Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Image Stabilization’

Sigma 70 300mm f 4 5 6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR 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.

User Ratings and Reviews

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!

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.

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 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.

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Olympus PEN E P1 12 3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14 42mm f 3 5 5 6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens Silver Body Black Lens

The new PEN offers groundbreaking technology to a whole new generation of users – users that have active lifestyles both online and off. They shoot pictures and videos, like to download, upload and share their lives. The E-P1 offers it all. It’s the world’s smallest 12.3-megapixel interchangeable-lens camera, provides superior optics, interchangeable lenses and multimedia capabilities – and combines the creative freedom of a digital SLR with the simple controls and small size of a point-and-shoot. It uses a 12.3-megapixel high speed Live MOS Sensor and the newly developed TruePic V image-processing engine to capture high resolution images, exquisite detail and accurate color with low noise. With three modes of image stabilization built right into the camera body, the E-P1 compensates for camera shake in any direction, and with any lens. Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System ensures spot-free photos – no retouching required – with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter. With high-sensitivity shooting at ISO 6400, the E-P1 takes brighter, clearer shots in low-light situations. It has 6 Art Filters to apply to pictures and movies. It shoots HD-quality movies, too. With its abilities and stylish design, the photographic possibilities are endless. Lens Mount – Micro Four Thirds Mount Recording Format – DCF, DPOF/Exif, Print Image Matching III File Format – RAW, JPEG, RAW+JPEG Recording Image Size – (RAW) 4032×3024 pixels; (JPEG) 4032×3024 pixels – 640×480 pixels Recording Movie Format – AVI Motion JPEG (30fps) Movie Mode – HD – 1280(H)x720(V) Aspect 16 – 9; SD – 640(H)x480(V) Aspect 4 – 3 (VGA) TruePic V image-processing engine are the same as used in all the Olympus E-System DSLRs In-Body Image Stabilization & Dust Reduction System Bring style to your photos with 6 Art Filters – Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole Create Multiple Expsosure & shoot in Multi

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars This camera is something DIFFERENT and SPECIAL
I was one of the first ones to pre-order the E-P1 maybe one of the few who was able to get it in white. I was not going to write a review because I saw so many other well written reviews I thought I could not add much. What has prompted me to write a review here is that the Panasonic GF1 seems to be getting all raves from owners while the E-P1 seems to be getting bashed too much. I have no stake or purpose to Olympus, matter of fact this is the first Oly I have owned in over 6 years. I HAVE owned the Panasonic LX3, the TZ5 and an older super zoom Pany. The LX3 drove me nuts with the distortion from it’s so called amazing lens, The HORRIBLE inaccurate colors from it’s lcd, matter of fact every Panasonic I have owned(3) have suffered from very noisy pictures..ugly yellow zig/zag smearing you can see at usually at 400 ISO or higher. I have never gotten natural looking skin tones from any Pany I ever owned..even in raw.. So why am I writing about the E-P1? yet so far saying nothing..just seem to be bashing Panasonic? BECAUSE though I don’t own the GF1 I have read on many different discussion boards that though the GF1 has twice the resolution of the E-P1′S lcd it does not look any better than the E-P1′S lcd..in I have read that E-P1’s LCD is easier to view outdoors. I have read the GF1 has some trouble with jpegs on a few colors..I saw samples of the GF1 vs E-P1 on Imaging resource..you will again see Panasonic still has that yellow smearing at slightly high ISO. It has been written the GF1 is really mostly useable to about 800 ISO. I have taken several pics with the E-P1 at 1200 even 1600 ISO and they look VERY clean if there is just a bit of light. The GF1 is $100 more than the E-P1 why?? You are paying $100 more for a tiny flash and NO in body image stabilization, a huge plus for the E-P1 I actually like that you can get the E-P1′S external flash for the same same $100 and it’s WAY better than the tiny flip up flash on the GF1.

If you want to choose the 14-45mm lens The E-P1’s retractable design is ingenious, I guess it will be about 1/3rd to 1/2 has large as the GF1′S lens once you retract the e-p1’s lens. This is a HUGE difference, as many are buying these micro “4/3 cameras for the smaller size.” With a huge lens sticking out..you might as well carry a Nikon D40 as it’s not night and day heavier or twice as large as either the Olympus or Panasonic.

As to auto focus speed The E-P1 is plenty FAST. I own the Nikon D90, in live mode the D90 has to be 10 times SLOWER than the E-P1′S focusing speed… The E-P1’s colors look “AMAZING” super accurate, scary accurate. I have never seen accurate colors coming from any Panasonic I have owned.

It’s true the E-P1′S menu can be a little confusing, or more that there seems to be many sub menus you may not even know about till you really GET INTO using this camera. I suppose for a point and shoot shooter the GF1 may indeed be better…Pany does have a great intelligent auto mode..But if you want to be creative..the E-P1 gives you so so many options to tweak just about everything.

To sum up I am not saying the E-P1 is perfect or really BETTER than a GF1..But it’s darn GREAT…has a “special thing about it”, that makes you WANT to use/play with it. I do hope one day soon they can fit a micro 4/3 sensor etc..into a true point and shoot body. Till then especially with the 14-45mm lens the E-P1 will be much smaller than the GF1. To GF1 readers who are going to bash me for writing about a camera I don’t own..I agree with you!,?? I can only base my facts and or opinions on previous Panasonic cameras I have owned, that have disappointed me plus all the research I have done on the GF1 on serious discussion boards from GF1 users, and reading thru some pro reviews. Actually I wrote this more to say what a wonderful SPECIAL “DIFFERENT” camera the E-P1 is vs just about any other camera out there.

4 Stars Olympus E-P1
Excellent camera, loved the sensor and picture quality. Major nitpick was the manual. They cover so little on the controls and how to do certain things. Had to call Olympus tech help just to figure out two different controls. Finally after 4 weeks, gave up on it though. Could not get used to the big screen. Kept hoping for viewfinder. Tried the 17mm viewfinder but could not be of any help with the zoom lens. And could never find a way to turn off the screen. Just shipped it off today to another buyer. My loss their gain.

3 Stars Had it for 3 weeks, just took the first adequate pictures
The low ease-of-use score relates to a really terrible manual. Major basic steps are left out, leaving the user unable to figure out how to access important menu areas. Symbols in the menu are arcane and trying to go between modes to make changes in menus non-intuitive. I had to make 6-7 phone calls to Olympus in the first two weeks, after which I got the first photo that could be enlarged to the max in iPhoto with acceptable clarity. Online support from Olympus is pathetic; they lose original emails. The poor display score doesn’t refer to ease of seeing the image in the LCD display – it’s ok – but rather to using the display menus, which are far too busy and change/blank out within a few seconds.

1 Star Incompatible with Mac OS 10.6.1
There is no way to use images from the is camera on a Mac OS 10.6.1 out of the box, so be warned. I have a tech support inquiry into Olympus for any fixes before I return the camera so I’m reviewing based upon the out-of-box experience. (They take up to 48 hours for response and I’ll update this review with the reply).

The problem is that the camera images cannot be imported into iPhoto (the RAW format they use, ORF, is a proprietary one) and the Olympus Master 2 (the software they provide and recommend quits (on both of my computers) upon starting the import process, even though I have the latest software.

Therefore the PEN is not usable to me, no matter how good the camera. I would expect that there would be upfront fixes for these issues posted at Olympus and that these issues would be fully disclosed here at Amazon on the listing, which they are not. Mac users be warned. Olympus’ support provides no acknowledgement that Apple’s OS even goes beyond 10.4. If I get a usable fix I’ll add it here and update my review. Hopefully there will be one and I won’t have to return what looks to be a gorgeous camera with great build. For now, zero stars.

5 Stars Olympus EP-1 is great
It’s a great camera!

The onlly thing missing would be an external flash for free…

Anyway, you can balance colours by adjusting time of expositure, ISO and F.

I recomend it!

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Canon EF 28 135mm f 3 5 5 6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Equipped with an Image Stabilizer and high zoom ratio, the Canon EF 28-135mm standard zoom lens delivers sharp, natural-looking pictures virtually ever time. The lens is particularly handy for places where flashes are prohibited, as it excels in dim lighting without requiring a flash or a tripod. Other features include a ring-type USM for swift, silent autofocusing and full-time manual focusing; a close focusing distance of 20 inches; and a maximum aperture of f/3.5 to 5.6. The lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 28-135mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:3.5-5.6
• Lens construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 75 to 18 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
• Closest focusing distance: 1.6 feet
• Zoom system: Rotating type
• Filter size: 72mm
• Dimensions: 3.1 inches in diameter, 3.8 inches long
• Weight: 18.9 ounces

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A good value walkaround lens
The Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with Image Stabilization is a very capable, and more importantly, affordable lens,and is perfect for times when you just want to have one lens on the camera but you also want to have a lot of options with your focal range. While you get the benefits of a slight wide to telephoto range in one handy package, you do lose in light stops as you move through the focal range (the maximum aperture stops down as you move toward the telephoto end of the range). This is where the image stabilization comes in very handy, and allows you to keep hand shake at bay even when you have to compromise on shutter speed to get the correct exposure.

I’ve had no complaints about the optical quality, I think you’ll be pleased with the shots you get from it – the lens may be cheap but don’t confuse that with what the quality of image this lens can provide. Keep in mind on a camera with a cropped sensor (any Canon DSLR model other than the 5D and 1D models) the focal range is equivalent to @45-215mm – you lose a bit of the wide angle advantage, but you get more telephoto, so it depends which end of the focal range you value the most as to whether that is a disadvantage or not.

1 Star Defective, no manual, all images blurred – incapable of focusing correctly
Either it was damaged in shipping, or I got a defective lens. For whatever reason, the picture quality on any photo taken on this lens (with every setting, stop, is on/off, tested) came out blurry, particularly on the left side. Photos taken with my old stock 18-55 lens were dramatically clearer. The zoom range was decent, but I’m disappointed. Sending this lens back. It didn’t even come with a manual. I was really looking forward to a lens upgrade.

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Update -

I reordered the same lens from the same folks and, surprise, this one came in a real Canon lens box with manual and everything. Clearly the one I sent originally was not brand new. Be advised, if you don’t get a manual and a canon box, you’re getting sent something that someone else returned. That said, the new lens is beautiful. The shots are crisp and even using it for a few pictures, it’s pretty awesome and the best lens I have.

If I could, I’d change my rating from 1 star to 4. For the hassle I went through returning the bad lens, I have to take away a star.

4 Stars Great Walk Around Lens
This is a great general purpose walk around lens, and the Image Stabilization is great when hand holding your camera for shooting. Sharp and Fast outdoors, but unfortunately the lens is not fast enough for most indoors photography (unless very well lit). I’ve usually got this lens on my camera when I’m outdoors and I need an all purpose walk around lens.

Pros:

Fast and Sharp

Image Stabilized

Great range of wide and telephoto lengths

Cons:

Poor low light performance

Gets soft in the outer ranges

4 Stars Canon 28-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6 great all around lens!
This lens is an excellent general use lens for either a digital crop (Rebel, 40D, 50D etc) or full frame camera (5D, 5D MKII) although its slightly less appealing on a crop camera as the zoom range isn’t quite as wide as on the full frame but still very respectable. In fact for a complete review of my thoughts on this great little performer check out the complete article [...]

4 Stars great lens – good all rounder
I actually got this lens to upgrade my original lens from the XTi set (which I was able to sell on Craigslist). It was a good upgrade, the zoom was better up to 135mm and the IS is good for picture taking. It is a versatile lens to use on a daily basis. Sometimes when I need to I use my 50mm prime for portraits but most of the time I have this on.

Plasticity body but does feel solid, would have liked it to have more metal on it for $400. There is zoom creep when pointing extemely up or down especially when filters and hood are on. (does not come with a hood – again for $400 really should be part of the package).

Main objective is the picture quality which is very good. Sharp and well saturated with good contrast. I also like the fine focus adjustment ring – nice.

I think this was a good upgrade for the XTi, I do like using it and think it is a fair price when considering other options. For an extra 1 star should come with a hood and have no zoom creep and perhaps a bit more metal in the outer construction. One of the better non L lens.

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Nikon 70 200mm f 2 8G ED VR II AF S NIKKOR Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

An already legendary fast-aperture Zoom-NIKKOR has been skillfully reengineered to meet the needs of higher resolution D-SLRs and more discriminating photographers. The new AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II incorporates seven ED glass elements in a newly developed optical system and now features Nikon’s exclusive Nano Crystal Coat to virtually eliminate internal reflections, enhancing saturation and overall image quality. Vibration Reduction II image stabilization allows photographers to shoot remarkably crisp images hand-held at as many as four shutter speeds slower than would be otherwise possible. As with its predecessor, the new AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II will be a must-have for every serious Nikon shooter’s bag. Rounded 9-blade diaphragm Focuses to 4.6 feet – Close focusing provided throughout the entire zoom range for extended versatility. Flower-shaped lens hood – Included HB-48 lens hood, shades the objective from unwanted, image-degrading light. Takes 77mm filters

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Nikon D3000 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6G AF S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Breathtaking digital SLR image quality and easy operation highlight the 10.2-megapixel D3000, Nikon’s friendliest D-SLR ever. Compact and capable, the D3000 is compatible with a broad range of world-famous NIKKOR lenses and includes the versatile 3x, 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR with Silent-Wave Motor autofocusing and Nikon VR image stabilization to combat picture blur caused by camera shake for sharper handheld pictures. Special moments are captured faithfully at up to 3 frames-per-second and displayed on a bright, 3-inch LCD monitor. The D3000’s split-second shutter response eliminates the annoyance of shutter lag. To further simplify picture-taking in special situations such as portraits, sports, landscapes, and more, the D3000 features icon-identified Scene Modes that deliver beautiful results automatically in otherwise complex situations. Additional Nikon technologies elevate picture quality and guard against picture-taking mistakes. Fast, accurate 11-point autofocus delivers razor sharpness. 3D Color Matrix Metering II and Nikon EXPEED image processing work with an exclusive Scene Recognition System for precise automatic exposures and rich, vivid color. Making the D3000 an even smarter choice are its exclusive Retouch functions for creative fun and the onboard Guide Mode that’s ready to lend a reassuring hand to take the pictures you’ve always wanted. Continuous Shooting at up to 3 fps Captures fast action, precious moments and fleeting expressions easily 6 Automatic-Exposure Scene Modes Including Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions 3-inch Color LCD Monitor – Bright, high-resolution, 170-degree wide-angle viewing for easy picture review and sharing. The Retouch Menu provides creative freedom, without the need for a computer, offering 13 easy editing functions, including Trim, Red-eye Correction and Soft Filter.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Mixed emotions
I bought this camera when it first came out over a month ago and I have been using it quite a bit. It replaces my old D50 which I gave to my son.

I really like how small and light the camera is. It is easy to use and I am happy to have a VR lens. I was also excited to get ADR – but, that’s where a huge problem arises: I was stunned and disappointed to discover that enabling the ADR inexplicably slows the speed from 3 frames per second to an excruciating 3 seconds per frame (after the five-frame buffer is full). Of course ADR can be turned off, however that was one the main reasons I bought the camera.

I am also a little disappointed that it so much more expensive than the D40 that it replaces. And the picture quality seems about the same as my D50, which is not bad but I was hoping for a noticeable improvement.

4 Stars Nikon D3000 getting started with DSLRs
I had the Camera for a month or so now and i must say that i was used to Point and shoot cameras with above average performance when it comes to specific areas (point and shoot are fine in their own right)… So i wanted to “migrate” into the next level and really focus on my plating photography…I Blog regularly at [...] and i soon realized that despite my old Sony zoom and daylight pics were good there were lacking that essence ….And then when shooting plated food there is all kind of things to have in mind , specifically lighting conditions…. So i browsed and compared and decided that i like both canon and Nikon Platforms ,only to make a final decision to go with Nikon D3000…And why D3000?

well the features on this camera are more than enough for someone to handle especially someone coming into more serious attempts of photography … At the price range right now there is little competition or none…And the picture quallity is great and you will start shooting as soon a you get it… I got a crash course into using it on a trip to NYC where i had the opportunity to take a lot of indoor shots and some outdoor shots with great results (and then some with not so great) but bare in mind that i am as picky as i can be..I will take several pictures , as many as possible and then choose the best angles and results to go on and use or print…

Overall i am really happy…This camera has enough features for the serious amateur that wants to learn how to use DSLRs and the basics of good photography…. Of course if you are looking into more serious cameras i am sure there are plenty of Nikon and CANON cameras to fit anybody’s needs , but for the little guy that is just starting on DSLRs the d3000 is perfect… And its pretty light too…I was carrying around without much trouble all day….

5 Stars Great new Nikon
New to DSLR, this works great right out of the box. After a class, am amazed at how well it does. This will be enough camera (more than enough, really) for a long time.

5 Stars wow this camera is so nice !
After having the Nikon D50 i was thinking i was not going to like any cameras.,

but this one is much better. lovely pictures ! sharp colorful.

i love it !

i got this camera just today i cant stop looking at the pictures !

go for this camera.

its cheap its nice. 3 INCH LCD ! WHAT ELSE YOU WANT?

3 Stars BUYER BEWARE: Defective product
I just got this camera last week. It lived up to all of the positive comments that I read in many reviews. HOWEVER, my camera has a defect that I suspect other cameras might also have. When I compose a shot with horizontal or vertical lines, they appear straight in the viewfinder, but in the picture that is taken, they are skewed by about 10-15 degrees. I take a lot of architectural photos, and my lines need to be straight. Otherwise, I would have to spend a lot of time editing in Photoshop. I called Nikon, but the juvenile at the other end of the line said this was the first time he heard of this problem, and offered no help at all. Just thought you guys should be aware. I’ll update this if Nikon can solve the problem.

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