Tamron announces three Di Full-Size Format lenses
Tamron today have announced the availability dates of three new Di lens series in
Full-Size Format. The Tamron SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO for Nikon is a
high-performance macro lens but also as a medium telephoto lens
suitable for all photographic applications including landscape and
portraiture. (The lens is already available…
Phase One introduces 3.5/45 mm Tilt / Shift lens
Phase One today have launched the 3.5/45 mm Tilt/Shift lens. Specially designed for the professional
photographer, this small, lightweight lens is ideal for location or
studio applications. It offers up to 12 mm shift and 8 degrees tilt for
maximum flexibility. When used with the Phase One 645 camera…
Nikon Wins European Professional Lens with 2 lenses
Both the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm and Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED lenses have won the EISA Professional lens for 2008-2009.
Description
This
pair of Nikkor zooms represents the ideal optical partnership to equip
Nikon’s professional full frame cameras. Covering a broad focal range
at f/2.8, and delivering very high optical…
Tamron announces new Di lenses for Canon and Nikon
Tamron today have announced two new Di lenses designed for exclusive use on Canon and Nikon (with Built-in AF Motor) small sensor DSLR cameras The SP AF10-24mm Di II, the first-ever ultra wide-angle lens for digital SLRs, features a focal length range with the 16mm ultra wide-angle to 37mm…
Canon announces EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
Canon today has also introduced
the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Zoom lens. With an equivalent focal
length of 29-320mm, the lens offers 11x zoom range. It also features a
16 element, 12 group construction including UD and aspherical lens
elements and a 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer. This lens has answered…
Nikon release the AF-S DX 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR
The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR is a new lens designed to partner Nikons
D90 DSLR. The Nikkor 18-105mm lens offers a focal length equivalent to
27 to 157.5mm in 35mm format, built-in Vibration Reduction and Silent
Wave Motor, and…
This is the lightest EF lens of all at a mere 130 g. Compact and high-performance, standard lens. Its Gaussian optics provide sharp delineation from near to far focusing distances. The Color balance is excellent for a standard lens.
Canon's 50mm f1.8 II is probably the worst kept lens secret around. It has legendary sharpness and ultra fast f1.8 optics you cannot get more bang for your buck. It is both the lightest and cheapest EF lens available from Canon. Everything apart from the optics seems to be made from cheap plastic (including the lens mount). Picking up the lens alone feels like a cheap toy. When you put it on you camera it's as if there's nothing there.
The plastic fantastic doesn't have a focus scale, or full time manual focus - with its tiny manual focus ring it's hard to focus manually even in the best of situations. It doesn't have a USM focusing mechanism but the old fashioned micro-motor. In use, the AF is a little noisy and buzzy and not particularly fast. Compared to the previous, mark 1, version, the build quality is horrible but this might just be deliberate. Rumor has it that Canon could not sell many copies of the more up-market 50mm f1.4 because photographers were already satisfied with the f1.8, so they made the Mark II less attractive. Certainly, if you hold a mark I and II in your hands you will see where this rumor comes from. What the two lenses share, however, are the same optics.
No zoom lens that I own or have used can quite match the sharpness of the 50mm f1.8. Of course, being a prime lens the 50 is not as flexible as a zoom but, if you're prepared to move your feet, it is very useful. On a crop fact DSLR it is the equivalent of about an 80mm lens which makes a great portrait lens. I also use it in low light situations where I don't want to have to use flash. Crank up the ISO a Bit and mount the 50mm on your Digital Rebel and you can shoot in most party or group situations with the added advantage that the combined weight of this rig is not much more than a point and shoot.
I would not recommend the nifty fifty as your only lens, although I have heard beginners starting out this way. I would recommend it to anyone, especially those on a budget, as an early purchase though - it's so light you may forget that you're carrying it, but when you do remember you will find it very useful. The build quality may be awful but the optics are fantastic. If it breaks after a couple of years you can throw it away and replace it without any regrets.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I have borrowed a friends Where did you buy this item?: N/A Price paid: 0 When did you buy this item?: N/A
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Sharp, cheap Cons: Plastic
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 621 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.4
Sharpness
4.4
Build Quality
4.4
AF Speed
4.5
Value for Money
4.4
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great Lens For The Price, Thursday, 04 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I purchased this lens for low light shooting and shallow DOF. The lens works great for these types of pictures. It has a less than ideal AF, but once you shoot with it a bit you will love the lens.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Best Value Of Any Lens, Period., Wednesday, 03 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This lens is hands down the best value of any lens you will ever buy. It's the perfect focal length for most portraiture, with either full frame cameras, or APS-C cameras that use the 1.5/1.6 multiplier, making this effectively a 75/85mm lens. The f/1.8 max aperture is so much fun to play with, and a great way to learn about Depth of field. It makes it hard not to take EVERY photo at that fast aperture. The SINGLE tick mark against the lens I have is it's focus is not 100% perfect - sometimes I get images that are ever so slighty out of focus. But it's an $80, $90 lens, so I can't even count that against it, so much so that I gave it the full 5 stars. If I could give 1/2 star increments, I would have given it 4.5, but forced to choose, I like it enough that it earned the full 5 stars. But beware, buying this lens will just lead you to want the 1.4, or 1.2L....at least, that is what it has done to me.
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Very good canon lens, Tuesday, 02 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
i absolutly love to capture images with this lens. The absense of zoom is more of an artistic additive. It takes extremmly clear and crisp photo. I did't notice any noise during focusing at all. I also bought the tiffin filter along with it.
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Super Value, Tuesday, 02 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Read quite a few reviews on this lens. So many stated the lens construction was not up to par-that it broke with repeated use---well it all depends how you treat it. I treat this lens just as I do my more expensive ones. So far, I have nothing but good to say about it. I do a lot of photos at gymnastic events where flash is TABOO. This little " piece of plastic " performs VERY well. Would recommend to anyone wanting an affordable lens with beautiful results.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
You get what you pay for, Monday, 01 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
1.3
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
I purchased this as an addition for my d40 equipment. I returned it the next day. The price should have been a tip off. It hunted in low light about 80% of the time and 20% in good light. It miss focused badly in more than have the 50 test exposures I took. The build quality is definitely Canon's low end; feeling very plastic. It was also surprisingly noisy for such a small lens. I'll stick with the higher end Canon lenses like the 24-105L (which I love!)
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Fabulous!, Sunday, 31 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
This is a great lens - does everything it claims and more. Takes lovely shots even without manual settings. I love it.
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Great value, Sunday, 31 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
For those who are into photography enough to own an SLR but not so much that you're willing to invest $1000s on it, this is the perfect lens. The quality compared to the cheap zoom that comes with most new Canons is marked--no one could mistake the image upgrade from a shot with a cheap zoom and a shot with this lens. And its so cheap!
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
TOTALLY worth it, Saturday, 30 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
bough this on a hunch. wanted something that could take pics w/ low light and no flash. i have the 28-135 IS lens and it really stinks indoors (mostly because my XSi has a 12 mpxl sensor - the more megapixels u have, the less sensitive the sensor is to light - megapixels DON'T matter)
at any rate, i posted a pic in the billions of other pics up here. it's the one with all the tomatoes and peppers in a glass bowl.
i love it!
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best for the $ but slower focusing than the f1.4, Saturday, 30 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Just buy it already, you will love it. If you want the fast focusing of a USM (Ultrasonic Motor)ultrasonic motorthen look elsewhere. All my other canon lenses have it so putting this lens on makes it painfully obvious how slow focusing "regular" lenses are. At least the wide aperture makes it easier for your camera to autofocus.
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Great lens for portraiture, Thursday, 28 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
There are several aspects of this lens that I love and really only one that I don't like - I've shared my views of the cons and pros below:
Pros -
-The lens is extremely quick with a maximum f-number of 1.8 this allows for the use of very fast shutter speeds under lower ISO (meaning lower noise) conditions. Another primary advantage of this is that the large aperture creates a very shallow depth of field - a desirable quality for portraits. This is also a great advantage for anyone that wants to shot their kids or pets playing around in their backyard. Note that canon does make a "big brother" for this lens in the form of the 50mm f/1.4 USM (USM indicates the incorporation of Canon's ultra sonic motor).
-The sharpness on the lens is great even when shooting wide open, especially since the lens costs under 100 dollars. Sure it's not an L lens but it's also not 1000 dollars.
-The cost in general is very nice, you're not going to find another lens of this quality at the 100 dollar price point.
-Weight - the lens weighs very little and isn't very long which is nice because it won't be straining you.
Cons -
-As several other reviewers have noted, the build quality on the lens seems sub-par. The body is made out of plastic and it feels cheap. However, if you take care of your lens, especially when removing it from and mounting it to your camera, you'll be fine. But don't expect this lens to be able to take a beating because it won't be able to.
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Simply Amazing!, Thursday, 28 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is one amazing product that I bought for my camera. At first I was so hesitant to buy this lens but it's all worth it. The picture came out nice and crisp.
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One of the first lenses you should add., Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Yes. It really is an awesome lens. I have moved up to an intermediate photography for-hire level because of the work this lens has allowed me to accomplish. I have read books and reviews recommending this lens. Everyone said the same: that it is a fast, crisp glass, giving a pro appearance. So I bought one.
Right away, I could tell the difference from the basic lens that came with my Canon EOS XTi. I could finally shoot indoors on "A" without Camera shake. What I didn't expect was the difference between my favorite travel lens the Canon EF-S 28-135 Zoom and the 50mm. Although the glass on my travel lens is great, the glass on this sub-hundred dollar lens was better. I mean better by "more depth."
True, it is a composite housing, but for under a hundred bucks don't listen to feedback that complains that the quality is not good.
Using this lens has given me more confidence to get the money shot. Use it for fast portrait shots. Because it is a prime lens, you will find yourself moving around a bit more. The reward is a beautiful, professional looking shots.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great camera shots, breaks easily, Sunday, 24 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
I have bought two of these lenses and both have broken in the same way after a few months of use. However, there is a reason I bought it again even after it broke the first time - it takes amazing shots with beautiful focus and a tight depth of field. This is a great 'first' lens, but now that I've had two I'm ready to move on to a metal lens. It's unbelievably inexpensive for the quality of the shots, but it makes up for the price in how cheaply it's built. It might as well have came free with a couple proof-of-purchase-es of Fruit Loops cereal.
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All I gotta say is WOW, Saturday, 23 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is the best bang for your buck period. This low priced lens should be in every portrait photographers collection. This bad boy is fast and takes beautifull , professional looking pictures. The only thing I dont like about this lens is that its made out of plastic. But since it seams like its built to last , Im not worried about it. Great lens. Great price.
