Quick take: With the Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 arriving at about $915, the original Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 is selling for a fraction of its old price. It was never released for Fujifilm, but adapted with a Fringer EF-to-X adapter, a used 18-35mm plus the adapter costs about $650, still a few hundred less than the new lens, and opens up the whole Canon EF ecosystem. Autofocus is decent on the X-H2S and X-T5, image quality holds up on 40MP, and the main trade-off is weight. Update: I later bought the 17-40mm and loved it. Read my Sigma 17-40mm long-term review.
The Sigma 18-35mm Legacy
The Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 was the first lens I spent real money on, about ten years ago for my Canon 70D. I recorded this whole video on it. Its successor, the 17-40mm F1.8, is about $915 plus tax and shipping, and that means the original is now selling for pennies on the dollar.
I got a look at the new lens at Sigma's booth at a camera expo. Its design is similar to Sigma's modern 24-70mm and 28-45mm.
Adapting It to Fujifilm
Strangely, Sigma never released the 18-35mm for Fujifilm, even after all these years. So I adapted the Canon EF version to my X-H2S with a Fringer adapter. I picked up the lens for $300 and already owned the adapter, which is about $349 new.
Even buying both, you're at roughly $650, so you save a couple hundred dollars or more compared to the 17-40mm. And with the adapter, you open yourself up to the entire Canon EF and EF-S lens ecosystem. If you shot Canon years ago and moved to Fuji, you may already own some of that glass.
Autofocus Performance
On the latest Fujifilm bodies, the X-H2S and X-T5, autofocus with the adapter is pretty decent. That's been my experience with most third-party lenses. Keep in mind that with third-party glass on Fuji, you lose the ability to customize autofocus speed and tracking, so you're stuck with whatever you get. On the X-H2S and X-T5, that's great. On the X-T3, photos should be fine, but I'd be more cautious for video.
Image Quality and Weight
The 18-35mm was designed for 25 to 30 megapixel sensors, but it still does a good job on the 40MP X-T5. My sample images looked good, and this video, shot with the Reala Ace film simulation, is the video test. Tracking looked good, and you can focus surprisingly close.
The new 17-40mm is about 30% lighter, which matters to some people and is one of its big selling points. I don't find the 18-35mm all that heavy, though.
Final Thoughts
This is my attempt at de-influencing you. If you don't already own one, buy a used 18-35mm before people realize it offers essentially the same performance and optical quality for much less. If you're spending extra on the new one, I'd love to hear why.
Keep Reading
The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 Is the Best Lens for Fujifilm X-Mount
I Shot the 50-140 for 8 Years. Can This Tiny Sigma Replace It?
Gear in This Video
Gear in this video
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links costs you nothing extra and helps support the channel.
