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

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

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.

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

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

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 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 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:

Build quality – Rating:

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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:

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.

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

Rating:

All orders are processed through Amazon – 100% safe, secure and with FREE shipping.

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:
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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.

Sigma 8-16mm – How Wide Can You Go?

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

Sigma 8-16mm

Buy the Sigma 8-16mm from Amazon and receive 36% off the RRP.

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The Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM FLD AF Ultra Wide Zoom Lens is the latest offering in the ultra-wide lens segment – so wide in fact that it provides APS-C format cameras with a field of view of up to 114.5 degrees.

The 8-16mm is of a compact design and is compatible with all of the major mounts like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Sigma.

I should point out before I get started that this lens is specifically designed with APS-C sensors in mind. By all means use it on a full frame body if you enjoy the “telescope” effect. (severe vignetting)

The widest zoom on the market, but can it deliver?

It is a well known fact that certain wide angle lenses can suffer from chromatic aberration and sharpness fall off at certain apertures.

Sigma claim to have addressed the chromatic aberration issue at least with special FLD glass – the good news is that their claim appears to hold true.

As for sharpness, that is pretty well spot on also.

The lens performs at its best at around f/8 where you will get high quality images combined with minimal flare or ghosting (even in situations where the lens is highly susceptible to flaring or ghosting).

The Sigma 8-16mm fun factor..

This lens also provides you, the photographer, with something that you won’t necessarily get with most other lenses – fun. While the Canon 300mm f2.8 is optically perfect and precise, in my mind it still does not have the fun factor that the distortion and perspective from an 8mm lens can give you.

Once you look through the viewfinder you will exposed to a whole new world of perspective and who knows, your photography may improve noticeably as a result. If not, then your passion certainly will.

Importantly, the Sigma 8-16mm strikes that balance of novelty and quality – because there is really no point getting excited about an 114 degrees of view if you aren’t going to get good results from it.

The Good

very sharp
reasonably priced
corner sharpness is generally excellent

The Bad

slow and noisy auto focus
dust on front element shows up easily thanks to the unlimited depth of field
not able to take filters because of the curved front element
flimsy and impractical lens cover
barrel distortion at 8mm (expected)

What others are saying about the 8-16mm..

E. J. Tastad gave an honest and frank review of the Sigma lens:

It is definitely a good wide angle lens, offering and extremely wide field of view. Nearly every shot I took in my walk was at 8mm…

… CA is well controlled at all focal lengths and apertures, but is sometimes visible at extreme corners and at certain apertures (worst is about 1.5 pixels on my 14.6 MP camera) The Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 remains an affordable alternative, and can still use filters.

Should you buy it?

That depends of course. If you want to own the widest lens available, then yes, it probably is worth it because the image quality would justify the purchase.

Inevitably though, you have to be willing to put up with the fact that the 8-16mm has no capacity whatsoever to attach filters. You are also going to have to manually correct barrel distortion in Photoshop if you buy this lens which can be an issue for some whereas for others who leave distorted images untouched it won’t be a problem.

Overall Rating:

At the end of the day, the Sigma 8-16mm is for photographers whose want an extreme field of view but high image quality to match. You could argue that even though the image quality is excellent, the ultra-wide still suffers from slow and clunky auto focus and perhaps slapdash ergonomics.

However I’m willing to bet that most will view it a small price to pay for the fabulous new world that awaits them.

Canon 50mm 1.8 II Lens Review – A Must Own Canon Prime Lens

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

Canon 50mm 1.8 II

Buy the Canon 50mm 1.8 II from Amazon and receive free shipping!

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If you were ever stranded on a desert island and only had the choice of one DSLR lens, I’m willing to be that a lot of photographers would choose the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II lens.

Why? Because of its remarkably low price and the exceptionally high quality images that you will no doubt receive.

The price is able to be kept so low because of all the plastic construction which may feel flimsy compared to your all metal L series companion – but don’t let that fool you into thinking that the 50mm won’t deliver the goods.

It is also simple and straight forward – there is no distance window and there are no markings on the exterior of the lens. The focus ring is kept pretty much out of sight too.

So what about the more important things, like focusing speed and ability?

Focus is pretty good on the 50mm 1.8. It is more than capable at finding focus in normal shooting conditions where there is not an excess nor a lack of light and when the subjects are relatively slow moving and easy to find.

One thing I should point out though is that it is quite noisy when focusing. While this is something that won’t perturb many people, it is something to keep in mind if you are taking it to your daughters graduation and don’t want to annoy everyone around you

Image quality, bokeh and slight imperfections

As I mentioned earlier, the image quality is very high and sharpness is excellent (perhaps as sharp as the Canon EF 24-70mm) – especially at the sweet spot of f/2.8 where you will get the most out of the 50mm.

Unfortunately, the bokeh isn’t quite as good as you would expect.

This is due to the fact that there are only 5 aperture blades inside the lens where a number closer to 8 is better suited to seeing great bokeh in your images.

As far as optical imperfections are concerned, color reproduction is generally good but nothing outstanding and chromatic aberration is, pleasingly, kept to an absolute minimum.

The Good

extremely cheap, you can get it for under $100 on Amazon here
excellent sharpness and image quality
great for portraiture and low light indoor photography
small and lightweight

The Bad

plastic construction – wear may start to appear if changing lenses frequently
light fall-off is evident at f/2.8 on a full frame body
minimal bokeh reproduction

What others are saying about the Canon 50mm 1.8 II lens

Richard Aubin praised the Canon 50mm for its sharpness, fast auto focus and extremely competitive price. He also noted that, once upon a time, the 50mm range was the industry standard and it has now been overtaken in popularity by consumer zoom lenses.

However, he then went onto say that you could take advantage of years of 50mm lens refinement for next to nothing, and basically that the 50mm format was far from being dead in the water.

Years of development have brought us a lens that has a fast aperture of 1.8 – far faster than any consumer zoom lens – and that is sharp as a filed tack. Be forewarned about the sharpness . . . if you are taking pictures of people, this lens is unyielding in its sharpness and may well surprise you and your subjects whose every blemish is captured. The lens has a fabulously shallow depth of field if you want to use the 1.8 aperture to blow out a background. This lens is also ridiculously inexpensive. It is not USM – so it is a little loud. It does not have a moving focus scale. For the money though – this is heaven.

As to the build quality – yes, it is plastic. No, it’s not built like the Rock of Gibraltar. If you are going to give this lens extensive use as your everyday lens and you shoot a lot, it may not hold up all that well as one reviewer suggests. However, I’ve now had this lens and used it fairly regularly (although not as the primary lens) for about 8 years and it is still in great condition. In my mind, spend the $ on this first before you go and drop $330 on the 50mm 1.4 USM lens and I think you’ll find it gets the job done nicely and that the extra $250 on the 1.4 may not be worth the difference in build (major difference), speed (minor difference) and image quality (minor difference).

Where, and how much?

You can buy the Canon 50mm 1.8 II Lens on Amazon for under $100.

Conclusion

The EF 50mm 1.8 is a lens that must be looked at with a degree of compromise. The lack of true bokeh and some vignetting on full frame bodies will not apply to nor bother everyone who is considering this lens.

Even those who are affected will find it hard to ignore the overwhelmingly positive features including the (arguably) most impressive price to value ratio that ever existed.

On the other hand, if the noisy auto focus, cheap construction and lack of a manual focus are deciding factors for you, then strongly consider the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 which is of a sturdier construction but is more than 3 times the price of the 1.8.

This lens is also a perfect addition for any photographer that is shooting with a kit lens and wishes to work with a fast aperture, high quality lens. The extremely low price gives every photographer (regardless of background) the opportunity to own this great lens without too much risk and a lot of reward.

Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 USM – Making High Quality Macro Photography Fun

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

Canon EF 100mm f 2.8 Macro USM

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The Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 USM is one lens that you should not look past if you are at all interested in macro photography. It is an awesome macro lens producing high quality macro images and it will not break the bank.

With a 1:1 magnification factor, subjects will appear in your photos as big as they do in real life. There are other dedicated macro lenses out there (such as similarly named Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS, the Sigma 150mm and Canon 180mm) but I truly believe that the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM is the best of the lot.

For its price, it is a more than competent achiever. Auto focus is lightning fast, accurate and dead quiet. As expected in a dedicated macro lens, the barrel does not extend when focusing. A non extending lens coupled with 100mm worth of reach gives you the best chance of getting your shot without disturbing the subject.

This can sometimes be a real pain when you are trying to capture something like an insect only to have it fly away at the last second because of the movement of your lens. At least with a Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 USM, you don’t have to be as close to the subject as you would otherwise have to be with say the Canon 50mm macro lens.

This lens is tack sharp wide open, and there are yet more improvements in image sharpness when it is stopped down somewhat. Of course, the lack of an image stabilization (IS) function will limit the lens being stopped down too frequently, but rest assured the results are still superb at f/2.8. Vignetting is something that is also apparent at f/2.8, but can be removed by simply stopping down.

I am happy to report that all of the vital signs of a good lens are here – good color and contrast, minimal flare and distortion. This lens can also be used in portraiture photography thanks to its ideal fixed focal length and maximum aperture.

The Good

perfect macro lens, this lens does not pretend to be anything else nor does it presume to be able to beat other non-macro lenses at their own games
tack sharp through all apertures
light weight and sound build quality
great bokeh (background blur) – which I consider an essential feature of any macro lens
excellent value for money

The Bad

there is nothing bad about this lens and I would be nitpicking if I said that the lack of image stabilization was a bad point. The truth is, you are never really going to miss it unless you are shooting at f/8 or smaller in very low light conditions. Even then, it would make sense to take more than one shot of your subject (which proper photographer practice would dictate you should be doing anyway), or just use flash. You can then evaluate, for example, 20 shots of your butterfly and pick the best 2 or 3. It is the same principle as going out and taking 700 shots of the Rockies in a day and expecting them all to be winners. The Canon 180mm macro lens does offer image stabilization but it is more cumbersome and more expensive and isn’t necessarily better because of the “L” designation.

I imagine that the Canon EF 100mm f 2.8 Macro USM is going to be popular with both macro and non-macro dedicated photographers alike. Its capabilities are sure to bring a lot of people into the discipline thanks to its superior image quality and low cost.

The lens is that good that it is probably worth just going out and buying it to see if your excitement is justified, even if you only have the slightest interest in doing so.

Why do I say this? Macro photography is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily require you to be at Uluru before dawn.

Sometimes when it is a nice day outside I just like to head into my own backyard and take photos of flowers, insects and other things that take my fancy. Now, it’s a lot easier to do this with a Canon EF 100mm f 2.8 Macro USM than it is with a Canon 17-40 L, especially if you live in a house with a small backyard or have no backyard whatsoever.

Overall Rating:

There will be a small percentage of photographers who, for whatever reason, will not be satisfied with the lens.

For those looking for a macro lens with image stabilization and L series quality, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS is worth a look.

If extra reach or lower cost is your go, then consider the Canon EF 180mm f3.5L Macro USM Lens and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO HSM IF Macro Lens respectively.

Canon EF 24-70mm – An Even Better Lens Than Its Highly Acclaimed Predecessor

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

Canon EF 24-70mm

Buy the Canon EF 24-70mm from Amazon today and get 43% off!

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The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is the highly anticipated successor to the Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L IS lens, which was a stellar performer in its own right.

On the surface there does not appear to be much difference between the two lenses (apart from the obvious fact that the 24-70mm is 4mm wider).

Dig a little deeper however, and you start to see that the newer lens has much better contrast reproduction as well as being largely free from the vignetting issues which affected the 28-70mm.

So is it worth upgrading to this lens if you already own the 28-70mm? In my opinion, probably not – but that is up to the individual photographer really.

If however you are looking for one of the finest zoom lenses available, then look no further. The Canon EF 24-70mm is ideal for all types of photography including landscapes, weddings/portraiture and even things like indoor sports and photojournalism thanks to a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8.

As you would expect, this lens exhibits low to negligible levels of all of the imperfections we hate as photographers. Vignetting is very well controlled for the most part, only really becoming apparent at the wide end, wide open on a full frame body. More often than not its effect can be greatly reduced by stopping down.

One thing to note about the 24-70 is that the lens hood is in a fixed position, that is, it does move in or out with focal length change on your part. As a result, the lens hood sticks along way in front of the front element at 70mm (whereas at 24mm the front element is closer to being flush with the lens hood).

Therefore it is doubly important to make sure that the lens hood is fixed to the lens at all times to stop the almost certain lens flare that would result at 24mm without it.

The Good

fast and almost silent auto focus thanks to the USM (ultrasonic motor). this is something I enjoy about this lens and find really important to have
superb image quality with accurate color and saturation reproduction
can be utilized by a variety of different photographic professions
high build quality – weather sealing, and the zoom and focus rings are a joy to operate
short minimum focusing distance – ideal for taking photos of small objects (note: still not as good as a dedicated macro lens)
77mm filter, compatible with many other Canon L series lenses
full time manual focus is an option

The Bad

heavier and longer than its predecessor
relatively expensive
no image stabilization – but this is partly offset by maximum aperture of f/2.8 and fast auto focus

When the long awaited 28-70mm came out almost a decade ago, it did not disappoint the many photographers who had been anxiously waiting for a top notch general purpose zoom lens with a decent maximum aperture.

It is still a great lens in its own right, and thats why I said earlier that unless you want an extra 4mm and a bit less vignetting, stick with what you have and just fix the rest in Photoshop.

Generally speaking, the optical performance of the 24-70mm and 28-70mm are virtually identical once you hit 50mm anyway, but some people just like to have the latest gear (don’t worry, I’m one of them too!).

Many photographic purists will revel in the fact however that the Canon 24-70mm is better still than its predecessor. It is as close to owning 3 prime lenses in the 24 to 70mm range as you are ever going to get in this day and age.

Canon EF 24-70mm – no image stabilization

I suppose I have to touch on the fact that this lens has no image stabilization function. All I’m going to say is that if you are going to buy this lens, then you are good enough to shoot good images without it. F/2.8 makes obtaining sharp images easy and the focus will find something straight away. It needn’t be an issue, especially when you consider a 24-70mm lens with IS.

Whether you are a pixel-peeping perfectionist or not, you will definitely appreciate the quality, craftsmanship and ease of operation that the Canon EF 24-70mm has to offer, especially if you don’t mind a bit of extra weight and length.

Like I have said before, I personally enjoy the extra weight – it makes me believe that I’m holding something that is solid and well built and that will last a long time. It’s also something I’m willing to put up with knowing that I will get great images each and every time.

Overall Rating:

Those wanting a lens with more reach may want to consider my taking a look at my Canon 24 105mm review or for something wider have a look at the Canon EF S 17 55mm f2 8 IS USM Lens.

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