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…
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…
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…
The large-aperture, wide-angle zoom lens that is an excellent compact companion for digital SLR cameras
The effective arrangement of Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and aspherical glass elements has created a lens of compact dimensions. With an overall length of 84.7mm (3.3in.) , it is the smallest lens of this focal range. (* As of April 16th 2004. In the category of wide-angle zoom lens with Focal length starting at 24mm and with a maximum aperture of F2.8.) This lens offers a large aperture of F 2.8 over its entire range of focal lengths, which is ideal for low light situations both indoors and out. It has a large Depth of field that offers the photographer greater freedom of expression.
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Advanced technology for the Digital Age
By using a new technology and optical design this lens satisfies the needs of digital photography. Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements are provided for effective compensation of color Aberration, which is a common problem with wide-angle lenses. Four aspherical lenses, one moulded glass type and three hybrid aspherical types, offer excellent correction for distortion as well as all types of aberration. The design concept of this lens is especially suitable for the characteristics of Digital SLR Cameras. New Coating reduces flare and ghost, which is a common problem of digital cameras and also creates an optimum Color balance. This lens has excellent correction for "light-fall-off", which is a common problem of large aperture lenses.
The design ensures sufficient illumination of the corners of the image.
Minimum focusing distance of 38cm is now a reality
It is capable of taking pictures with a minimum focusing distance of 38cm (15.0in) at all focal lengths. It is very effective for close-up photography. The high performance inner focus system is particularly suitable for using circular polarizing filters and a petal-type hood as the front of the lens does not rotate.
Zoom Lock Switch Mechanism
This lens is also equipped with a zoom lock that eliminates "Zoom Creep". This remarkably compact, high performance zoom lens is ideally suited for traveling
First I really wish people would post reviews for only Canon copies of this lens since the copies for Nikon and other bodies can not be properly compared. I purchased this lens to use as a walk around lens in place of a more expensive 24-70 L lens. No, this lens is not as well built and it is not as fast to focus as the L, but you should not expect it to either. The lens is a good value for the price you will pay, and it beats the heck out of worrying about someone stealing your L lens when you travel. I did require two copies in order to receive a "good" copy of this lens, the first copy shipped to my door had a nasty front focus issue. The company I purchased the lens from did however take the lens back and replace it with another copy that worked very well with no real issues to speak of. The pictures I obtain with this lens are very nice, and for trips and general photography will make most users very happy. If your looking for a lens to use for special events such as weddings however, this is not the lens to use. The focus is very slow compared to an L lens and sometimes has a habit of hunting a little Bit. Overall though, a nice value based lens and with a 2.8 aperture hard to beat for what you pay.
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Great walkaround lens, Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
First, yes Sigma do have a reputation for QC issues. Mine include, as the focus locked up after about a week, requiring a trip to Sigma. Not a great start.
However, since then I've been very happy with the lens. It handles great, has a reasonable range, good speed, and top quality build and optics. You really can get some great shots from this lens. If I had a chance to make the choice again, I'd still want this lens in my bag, despite the problems.
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comparable to lenses costing much, much more, Saturday, 03 May 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I love this lens. Bought it to replace my EF-S 17-85 for the kind of shooting I do. I highly recomment this lens as an upgrade to the Canon kit lens on the Rebel XT/XTi, it's great for indoor shooting.
Pros:
High image quality- near that of Canon "L" lenses such as the 24-70L Very sharp, lovely color.
Constant f/2.8 aperture makes it perfect for a budget wedding lens, or for use indoors with no flash. I was able to shoot at a carnival at night handheld at ISO1600 and get a fast enough shutter speed.
Nice Depth of field, Lovely bokeh (background Blur).
Built extremely well, does not feel cheap and the zoom is nice and tight. Nice finish to it, comes with a nice bag and lens hood.
Cons:
With a wide angle of 24mm, it is more suited for a full frame camera. With the Rebel series and 20D/30D/40D some may prefer a zoom lens with a wide angle of 17 or 18mm. I personally don't find this much of a problem, however, just take a few steps back. This lens is great for portraits.
My suggestion- if you are a beginner photographer or on a budget and can not afford lenses that cost $400 such as the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, or $1000 on Canon's 17-55 f/2.8 IS or 24-70 f/2.8, then this is the lens for you!!
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Great Lens for the price!, Friday, 28 March 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This lens is Sigma's hidden little secret. My version is extremely sharp, even at F/2.8 and has no focusing issues. It is extremely well made and comes with a lens hood and a case - both of which more expensive Canon lenses don't come with in the box.
Focusing speed is very reasonable and accurate, it has no trouble in low light like some less-expensive lenses. Build quality is amazing. Metal construction, smooth rotation on both the focus and zoom rings, even a zoom-creep lock to help with storage. I have used this on both a Full Frame 35mm camera and a Canon 1.6x Digital SLR and it has worked perfectly
The negatives - inconsistent quality control - some get great lenses, others aren't, although Sigma will happily fix and return the lens within a week or so. 77mm filters are also a pain, especially since they could have used 72mm filters which are less expensive.
Overall, I'd recommend the lens, and is a GREAT step up from the standard lens that comes with the camera.
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Jury is still out., Sunday, 09 March 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
2.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Got this len from Cameta through Amazon. Perfect transaction, good communication quick shipping well packed.
The lens was bad. It was soft on left side and 2.8 was full of flare it improved stopped down but was not right.The focus also was very noisy. Cameta accepted a return and promptly shipped another. The the next lens is probably as good as this lens gets although some claim exceptional performance equal to pro OEM.
I have no issues with its auto focus. The focus is accurate. It makes more noise than my 18-70 AFS lens but less than my 28-200 D series and about the same volume as my 28-105D while the sound is different. It has a nice sound to it unlike my first copy where there was a raggedy uncertainty about it. It is quite fast and accurate. Not being a church shooter the sound of a servo motor/drive is OK by me. It really makes the focus confirmation beep superfulous. When the motor stops you know you are there. My AFS lens always makes me wonder if it did anything as I keep the beep set to off.
At the F2.8 aperature the image files it produces have some things going on. They are not as sharp and exhibit underexposure by about 1/2 to maybe 1 F stop. They sharpen up and the exposure is correct at F3.5 and sharper still at F4.The sharpness gets better as you stop down to about F11. The 2.8 image looks like a vignete both in sharpness and exposure it is much darker at the edges. I am guessing that Sigma wanted it this way for portraits. As my family ages I am maybe not so interested in needle sharp representations. With this lens if I use F 2.8 it will soften some of the experience lines and I sort of like a portrait to be darker on the edges. If there is a perfect person ie, a kid then I can just stop down to F4 and it sharpens up nicely. The test I shot on a raggedy anne doll show that there is not much difference in depth of field between 2.8 and 4 at the point of focus. The raggedy anne is about the size of a newborn baby. Both eyes would not be in focus at 2.8 or 4 with the subject turned about 30 degrees from dead straight mug shot. My point is that maybe to much is made of 2.8 for shooting where the real benifit is maybe better autofocus in low light.
The rendering of color is a little different than my Nikkors. It seems to have a little colder rendition when outside but the same indoors if that makes any sence. I had heard of a warmer cast with Sigma lens but this lens does not exhibit that trait.
Well it is not a Nikkor 24-70 but I did'nt expect it to be for $$$ against$$$$ and like most lens it is a compromise. The build quality seems very high, fit and finish are nice and it has some heft to it indicating more metal than plastic in its construction. It comes with petal hood and very nice case with belt loops and camera strap loops. 1 year international and 3 year USA for total 4 years. You pay postage both ways.
Worth noting is this is a full frame lens. I am using it on a D200 DX format so your results on full frame or a 6 megapixel dx format cam may be worse or better! Hope this is helpful, Dennis
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
F/2.8 must be usable to be good, Sunday, 13 January 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
1.8
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
1.0
I just purchased the Sigma 24-60mm lens.I sent it back to get a nikon lens. I took over 200 test photos with this lens and the kit nikon 18-55mm lens. I was expecting the Sigma to win hands down. Most pictures with the Sigma at F/2.8 where unusable. They where very soft with poor Resolution: all pictures taken on tripod with timer release. I was able to get some good photos at F/8 and higher. I had my hopes up for the Sigma, since it appeared to be well built and had the macro capability that I was looking for. My advice is test the lens before you put down your hard earned cash.I would think that if you bought a lens for the fast F/2.8 stop: you want good pictures at that F/stop. It is not very feasible to be forced to take pictures at f/8.0 or greater to get good pictures. I also bought a Sigma 50mm Macro and it is sharp through out the F/stop range. I did not have the time or desire to fight with Sigma USA about how unsharp an image is before it becomes worthless. I will in the future hand test any lens, before I buy a non-Nikon lens.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Fantastic lens for the price!, Wednesday, 05 December 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is an awesome lens for the price. It usually runs about $400 from other retailers and I was able to pick this up for $200 here on Amazon through Cameta. It is currently at $240 at the time of this writing.
You really can't beat that price for getting a 2.8 aperture. Highly recommended.
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NIce lens, but fix the focus, Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
Great pictures. Used outdoors for fall pictures. Beautiful! Action shots are a bit of a challenge because the autofocus is not the best. Overall, a good lens for the money.
