Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Focal Length’

Nikon 70 300mm f 4 5 6G AF Nikkor SLR Camera Lens

A genuine Nikkor 70-300mm: f/4-5.6G zoom lens / Accepts 62mm filters / A “G” series, not “ED” series lens

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Camera Lens – Wonderful
I really really loved this lens. It works perfectly with my camera and has allowed me to take AWESOME pictures. Thank you very much for providing such a wonderful camera lens. Might I add, the delivery was quick and the price…very affordable.

5 Stars Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Nikkor SLR Camera Lens
I purchased this lens on 06/26/2009 and received very quickly and from the moment I started using it, it has become one of my favorite lenses. It seems to be very fast and the pictures look great.

I have used it for sporting events, weddings and a few beach photos. Its a great lens but the only thing about it is you have to slide the barrel back and forth to change the focal length, but other that I love it.

5 Stars Nice Lens
I’ve used this lens for a week with my D90. I shoot wildlife and nature. Autofocus is fast and solid. Focus ring is smooth, zoom ring has one snug spot. At this length I’m not worried if flash works at all. I have uploaded several pictures that out of the camera could not be improved!

4 Stars Nikon 70-300mm AF non VR
It is a very wonderful lens. I wanted to get the 70-300mm VR but after purchasing this one, I will say I am satisfied and will not be getting the other one. I take so many great pictures with it on my Nikon D5000. I would recommend it to everyone shooting outdoors. It is not the best lens for indoor pictures. The zoom works so well.

5 Stars Inexpensive quality lens
this is an inexpensive and quality zoom lens. It is amazing to me that I ordered it and the following day it arrived. This lens does need a fair amount of light but it was bought for outdoors shooting. A good product.

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Sony 75 300mm f 4 5 5 6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

Get extremely close to your subjects from a relaxing distance with this Sony 75-300mm super telephoto zoom lens. Great for taking incredibly close-up portraits without making your subject nervous, the compact, lightweight 4x zoom lens is a terrific value and an ideal choice for covering outdoor activities and sports action, even in large stadium locations. The lens offers a wide zoom range of 112.5 to 450mm (35mm equivalent) that handles both middle-ground subjects and portraits from afar, while still capturing intimate details and natural wonders close at hand. In addition, the lens gives light sources a pleasing circular defocused effect in the background, making the subject stand out beautifully.

• Focal length: 75-300mm (112.5-450mm 35mm equivalent)
• Maximum aperture: f/4.5-5.6
• Minimum aperture: f/28-32
• Filter diameter: 55mm
• Minimum focus distance: 4 feet, 11 inches
• Magnification: 0.25x
• Lens group elements: 10 groups 13 elements
• Distance encoder: Yes
• Blades: 7 aperture blades
• Asperhic elements: No
• Lens type: Telephoto zoom
• Dimensions: 2.81 inches in diameter and 4.81 inches long
• Weight: 1 pound, 2 ounces

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Sony 75-300mm Telephoto zoomlens
There is no other place I was able to buy this lens for this price. The lens was never ushed and still in the box. It works very well. I enjoy it very much.

[[ASIN:B000DZH9H4 Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

5 Stars Lens
I ordered the lens on Monday and it arrived on Thursday! I was very happy with how prompt the seller responded. The lens is all I expected.

5 Stars Great lens at good price
I tested this lens with 70-300mm beercan, sigma 75-200mm 2.8/3.5, Sony got very fast AF against all of them, you need this in sport mode. For pictures quality i’m very impress on how sharp it is, I read lot of reviewer and they complaint soft side, not sharp at 300mm and so forth….but I don’t know about that, I haven’t got any problem at all. Where the beer can got good reputation for been sharpness it not true, AF on beer can is slow..IQ is the same as Sony no difference.

5 Stars Great lens for the price
This is not the best 70-300mm lens you can buy but for the price you can’t beat it.

What I like.

- Size

- Build quality

- Zoom range (with the 1.5x crop factor with AF-S sensors (Anything but the A850 or A900) it is a 112.5-450mm 35mm equivalent

- Little lens creep

What I am not crazy about

- Plastic not metal

- a little slow at times with f/5.6 (but that is common for this class, my Nikons have the same issue)

- Wish it had a zoom lock like the new Nikon VRII 18-200mm

5 Stars Great Purchase!!
I purchase the Sony 75-300mm F/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens for the Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera. The product was rated used but in good condition. When I received the product there was no indication it had ever been used and the box it came in was brand new. This product should have been classified as new because that’s how I received it.

I would definitely purchase from the seller again!

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Olympus 40 150mm f 4 0 5 6 ED Zuiko Digital Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

Marketing description is not available. weight in its class, this cost-efficient 3.8x telephoto lens uses an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens element for optimum correction of chromatic aberrations. Incorporating a circular aperture diaphragm for beautiful defocusing, this lens assures high picture quality throughout the zoom range, as well as providing an astonishingly short closest focusing distance of 90cm throughout the zoom range.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good Lens!
Its a very good lens. Works great and very easy to use. The only thing I dont like about it is how far away you need to be to get a full body picture… Though I suppose thats my fault for not getting a 35mm instead of 40mm. Oh well, its very good!

5 Stars Easy
Don’t let the low price of this Olympus lens fool you. You get good results when you use this piece of glass within its limitations. Outdoors in good light. Recommending this lens to you is a no brainer.

5 Stars Fantastic tight lens.
We may have a limited choice in lenses with the four thirds system, however I don’t think we need so many like those canon amateurs because we have this bad boy.

I assume, like me, you purchased an Olympus with a shorter kit lens and are looking to extend your range. The focal length giving you a 30-8.2 degree field of view you can tighten up your frame even at close range;35 inches. But if you want to do macro or to come in closer, I would suggest a $10 set of macro filters.

As for distance I find it works very well. For that tree of in the distance that only looks good so far away, or the close up of hands on the reins in the passing parade you will not be disappointed.

At F/4 zoomed out wide and F5.6 zoomed all the way in this is a slower lens. That means you may get blurring or shakey-ness in less than ideal conditions. And being such a wide zoom and slow the pictures can come out softer than maybe you would desire. However as it is marketed in the standard line and says on the website “These interchangeable lenses have been developed for cost-performance and portability.The best choice for the enthusiasts and Digital SLR beginners as well:” These in-superiorities can be forgiven.

4 Stars Excellent for the price
Pros: Great Price, Good Quality, Good Reach, Easy to Handle, Fast Daylight Focusing, Sharp Images.

Cons: Kind of Slow (F4-5.6), Slow Night focusing, Extends Pretty Far (Physically).

Considering that (at the time of this posting) this is the absolute cheapest available Zuiko Digital lens, it’s absolutely excellent for the value.

With a 80-300mm Full Frame equivalent focal length this lens can cover a wide range of jobs for a pretty low cost. The lens comes with an extremely deep lens hood that protects it from the sun and just about anything else that might accidentally get near the lens.

It’s only slightly heavier than the 14-42mm kit lens and they’re both extremely light lenses. It’s more ergonomic than the 14-42 with a larger zoom grip and much smoother focusing action. It extends to about 9 or 10 inches with the lens hood, it’s actually a bit of a nuisance if you’re in a cramped space.

Overall I’ve had very good experiences with this lens. I’ve gotten excellent macro shots with an extension tube and wonderful candid portraits from yards away. The Bokeh is very good when the lens is zoomed out all the way. I sometimes find it needs a little more blur but the subject is usually sharp enough to isolate so I can add more lens blur in Photoshop.

Focusing in daylight and in bright light is lightning fast, it really beats out the 14-42mm in that regard. Focusing in low light is horrifically painful though; most of the time the AF Assist on my camera is enough to compensate. Focusing to infinity seems like it could be sharper; I wouldn’t recommend this lens if your subject is going to be more than 35-40 yards away.

This lens is definitely for Enthusiasts and Beginners, but for that purpose it’s excellent and well priced. Anyone seeking a professional alternative should probably jump to the 70-300mm or get the 40-150mm F3.5-4.5 as it’s a higher quality lens (and honestly it’s not very much more expensive if you get it used/refurbished).

4 Stars 40-150mm Zuiko Digital Lens for SLR Camera
I was happy with the product, the timely arrival and the ease of which I had in adding it to my collection. It so far has been a wonderful addition and has helped to make my pictures more facinating and different.

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Nikon 85mm f 1 8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

This fast, compact lens is an excellent choice for indoor or outdoor portraits, as well as indoor sports and stage productions.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars This thing delivers.
If you have a grand to burn…get the 1.4. If you are a practical person, enjoy maxin’ out the gear you currently own before buying more stuff get the 1.8. This lens produces absolute beauty. The Bokeh is very…and i mean very pleasing and, of course, sharp as hell. I own various fixed lenses and even the 80-200mm af-s behemoth(serious “bokeh-er”)and I’m still drawn to my 85mm 1.8 like a magnet. I believe in squeezing my current gear before moving on to 1.4’s for example. That’s just me. This Nikkor is indeed fantastic. This is your lens if you need above average performance at a reasonable price.

5 Stars No need for the 85 f/1.4 for my needs!
I LOVE this lens!!! When shooting, I ALWAYS go to this lens for that “has to be sharp” photograph.

I can’t believe I took so long to purchase this, but am so glad that I did!

Focus is fast and accurate, and it does suffer from some CA, but only in extreme cases…but can be corrected easily in photoshop!

This lens has a great build, great weight and a great feel to it.

85mm is great for portraits, and the f/1.8 offers a VERY NICE bokeh!!!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

4 Stars Wonderful lens, especially for crop-size DSLRs
I like the 85mm focal length very much. On a Nikon crop-size DSLR, the 85mm focal length is a very useful short-to-medium telephoto length, giving a nice field of view with just enough distance compression to get a pleasant telephoto perspective. This lens’ wide aperture gives plenty of control of depth of field, allowing you to isolate your subject and get just the right amount of defocus elsewhere in the frame. I tend to prefer to use it at f/2.8 or so, although having the ability to go to f/1.8 is certainly useful at times.

A few notes on specific performance issues, some of which seem to be in disagreement with others here:

- I would not characterize the lens as very sharp wide open. I’ve sampled three of these lenses, two “AF” models and one “AF-D” model. The AF-D was the best. Like any lens I’ve used, it loses sharpness at wider apertures, and I would characterize it as soft at f/1.8, still moderately soft at f/2.8, good at f/4, sharp at f/5.6 and very sharp at f/8. There is a definite difference in sharpness at each aperture up through f/8. This is not necessarily bad. A bit of softness at f/1.8-f/2.8 might be desirable for portraits and some other types of photos, and the lens is very sharp where you would usually use it for landscapes and general photography – f/5.6-f/8 or so. At wider apertures, the contrast between a blurred background and relatively sharp subject remains striking and is a very pleasant effect that will allow you to get exceptional images.

- This is not a high-contrast lens, due at least partly to a lack of ED glass. This is appropriate and probably contributes to its reputation as a good portrait lens – skin tones are pleasantly rendered and the overall effect is slightly subtler and gentler compared to Nikon’s most contrasty lenses. I can shoot the same scene with this lens and then with my 16-85mm (consumer DX zoom), and colors that leap off the screen with the 16-85 are significantly mellowed with the 85/1.8.

- I don’t see any loss of contrast at wider apertures. This is good. The 50mm f/1.8 loses a lot of contrast wide open, for example (and mine is considerably softer than the 85mm at wide apertures).

- I would not say the quality of bokeh is particularly pleasing. It can be distracting at times, and I see color effects in the blurred areas (chromatic aberration), which occurs because different wavelengths of light are blurred differently by the lens (some very expensive lenses are “apochromatic,” meaning that they correct for this). This does not in my opinion detract significantly from my images, since the whole idea of defocus is to attract the viewer’s eye to the subject rather than away from it and so consequently one does not tend to study an out-of-focus background unless actually evaluating it specifically; but this might be one of the reasons the f/1.4 lens is a more popular choice among those willing to spend three times the money. This is speculation on my part as I have not tried the f/1.4.

- Focus is very quick and as far as I can tell completely accurate. I do use a simple test chart to test focus with all my lenses and this lens focuses well within its depth of field even wide open.

This lens is very good for tight indoor shots as well as outdoor photography. At near-wide-open it can be used indoors with fairly low available light and make very pleasing shots of tight groupings of people from a reasonable distance. A slower lens will tend to bring the background into the photo more than is desirable, which can be distracting in the final image.

It is not a good only lens and perhaps not even the first prime lens one should buy. It is a very good lens to have after all the basic focal ranges are covered, and perhaps after a “normal” prime, and it is a very good lens for taking pictures of people. In addition to this lens I highly recommend Nikon’s very affordable 35mm f/2 (2/25/09 note: Nikon has recently announced an even more affordable 35mm f/1.8 lens for DX which will probably prove to be an even better choice for DX users), which is very sharp indeed and in my opinion a far better lens than the 50mm f/1.8. I do however prefer the 85mm as a matter of pure personal taste: it is my personal favorite fixed-length lens.

I wish I could give it 4-1/2 stars as it is a good, good lens, but can not justify giving a full five. I don’t think anybody would regret buying it, however. With a bit of help from the user it is capable of making some truly fine images.

Other Lenses:

I’ve had the opportunity to own and use many different Nikon lenses and have posted my impressions of several of them here on Amazon. For those interested, here are short summaries. I have used all these lenses on Nikon DX-sized DSLRs, most recently my current D90. Refer to the full reviews for further detail.

35mm f/2 AF-D: **** Sharp, especially at large apertures, moderate contrast. Classic “normal” lens for DX but consider new 35mm f/1.8 AF-S instead.

50mm f/1.8 AF-D: *** My sample was unacceptably poor at large apertures. Perhaps a below-average sample. Focal length not ideally suited to DX.

16-85mm VR ***** Very sharp at all settings, excellent contrast, very useful zoom range including true wide-angle at 16mm. Excellent VR. Best-kept secret for DX users.

28-200mm AF-G *** Of two samples, one was excellent and one poor, so watch for sample variations. Very good contrast. Not ideal hand-held due to lack of VR. Not ideal for tripod use due to design.

55-200mm VR **** Very good lens, very good sharpness and contrast, no fatal flaws. Cheap feel and feature-challenged, but has effective VR. A bargain.

70-300mm VR *** My sample had very poor performance above 200mm, good to very good elsewhere. Good contrast, generally very good focus performance. Good sports/action lens. Not good where critical sharpness is desired. Possibly a below-average sample.

4 Stars Solid lens, expensive, NO LENS Pouch!
The bad:

Major dissapointment not to have a lens bag, Nikon went cheap on this one.

The lens hood is metal and screw style mount, it is a hassle. You got to be very careful as it is metal to metal threads, so you better screw it in right to prevent permanent damage.

I bought it from Adorama and had no tamper seal, so keep an eye on that…

The good:

Excellent picture quality, very sharp, solid like a tank. I only wish the lens hood was bayonet style.

3 Stars Poor contrast and not sharp with wide open apertures.
Whenever I try or buy a lens, I perform a simple but fairly objective test on the lens: I photograph a bar code from a bottle.

I photograph the bottle’s bar code with the aperture wide open then stop down an f-stop at a time.

With the 85mm 1.8 lens at f1.8 aperture, the contrast is poor and bar code is fuzzy. At around f5.6, the bar code is perfectly sharp and the contrast is excellent.

I also own the Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens and it too is fuzzy and has poor contrast wide open. Only when the aperture is closed down several stops does one obtain very good sharpness and contrast. I think the Nikon f1.8 lens is a piece of junk.

I’ve also owned the 85mm 1.4 lens and it’s perfectly sharp at 1.4 but it is nearly 3x the price and a lot heavier.

I wish reviewers wouldn’t arbitrarily state that a lens is perfectly sharp wide-open without stating how they arrived at that conclusion.

If I could, I’d post my results as proof but Amazon won’t allow links and I can’t include images.

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Canon EF 70 300mm f 4 5 6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens * Image Stabilization allows in-focus shots with longer exposure times (up to three stops slower shutter speed) * Micro Ultrasonic Motor for fast autofocus * compatible with all Canon EOS SLR cameras * minimum focus distance: 4.9 feet * lens is 5-13/16″ long, 3″ in diameter *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars great
i feel like paparazzi, this is fantastic

worked WONDERS while photographing my last wedding; it was like i was standing at the altar with them

recommend

5 Stars Great lens!
I purchased this lens so that I get better pictures of my son at his football games. I have been very impressed with the results.

4 Stars Pretty good lens
I have owned this lens for over a year now. I owned the 75-300 IS USM before this and was satisfied with it. I have taken some great pictures with this lens. Having never owned an ‘L’ lens, I do not have too many issues with the construction. However, picture quality is not exceptional, it is good. With decent light, especially 5.6 and up, it really shines. The IS is a must have for the focal length this lens covers.

5 Stars Amazing Lens!
I was a little hesitant about spending this much on a lens, due to the fact it costs as much as my rebel xs, but I am sure glad I went for it! I’ve taken some amazing shots of the moon, dragonfly’s, and birds, that I never though possible! Its a really great lens for wildlife, and general outdoor shooting because of its range, but as I got used too it I really began to want more than 300mm…L series here I come!!

As far as sharpness at 300mm, images still look extremely sharp. The autofocus works well, but I couldn’t get a beep from my camera at 300mm? My only real complaint is the noise. The focusing makes a weird plastic rubbing against plastic noise, and it gets a little old. The Image stabilization, which by the way works amazingly, is also a little loud (high pitched whine). These are just minor complaints though, the lens really impressed me! One review on a photography website, called this lens a L series in disguise.

If you would like to see some samples check out my photostream on flickr[...]

5 Stars Great Lense
I agonized about which lens to purchase. I wanted one that gave me a range of features and crisp sharp images. This lens gives me everything I wanted.

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