» Lens review : Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro
|
|
The SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro is Tamron's latest lens, announced at the end of February 2008. A fast telephoto zoom for the more budget-conscious photographer, the design features 19 elements on 16 groups, including three Low Dispersion (LD) glass elements for minimizing chromatic aberration. Tamron say the lens is 'packed with features that allow stress-free photography', and accordingly these are indicated by the plethora of initials packed into that painfully protracted lens name. 'SP' designates this to be a member of Tamron's top-line 'Special Performance' range, 'Di' indicates that it is 'Digitally Integrated' (i.e. optimized for DSLR use, but still covering the full-frame 35mm format), and IF reveals that it incorporates an internal focusing mechanism. Finally the 'Macro' description provides a clue to one of this lens's more interesting characteristics, a minimum focusing distance of 0.95m, which leads to a class-leading reproduction ratio of 0.32x; slightly ahead of the Sigma equivalent's 1m/0.28x, and significantly better than the ~1.5m more typical of this class. Read the whole article here.
|
» Canon EF 200mm f/2 L IS USM lens test
|
|
Introduced to replace the EF 200mm F1.8L USM which was announced in 1988, the new Canon EF 200mm F2L IS USM has a smaller aperture but is embedded with Image Stabilization (IS) which is able to give up to 4 stops of image stabilization. In this test, sharp image was achieved at the setting of 1/8s, an extra stop as compared to the 4 stop Canon announced. Common rule for minimum shutter speed is 1/focal length, 1/200s in our Canon EOS 5D test. Read the whole test & see test photos here.
|
» Carl Zeiss 28mm f/2 Distagon T*
|
|
 Carl Zeiss released the 28mm f/2 Distagon without fanfare in the latter part of 2007, The lens is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 28mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of about 42mm. The lens takes 58mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood.
At the time of writing (June 2008) North American distribution of Zeiss lenses hasn't been settled, so you are faced with buying the lens direct from Zeiss - for 799 euros, or over $1,200 USD. Read the whole review here.
|
» Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm lens review
|
|
 The Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:2.8 was announced in March 2008, alongside the Olympus E-420 DSLR. It’s a standard Four Thirds lens which means it will work on any Four Thirds body, including those from Olympus, Panasonic and Leica, although it’s physically best-matched to the smaller models like the Olympus E-4xx and E-5xx series.
Affectionately known as a pancake lens, the Zuiko Digital 25mm is very thin: indeed it’s just 23.5mm thick and weighs only 95g. When fitted to a smaller DSLR like the Olympus E-420, the result is a highly portable kit that’ll squeeze into larger pockets and has a total operating weight including battery of 521g.
With the Four Thirds field-reduction of 2x, the Zuiko Digital 25mm offers an equivalent coverage of 50mm. In full-frame and 35mm film terms, this makes it a ‘standard’ lens for general purpose use. In the past, 50mm lenses were the standard used by all 35mm film SLRs and while most modern photographers have become used to zoom lenses, it’s surprising how flexible a 50mm can be in practice. It’s just about wide enough to grab a decent landscape or interior shot, while long enough to attempt respectable portraits. Read the whole article here. You can buy the lens here
|
» smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm F4 AL[IF] SDM lens
|
|
Pentax has launched a consumer-level standard zoom lens for its range of digital SLRs: the slightly unwieldily named smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mmF4AL[IF] SDM. The lens offers the useful equivalent zoom range of 26-107mm combined with a maximum aperture of F4.0 and Pentax' SDM system which uses a supersonic motor for focusing. The latter is only compatible with Pentax' latest DSLR offerings - the K20D, K200D, K100D Super and K10D. On all other bodies focus mode will default to manual focus. Read the whole article here
|
» Carl Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T* 2/100 review
|
|
 Carl Zeiss produces two macro lenses in its ZF series: the 50mm and the 100mm. The 100mm f/2 model is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 100mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of 150mm. The lens takes 67mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood. Read the whole review here.
|
» Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens test
|
|
 The Canon 300mm f/2.8 is one of the sharpest lenses we've ever tested. This is a lens designed to be used wide open at f/2.8, and it shows in the test results. On a subframe 20D at f/2.8, the far right edge of the frame barely reaches 1.5 blur units, and the rest of the frame edges just above 1 blur unit. This performance improves (as if it had much room to improve) by f/4, where it is essentially tack-sharp across the frame. It's just as sharp through f/5.6-8, and by f/11 we begin to see the effects of diffraction limiting, though at this level to say that the sharpness is degrading needs some qualification. Sharpness hits 1.5 blur units at f/11, and 2 units by f/16. It's possible to shoot at f/32, but here you actually encounter some legitimate softness issues at 5 blur units across the frame. This really isn't a lens you're going to be shooting at f/32, though. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Pentax 200mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM SMC DA* lens test
|
|
Announced at PMA2007 and released near the end of that year, the 200mm f/2.8 DA* is the third version of this telephoto prime released by Pentax since 1984. The DA* incorporates the latest technology available from Pentax, most notably the SDM (''Supersonic Drive Motor'') autofocus system, bringing it on par with other major manufacturers.
The 200mm f/2.8 DA* is a designed-for-digital lens, offering a 300mm equivalent field-of-view when mounted on a Pentax digital SLR camera. You may see some hard vignetting if you try to mount it on a K-mount film SLR. It also doesn't have an aperture ring, common for newer lenses, so your film body would have to be able to set lens apertures to work correctly.
The 200mm f/2.8 DA* is available for around $1,000. The lens comes with an enormous circular-style lens hood, and takes 77mm filters. Read the whole review here.
|
» Pentax 75-300mm f/4.5-5.8 AL SMC P-FA J
|
|
The Pentax 75-300mm f/4.5-5.8 FA-J was released following the then-new *ist film SLR, in February of 2003. The lens is still widely available, in either an all-black finish or a silver/black color scheme.
The lens is designed to fit the a standard 35mm image circle, so it should work fine on a film body; however, being a FA-J series lens, there is no aperture ring, so your film body will have to be able to set the aperture on the lens. The lens is a variable aperture lens, in that as you increase the focal length, both the minimum and maximum aperture sizes increase. Read the whole test here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM APO lens test
|
|
 The Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II, announced in December 2007, is an update to its previous 50-150mm f/2.8. It's hard to tell exactly what has been updated: comparing the specifications of the two lenses, they appear almost exactly identical, except version II seems to have shaved off 8mm from the overall length.
The difference appears to be in the mount options, as Sigma has made HSM-style versions available for the previously unsupported Pentax and Sony lens mounts. This is good and bad news: while the lens will mount on those bodies, if the body only supports mechanical (screw-driven) style focusing, autofocus will be unavailable. Newer Pentax and Sony bodies will support the HSM standard. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DT SAL-18200 lens review
|
|
 The Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DT is a member of the ''vacation lens'' club, with an extreme range of focal lengths available through the zoom range that makes changing lenses a thing of the past. Or at least that's the idea with vacation lenses, but the trade-off for their obvious ease-of-use and zoom range is usually a distinct lack of optical quality. And while it's theoretically possible to make a high-quality vacation lens, the result would probably be very big, very heavy, and not exactly something you'd want to take on vacation.
The 18-200mm, on a Sony digital body with a 1.5 crop factor, will represent a 27-300mm lens in 35mm film terms. It's a reduced-frame lens design, so expect it to vignette on a Minolta film body or a full-frame Sony body. It weighs in at 14oz (405 grams) and takes 62mm filters. It ships with a petal lens hood and a carrying case, and is available for around $500. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 SP AF Di LD IF Macro Lens Sample Photos
|
|
The Tamron SP AF70-200mm R/2.8 Di LD [IF] Macro is the newest in Tamron's long line of high quality lenses. This light weight ultra fast telephoto zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f:2.8. No matter where you zoom, this lens will retain this fast aperture, great for low light or sports photography. The built in macro feature of this lens gives great close up capabilities with a magnification ration of 1:3.1. Designed to use on both full frame and APS sized sensors and constructed with 18 lens elements in 13 groups you will be able to product razor sharp images no matter what camera body you use. Attach the included tripod mount for enhanced balance and stability. Feature packed, this lens comes standard with lens hood, case. Read the whole article here.
|
» Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor
|
|
The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR was introduced in December 2007 as a new kit lens for the Nikon D40 and D40X cameras. It's easy to dismiss this lens as ''the old kit lens plus VR,'' but in fact Nikon has reconfigured the lens design, replacing and re-arranging a variety of lens elements. Nikon has added four elements, going from 7 elements in 5 groups to 11 elements in 8 groups. There is still one aspherical element, but Nikon has dropped the ED element in favor of the new VR group.
On a Nikon digital body with an APS-C sized sensor, the lens will give an effective field of view of approximately 28-80mm. The lens vignettes when mounted on a full frame body; you'll see black corners with the lens set to below 24mm. As a G-series lens, there's no aperture ring, so it may not work properly on a film body that can't set the lens aperture. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor test
|
|
Released in March 2008, the 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 can be considered the ''designed-for-digital'' spiritual successor to the popular 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 VR. The 24-120mm Nikkor gained much popularity with its combination of a convenient range of focal lengths and vibration reduction (VR) technology: however, it was considered by many to be unacceptably soft, and the maximum aperture of f/5.6 by 85mm and longer to be unacceptably slow.
With the 1.5x crop factor inherent in a Nikon APS-C sensor, the lens gives an effective field of view of 24-128mm. Apart from reducing the size of the individual lens elements to fit the smaller sesnor, Nikon has made some changes to the layout of the elements themselves; the 16-85mm features two additional lens elements (up from 15 to 17), one of which is an additional aspherical lens element. To keep the lens affordable, Nikon actually hasn't packed the lens full of its latest technology: the most it boasts is Nikon's Super Integrated Coating to reduce lens flare and ghosting, however, it does integrate Nikon's VR2 vibration reduction. Read the whole test here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 ED review
|
|
The Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 ED is the standard kit lens which Olympus supply with their lower-tier DSLRs, including the E-420 and E-510. Announced in September 2006 to accompany the launch of the E-400, it shares that camera's defining characteristic, being remarkably compact in size. Indeed it takes advantage of the relatively small size of the Four Thirds sensor to be comfortably the smallest and lightest DSLR zoom lens currently available, great for those users who wish their camera systems to be as portable as possible.
However despite its diminutive size, the 14-42mm still packs in some fairly exotic optics to deal with aberrations, in the shape of one extra-low dispersion (ED) glass element and two aspheric elements. It also incorporates a circular aperture diaphragm, which Olympus claim should provide 'beautiful rendition' of defocused areas of the image, and indeed consider to be one of the big advantages of this lens. The icing on the cake is an internal focusing system with a proper manual focus ring and a non-rotating front element, always a positive point for those photographers who like to use filters. Read the whole review here.
|
» Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 review
|
|
The Digital Zuiko ED 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 SWD is Olympus's latest upmarket standard zoom, announced to accompany its E-3 flagship DSLR in October 2007. Firmly placed in what Olympus refers to as its 'Pro' lens lineup, this lens offers a near-ideal focal length range for a standard zoom (24mm to 120mm in 35mm-equivalent terms), combining a useful wideangle for landscapes and architecture with a telephoto extending nicely into the classic 'portrait' range. Hopefully this 5x zoom range isn't so ambitious as to introduce unacceptable optical compromises. The optical configuration is sufficiently exotic to offer great hopes in this regard; the lens boasts no fewer than three extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements, one of which is aspherical, coupled with two further aspherical elements, and as the icing on the cake one Super ED glass element. Clearly Olympus has adopted a "no holds barred" approach to lens design here, which can only be applauded. Read the whole article here. You can buy the lens here
|
» Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens test
|
|
The Canon 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens was released in September 1998. The lens uses an older ''push-pull'' zoom design that extends the lens from its length of 189mm (7.4'') to almost 260mm (10.2'') when set to its most telephoto setting of 400mm. Incorporating both image stabilization and an ultra-sonic motor into the lens makes for a very compact and efficient package, weighing in at just 1,380g (just over 3 pounds).
The lens is fully compatible with full-frame sensors and film bodies, so there are no issues with vignetting. Canon digital SLR cameras with sub-frame sensors have a ''crop factor'' of 1.6x. Thus, for this particular lens, it will exhibit an effective focal length of 160mm to a whopping 640mm. It can also mount 1.4x and 2x extenders, meaning that you could see a potential of 1,280mm, if you're amenable to a maximum aperture of f/11 at that focal length. Read the whole review here. You can order the lens here
|
» Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for cropped-frame bodies
|
|
The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM was announced in August 2005 as a ‘lightweight’ standard zoom lens for professionals. Introduced on the same day as the EOS 5D, it’s an ideal general-purpose lens for Canon’s full frame bodies, although has also become a popular option for owners of Canon cropped-frame bodies like the EOS 400D / XTi and EOS 40D.
Since the lens represents a different proposition depending on whether it’s mounted on a full-frame or cropped frame body, we have two separate reviews of it at Camera Labs. If you’re interested in how it performs on a full-frame body like the EOS 5D. If you’re interested in how it measures-up on a cropped-frame body like the EOS 400D / XTi, EOS 450D / XSi or EOS 40D, then you’re already in the right place. Read the whole review here & you can buy the lens here.
|
» Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM
|
|
The Canon 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM telephoto zoom lens was originally released in 1990, and while Canon has moved on to a different cosmetic style for its newer lenses, it continues to produce this lens as one of its telephoto series.
Canon digital SLR cameras with sub-frame sensors have a ''crop factor'' of 1.6x. Thus, for this particular lens, it will exhibit an effective focal length of 160-480mm. However, the lens is an older design, created long before digital SLR cameras hit the market, thus the lens is fully compatible with full-frame sensors. The lens takes 58mm filters, and a lens hood is indicated as an optional accessory. Read the whole article here. You can buy the lens here.
|
» Pentax 18-35mm f/4-5.6 AL SMC P-FA J lens review
|
|
 The 18-35mm f/4-5.6 wide angle zoom lens was initially a kit lens option for the *ist series of dSLR cameras. The lens has now been discontinued, replaced in the lineup by the APS-C sized 16-45mm f/4 ED.
The lens name bears a long list of standards. SMC stands for Pentax's proprietary ''super multi-coating''; AL represents the lens' use of aspherical lens elements; FA explains the lens is autofocus-enabled, with a digital chip in the lens; and the J designation explains the lens is part of Pentax's budget series of lenses, with a plastic lens mount and no aperture ring. Read the whole review here
|
|
printer version
