... I've had this lens for a couple of months now and I can say that I'm pretty happy in some respects and not so happy in others.

Over all it is a nice lens FOR THE PRICE. That is the crux of the matter. If you can't afford something better then this will do in a pinch. It's not a bad lens.

However, If you are a birder then I don't think that you will be happy in the long run.

Here's the thing. When people say that this lens is slow to focus they mean that often (though not always) it has to go through a long procedure of spiraling its barrel (external barrel) from one end to the other. It hunts and pecks its way until finally it finds a focus. That usually means that your beautiful shot of that cardinal is GONE!

I'm often confused as to why sometimes it focuses quickly and other times it has to go through this frustrating procedure. I think that it comes down to this... when you see the perfect "money shot" in front of you it purposely chooses this moment to mess with your head!

One other thing that really bothers me is that, as I said, it has an external focus barrel. This means that if you use a polarizing filter you have to twist the filter AFTER EVERY TIME YOU FOCUS since the filter thread twists during focusing.

Lastly, don't think that this is going to get you as close as you want for birding. No matter what, you will always wish that it was three times closer!

Having said all that, for most other uses, including taking shots of your daughter on the soccer field, you will be relatively happy.

Cheers! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Olympus Zuiko 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

... My stock lens had been a Sigma 18-200 and I was getting excellent results with it until I added a Canon 100-200mm zoom. The difference in quality between the two lenses was very noticable so I tried the 24-105mm and love it. It is heavier than the Sigma, but the results are very good. Autofocus is fast and locks on very well, the f/4 lets in lots of light even on the top end and is very functional across a wide range of photo uses. If I was putting together a lens/camera body combination for the first time, this is the combination I would go with. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

... Its a great macro lens, good quality and great pictures can be taken with it, but its now up to $600 on amazon (currently at least) while on B&H photo the exact same lens is $490. Certainly a lens worth having though! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... It's hard to believe everything they say about the quality and performance of Canon L series lenses, however, once you have tried one of this caliber it's hard to go back to anything else. This glass lives up to all of those expectations and really spoils you. The image quality, color, contrast and image depth are stunning. I use this for portraiture and also for photographing my oil paintings. Technically, you shouldn't use a lens like this to shoot paintings because it shouldn't be able to take pictures as sharp as a prime---however---the sharpness is simply amazing. As for weight it's not a problem---the 2.8 is worth it. Built tough. I highly recommend this lens! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... Before I received it, I was very skeptical; quality! usability, value! All these questions were lingering in my mind. Then I received it. At first impression, I was elated! The build quality was not bad at all, it reminded me of Canon's big lenses, though much less fancy.

What struck me as odd, was not the external zooming or focusing design rather than the short end of the zooming tube left to support the weight of the lens at ful zoom range.

I could understand the designer's point of view from an engineering perspective, what I could not understand was that a 2" extra length in the internally moving tube beyond the maximum zooming range would have added enough stability to render the lens far superior than its cuurent pathetic configuration, yet nobody gave this thought a rat's tail end.

It is made in China, yet the add stated that it was made in Japan. It appears that, though some chinese products are equal to the Japanese when under strict engineering and manufacturing tolerances, left to their own whims, they try to cut corners that cannot possibly be cut from an American end user's perspective, rendering the whole thing a fiasco.

Fortunately, this is not a total fiasco, but I sure hope that somebody out there is reading these letters right now! Only 2" of extra aluminum tubing would do the job just fine.

Another aspect, albeit, this time strictly esoteric; the lens is so bland! When you hold a German or a Japanese Lens, apart from the instantly evident signs of high quality, you will notice that it has had a lot of thought when the general looks were being considered.

This one is lacking luster, which when added, would not really add any extra cost. Just placing some fancy tags and inscriptions with multi color zooming lines scheme would make a world of a difference to the appearence and the seeming quality. Again, I hope someone is reading these letters right now!

Now to usability: If you think you could use this lens for anything other than mounted on extremely steady tripod for long to very long exposure shots, you will have wasted your time and money. This lens could only be practical for nature, some wild life, and landscape, where quick shots are not even part of your prepearation, much less your consideration.

Quality wise, well, for the price and the market for which it is intended, it is a very good tool, all you need is a good knowledge of its capability and limitations, and a super heavy tripod as well as super majestic targets to shhot it with this lens. The rest is superflowous.

Conclusion: You are not a pro, you have $300 to spare, you enjoy photography and are willing to go distances for good shots, and you are not thinking of selling your products to photo agencies! If these conditions meet you half way, buy the darn thing, it is the only lens out there capable of doing what a hunting rifle is capable ofPhotographic Lenses: Photographers Guide to Characteristics, Quality, Use and Design; bringing you the head of a trophy from a quarter mile away! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Phoenix 650-2600mm Telephoto Lens with Mount for Canon EOS 30D 20D 5D Digital Rebel XT XTI & Film SLR Cameras

... I have just started working with this lens, and I am already amazed by it's capabilities with my D300.
Well made, solid, and of course very fast allowing you to take good low light photos without flash. Focusing speed is not bad at all.
Though ideal for portraits, I am happy with the results for other subjects too. Could not notice any vignetting or distortion -just perfect photos.
The focus ring at the edge of the lens rotates, but I quickly used to not touching it when holding the camera. And what I most like about this prime, is that it makes carrying around my D300 much easier than with the Zoom lens I have.
I am looking forward to shooting various subjects with this lens during our upcoming vacation. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... I picked this lens yesterday, and am so far very impressed with it. Indoor night shots came out great, I'm planning on testing it outdoors today.

It definitely has a plasticy feel to it, but build quality feels decent for a lens in this price range. On my D80, it focuses extremely fast. So far I'm very happy with it, it certainly makes a nice addition to the other lens that I already had.

If you're having trouble finding this lens online, check your local dealer. The local shop in my small town had several available at MSRP, while most of the big online stores don't have any, and others are charging much more than MSRP. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... It is the best lens I ever had. The image stabilizer is really good and obtains a great definition. 100% recommendable for anyone. It is better to pay a little bit more by an original product. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... I originally purchased the DA 50-200mm lens as a compact companion to the kit 18-55mm AL II, but since I wanted something with a little more reach, I decided to add the DA 55-300mm to my collection and am glad I did! This lens produces superior images throughout its focal range, even wide open at 300mm, hand held. It is definitely a better match for the resolving power of the K20D sensor than the 50-200mm, and although the lens is a little bulky, especially when zoomed out fully, it's surprisingly lighter than it looks. This lens, together with the 18-55 AL II, covers an impressive focal range, and takes great pictures, at an affordable price. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras

... Sometimes I am really pleased with the bright color repro and it generally produces sharp images. But I'm going to wait and see before I render an updated verdict. I ran a lot of sharpness test images:
at 10mm f/8 was best
at 13mm f/5.6-f/11
at 17mm f/11 and most all was very good
at 20mm f8-f/11 ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Arrived quickly, and great quality! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... I have had this lens twice. I am a semi-pro photographer that doesn't have $1000 to spend on a lens. So after much research I went with the sigma. The first one I had worked flawlessly, but I broke it... re-ordered it and I still have my second one. I've had it for about 2 years. over 5,000 pictures or more and I can't tell the difference between it and a Canon L lens I use from work. I will say the ONLY con of this lens is that it is not built as well as the Canon L lens and the zooming isn't as smooth... but.. I don't plan on changing over any time soon. I am looking for the image quality and relatively sturdy lens. Sigma pulls this off great. Other than a little bit of a stiff zoom the lens is perfect. image quality as I said is just as good as the Canon L series, trust me I know. I have taken over 40,000 pictures. There isn't any difference.. and if there is it isn't worth double the price for a canon L series. Sigma is awesome. keep it up. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DG IF Macro Aspherical Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... I bought a Tokina 10-17 mm and started shooting with it. I liked it but I felt it was not sharp enough and I heard about the colour aberrations.
Therefore I went to bring it back to B&H and I upgraded with the Nikkor 10.5
This is absolutetly more sharp and fast. The only two things that I found bad are:
1) the lens is much more difficult to keep clean than the Tokina's one;
2) why the hell Nikon decided to produce expensive lenses like the Wideangle 12-24 mm and this Fisheye in crappy plastic?! For keeping down their weight? Fck the weight issue and give me some old time, long lasting great metal body lenses!!!! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye Nikkor Lens

... This is not a lens for anyone shooting events indoors.
It MAY be great for those of you who don't mind using flash, but I really try not to (preference here). So, others like it and keep in mind the type of photography you do and take it for a test drive - returned. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... I was quite surprised of the close focusing capability of the lens on my Fuji S3 Pro, as well as the relative lack of distortion. The product was delivered on time at a good price. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 24mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... I bought this lens for macro work after I saw the photos of a member of my camera club made with the same lens. I wasn't disappointed. Photos are sharp & clear. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... I purchased this lens because I do a lot of candids and 200mm is just not good enough. I also recently purchased a 5D MkII, so any praise I may have for the lens may be partly due to this camera. When I read some reviews of this lens, I was worried that it was weird. I will mostly address these issues. Is it heavy? No. I use a monopod and hand carry a 100-400 lens without problems. This lens is only 52 mm at the front,so it has amazing reach for its size. Does the zoom feel heavy? No. The zoom needs some resistance, since the front of the lens would extend by itself if it was too light on the zoom control. This is the same issue you have with the Sigma 18-200, another great all purpose lens for candid shots. Both lenses have a lock button that keeps the lens from extending when you not taking pictures.
Lastly and most importantly does the diffraction type lens cause any problems? No. I have literaly seen no problems with lack of sharpness or unusual flare. I think you would have to shoot tripod test scenes to reveal this. Using a monopod in real life conditions,the issue does not appear to exist. Admitedly with back ligthting you can get some fogginess and flare,but this is just like other lenses. I think some ot the reviwers who are critical spend too much time bench testing. When I am doing candid,or travel photography,especially with a full frame camera,this may become my main lens. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens for Canon EOS Cameras

... Great item at a great price. Much better price than a Nikon lens would cost. For anyone who is not a highly paid professional, why would you spend the $$ for a Nikon lens? This item is great and performs without issue. Sigma is a great brand. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC IF Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... Reading reviews is a crap shoot. You know nothing about the reviewer or the use of the product. That said, I am assuming you are not a struggling professional trying to shoot a high quality, tight-budget job. You are a user looking for one lens to carry to cover a wide range of service.

I'm a pro. I have a many bodies and L lenses to use.

I carry an XSI with THIS Sigma 18-200mm non OS lens just about everywhere I go. It is a great vacation tool, where most pix are shown in a digital frame or are never going to be more than 4x6.

Yes, the MTF is not great (simply: contrast across the lens), there is some chromatic fringing and watch out! the lens hood will cause vignetting and shadows with a flash at wide angle. I've been using this lens since it was released in early '05.

It's a $300 lens. Does it compare to a $1500 L lens? Yeah - very badly. So what? The first rule of photography is get the picture. Missing the shot while changing lenses is not photography. Is this the preferred lens in my arsenal? No. But for general non-client, daylight, non-sports shooting, it's the one I'll probably be using. I prefer the non-optical stabilzed version - less complexity.

To help you weigh this review: I use five professional (5D, 1D) and several prosumer (40D, 50D, XTI, XSI) bodies and nine L lenses, plus a slew of others.

Photo tip: night shooting of foreground against backround (done a lot with this lens!): typical situation: girl on beach in front of sunset. Manually set exposure to flash shutter speed, aperature & ISO to get background. Turn flash on to expose and meter foreground. You'll get some great "how did you do that?" pix. All the MTF, abberetion and linearity issues will mean nothing, because you got a picture no one else could and th L doesn't really add anything, because you want depth of field here.

Thanks for reading my review. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... I bought this lens for macro work after I saw the photos of a member of my camera club made with the same lens. I wasn't disappointed. Photos are sharp & clear. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

... I think everything has already been said in the other reviews. This lens is incredibly sharp, even at f/2.0. I've been pairing it with my Olympus E-520 and I am well satisfied with the combination

This lens is incredible for macro as well as portraits. A little footwork is required for portraits, depending on how tight you want the cropping on the portraits. I've been able to take great macro shots of butterflies and other little critters as well as flowers.

Before I purchased it, I was concerned with what other online reviews had said about the focusing ring. As you are probably familiar, there is not direct mechanical connection between the focusing ring and the actual lens elements (it's motor driven and electronically controlled), however, compared to the kit lenses (14-42mm and 40-140mm), this focus ring is incredibly smooth.

It does make a bit of motor noise when you're going from infinity to up close. Low-light autofocus is a little slow, but I think that's the case for most camera/lens combinations.

This lens feels very solid and the lens mount is made of metal. It feels great putting this lens on. The connection feels precise and sturdy.

what else can I say... I am well satisfied with this lens :) ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Telephoto Macro ED Lens for E1, E300 & E500 Digital SLR Cameras

... I bought this lens as a good walk-about lens. It certainly does meet that criteria as it is incredibly light and compact (altho it zooms WAY out). It has a great range except I need to go purchase a wide angle - but has generally done well in meeting most needs and I love the telephoto ability. However most of my shots are just not very sharp. I would say it is all the lens except some of them ARE sharp. I finally decided that it just focuses a bit too slow or off in some cases - especially in telephoto action shots. I take a bunch of RAW burst mode but very few will actually work out. I have been able to take pretty decent photos at inside performances of the performers on stage but I have switched to manual focus. The lens also has unbelievable "creep". I ALWAYS put the lock on it when I carry it around otherwise the lens would be permanently at full telephoto. I haven't done much still photo work with it but if you are aiming downward creep will definitely come into play in that situation as well. I don't have any problems with the build or quality or feel of the lens. I love the light weight and nice range but am not satisfied with many of the resulting photos. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Ultra Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... Nikon produces great glass and this is no exception but forget about FX sensored cameras or similar pricing in regards to Canons version of this lens. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... I had the Lensbaby Composer for a week before getting the macro kit. The Composer... Awesome. The Composer with the macro lens(s) is just unreal. You can expect crystal clear images with the 4x from 10"-16", the 10x lens will get you excellent shots from ~5-10 inches. Plus you can stack the two to get clear images from a couple inches. I'm absolutely thrilled. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Lensbaby Macro Kit (AMACK)

... I bought these so I could get more into macro photography, and they do great! I can get really close to the subject and take amazing photos. And the price was right. The carrying pouch holds and protects all four lens and is very handy. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Opteka Close-Up Set (+1, +2, and +4) with 10x Macro Lens for Canon EOS Rebel XS, XSi, XTi, XT, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 5D, 1Ds and Mark II SLR Digital Camera

... I wasn't very happy with the quality of the 18-55mm kit lens, but I did like the focal range. The newer, upgrade of the 18-55mm is a bit sharper...not the excellent quality of the DA 50-135, but it will be great for family snapshots! Glad I decided to get it. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras

... I use the lens for close up product shots for a business that my partner runs. I also use it for shots of my work for my portfolio. It is versatile and takes very clear pics. Overall I really enjoy using it. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens

... Has anyone used this lens with the E500 camera? I see most using the E3.......Kirk ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Olympus Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital ED SWD Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

... A fisheye can lend itself to some really unique ways of looking at things. I was really excited to get one. So excited that I couldn't wait to save up for a $600 fisheye lens. I ordered this attachment with the understanding that it is a temporary thing until I can practically invest in a real fisheye lens.

I've been pleasantly surprised with it though. It is very easy to attach to my Nikon 52mm 18-55 lens. I tried attaching it to my 70-300mm lens but the fisheye effect decreases as the zoom increases--the fisheye effect is almost nothing at 100mm focal length, so this attachment will be just for my 18-55mm lens. At 18mm focal length, I can see nearly 180 degrees. Things at the edges are very distorted of course, but its fun to be able to see my feet when I point the camera straight ahead.

I ordered it specifically to photograph a theater production. I had mixed results. In the low light of the theater, I had a hard time getting a clear photo, so I had to turn my ISO up--which I don't like to do, as it makes for a slightly noisier photo. The effect is cool though and I could get some angles of the stage that I couldn't get with a normal lens, so in all, I was happy with the results.

The macro uses are very good though. I've only done some test shots, but I can't wait to try some more. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Precision Design 0.25X Super AF Fish Eye Lens for Film & Digital SLR Lenses by Canon EOS, Minolta Maxxum, Nikon AF, Pentax AF, Sigma, Sony Alpha & Tamron

... Despite what certain self-appointed web pundits have said about this lens, it's actually a highly useful piece of glass. On a Nikon D700, its sharpness ranges from acceptable to impressive. Predictably, it works best in the middle of its zoom range. I recently compared it pretty carefully in the 50-55mm range with a 55mm Micro Nikkor f/2.8 AIs and a 50mm Nikkor f/1.4 AI. The 24-120 matched those lenses at both the center and the edges from f/4.8 (wide open on the 24-120) on out. In fact, it beat the 55mm Nikkor much of the time, especially at the edges. I've had similarly impressive results comparing the 24-120 to a 35mm Nikkor f/2 AI. At its extremes -- 24mm and 120mm -- center performance is very good but edge performance doesn't match prime lenses or even some zooms, though it's still acceptable. Chromatic aberration is surprisingly well controlled and the vibration-reduction (VR) feature seems to help. Focusing is quick and silent. Admittedly, the 24-120 is a lens with peculiarities -- like the fact that it reverses the usual positions of focus ring and the zoom ring. But it's an autofocus lens, right? Who cares about the focusing ring? Considering the overall capability, convenience and relatively low price of the 24-120, I consider it a strong lens. In fact, I got my 24-120 for $280 as part of the D700 kit from Amazon before Christmas 2008, so I'm very pleased with myself. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

... This lens is great. I use it all the time on photo shoots. It produces crisp, clear images! If you'd like to see some pictures I've taken with it to get an idea:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodanyo/2956975632/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodanyo/2980381938/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodanyo/2938809510/ ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... This is a great choice for a full-frame camera like the D700 or D3X. Nice and sharp, decent curvature and distortion, and high contrast in the face of backlighting that would give other lenses fits of flare and low contrast. It's a no-brainer at the price. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon 28mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... Although this sigma lens has no anti shake feature it produces niece crisp images especially macro shots. Its auto focus works well even in the low light situations I use it in at a local aquarium. It is much better than the Canon lens that came with my Canon xsi. I find it a great all around lens. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... So my first copy of this lens was complete TRASH! 100% NON USABLE. It had terrible front focusing issues to the point where the edges of every edge were glowing. I was shooting at 1/2000 2.8 - 5.6 and had the same results. I could not be MORE unhappy with this lens.

After doing some research i found that this lens has some QC issues and that most people get a good lens after 2 or 3 try's. I have contacted amazon and they are sending me a new lens (too little too late, i needed it for a wedding i'm shooting tomorrow...the original customer support rep i spoke to forgot to place the exchange order and instead of getting it tomorrow morning it will be Tuesday...what a crock.. at least the 2nd person i talked to was a complete gem! So helpful). I will reply back if/when i ever actually receive the replacement order - Keeping fingers crossed for a much better lens.

At this point i fear i may be getting another lemon lens which will frustrate me even further as i'm going to Costa Rica next week and i wont have my lens.

My Recommendation: This is the type of lens that needs to be bought from a store, where you can try it before you buy it, to make sure your getting a GOOD copy and not a CRAP copy.

/end rant. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD IF Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... Camera body: Canon EOS DSLR 12 mega pixel model

I just finished trying out the Lens-Baby. There are a couple of items to be aware of - first the mount doesn't come with lenses, you need to order those additionally. Second you should be experienced with your camera and basic concepts like aperture (f-stop), and ISO speed because you have to manually select your aperture and manually focus (I also manually set my speed).

I purchased both the wide angle and macro lenses for the mount. I was really surprised at how sharp and good the photos turned out. I thought it would be good fun and maybe create some special effects but was really amazed at the quality of the photos.

This will definitely be a lens I use often! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Lensbaby 2.0 Nikon F Mount SLR Camera Lens (LB2N)

... I found the optical elements to be "okay" but the rings are awfully cheap-stuff when it comes to attaching it to the lens or one another.
I would rather have spent my money with better quality extenders. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Opteka 67mm Close-Up Set (+1, +2, and +4) with 10x Macro Lens for Nikon D90 D80 D70s D70 D50 D40x D40 D700 D300 D200 D100 D2Hs SLR Digital Camera

... This Sigma lens works spectacular with the Nikon D40X. It's a great deal for a great price. With the Nikon D40X you have to have a lens that has AF because there is no motor for it in the Nikon. This is why I purchased this lens in particular. I've been able to take some amazing close ups. I took a photo of a rose and the detail in the rose was amazing! You could see the veins in the petals with vivid detail. I would recommend this lens to anyone with a digital camera for which it fits, especially those cameras without AF motors, owned by people who would like to have (AF) auto focus and fantastic photos. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC HSM Lens for Nikon D90, D80, D70, D60, D50, D40, D40X, D700, D300, D200, & D3 Digital SLR's

... This is the second copy of the Tamron AF 28-75mm Di lens I ordered, both copies had front focus issues. Both severely front focus at 60mm to 75mm but at the 28mm to 50mm zoom range, focus was excellent at all apertures, very sharp pictures..I'am very satisfied just using at the 28 to 50mm range but may decide to send it back to Tamron for calibration. If they called this a 28-50mm f/2.8 Di lens it would be worth five stars... ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... This is an amazing lens. I was initially concerned about distortion that bulged from the center out to the edges but the lens does a fantastic job of dealing with it. This lens is one of the best additions to my glass collection. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on NIKON 14MM f/2.8D ED AF Ultra Wide Angle Nikkor Lens

... Got mine in the mail yesterday. I had to run errands after work, so I just fiddled around with it a little. Let me tell you what- this lens is tack sharp and has beautiful color and contrast. And, you feel like a secret agent running around surreptitiously shooting people and cars at 200 mm (i.e. 320 on my EOS 50D). At 1600 ISO, you can handhold indoors in minimal lighting. Very pleased with my purchase- off to the zoo the next sunny weekend! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... This is my story of Sigma 12-24 lens for Canon.

How come I always end up shooting on the wide or long end of my 28-70 zoom? I also wanted to go wider than my Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. Corners on Canon's 20mm were all smeared on until you stopped down to f16, which is the only usable aperture if you want edge to edge sharpness. So after lots of research I ordered Sigma. I was hoping to hit a jackpot and have a good sample. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The first lens I got was somebody returned lens with missing soft case, and it had a soft zone on the left side. Amazon was quick to correct the problem, and shipped me another copy. Second lens was brand new, but had a soft patch on the right side! I contacted Sigma's Tom Soble, and he advised me to send in the lens AND a camera for calibration. Since I just got back the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) from Canon after having fixed focus issues - according to Canon "it was found that the adjustment of the AF assembly was incorrect the auto focus did not operate properly Electrical adjustments were carried out of the AF assembly". So I did not send in the lens, but just got my money back from Amazon. As much as I enjoyed the wide angle perspective, I could not justify soft zones in my images. Also, whenever I would try photograph anything using DOF scales, the image would turn super soft, to the point that it would be unusable, maybe that was part of some decentering issues my Sigma 12-24 had. I would love to have a "good" copy of the lens to compare to, maybe all the issues were due to the bad samples I had? I have 2 Sigma lenses - Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras and Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens for Canon SLR Cameras which are fine pieces of glass.
The also purchased Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra-Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, but was not happy with flexibility of use/price ratio, so the lens was returned. I still have Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens on my short list as a potential candidates. I have borrowed my friends Leica 19mm (first generation) and was very happy with it! He wants it back, so I am thinking about Leica 21-35mm as a compact travel lens. You can see and read more of my thoughts at agniusdigital.com ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM Aspherical Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... To clear up some of the confusion regarding how this lens will perform, there are two classes of Nikon DSLR's. The first use a sensor smaller than 35mm, about the size of the old APS film cameras, hence the term "APS class." These include the D50,70,80,90,200, etc.

The smaller sensors mean every lens has a built in zoom (or crop factor) of about 1.5. This is why wide angles for these DSLR's have been 18mm while for film it used to be 24-28mm. Lenses built for the smaller sensors also have a circle (inner lens opening) that is smaller than the older film lenses. On these type cameras this lens would perform like a 43-450mm or thereabouts.

Newer Nikons like the D3,D3X, and D700 are "full frame" and have sensors the same size as 35mm. There is no crop factor, and they can work correctly with film lenses.

This Tamron is essentially a film lens, and works best on a full frame camera. I've heard to be wary of superzooms such as this, as they tend to have distortion at the wide and tele ends and have a small maximum aperture at the tele end.

At 300MM it is f6.3 max, and that's not very good, but my D700 has such good high ISO performance I just crank it up and don't worry about. The focus is an old screw drive so it's a little slow and noisy, and it is plastic. (The focus also won't work on the D40, it needs lenses with a built in motor.) I also would prefer it have been 24mm rather than 28mm, but you can't have everything.

However, I've been very happy with the pictures it takes. They have good color rendition, the distortion isn't readily noticeable, and they're nice and sharp across the screen.

If I blew the photos up I'd probably see a lot of differences compared to a high end "pro" lens, but that misses the point. This is a "walk around" lens intended for situations where you can/want only to take one lens with you. In that role the Tamron works very well.

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Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Ultra Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... I've had this lens for a few years now and am always amazed at its contrast and sharpness. Check out the lens MTF charts on olympus' website for this lens you'll be very surprised.
At f2.8 it's got nice aperture and bokeh. I ordered this lens with my E-300 and I've been in only a couple of situations where I needed a different lens.
I highly recommend this 14-54 as the "first lens" for anyone getting into four-thirds systems. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko ED Digital SLR Lens for E1, E300 & E500 Cameras

... I use this lens on my Canon Rebel XTI as a replacement for the EF-S 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 II that come with the kit. I am generally impressed and satisfied with my purchase.

I am not qualified to discuss every aspect of the optical performance, but I can point out a few negatives that would concern the amateur:
1) It is huge! holding the camera makes my wrists sore, and It no longer fits in the carry case I use. The lens attracts a little more attention than I would like.
2) It makes a very faint high pitched noise. The noise goes away when I press the depth of field preview, or when the camera goes into powersave mode after a few minutes of inactivity. It is unaffected by the image stabilization feature. It is not loud enough to bother anyone, but when I hear it, I think of the battery getting eaten away.
3) The lens cap is difficult to put on / Easy to drop.
4) It is just a travel lens. Professionals hate that these are so popular, because they compromise optical perfection for extreme zoom range. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS (Optical Stabilizer) Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... a great companion for the 100-400LCanon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras miss the IS but a monopod is a great help. the f/2.8 is worth the extra $ in added light on a subject. the close up switch is a big help in all cases on both lenses. both lenses literally grab a subject from the air compared to my 70-300 IS USM which is also a good lens for the size and weight.Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... Lens delivers for its price tag.

Yes its true, it will not capture front cover National Geographic photos nor pocket camera mediocre results.

The main advantage is the additional zoom range, making good for portraits and has some wide angle for those spontaneous group photos.
The lens tends to get lost in details at its widest range of 28mm when is very sunny and focusing to infinity, the Nikon D60 meter does not adjusts well on these light conditions. I leave the wide angle nature photos to the 18-55 giving better results.
I did some testing at a birthday Playground party (sunny, cloudy day), +1 in sharpness, WB to partly cloudy set at zero. I played every now and then with Under Over exposure; +0.3,.7 when cloudy and -.3-.7 when very sunny. This lens likes to give very saturated colors so try to leave it on Normal, not vivid colors or will be super rich reds, greens.
Portraits: I find this lens does well in this category, if the light is right good details, tones can be achieved with blurry backgrounds at 80mm, remember to use the lens hood. The lens delivers well on portraits, I love it for such a cheap lens, colors come out very good. I retouch many photos on Elements 6 and Camera Raw giving it darker values to shadows and highlights to white areas. Good details are revealed by lowering saturation and contrast with no weird out of focus backgrounds.
It may be me, but I have experienced adjusting the Image and quality to Medium instead of Fine gives better results, I guess less is more in this case.

Close ups with the built in iTTL flash are extremely good, details are excellent, I found the lens to deliver easy and without any much processing with flash and set on Auto, piece of cake.

Overall: very good lens, feels sturdy. I have heard bad comments about plastic lens mount, but the Nikon 18-55 is also plastic. I wish the focusing ring was smoother and zoom be linear instead of rotational, makes it hard to manual focus on moving objects like sports etc. I recommend this lens

This lens gives a very pro look to your camera especially with the lens hood on. Do not worry, this lens DOES NOT look cheap or in other words, it does not look like a 70 dollar lens. I replaced the Tamron lens cap for a Nikon one :-)... ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

... The lens has warranty card with it. It's light and fit quite nicely with my Xsi. The images are all good. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

... Simple and good quality item. It is like a high power telescope for your camera. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Kenko 420-1600mm Super Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon D40, D40x, D60, D80, D200, D300, D3, D700 Digital SLR Cameras

... I was waiting and waiting for an updated version of this lens (with IS hopefully) but finally gave up and bought one. I did not order it from Amazon because it does not seem to stock them and I got it from Norman Camera since they were the first one to receive fresh stock (Date code UX0317, so less than 2 months old). It is light but not that light, AF is super fast, seems to be very sharp too but only tried it for a few shots in cloudy weather. Will try to see how well it works hand held. Oh, did a quick and dirty check for AF microadjustment, seems like 0 works best (only did a quick compare with 3 -5s, 3 0s and 3 +5s). Overall, I'm happy with the lens.

Updated 04/26/09
Finally got a chance to take it out on a hike. Though it may be light by L lens standard, it is kind of heavy if you have to carry it for couple of hours. Image is sharp, very sharp providing you have very steady hand or good support, I think I will mostly have this on either a tripod or monopod. Despite of the weight and lack of IS, I am very very happy with this lens. It should be a 5 star rating if the price is somewhat lower. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

... I compared images I took of a tip of a needle and I could not see a difference between them. I haven't gotten the fine detail tuned in yet but that is a learning curve for me. I just started out playing around with macro photography and think this a fine addition to my arsenal of fine lenses to give me a little more working room than my 60mm Nikon Micro. This Sigma also takes wonderful portraits for head shots if you are on a tripod or are shooting at higher shutter speeds since there is no image stabilization (VR). The build quality seem to be bomb proof - all metal and very heavy. Overall, I'm very pleased with this sample of the Sigma 150mm Macro and look forward to having it on my camera often. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO HSM IF Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras