Archive for January, 2011

Canon 17-40mm – The Ideal Everyday L Series Lens

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Own this lens? Leave a review below and let us know what you think. Thanks!
Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon 17-40mm

Canon 17-40mm

The Canon 17-40mm is quite simply a brilliant lens for a reasonable price. It is the lens that spends the most time attached to my DSLR and I love it!

It is also atypically light for an L series lens, which further strengthens its credentials.

But what else does it have to offer? Besides affordability, the 17-40 L offers extremely sharp images throughout its range and auto focus is fast, silent and efficient.

In my personal opinion, there is really not a lot to fault about this lens except for the usual wide open corner softness that you get with wide-angle lenses. I often find that stopping down to f/5.6 (if possible) improves corner sharpness.

Canon 17-40 review

While I may have a slightly biased opinion towards this lens, a lot of people will say that it is too slow.

However, I think we have to take a step back here and really ask ourselves this simple question – what will be the intended purpose of this lens?

In my opinion the 17-40 USM is the perfect landscape lens, especially on a 1.6 FOVCF body because the crop factor makes it look as if you are using a 27.2-64mm lens. Obviously it can also handle architecture, group portraits and a whole lot of other stuff.

As a result of being a more general outdoor piece of kit, the relatively slow (but still decent) f/4.0 maximum aperture will not be a problem in 9 out of 10 situations. Sure, there will be times whilst out in the field that you may need to increase ISO or use a tripod to compensate, but I still think a few people get a bee in their bonnet because this lens may struggle indoors where the light is less predictable.

In the same way that a Ferrari isn’t designed to go off-road, the f/4.0 17-40 wasn’t really meant to be able to perform effortlessly in low light (remember, it doesn’t have image stabilization (IS) either).

Having said that, anyone with a steady hand and slight tweak in setting should still be able to get good shots no matter the environment.

The crux of my point is this – buy a 50mm 1.4 or 16-35 f/2.8 IS if you want the best of both worlds. More so the 16-35 if you like landscapes or the 50mm 1.4 if you prefer portraits.

What you’ll like
  • efficient auto-focus
  • well built
  • moderately priced, good value for money
  • excellent color and contrast reproduction
  • smooth focus mechanism
  • generally resistant to flare (lens hood seems largely useless to me), chromatic aberration and distortion are also well controlled
  • utilizes popular 77mm filter size
  • perfect walk-about lens thanks to size and weight
What you might not like
  • corner softness wide open, improved by stopping down
  • not as fast as some other wide angle lenses

What others are saying about the Canon 17-40mm f 4l

“NutMac” from Mountain View, CA, offered some sound advice for anyone thinking about purchasing this lens:

First, determine your budget, focal length, and aperture needs. If you frequently find yourself zooming out to get everything in a frame, you will want a wide angle lens such as this. If you frequently find yourself zooming in, this is not the lens for you.

On a full frame body such as Canon EOS 5D, this lens becomes ULTRA wide angle. On an APS-C crop body such as Digital Rebel XTi (which I used for this review), it becomes MEDIUM wide angle.

He then goes on to showcase some of the lenses strengths, written in way that clearly shows his passion for the 17-40:

The lens exudes quality from tip to tip.
You may tolerate heavier lens or may not mind lesser build quality of cheaper lenses. A walkaround lens will be used very often, so make sure you will be comfortable with it.

This lens is famous for saturated color and deep contrast. Its images are simply stunning. At 17mm wide angle, barrel distortion is noticeable but relatively mild. From 24mm to 40mm, its images are distortion free and perfectly suited at capturing people.

…Thanks to 7 diaphragm blades, this lens can produce very nice bokeh at 40mm (blur effects).

Read the rest of this great review here!

Where can you buy and how much should you pay?

When I first got this lens years ago I payed around $1000. Now I have seen it for about 25% less than that on Amazon. Right now they are very reasonably priced and super competitive – the best online in most cases. Check out the low price here.

Please help support the maintenance of this site by using the links mentioned above to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. Any purchase is greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Conclusion

The Canon 17-40mm is, in essence, the perfect entry level L series lens. Please don’t assume that I mean its optics and performance are to a lesser standard than some other L lenses – what I mean to convey is that the low price will enable many users to upgrade their kit lenses and enter the world of serious quality for the first time.

Not only does the 17-40 lower that barrier somewhat, it also importantly lives up to its reputation of quality and is by no means just a cheap, poor cousin to its L series counterparts.

Anyone who is willing to overlook the apparently slow maximum aperture (and I dare say those sort of people will be in the minority) will undoubtedly find themselves a life long friend with this lens.

Canon 50mm 1.4 Review – When You Should And Shouldn’t Choose It Over The 50mm 1.8

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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon EF 50mm 1.4

The Canon 50mm 1.4 has a lot in common with the 50mm 1.8 – it is small, light and offers outstanding image quality for a very reasonable price.

So, what distinguishes these two lenses?

While they look almost identical on paper, there are several important and perhaps less important factors that you should consider before deciding on one over the other.

Canon 50mm 1.4 Review vs Canon 50mm 1.8

To say that one lens is better than the other is flawed thinking. As always, it is really up to the individual to decide which lens is best suited to them.

Many people will try to tell you that you should opt for the 50mm 1.8 because it costs less and basically does the same job. Others will tell you to forget about the 50mm 1.4 because it won’t last the distance and that you are only setting yourself for an inevitable upgrade in the future anyway.

So with that in mind, I want to give you some hard truths to help you in your buying decision.

If you are just starting out in photography – then buy the 1.8 version – simply because 50mm is a workable starting focal length and the low cost of the lens means you aren’t risking much if you decide that you don’t like it.

Speaking of 50mm, did you know that it is the focal length which most closely resembles the field of view of the human eye?

While the 1.4 is more adaptable and will give you better results more of the time, the slightly slower version is still a high quality lens and will definitely wow beginners who have been used to the very soft and slow 18-55mm kit lens for example (why they don’t offer prime lenses as bundles with DSLR bodies is beyond me, but perhaps then it would ruin their charm and they would have never been as good as they have become).

If you are ready to graduate to the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens then you will surely appreciate the fact that it will probably last longer than the 1.8, and that is one major victory to be had without even looking at the optics or performance.

I have collated the main differences into the table below to make it easier to read.

Canon 50mm 1.4
  • good at finding focus, even in low light
  • greater durability, better construction
  • full time manual focus – the ability to tweak auto focus results
  • chromatic aberration and distortion are evident at low levels wide open
  • better color and saturation
  • extremely sharp images, perhaps best at f/2.8 to f/4.0
  • good quality, smooth bokeh coming from 8 aperture blades
Canon 50mm 1.8
  • noisy, clumsy auto focus
  • plastic construction, less likely to go the distance
  • no full time manual focus, you will have to switch between manual and auto
  • chromatic aberration and distortion are evident at low levels wide open
  • colors may need post processing work
  • very sharp images but never exceeding or matching the 50mm 1.4
  • moderate quality bokeh coming from 5 aperture blades
Canon 50mm 1.4
Canon 50mm 1.4

Even though I am probably splitting hairs here, the fact of the matter is that the f1.4 exposes a third of a stop brighter than most other Canon lenses. It is brighter in the viewfinder in general teams and really is a whole stop “faster” than the f1.8 at maximum aperture.

If you’re willing to sacrifice some clarity, that extra stop can make a huge difference when you are looking to shoot moving subjects, particularly in low light.

For example – imagine that you are at a concert somewhere and while you wish to get a photograph of your favorite band – the venue is dimly lit.  The 50mm 1.4 has a faster shutter speed for less motion blur because of the wider maximum aperture and the bokeh will be much more pleasing and less distracting to boot. There is also more light gathered for better color reproduction (not that the 1.4 really needed it!).

It is the scenario mentioned above (and many others no doubt) which proves that the 1.4 will be more versatile and more able to handle itself under pressure. This will be a minor quibble to some, and a big deal to others.

Where should you buy and how much should you pay?

I would not pay anymore than $400 for this lens - check out the low price here. As always though the price will fluctuate wildly from one retailer to the next. One place that is pretty consistent is Amazon and right now they are very reasonably priced – the best online in most cases.

With that in mind, please help support the maintenance of this site by using the links mentioned above to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. Any purchase is greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Conclusion

The Canon 50mm 1.4 is a must have addition to any kit bag in my opinion. Whether you want to get your feet wet with the 1.8 is entirely up to you and hopefully I have given you enough information to make the right decision in this review.

Make no bones about it, the 1.4 is a serious lens that is up there with the big boys in terms of image quality and performance. For a measly $350 or so you can have the perfect starter lens that will never go out of fashion or be made obsolete by something else.

Matthew Davidson from Cambridge MA sums up this lens pretty well – it will open up your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities and you won’t want to put it down:

The Canon 50mm 1.4 gobbles light. It opens up a world of indoor photography that is not possible with a 4.0 lens. The 50mm focal length combined with available light produces natural-looking results. It is exactly what your eye sees. Shadows and highlights are intact. It is a revelation if you’re used to the harsh drop shadows and evenly-lit faces produced by flashes. This is a jarring step up in quality from snapshot to “wow”….

…As a father, my only regret is I wish I had this lens earlier. From one parent to another, I’ll tell you the price of the lens is irrelevant, as the pictures it produces are priceless.

photo credit smoorenburg

Nikon 35mm 1.8 Review – What Are You Waiting For?

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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G

The Nikon 35mm 1.8 is a supreme quality, fast and cheap Nikon DX lens that is perfectly suited to hand-held photography in low light.

As a result, it is especially perfect for indoor photography where you would otherwise need the use of a flash. This is a great way to finally rid yourself of the unflattering and intrusive qualities of flash forever while obtaining images that will take your breath away.

Nikon 35mm 1.8 review

This lens is an absolutely no brainer for any Nikon DX user, especially if you don’t already own a fast prime lens. It is just a miracle worker in low light and the price of this lens is almost equal to the cost of a really good filter. Enough said.

The 35mm 1.8 is a particularly useful addition to the lower end DX models like the D40 and D60 and the flawless auto focus system means you can switch to manual focus at any time by simply rotating the focus ring. There is no need to flick any switches.

What I like about this lens is the fact that it is the perfect trade off between size and speed. At f/1.8 it is not too fast that it would require a bigger, bulkier lens. The 35mm is small and nimble.

Conversely, the fixed aperture is not too slow that it would be in direct competition with the kit lenses which generally start at f/3.5 or f/4.0.

Nikon 35mm 1.8

It is indeed a nice compromise and you’ll have to agree that this particular lens fills its niche within the market quite well.

(NB: If you are planning on upgrading to full-frame in the future, then please consider the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D which is compatible with full frame bodies – the 35mm 1.8G IS NOT).

What you will like
  • fast auto focus, the lens will not hunt for focus
  • extremely cheap and high value for money
  • sharp images with minimal defects
  • light weight
  • convenient manual focus override
  • internal mechanism is used for focusing which helps prevent dust and other nasties getting inside the lens
  • the front element does not rotate with focusing
What you won’t like
  • some corner softness – use f/2.8 as this seems to be the optimum aperture to get the best of both worlds
  • lack of high quality bokeh – backgrounds are often angular and distracting from the main subject
  • disappointing amount of barrel distortion – easily corrected in Photoshop of course but it’s almost as if you shouldn’t have to correct it in the first place

What others are saying about the Nikon 35mm 1.8 DX

Glenn Carpenter from Golden, Colorado praised Nikon for delivering a feature-packed lens for a very affordable price:

Nikon has absolutely nailed it with this lens. A modest sum gets you exactly what you need in a lens, nothing you don’t, and it works beautifully.

It is relatively feature-rich at its price: cheap lenses, even from Nikon, often lack important features – but not here. Unlike other recent DX bargains this lens has Nikon’s M/A focus setting, which allows automatic focus with instant manual over-ride.

This is a simple and intuitive method of combining the ease and accuracy of AF with sometimes-necessary manual control, and Nikon has done users of this lens a great favor by including it, despite the low price…

… What is clear to me in using this lens is that Nikon has put its money in exactly the right places to make this lens a star despite its price. There may be nitpicks here and there, but the optics, the coatings, the engineering, and perhaps most importantly the quality of the focusing system, are exactly what they need to be to allow this lens to make photographs that are the equal of those made by professional zooms costing in the thousands.

Read the rest of this lengthy but awesome review here.

Where can you buy and how much should you pay?

Don’t pay more than $250 for this lens, otherwise it is daylight robbery.

Amazon.com have it for under $200 at the time of writing, so click here to take advantage of this price before they decide to put the price up again.

Please help support the maintenance of this site by using the links above to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. It is greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Conclusion

It is hard to find a reason not to buy the Nikon 35mm 1.8 - perhaps the only reasons why you wouldn’t buy one are because you own an FX camera or you are highly skeptical that Nikon could produce such a great lens for such a low price.

Skepticism and caution are natural human traits, but please, read the reviews and see how it has surprised and delighted so many photographers before you – you won’t be disappointed and if by some miracle you don’t like it – you can always return it for a refund within the specified time period.

I wish that I would have had something like this available to me when I was just starting out in photography. This lens is going to be ideal for amateurs who have bought the kit lens (often at a higher price than the 35mm 1.8) and were disappointed with the results.

They are going to be in a position to ditch the kit lens and buy something for half the price but for twice the satisfaction.

photo credit pv ks

Canon 100-400mm – Will This Lens Handle Anything You Throw At It?

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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon 100-400mm

The Canon 100-400mm is the lens for serious wildlife and outdoor photographers. Buy it here now!

The 100-400 IS lens is a high image quality, high build quality piece of kit that any photographer who is serious about outdoor long-range subjects should own.

It is by no means a small lens, nor a light lens (it weighs in at approximately 3 pounds or 1.3 kilograms) and as such smooth operation will take a little getting used to.

Indeed, its weight and robustness can work to your advantage when you consider than this lens is used on safari, in boats, during outdoor sporting events and other situations that can present circumstances or conditions that are detrimental to the longevity of your equipment.

Luckily, the included image stabilization (IS) technology does make hand-holding this lens more forgiving in such rough-and-tumble conditions, especially in low light or simply if your arms are still getting used to the extra weight and you can’t quite hold it still yet.

Canon 100-400mm review

As I mentioned just before, image stabilization is going to be important on a lens with this much bulk.

While some might argue that one should use a tripod to negate the reliance on IS, there are of course certain situations where tripods are neither practical nor necessary. Do you really want to miss the shot of the century while you are fumbling around with your tripod assembly?

With the 100-400 Canon, you are spoilt for choice with 2 different IS modes – one for stationary objects and one for moving. The IS feature will also be automatically be disabled if the lens detects that it is being used on a tripod and will lock itself in the centered position between the two settings.

It is important to note that with the use of any sort of image stabilization technology, you are simply providing a buffer against camera movement, and not the movement of the subject you are trying to photograph.

For a camera with such a large focal range, you would think that there is a lot of scope for things to go wrong between 100mm and 400mm. In truth, the EF 100-400 delivers excellent image quality throughout, with only minor hiccups here and there.

Canon 100-400mm – outstanding quality

There is slight softness present in the center wide open at its shortest focal length, but the sharpness improves considerably if you change down just 1 stop. There is also a hint of chromatic aberration visible in the corners, especially in full frame cameras from 250mm onwards.

However it is worthwhile keeping in mind that there are very few lenses on the market today that would do better at those sort of ‘extreme’ focal lengths – and the few that do are often 4 or 5 times the price.

As you would expect, contrast and color reproduction are on the high end of the scale and bokeh is also quite nice the further you zoom in – although it isn’t the best you will ever see and probably in most cases not even in the same league as the bokeh you will see in prime lenses.

What you will like
  • sharp throughout
  • well constructed
  • versatile
  • dual image stabilization
  • lack of any noticeable flare
  • fast, quiet and accurate auto focus
  • employs the 77mm filter – a popular filter size which means there is a good chance you won’t have to spend another $100 on yet another set of filters
What you won’t like
  • moderate to strong vignetting at 400mm on full frame bodies (less apparent on 1.6x bodies)
  • too heavy/bulky for some
  • push/pull zoom won’t be to everyones liking
  • it isn’t the fastest lens in the world with a maximum aperture of f/4.5 – if you want something faster have you considered the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 II with a 1.4x or 2x extension tube?

What others are saying about the Canon 100-400

P. Lehmann from Texas added an insightful review and asked the question that anyone who is considering this lens should ask themselves – is it right for you?

If you’re like me and the majority of your work involves people and portraits, the 70-200 2.8 (even non IS) is a much better choice for around the same money. I would have gotten 100x the use out of it over the past year…

…. But this lens does shine with its strengths. IS allows you to handhold 400mm pics with greater success than the non-IS prime. I dont do weddings but I can imagine IS allowing this lens as a supplement when a photog is stuck at the back of a church during the ceremony… as long as the lights arent too low..

… Other benefits? The push-pull design allows almost instant adjustments.

 

 

Because it compresses, its easer to carry than the prime (length- and size-wise, not weight).

Canon EOS 1D Mk III with 100-400mm

So the question boils down to whether you really need the zoom, the IS, and the ranges of this lens at the higher price than the prime. Wildlife/landscape photogs that use tripods? Maybe not. Sports shooters with monopods? Maybe….

…That said, if you weigh your wants and this lens still tugs at your heart, dont hesitate to buy it. It delivers performance and value…within specific parameters.

Review shortened for size, read the rest here!

A word about the 100-400 push-pull system

This lens employs the use of a push-pull zoom mechanism which will the be one thing that a lot of people wouldn’t have used before (as opposed to the twist to zoom system which is more prevalent).

Basically there is a ring located on the focus ring which adjusts the tension of the zoom. It may or may not be to your liking because while it is nice to be able to lock your zoom to one particular spot, it can get in the way of focusing itself and you can end up inadvertently knocking the zoom ring while you try to focus (thus putting you back to square one).

Indeed, you will also find yourself adjusting the zoom tension for every shot because, well, every shot is different and as a result will need a different amount of zoom.

Whether you enjoy using the function or not is probably irrelevant – it’s more a case of if you can live with it. If you are unsure it is probably best to test drive the 100-400mm in a camera store first.

A secondary complaint of this system is that the constant in and out motion somehow draws dust inside the lens. At this stage I’m willing to discount most of those claims as coincedence because for every 3 complainers there are 97 people who are perfectly satisfied with the lens.

You can probably attribute a bit of dust here and there as part and parcel of photography, can’t you?

Where can you buy and how much should you pay?

You shouldn’t pay more than about $1,500 for this lens – but I have seen it for around $2,000 in some places. Check prices here.

Amazon.com have it for around this price at the time of writing.

With that in mind, please help support the maintenance of this site by using this link to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. Any purchase is greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Conclusion

The Canon 100-400mm is certainly a lens that will please many different photographers from many different backgrounds, and I think that its versatility is one of its strongest points.

To repeat again that the lens has superb image quality throughout is a bit pointless, because we all come to expect such high quality from every Canon L series lens.

What I feel is more important in this instance is the fact that you will definitely get your money’s worth with the purchase of this lens – it’s not the sort of lens you can only use once or for one occasion or purpose.

Getting value for money is always important, especially when you consider how much you usually have to shell out for Canon’s finest. Make this lens a priority if you want it!

photo credit Dave-F A.J.Haverkamp

Canon 85mm 1.8 – Superbly Sharp With Beautiful Bokeh Make This The Perfect Portrait Lens

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Own this lens? Leave a review below and let us know what you think. Thanks!
Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon EF 85mm lens

The Canon 85mm 1.8 is another example of an exceptionally high quality Canon prime lens for a budget price.

I would go so far as to say that everyone should own a copy of this lens regardless of if you enjoy portraiture photography or not.

Why? It’s just that the EF 85mm has so much going for it – super image sharpness and very pleasing bokeh but also high in portability and low in weight.

While the image sharpness is outstanding throughout the range of this lens, it is best utilized from f/2.8 onwards. Color and saturation are also very good and auto focus is fast and accurate.

Canon 85mm 1.8 review

A lot of users who already own this lens agree that it is the best portraiture lens they have ever owned – remarking that the combination of the 85mm focal length and fast f/1.8 aperture brings out detail and clarity in faces that simply wasn’t present in other lenses.

Bokeh-addicts will also enjoy the amount of background blur that is produced wide open and of course a good amount of bokeh is the key to any successful portrait shot in my opinion.

People have also commented that the 85mm gives their subjects a lot of 3-dimensionality, which I think is pretty cool because we as photographers (well, most of us) are always looking to recreate a scene as accurately as possible and the images really pop when get them printed.

Canon 85mm 1.8

Canon EOS 40D with EF 85mm 1.8 lens

What’s more, people who have little vested interest in photography can usually tell which images came from this lens and which came from something else, which I think says a lot.

The Canon 85mm 1.8 lens is also perfect for low light and indoor photography because of the extremely wide aperture.

Furthermore, it is great for indoor sports photography where light can also be limited. It also excels in this regard because it has slightly more reach than a traditional 50mm portrait lens.

The focal length is especially useful on a 1.6 FOVCF camera which the reach is extended further still.

What you will like
  • sharp throughout, fast auto focus and superb bokeh
  • well made, but relatively light
  • cheap – see the latest price on Amazon here
  • perfect portraiture lens or wherever light levels are an issue
  • smooth focusing ring and distance window
What you won’t like
  • it can be sometimes difficult to get both of the eyes of the subject in focus when shooting at f/1.8 because of the very shallow depth of field
  • vignetting is apparent wide open even on full frame bodies, but I dare say that this will not deter the majority of portrait shooters who would have added some vignetting during post processing anyway

A reminder about the Canon EF 85mm for novice photographers

As with all prime lenses, there is no actual zooming in or zooming out to achieve the composition that you want.

Instead, you are the one that is going to have to do the moving – either away from or towards your subject.

This seems like an obvious thing to mention in this review, but many people will be put off by the lack of zoom ring and will opt for a mid-range zoom lens instead.

Obviously this lens will be limited to situations where there is plenty of room to move about – I can’t imagine it working too well in a room full of people or anywhere there are large crowds in confined spaces.

It may take some getting used to, but the good news is that you quickly become accustomed to it and almost know instantly whether the lens is going to “work” in any given situation.

What others are saying about the 85mm EF lens

Abdulrahman Aljabri from Jedda, Saudi Arabia summed it up well:

If you plan to photograph friends and family then this is the lens. You will take sharp pictures with the right kind of effects for portraits like compression and beautiful bokeh.

The lens is fast and designed excellently for maximum control and comfort. You won’t miss a shot because of shake with slow shutter speeds and even if you do (that’s a big if) you can put its speed to use by dialing a higher aperture.

It’s only draw back is that it has a pretty tight angel of view on 1.6 factor SLRs. I can’t think of any other prime in the non-L canon line up that matches this lens (other than possibly the 50mm 1.4). Truly an incredible value, buy it with confidence!

Read the rest of this review here

Where can you buy and how much should you pay?

You should not be paying any more than $450 for this lens.

Amazon.com have it for a fair deal cheaper at the moment, but I have no way of knowing how long their deal will last.

Please help support the maintenance of this site by using this link to make any purchases you might be thinking of making. I get a small commission from your purchase but it doesn’t cost you anymore to buy the lens. It would be greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Conclusion

The Canon 85mm 1.8 will open up a whole new world of possibilities for photographers who have tried their hand at portraiture photography in the past and didn’t get the results they expected or wanted. Of course, you still have to get the basics right, but this lens will have you well on the way to the pictures that you see in magazine publications.

Its low cost ensures that there is hardly any risk involved for anyone who wishes to give this lens a try – though I can’t see how anyone would be disappointed with the 85mm 1.8.

I can almost guarantee that you will find some useful application of this lens which will leave you with a big grin on your face – even if it is ins’t exclusively taking portraits.

photo credit tbisaacs

Canon 70-200mm 2.8 – Go Out And Buy It Already

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Own this lens? Leave a review below and let us know what you think. Thanks!
Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 II from Amazon now and save over $400!

Image quality – Rating: ★★★★½
Build quality – Rating: ★★★★½
Ease of use – Rating: ★★★★½
Lens features – Rating: ★★★★½
Value for money – Rating: ★★★★☆

This lens is the highly anticipated successor to the already popular and competent 70-200mm f/2.8 I lens which is still a great piece of kit in its own right.

This is the sort of lens that is going to delight a lot of photographers but also tease a lot of other photographers too.

Why? It’s expensive. The cheapest you can get it at the time of writing is around the $2000 mark from Amazon.

I actually agonized for many months over my purchase of the series I version, simply because I wanted to be absolutely 100% sure that it wasn’t going to be a waste of money for my particular photography situation.

Did I want it? Did it fit in with your style? Did I only want it as a trophy purchase? I had a deep think about it.

In the end I decided I wanted the lens and it was just about the best decision of my life. Although I don’t have the series II version, I can guarantee that it offers superb image and build quality, ridiculously good bokeh and sharpness and lightning fast auto-focus.

Why was the original Canon 70-200mm 2.8 upgraded?

You might have been wondering why the original version was upgraded if it was so successful. It is a valid question because lens technology doesn’t progress at the rate that computer technology does for example.

So how do you make a great lens greater?

Perhaps the main difference is the noticeable wide open aperture image quality improvement in the new lens. The 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is very sharp wide open from the center of the image right into full frame corners at all focal lengths.

In addition to the improved sharpness, flare is also much more controlled in the latest offering (although still not totally negated, it is nice to know that Canon have dealt with what was a susceptibility with the first version).

The Good
  • this lens ticks all of the boxes – superb image quality and sharpness at all focal lengths and apertures
  • fast, silent, accurate focus system
  • build quality is awesome and the focus ring is so smooth beneath your fingers
  • fast maximum aperture
  • perfect for wildlife photography, sports photography and portraiture photography.. perfect for any type of photography really!
  • the 70-200 actually works well with the Canon teleconverters – particularly the 1.4x extender which makes it into a very nice (and very capable) f/4 448mm lens on a 1.6x body – nice!
The Bad
  • expensive – but I’m really clutching at straws here to try and find something bad
  • hmmm… what else… maybe a bit heavy?

What others are saying about the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II

Alex from Florida, USA was all praise (unsurprisingly) but also included an important consideration at the end of his review:

WOW is all I can say. After getting over that I spent so much on a lens, this new machine is absolutely amazing. The image quality is top notch. 100% crops can be printed large and I can see every detail…

…No longer do you have to worry about shaking a tiny bit and the shot being out of focus or a bit blurry. Canon has really created an astounding piece of technology surpassing others(Nikon) in the lens market.

The build quality, as expected from an L series lens, is made to withstand extreme conditions. The zoom ring is large and easy to use. The buttons for different IS and af/mf are easy to use/see….

….All in all, the new 70-200 is quite a stunning lens which will continue to be one of or the best in Canon’s lineup of pro lenses. If you want it and can afford it without selling your house, I would get it haha but as always, research extensively and weigh your options before buying something at these price levels.


Sound advice indeed – buy it for the right reasons!

Conclusion

As I mentioned earlier in the review, you have probably painstakingly agonized over buying the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 for a long time now but for whatever reason you haven’t gone through with it yet.

Maybe you are still trying to justify the purchase to your loved on or maybe you don’t know if you will use it as often as you think you should.

Overall Rating: ★★★★½

My advice is just to go out and get it if you really love the look of it.  You will not be disappointed. It is an excellent addition to any photographers kit bag and it will never, ever let you down.

Furthermore, you will be able to show off your big white barrel to friends, family and whilst you are out in public putting the 70-200 through its paces.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm – L Series Quality Without The Price Tag

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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

canon 10-22mm

The Canon EF-S 10-22mm  is one of the highest quality lenses to not wear the coveted L series designation.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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It is of course an ultra wide-angle lens and if you have done any amount of research at all up until the point of arriving on this page you will know that they tend to suffer from distortion and corner sharpness falloff.

The good news is that the distortion levels in the 10-22 far exceed its competitors in the wide angle market and what little distortion does pop up is easily corrected in Photoshop.

Shoot with a Canon 1.6x body? Get a Canon 10-22!

Chances are that if you are looking at buying this lens, then you have a vested interest in either landscapes, architecture or street life or something which commands a wide field of view.

If that sounds like you, then you absolutely have to own this lens. Aside from fitting everything into the shot, you will get tack sharp, colorful and well contrasted images every time.

The Good
  • value for money
  • fast, silent and efficient auto focus system
  • accurate color and contrast reproduction
  • little distortion
  • 16-35mm full frame equivalent – this lens fills a gaping void in the APS-C sensor wide angle lens market
  • lightweight
  • flare resistant even without the high priced Canon hood (you should still buy a hood anyway, just to be on the safe side)
The Bad
  • not a general purpose walk around lens – there will be many situations where the 10-22 simply won’t be practical
  • slight corner softness at 10mm and equally minimal chromatic aberration at this focal length
  • not compatible with full frame bodies
  • be careful not to use as a dedicated portraiture lens because it can distort faces (use from a distance!)

Canon 10-22mm reviews

The 10-22 has a very high approval rating amongst its current users – just about the highest rate of satisfaction I have seen for any lens that I have reviewed thus far.

M. A. Filippelli from Rosedale, CA. shared a glowing review of this lens, and you can really see his passion for photography and the lens in general shine through which is really inspiring to read:

I have had this lens for several months now and let me start out by saying WOW. I looked at the lens in the store along with the Sigma 12-24 and I was in total awe of what I saw though the view finder with the Canon 10-22…

…. The 10-22mm is equivalent to 16-35mm field of view using a canon 20D which is not a full frame sensor. With a minimum focal distance of .24m (about 9.5 inches) you can get very close to objects and still get alot of focal width in the photo. There is incredible clarity in the lens.

The photos I have taken are very clear with only a slight hint of softening at the corners at 10mm; everything else is sharp after that. There is a little barrel distortion at 10mm but everything else up to 22mm is nice. I have not gotten any light flare in my photos. The Ultrasonic motor is very quiet. The depth of field is outstanding.

Conclusion

The Canon 10-22 is a simple but highly effective lens and apart from being optically brilliant, it also feels “right” in your hands. It is decently constructed and doesn’t feel cheap, but I use the term cheap loosely here.

What do I mean by this? The lens is under $1000 but has the performance specifications that are more suited to L series glass that is 3 or 4 times the price. Value for money may be the more correct term here, because you are getting truckloads of it.

Image quality (sharpness, corner softness, flare, etc.) – Rating: ★★★★☆
Build quality (dust and moisture resistance, plastic or metal?) Rating: ★★★★☆
Ease of use (weight, size, controls, popular filter size?) – Rating: ★★★★☆
Lens features (auto-focus, IS, full time manual focus?) – Rating: ★★★★☆
Value for money (all of the above measured against price) – Rating: ★★★★½

The auto-focus system in this lens is not the fastest in the world, but the reasonably low maximum aperture and wide field of view ensure that most hand held images will require a fast shutter speed and hence be very sharp indeed.

The only real problems you are going to have with this lens are accidentally including your feet, your shadow or your tripod legs in the bottom area of the photo because of the extremely wide field of view.

Of course, being able to fit so much into the frame is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it can make your photos look cluttered and busy but on the other, it can force you to carefully compose your shot and use the wide angle view to your ultimate advantage.

This is only even minutely negative aspect of this lens though – and you will get used to not including foreign objects in your shots over time. To me that says that this lens is pretty good.

Tamron 18-270 Review – Take Advantage Of 15x Zoom

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Reviewed by Ben Lee, http://dslrlensesonline.com editor.

Tamron 18-270mm
Tamron 18-270mm

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The Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras is the lens that currently holds the record for longest focal length range of any product on the market – with a staggering 15x zoom capability.

Image quality – Rating: ★★★½☆
Build quality – Rating: ★★★½☆
Ease of use – Rating: ★★★☆☆
Lens features – Rating: ★★★½☆
Value for money – Rating: ★★★½☆

On paper the raw figures are impressive to say the least, but does the Tamron deliver on more important attributes like image quality, sharpness and usability?

Unfortunately there is always a balancing act that has to be made – one awesome feature may come at the expense of 3 lesser known features. In other words, you can’t have it all and the Tamron 18-270 is no exception to this rule.

It suffers from questionable wide-open image quality and you really have no idea whether you are going to get a good copy of the lens until after you’ve bought it.

Tamron 18-270mm compromises

As I said earlier, every lens that is put into production has a weighted compromise and technology – things such as size, weight, price, focal length range, reliability, ergonomics, image quality, autofocus performance and build quality.

The Tamron lens has a decent overall image quality without being outstanding and image sharpness is equally as reasonable at f/8. However unlike a lot of other higher quality lenses, the sharpness won’t get any better by stopping down as you might expect.

It also has the obvious advantage of being versatile, and for some photographers this is a more important consideration than the nitty-gritty details about lens performance.

The 18-270mm is basically two lenses in one and is still smaller than the Canon 17-55mm IS – it just gives you that great flexibility whilst out in the field or during a vacation.

On the other hand, some of the things you will have to put up with are noticeable barrel distortion wide open as well as a sticky and cumbersome focus ring. Several people have commented that it can be hard to find infinity focus because there is such a small amount of play between the minimum focus distance and infinity.

In other words, there is hardly any turning of the focus ring on your part before you have covered the whole spectrum – which makes obtaining precise readings a hassle.

The auto-focus system is also clunky and quite noisy to say the least, and like it or not there can be quality control issues.

What others are saying about the Tamron 18-270 for Canon

Mary Jo Sminkey from Durham, NC had a philosophical approach to her appraisal of the lens. She basically says that it is never going to be as good as an L lens but it does have a place in the market and does serve a purpose even if the overall performance is not top-shelf:

I give the lens 5 stars, not because it takes the greatest photos you will ever see, but because it is the first super-zoom I have tried that performs good enough that I am willing to use it, as a best-in-its-class lens.

It’s a perfect lens in particular for any new DSLR owner that can’t afford to invest thousands in really high quality and/or multiple lenses, or for someone like me that is often limited in the equipment they can carry at one time.

The lack of smoothness in the zoom ring and the creep are the primary annoyances for me, but I’ve yet to use a long telephoto lens in this price range that doesn’t creep, so hard to be really tough on it for that.

I wouldn’t use it as my primary sports lens (my f/2.8 will do that job far better) nor as an architectural wide angle lens but for a general all-purpose casual lens, it’s got a great feature set and well worth considering.

Read the rest of this review here

Conclusion and Tamron 18-270 price

At the end of the day, I cannot say if the Tamron 18-270 is for you or not – I can only make recommendations based on the information that is at hand. The ultimate decision is yours.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

If you are excited about the super focal length range and have always wanted a lens like this, then I would be comfortable in saying that the 18-270 is a good enough piece of equipment to able to buy it based on this feature alone.

It is a great walkabout lens and as well as delivering admirable results, it will also save you weight and space in your camera bag. It will also save you money because it will negate the need for you to buy a second lens to make up for the shortfall in focal length coverage of your first lens. This is a true 2-in-1 package.\

Alternative options

If you are a more discerning photographer and you are prepared to give up 70mm of focal range then consider the Canon EF-S 18-200mm which in my opinion has a better compromise (there is that word again) between features and quality.

You may also wish to consider the Sigma 18-250mm which is more closely matched to the Tamron in focal range and has a better auto focus system. It is also a couple of hundred bucks cheaper.