Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Dispersion Glass’

Sigma 70 300mm f 4 5 6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Features

• Telephoto zoom lenses with tele-macro function, optimized for digital cameras.
  The high performance telephoto zoom lens is ideal for digital SLR cameras. This lens has two SLD glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group It is able to shoot with maximum magnification 1:2 at the focal length of 300 mm. It’s the ideal lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range.
• New coating reduces Ghost and Flare.
  The new multi layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range.
• It is equipped with three pieces of SLD glass for high image quality
  This lens has two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group, the lens has excellent correction of chromatic aberration through the entire zoom range.
• Macro shooting with maximum magnification 1:2
  High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. It also has a switch that converts the lens to macro photography at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm with a minimum focusing distance of 95cm (37.4 inches). In normal mode the minimum focusing distance is 150cm (59.1 inches) at all zoom settings. Maximum magnification between 200mm and 300mm is 1:2.9 to 1:2

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Blur pictures. need tripod if used for nikon.
I bought this with amazon.com for nikon. Before I bought it, I reviewed the great pictures on this site. Unfortunately, these are misleading because those pictures were taken by Canon rebels.

The pictures I took with this lense for nikon are blur. Nikon needs VR function on lense to stabalize pictures.

I later bought a nikon VR lense that takes pictures with much better qualities.

This is for review “Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras”. Amazon.com mixed reviews for Nikon with Canon. If you search for “Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras”, you get the same reviews.

Nikon has VR lenses. I have to use tripod when I use this sigma lense.

4 Stars good for the money
This is a good lens for the money. It’s not fair to compare it to $600.00+ lenses, but it works well for the money. As has been stated before, it performs best in open daylight or well lit conditions, especially at it’s max range of zoom. The macro feature is nice and I have used it more than the telephoto with some nice results.

5 Stars Great for camera for price
Pros: I took it out to photograph birds and it did wonderful. The lens has the distance’s as well as the focusing numbers written out to take the guessing game out. Also the lens came with its own protective case. I have a cannon zoom lens EF 75-300, and the sigma lens has already impressed me more then the cannon.

Cons: I got the camera for the macro, and you can only use the macro between 200-300 mm.

Over all, if you have the money to buy a high quality telephoto zoom lens and a macro lens go for it, but this lens has given me good quality for a lot cheaper then those routes. I highly recommend this lens to any hobbiest or aspiring photographer who is just starting out.

4 Stars Sigma 70-300 Zoom Lens
only had lens a short time. it has takes night pics without flash. which is a plus at sporting events. have not used all feaures of lens , but overall i am satisfied with the performance.this lens will see alot of use in the future for diffrent photo applications. does not add alot of weight unlike my 35mm slr lens did to the canon t-50 camera.

5 Stars FANTASTIC LENS
I received this lens literally hours before I wrote this review, and I must say that it has more than exceeded my expectations. all I can say that i have a bit of a problem with, is the switching from macro to telephoto.

My brother and I sometimes work together for photo jobs and once I got the chance to rent an 70-200mm L series for a wedding shoot, The difference? the sigma lens is lighter, has a greater range, and macro. Yes the L series has a faster AF, and yes the Sigma does not have image stabilization. But you won’t care about those things once you’ve practiced keeping a steady hand for a bit, then looking in your wallet to see you’ve saved a bucketload of cash.

recommended

good job sigma!

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Sigma 18 250mm f 3 5 6 3 DC OS HSM IF Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

The Sigma 18-250mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens incorporates Sigma’s original anti-shake compensation
function, with a 13.8 times zoom ratio. For cameras that have anti-shake function in the camera body, this
lens’s Hybrid Optical Stabilizer provides not only anti-shake function for the camera body compensation,
but also the function to compensate the image shaking in the view finder. Incorporating four Special Low Dispersion glass elements
and three Aspherical lens elements provides excellent image quality throughout the entire zoom range.
This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 17.7 inches (45cm) at all focal lengths and a maximum
magnification of 1:3.4 reproduction ratio, making it ideal for close-up photography. An inner focusing
system also eliminates front lens rotation, making it suitable for use with circular polarizing filters and the
supplied petal-type hood. The super multi layer coating helps to reduce the ghost in the backlight
photography.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Best bang for your buck
Very minimal nuance with my Canon L lens if you ever notice it at all. No wonder this is the Best Entry Level Lens: Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM and has a TIPA award for 2009. Quick AF and razor sharp pics!!!! Anyone now can become a playboy photographer.

4 Stars Excellent but slightly heavy
I bought this lens before a recent trip to Australia. I’ve been using the 18-55mm that came with my EOS and a Canon 22-200mm. The 18-55mm suits 80% of my needs normally but I find that I use the telephoto a lot when traveling. So this lens replaces them both. I still brought the 18-55mm with me but 90% of the time I had the Sigma on the camera. It worked very well. The zoom is smooth and the autofocus worked well. The few times I needed to use manual focus I found the focus ring fell right at hand and worked well. I took 2000 pictures in a variety of conditions and the images look great. It was especially handy for wildlife shots.

One downside is that it’s a relatively slow lens (f-stop). I can’t really call it a complaint because I knew what I was getting and a faster lens is quite a bit more expensive. The 10% of the time I used the 18-55mm lens was in low-light situations where f/3.5 just wasn’t cutting it.

The image stabilization seems to work well. I have not tried any comparisons with it on or off yet–I left it on the entire trip. However I did take several hundred pictures during a whale watch cruise. The seas were rough and the boat was moving and I was at maximum zoom taking photos of whales breeching. Everything worked a treat. Of course some were blurry but most were razor sharp.

The only ‘complaint’ is that the lens is heavy. There’s a lot of glass in it, so that’s understandable, but it gets to be a pain in the neck (literally) after a while. I’ll be looking for a better strap next. When carrying the camera, the lens ends up hanging down. After a while it loosened up enough that it would extend on its own. I started using the zoom lock and have begun to build up the muscle memory to unlock it when I bring the camera into position. Unfortunately, the lock button is very close to the autofocus button and on several occasions I flipped that while trying to lock or unlock the lens. Not a big deal, though.

Overall I’m very happy with the lens and the pictures it took and the price was quite reasonable.

5 Stars Great All-In-One SLR lens
We got the Sigma 18-250mm lens for our Nikon D40 and it works great without any problems. It is a great all-in-one lens that can go wide and zoom pretty far in, has optical stabilization features, and even has a zoom lock function that isn’t even on Nikon’s current 18-200mm lens (the replacement model has one, though). Focusing does not rotate or extend the barrel of the lens so it won’t throw off polarizing filters or accidentally hit objects that are close to the lens like when taking pictures through a window. While its visual quality won’t match that of the more expensive Nikon lenses, you do get more bang for your buck and you probably won’t even notice the difference. The only drawbacks I see with using this lens are that it is a little on the heavy side, and that its length will create a shadow when using your SLR’s built-in flash at the widest focal length, but zooming in to at least 24mm or using an external flash will solve that problem. The f/6.3 aperture at maximum zoom might also cause problems for some, but it’s a compromise you have to live with given this lens’ price.

2 Stars Poor All-In-One lens…
The reason I bought this Sigma 18-250mm are probably like most people. I want to replace two lenses I have (18~70mm + 70~210mm) and the Nikon is cost too much. Amazon had this one for Nikon mount priced $509 last month, so I decided to give it a try. After two weeks of ownership, I am disappointed and sending it back. This is my second Sigma lenses. My first one is Sigma 30mm f1.4 which I like it, but this Sigma 18~250mm OS, just cannot serve the purpose.

What I like about this lens:

1. It’s much cheaper than Nikon one and have huge focus range.

2. Solid built and it is “Made in Japan”.

3. Optical Stabilizer does work.

4. Fast auto focus.

5. NO zoom lens creep.

What I don’t like about this lens:

1. Images are not sharp at all. I’ve compare it to my more than 10-years-old Nikkor (70-210mm f/4.5-5.6), it’s not even close.

2. It focuses fast, but I do find it somehow backward focus every now an then.

3. Less contrast and the color are not very saturated.

4. The pop-up flash would cast a shadow at 18~24mm even without the len hood on it.

5. The AF stuck few times. I have to switch the AF button to fix it.

I don’t care much about the weight, HSM and distortion since I have hand strap and shoot more people than buildings. The sharpness is what I care the most. This lens is also useless indoor. I’ve trid turn on the OS, increase the ISO to 800, but none of the images come out what I expected. There are not that many reviews on this lens yet. The one I found is at [...]. The author had it compare to Nikon 18-200mm VR very thoroughly. He was impressive about this Sigma, but I think he return it after owning it for 6 weeks. It works fine on tripod for comparison, but not that great in real application.

While it is not sharp enough for outdoor shots, and useless indoor, I see no reason for keeping it. Others’ reviews are “Great all-in-one…”. I would say “Poor All-In-One lens”.

4 Stars Great everyday lens
This is a great everyday lens. Two lenses in one. I get great clear shots. The only negative I have about this lens is lens creep. It is bad. Any downward angle when using a tripod, it slides. It does not hold its position. Maybe this is true with all lenses of this size, I don’t know. But if it is then I think that is a major flaw that companies can work to fix. Because of the lens creep I give a 4 star rating and not 5 star. I do recommend this lens if lens creep is ok with you.

Buy/More Info

Nikon 55 200mm f 4 5 6G ED IF AF S DX VR Vibration Reduction Zoom Nikkor Lens 52mm UV Glass Filter Accessory Kit for D40 D60 D90 D200 D300 D300s D3000 D5000 Digital SLR Cameras

Kit includes:
♦ 1) Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
♦ 2) Vivitar 52mm Series 1 UV Multi-Coated Glass Filter
♦ 3) Precision Design Deluxe 6 Piece Lens & Digital SLR Cleaning Kit
♦ 4) CapKeeper 2 Lens Cap Strap

This 3.6x zoom features Nikon’s VR image stabilization and is perfect for portraits and action. Vibration Reduction reduces the effects of camera shake, allowing hand-held shooting at up to 3 shutter speeds slower than without VR. An ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element minimizes chromatic aberration, and a compact rod-type Silent Wave Motor (SW) enables ultra-high speed auto focusing with exceptional accuracy and super-quiet operation.

This high-quality Vivitar UV Filter blocks the invisible UV component of light from the sky, which can cause blur and to which many color

films react with a blue cast. UV Filters are ideal for photography in high altitudes (in the mountains), by the sea and in regions with very clean air.

The pictures gain brilliance and disturbing blue casts are avoided.

Keep your lens cap securely attached to your lens with the convenient, simple-to-use CapKeeper. Never lose a lens cap again!

This 6-piece cleaning kit contains everything you’ll ever need to properly clean your lenses, including a Hurricane Air Blower, Lens Cleaning Tissues, Lens Cloth, Lens Cleaning Liquid, Brush and Cotton Swabs.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Worth a punch to the face from a silverback gorilla.
This is a fantastic lens. It is much larger than the Non AF version. Feel way more substancial.

Fantastic lens worth every penny and more.

If you can arrange to have somone give you the lens for free if you accept a bare knuckle punch from an silverback gorilla, it is still a good deal!

5 Stars Perfect Lense
I got order shipped quickly

I am very happy with the lens itself, the price was excellent too.

This is the perfect lens for long focus without getting closed to object. It freezes the object when shoot and clarity is too good. No shake in image that is perfect.It works great with my D40

I recommend every photographer should have this one

5 Stars Works like a charm
Purchased based on all the previous reviews and glad I did. Works as advertized and was very reasonably priced. Matches perfectly with the kit lens on my D40. Focus motor a tad noisy but not that big a deal.

5 Stars Great Lense + a Great Package
I don’t have mush to say except i like this LENSE very mush, it just what i needed the ZOOM is awesome the quality picture is great. About the package it’s just great, it came with the finest equipment … loved it really

5 Stars Nice zoom!
I have the kit lens that comes with the Nikon D40. The 55-200 VR is a nice complement for my kit lens…

Also i recomend you to use a flash. I have the SB-400 and the pictures are really beautiful.

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Nikon 18 105mm f 3 5 5 6 AF S DX VR ED Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Lens has been Factory-Refurbished to perform as new. Includes 90-Day Nikon Warranty. Designed for Nikon D-series Digital SLR cameras, this lens is compact, versatile and ideal for a broad range of shooting situations, ranging from interiors and landscapes to beautiful portraits a perfect everyday zoom. An ED- (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element minimizes chromatic aberration, contributing to superior optical performance. Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus. Front thread accepts 67mm screw-on lens filters. Rounded 7-blade diaphragm renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements. Unit Dimensions – 3.0 x 3.5 inch (Diameter x Length) / 76×89mm (Diameter x Length); Weighs 14.8 ounces / 420 grams

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent lens, very luminous
Simply excellent. It allows a great deal of light in the picture, even taking pics indoors or using the zoom. Love it.

5 Stars Exelent lens
This lens was exactly what I expect from it. With a good zoom rate and an excellent luminosity. The VR is great, REALY GREAT, it is amazing the results with low light.

5 Stars It is a very good entry lens for family use.
Pictures taken are sharp and clear, better than Nikon 18-55mm ones. The range is quite enough for family use. It is perfect for those who are too lazy (like me) to take multiple lenses out for trip.

It can be auto-focused in D40X and VR feature works fine, which is exactly as I expected.

5 Stars Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

I purchased this lens as a gift for use on a Nikon D-200, as the recipient enjoys taking both close-up botanical photos and portraits. This has proven to have been an outstanding choice, particularly with a tripod and the anti-vibration feature incorporated in the lens.

These allow for crystal-clear photos which can easily be expanded to 14″x 17″ when set to the highest-quality .jpeg setting, (and even larger in RAW), with effectively zero pixelation.

Some of the botanical photos my wife has taken are simply stunning, even with most of the basic settings set to Auto (she is still a novice). The zoom, while not huge, allows for much greater flexibility over a fixed-focus close-up lens and the price is extremely reasonable, particularly for what you get.

The White Box came with a sun-shield, a soft cloth lens ‘condom’ and caps for both ends. I would recommend this lens to anyone, novice, or experienced photographer if portraiture or close-in photographs were their requirements.

5 Stars Great Nikkor Lens Quality
The refurbished Nikkor 18-105mm AF VR Lens has been functioning very well. The lens is used with a D-60 Nikon. Both autofocus and manual settings have been easy to work with. Great results.

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Sigma 18 200mm f 3 5 6 3 DC AF OS Optical Stabilizer Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

The Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Lens incorporates an Optical Stabilizer function and is exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. It is perfectly suitable for low light conditions whether indoors, at dusk, or in telephoto range. This system uses two sensors inside the lens to detect vertical and horizontal movement of the camera by moving an optical image stabilizing lens group, to effectively compensate for camera shake. It also automatically detects panning movement of the camera and compensates for camera shake when shooting moving subjects such as motor sports. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass and aspherical glass provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7″) throughout the entire zoom range and has a maximum magnification of 1:3.9. Since the inner focusing system means the front of the lens does not rotate, optional circular polarizing filters and the supplied petal-type hood can easily be used. A magnification scale is displayed on the lens barrel, ensuring ease of use. A zoom-lock switch mechanism is provided to prevent the lens from creeping due to its own weight. 69.3 – 7.1 degrees (Sigma SD format) angle of view 7 Diaphragm Blades F22 Minimum Aperture 45cm / 17.7 Minimum Focusing Distance 1 – 3.9 Maximum Magnification Petal Lens Hood Dimensions – Diameter 79mm x Length 100mm Weight – 21.5 ounces (610 grams)

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Great lens… for the short time it lasted
Loved this lens when it worked… however now, only one year later, this lens doesn’t work! Short circuits new Nikon D90 camera and won’t AF on D50. I can’t afford to be buying a new $500 lens on a yearly basis – I’m extremely disappointed in Sigma’s longevity.

3 Stars Good price and quality. Soft focus.
This is an universal lens. When you put in your camera you don’t feel to change it.

Pros:

1. Tele zoom. You can catch people without being noticed.

2. Wide angle. You can take photo of your large family and firends.

3. Decent quality.

Cons:

1. Soft focus. When you take photo at full zoom the soft focus is mostly unavoidable.

2. There is defocus to the corner of the lens.

3. Heavy.

4 Stars Great lens for the money
I bought this lens for my son’s wrestling tournaments and was not disappointed. Even indoors without a flash it was fast enough for great shots when they weren’t moving too fast. Reviews said the Canon and Tamron superzooms have better IQ, but they cost $200 more, and I wasn’t ready to spend that.

I’m keeping the lens on the camera more and more, only changing for my 50mm 1.4 for portraits or when I need the best IQ.

For a single walkaround lens, for the money, I don’t think it can be beat.

Perry

4 Stars wonderful lens
I received the len which was packed carfully. The len itself is very beautiful and the picture is beautiful too.

4 Stars Pretty good lens for the $.
This lens works pretty good with my Nikon D40 and I have made great shots using it.

After about a year of use I got no complaints and would buy it again in a heart beat.

Note: there is some lens creep but not terrible, the the OS makes an audible chirp sound and the auto-focus motor makes a very high pitched sound that’s a audible too (not as much as the OS tho), but it’s not that bad and I can easily live with this.

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