This thread is for the reviews of camera lenses No conversation allowed. Please contact the reviewer through PM if you have questions. Please include the following information when making a revie, and please stick to the format. Brand & model: How much you paid: Where it was purchased: Lens Specifications (This can become quite large, either post the specs that you feel are the most important or link to a website with them) How long have you owned the lens: Your Review: Pros: Cons: Sample picture from the lens if possible (please link to larger photos rather than posting them)
Brand & model: Canon EF-S 55-250MM F/4-5.6 IS How much you paid: $349.99 Where it was purchased: BestBuy Lens Specifications: IS (Image Stabilization) Image size 15.1 x 22.7mm Minimum aperture F/22-32 Lens construction 10 groups, 12 elements Weight 13.8oz 55-250MM Focal length Aperture 4-5.6 Minimum focusing distance 3.6 Ft Max. Magnification 0.31x (@ 250MM) 58mm filter diameter How long have you owned the lens: 1 Month Your Review: It has IS, what else can I say? That alone should sell you on this lens at this price. The image quality is such a leap and bound from the kit lens that comes with the Rebel XT 350D. They are VERY crisp and clean images. The lens is fairly fast when auto-focusing. Better than the kit lens at 55mm. Awesome at 250mm. Overall such a great lens and investment for any Canon DSLR owner with a xxxD or xxD series camera. Pros: Quiet motor. Fast auto-focus. Superb image quality even at 250mm. IS. Cheap price tag. Very well built. Cons: F/4-5.6 aperture. Sample picture: Very large image so be warned. Taken at 200mm with IS on. http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e99/durriej/photography/flowers.jpg
Brand & model: Canon EF 50MM F/1.8 II How much you paid: $79 USD Where it was purchased: Dell Lens Specifications: Minimum aperture F/22 Lens construction 5 groups, 6 elements Weight 4.6oz 50MM Focal length Aperture 1.8 Minimum focusing distance 1.5 Ft Max. Magnification 0.15x (@ 160 x 240MM) 52mm filter diameter How long have you owned the lens: 1 Week Your Review: This is a must own lens for anyone with a Canon EOS xxxD or xxD series camera. Very crisp and clean images. Great for portraits. A 1.8 aperture for under $500! That alone should sell you on this lens! If you don't own it get it! Pros: Very crisp and clean images. Cheap price tag. 1.8 aperture. Cons: Slow auto-focus. Noisy motor. Poor build quality (It's all plastic so you have to baby it!) Tends to search. Sample picture: Taken @ 50MM F/3.5 1/2000 Sec.
# Brand & model: Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS L # How much you paid: $1666.68 # Where it was purchased: B&H Photo # How long have you owned the lens: less than 1 month # Your Review: This thing is heavy, and also requires a large carrying case to transport around # Pros: Excellent low-light performance, definitely a "Fast lens" # Cons: Weight
* Brand & model: Tokina FISHEYE 10-17 F3.5-4.5 DX * How much you paid: ~$650 * Where it was purchased: Samy's Camera * How long have you owned the lens: about 8 months * Your Review: If you're looking for fishiness on a crop body, this is the lens. * Pros: Excellent 178 Degree FOV I think it might even be 180, gotta check. * Cons: Gets soft in the wider areas of the picture, especially when using slower shutter. To be expected tho.
* Brand & model: Canon EF 24-70 F/2.8L * How much you paid: $1,190 * Where it was purchased: Adorama.com * How long have you owned the lens: 4.5 months * Your Review: This lens is absolutely amazing, the sharpness is beyond compare for any midrange zoom on the market today. It has lived on my camera since I bought it and I havent had any need to remove it, it simply does everything. This is the epitome of a "walking around lens" * Pros: sharpness at all apertures, contrast, bokeh, zoom feel, lightning fast focus * Cons: this lens is nicknamed the "brick" for a reason, it is big and quite heavy
Canon 55-250mm IS Brand & model: Canon EF-S 55-250MM F/4-5.6 IS How much you paid: $230 (approx) Where it was purchased: Amazon.com Lens Specifications: IS (Image Stabilization) Image size 15.1 x 22.7mm Minimum aperture F/22-32 Lens construction 10 groups, 12 elements Weight 13.8oz 55-250MM Focal length Aperture 4-5.6 Minimum focusing distance 3.6 Ft Max. Magnification 0.31x (@ 250MM) 58mm filter diameter How long have you owned the lens: 3 Months Your Review: I have had this lens for a few months now, and I am very happy with it. For the relatively low cost it takes to purchase this lens, the features and pictures quality are very good. A telephoto lens with image stabilization for this price was unheard of until very recently. The newest version of Canon's IS is supposedly good for 4 stops of stabilization. I am able to take hand held (low light) photos down to 1/15s or even less. The picture quality is good, but the relatively slow max aperture settings (variable from f/4-5.6) make it nearly impossible to stop any type of motion in low light conditions. Despite this (but due to the great IS), this has become my go-to lens for indoor sports photography since I got it. Pros: Great IS! Price is very good for what you get (image stabilized telephoto lens). The 55-250mm range is very useful even on a crop body (and with the crop body has good reach). Build quality is much better than the kit lens, feels solid and zoom/focus is smooth. Cons: AF is not very fast (adequate, but not great for sports). Slow max aperture (f/4-5.6). Plastic mount seems a bit flimsy. Sample picture:
Canon 50mm f/1.8 II Brand & model: Canon EF 50MM F/1.8 II How much you paid: $85 Where it was purchased: Amazon.com Lens Specifications: Minimum aperture F/22 Lens construction 5 groups, 6 elements Weight 4.6oz 50MM Focal length Aperture 1.8 Minimum focusing distance 1.5 Ft Max. Magnification 0.15x (@ 160 x 240MM) 52mm filter diameter How long have you owned the lens: 2 Months Your Review:"This is a must own lens for anyone with a Canon DSLR. Very crisp and clean images. Great for portraits. A 1.8 aperture for under $500! That alone should sell you on this lens! If you don't own it get it!" I got this lens even though I had no real "use" for it. The low price tag and great reviews convinced me that it would be worth trying out, and I'm glad I did! The incredibly shallow depth of field and very crisp images are well worth the $80! The fast max aperture makes it great for low light. I have had good experience using it for indoor sports, as long as you are able to get close to the action. Pros: Very crisp and clean images. Cheap price tag. 1.8 aperture. Great for low light and shallow depth of field. Cons: Slow auto-focus. Noisy motor. Poor build quality (all plastic) Tends to search. Screw in style hood is not very practical. Sample picture:
# Brand & model: Canon 28mm F1.8 # How much you paid: $300 # Where it was purchased: Craigslist finding # How long have you owned the lens: About 2 months # Your Review: Very compact and great length on a crop camera. Excellent replacement for those looking for something wider than the 50mm F1.8. # Pros: Excellent low-light performance, Very Fast lens. Wide enough to take closeups of objects in front of you on a table. # Cons: Very soft wide open. at F2.8 is passable sharpness. Usually you'll have to do some post process sharpening if you're shooting wide open.
Sigma 30 f/1.4 Brand & model: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM How much you paid: $350 Where it was purchased: POTN sale Lens Specifications: Focal length: 30mm Maximum aperture: f/1.4 Lens construction: 7 elements in 7 groups Number of diaphragm blades: 8 Minimum focusing distance: 15.7 inches Maximum magnification: 1:10.4 Filter size: 62mm How long have you owned the lens: 4 months Your Review: This lens has easily become one of my favorite walk around lenses. I bought it to augment my Nifty Fifty which is a tad too long indoors and didn't have the prettiest bokeh known to mankind. Since I've gotten it, I loved it. It's almost the same as a 50mm lens on a FF. It's pretty sharp all around, but a little soft wide open (typical of most lenses). Construction is pretty good. It's nice and sturdy, but remember, this ain't a L. Pros: Good bokeh. Perfect as a fast walkaround lens. Petty compact. Quiet and quick focus with Sigma's HSM (equal to Canon's USM). Lens hood included. Cons: On my XSi, has troubles focusing in either dark or bright extremes, but yet again, practically all lenses do. Can't be used on FF like the 5D or 1Ds. Sample picture:
