: choose it if the price, the handling or a lens you own decides it.

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary and the Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary	Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A
Maker	Sigma	Tamron
Focal length	18-50mm (zoom)	16-50mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	27-75mm on APS-C	24-75mm on APS-C
Maximum aperture	f/2.8	f/2.8
Made for	APS-C	APS-C
Mounts	Sony E, Fujifilm X, L-Mount, Canon RF	Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Canon RF
Stabilised	no	no
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	2.8×	3.1×more range
Weight	290 g	not listed
Cameras it fits	115 in this guide	106 in this guide

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary: 18-50mm on APS-C, like 27-75mm.

Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A: 16-50mm on APS-C, like 24-75mm.

Aperture

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary: f/2.8 wide open.

Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A: f/2.8 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

90 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary fits 115 and the Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A 106.