... 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
