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Nikon TC-20E III AF-S 2x Teleconverter
Nikon TC-20E III AF-S 2x Teleconverter
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 24 minutes ago
Nikon TC-20E III AF-S 2x Teleconverter (Electronics) I bought this converter and used it with my D700 and 70-200 2.8 vrii. I was very unhappy with the image quality it produced. I ran the combo through many tests and this combination failed. The loss of sharpness was so dramatic that I did not think any of the images were usable. The auto focus had to hunt often and the 3D tracking was limited with this combination. I checked it through all f/stops and the sharpness was still poor even when shot from a tripod with cable relase. I actually tested two of these and the results were varied...but both were very bad. Eventually I tested this lens with the TC-17eii and was much more happy. The images were drastically better. Without going into details of the specific tests I ran all I can say is that in my opinion this teleconverter is for fast long prime lenses. The 70-200mm vrii works much better with the TC-17eii and TC-14eii. Skip the TC-20 if you ar eusing it with the 70-200mm. .
Read more...Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens
Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 26 minutes ago
Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera) I bought this lens because I wanted a good, fast prime lens for indoor use on my 50D. I also own the EF 50mm f/1.4 which I love, but indoors I find it less useful due to the crop frame sensor of the 50D. I knew I wanted something in the wide angle range (due to the 1.6x crop frame of the camera) so I looked at the EF 28mm f/1.8 USM and the EF 35mm f/2.0. Based on reviews here at Amazon as well as outside websites I decided to go with the 35mm f/2.0 because the 28mm seems to have consistently negative reviews. I was also able to pick up this 35mm for about $130 less than the 28mm so it seemed to be a better investment. I have now had the 35mm for about 1 month and taken over 300 photos with it on my camera. All in all I am happy with the lens and it has been on my camera nearly the whole time I have owned it. The images are sharp and the color is good. This is a fast lens and you can get some great bokeh when you open it up wide which is nice when you want to get creative with your photos. However, I am more than frustrated with the auto focusing with this lens. It does not seem to want to focus on the subject of the frame, many images end up out of focus if I let the camera do all of the work. When left to its own devices, many times this lens will not produce images that are in focus, or at east not what you wanted in focus. The only way I can get the great photos that this lens is capable of is when I take control of the focusing points and select exactly what I want in focus for each shot. This is not overly difficult and I am used to it because I am generally selecting the desired auto focus point for each shot, but this lens seems to be abnormally challenged at focusing on the desired subject on its own. This has been a major disappointment because unfortunately I know that when someone else (who is not familiar with how to use the camera) picks it up it is 50/50 whether the photo turns out, especially in low light situations. I feel that this is a problem if you are looking at this lens to be a good all around indoor prime for candids and family shots and especially if you want to be in some of the photos. This is a good lens if you are familiar with how to use the auto focus selectivity features of your camera. The image quality is good, similar to the 50mm f/1.4, and definately better than any kit lens you may have, but don't expect to put this lens on your camera and never have to learn how to really use it on your camera. .
Read more...Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens
Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 29 minutes ago
Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera) I just got this lens used from a marketplace seller. The first several test-shots were breathtaking. My seller included the lens hood. The lens hood even installs backwards for easy storage. Yes, it has a very narrow depth of field at f/1.8. But that's the idea sometimes. Backgrounds are totally obfuscated one foot past the focus point. It gets deeper and sharper the more you stop it down. If you've been looking for an EF AF lens that will shoot in awful, low-light conditions, this is a great one. Neither my EFS18-55 nor my EF35-80 can come anywhere near the low-light performance! I'm using a Digital Rebel/300D, and I was able to manually focus perfectly in very dim light. The USM AF works great, but you have to choose your focus point very carefully at f/1.8. I'm a fisheye-guy, so the pictures are a little un-artistic for my "Artwork" but for portraits, landscapes, architecture, even drunken snapshots (I'm assuming) it's tack-sharp every time! If you hate the curved lines from shperical wide-angles, this lens will tickle you pink!! I'm going to take some pictures at night, I'm hoping for cloud definition in near-total darkness. I will post them with the other customer images. (Even if they're bad, I want to test the LIMITS of this very fast/bright lens!) Find a good used one if you can, but it would have been worth an extra $100 if a used one wasn't available. Every time I buy a more expensive Canon lens, I wonder if I'm finally going to get something that's not quite worth the high price; but it hasn't happened yet!! My next purchase will be:Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens My wife will kill me when she sees that pricetag! Stay Tuned! .
Read more...Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 32 minutes ago
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera (Electronics) According to a photo magazine, this is a cosmetically re-labelled Konica Minolta 75-300 (D) zoom telephoto, which is a lens that I own (it certainly looks exactly the same as the KM 75-300 lens, but with the 'Sony' name). In which case, I have the following review: (1) Excellent construction quality, this is a very nicely made lens, excellent finish, not too heavy but solid and without the 'plastic' feel of many medium-priced lenses; (2) Excellent optical quality, with good sharpness even at the longest 300mm focal length where most zooms begin to show poor quality; (3) VERY UNUSUAL: near-zero distortion throughout the entire range of focal lengths (very different from some Sigma zooms that I own, which have conspicuously visible pincushion distortion). This may well be the lowest-distortion 75-300 telephoto from any maker. (4) ONE CAVEAT: AUTOFOCUS IN LOW LIGHT: on my Minolta Maxxum 7 film camera, whose autofocus system is apparently quite similar to the Sony Alpha 100, the camera has difficulty autofocussing the 75-300 lens at the 300 mm setting (where the aperture is only f/5.6) in light weaker than direct sunlight. This is probably the same with any f/5.6 or slower lens. I have found myself switching to manual focus at the 300 mm setting if the subject is not brightly lit. NOTE: the Konica Minolta 75-300 (D) lens is still available, for about $140, and reportedly will work with Sony Alpha cameras just as well as the similar lens labelled Sony. .
Read more...Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 34 minutes ago
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens (Camera) I bought this 18-55 mm VR lens as a backup lens when my Nikon 18-200 VR mm lens was in the shop being repaired under warentee after about 14 month use. I have not been disappointed with this lens and from what I can tell it's pretty equivalent to the much more expensive Nikon 18-200 mm VR lens over the 18-55 mm range. There are times I'll take this lens rather than the 18-200 mm lens because it's much lighter and more compact, while producing the same sharp and colorful images. I know that having VR on a 55 mm lens is less useful than having it on the 18-200 mm lens but there are still times that it will allow me to take photos at 55 mm that I might otherwise not be able to --- and the cost increase really isn't all that great. This lens is a nice lens to have when one wants to travel light with Nikon DSLR gear. .
Read more...Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens
Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 37 minutes ago
Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics) The new Di lenses from Tamron are designed to work well with digital cameras, although those with the Di will work for 35mm as well (Di-II only work with smaller, APS-C chip size digital cameras). This is an improvement on the fine 70-300 LD (Low Dispersion glass) design. The major improvements in this lens are in the coatings, to help reduce any color bias, and minimize reflections. Additionally, lens manufacturers are doing more inside the barrels to reduce reflections. Like the older LD design, the new lens has a close-up mode (not strictly "macro") position that allows images 1/2 lifesize on the negative. That's about twice the size of most 300mm zooms lacking this feature. If you're buying this for one of the new Sony Alpha series, this might be your best bet. The Tamron will include a 6-year USA warranty. It also includes the lens hood. The Sony 75-300 is repackaging of the older Konica-Minolta 75-300 lens, a lens that hit the market before any KM digital SLRs. .
Read more...Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 39 minutes ago
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics) Everything that other reviewers have said is true. This lens is SHARP even wide open and the bokeh is so beautiful. In fact, this is the sharpest lens that I own and I own several L lenses. It is even sharper at f/2 than my 70-200 f/2.8 IS at f/2.8. The image quality only degrades very slightly when coupled with the 1.4x TC. Highly recommended! Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Electronics) The 135 f2 is probably Canon's sharpest prime. And you know that most of Canon's prime lenses are quite sharp so this speaks to the great quality of the 135. The 135 is better than any of the 70-200 zooms for the following reasons: -It's less conspicuous: it's black instead of white, it's lighter and shorter..
Read more...Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical
Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical
posted by abcnoonoi 1 day 9 hours 42 minutes ago
Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Camera) I have owned this lens for over a year now and it never ceases to amaze me when I see the photos it produces. Over this last year I have come to learn a thing or two about how to use this lens. 1) If you are going to shoot indoors, or in low light, with a long focal length (like 200mm) use a tripod or plenty of ambient light. This lens doesn't have a built in image stabilizer so you are going to steady the lens with the tripod or use a real fast shutter speed to minimize your hand jitter. 2) Use a smaller aperture. I have found that my best photos come from an aperture of 8.0 thru 16. These apertures aren't great for bokeh (background blur) but they sure do allow you to take razor sharp pictures. Praise. Focal range. With one lens you are able to take nice wide-angle shots (18mm) and with the twist of zoom ring you have a nice telephoto lens (200mm) Definitely a good walk around lens for the day at the botanical gardens, museum or amusement park. Build quality. This lens gives you a nice solid feel in your hands. Give it a shake and it doesn't make a sound. The zoom and focus rings move smoothly without being sloppy. With a lens this well built you would expect it to be heavy. Not so with this lens, it's quite light (which is something you really appreciate after a long day of carrying it around.) Minimal chromatic aberrations. The lens' three hybrid aspherical elements and two low dispersion glass elements correct for almost all lateral and on-axis aberrations making most of your images optically clear. Size. At it's lowest focal length (18mm) the lens is small enough to fit into a mid size top loading camera bag while still attached to the camera body. Complaint? Well yes, I do have one minor complaint about the lens. Auto focus is slow. How slow? Well let's just say you won't want to try and photograph a two year old on the move. I have found that I can keep fast moving objects in better focus by switching to manual. .
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