Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Macro Photography’

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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Tamron AF 70 300mm f 4 0 5 6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

It’s never been easier to capture great action shots than with the Tamron AF 70-300mm macro lens. Delivering superior image quality for both digital SLRs and 35mm film cameras, this flexible lens lets you zoom in extra close when shooting moving subjects, such as athletes on the field or children running or playing. When used with a digital camera, the lens does even better, producing a super-telephoto 35mm equivalent of 465mm–unbeatable in almost any other lens.

Macro Switch
The lens offers an easy-to-use macro switch that lets you alternate between the 180mm and 300mm focal lengths, letting you enjoy true macro photography with a telephoto effect at a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2. The minimum focus distance, meanwhile, is 59 inches from the subject in normal shooting ranges, but when you flip the switch, you can get as close as 37.4 inches. And as an added bonus, the lens boasts a nine-blade circular diaphragm that provides beautiful soft-focus imagery for a professional result. Now you can showcase all your photographic talent with close-up shots of small flowers and insects in parks or in the wild, or any other beautiful small object you discover.

Coatings
Tamron has also adopted various countermeasures against ghosting and flare, common problems in digital photography. The lens employs internal surface coating and new multilayer coating technology to minimize reflections that occur when light enters through the front element, while also reducing image-degrading effects caused by the imagers themselves. The strictest quality control standards were also applied to increase resolution performance and prevent flare due to aberrations, resulting in a telephoto zoom lens ideal for photography with digital SLR cameras. This is one lens you can use with confidence.

• Lens construction: 9 groups and 13 elements
• Diagonal angle of view: 34 to 8 degrees (at 21 to 15 feet)
• Type of zooming: Rotation
• Diaphragm blade number: 9
• Minimum aperture: f/32
• Minimum focus distance: 59 inches in normal setting; 37.4 inches in macro mode
• Macro magnification ratio: 1:2
• Filter diameter: 62mm
• Accessory: Lens hood
• Dimensions: 3 inches in diameter and 4.6 inches long
• Weight: 15.3 ounces

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nice for a telephoto (as a secondary lens)
This is a nice telephoto lens. You will need a wide angle lens for general photography. The macro function is a bit ackward since you must be 10′ away from anything you are trying to shoot. Overall, I would buy this lens again for my Minolta Maxxum 5D. I put a skylight filter on it for protection.

5 Stars i love this lens
i love the tamron it works great and for the money it was a great deal. i love the macro feature on it but it took me a awhile to figure out how it works. i am glad i bought this lens and have no regrets. if i had to say something bad about the lens it would be that sometimes its hard to focus in low light and that the directions with the lens are not much. not that you need alot of direction with a lens but it would have been nice to have more on the macro feature.

5 Stars Great telephoto lens for the money
I have used this telephoto lens with filters, with teleconverters and it works seamlessly with my Sony SLR. No problems noted. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to supplement their kit lens. It also definitely makes a difference that the stabilization for the Sony is on the body of the camera and not dependent on the lens like Canon or Nikon.

5 Stars Good Product.
It works with the A300 and it takes great shots. Don’t get your hopes up to high for the Macro setting though. While it works well enough it is not a substitute for a Macro lens.

4 Stars I like this lens
With the rotating front lens when you focus the use of a polarizing filter is a 3 step process. I like this lens.

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Opteka Professional 1X 2X Right Angle Viewfinder for Canon Nikon Olympus Sony and Pentax Digital SLR Cameras

Ever find it hard to get your SLR in just the right angle to take that perfect shot you’ve always wanted. Optekas Professional Right Angle Viewfinder let’s you line up an off the deck shot without needing to crawl on your belly. The Opteka finder features include a built in diopter with 1X and 2X capability, full 360 degree rotation, and universal mounting attachments for most Digital SLR cameras including Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus EVOLT, Pentax, Sony Alpha, & many more. Padded leather-like pouch for easy handling included.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good quality and good price
I bought this for my Nikon D60. It is not the kind of thing I use a great deal, but it is very helpful for low angles. I bought it primarily for macro photography, although the 2X magnification is very nice when the camera is on a tripod. The finder is well made and it fits perfectly. I noticed comments on loose fitting with Canon cameras, but this is not the case with Nikon. It produces a clear image with good contrast. Its only problem is a narrow angle of view, i.e., you have to look straight into the eyepiece. This is a minor issue. At roughly 1/4th the cost of the Nikon right angle finder, this is a real bargain.

3 Stars Ill-fitting adapter
This was the most reasonably-priced angle viewfinder on the market. After reading the reviews of it on Amazon I decided to buy it since I made a new year’s resolution to do more with macro photograhy this year. The viewfinder arrived quickly and was packaged in a nice leather (or pseudo-leather pouch). Because the viewfinder is “universal” it comes with several different adaptors for different makes and models of DSLRs. I have a Canon 50D, so I immediately selected that adapter and tried to attach the viewfinder to the camera. Unfortunately the adapter is a shade larger than the viewfinder on the camera that it attaches to. The end result is that the viewfinder is loose on the camera–to the point that it might even fall off if you don’t hold it firmly against the camera with your finger. I don’t know if this was an error in packaging of the adapter or not. I did not read anything about this in any of the other reviews, I can certainly still use the viewfinder, and it appears to function adequately, but it is going to be kind of a pain to have to hold it tight with my finger.

5 Stars Using Opteka’s Professional Right Angle Viewfinder
Who would have thought that an accessory like this could be so much fun. I bought this item for the purpose of getting into closeup photography at different angles.

I must have used this in the regular position, looking down like an old box camera, for who knows how many shoots.

I experimented with turning the viewer to be able to look around corners. Actually, the viewfinder can be turned to 4 different positions. A whole new world can be seen from almost all of these options.

4 Stars Nice performer for light duty
I purchased this device for occasional, light duty and it fills that requirement very well. The fit on my Nikon D80 and D90 is slightly lose but not so lose as to cause problems given my limited usage. It certainly makes ground level flower photography much easier and is very handy when I attach my camera to my astronomical telescope. If I were a professional photographer or used a right angle viewfinder for a majority of my work, the $230 Nikon viewfinder would make sense but for the more limited work I do with it, this $60 device fills the need and performs very well.

5 Stars opteka right angle viewfinder
This item does a good job for the purpose of it’s design

has quality optic’s and works well.Recommend item

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Sigma 70 300mm f 4 5 6 SLD DG Macro Lens with built in motor for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

The 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens has excellent cost performance and is optimized for use with digital SLR cameras. Capable of macro photography, this lens has a 1:2 maximum close-up magnification at the 300mm focal length. It’s the ideal high performance lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass in this lens provides excellent correction of chromatic aberration. This also corrects for fluctuation of aberration due to focusing. High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. The multi-layer lens coating and lens design reduces flare and ghost (a common problem with digital cameras), and also creates an optimum color balance throughout the entire zoom range. The minimum focusing distance is 1.5m/59″ at all zoom settings. It also has a switch for changeover to macro photography at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm with a maximum close-up magnification from 1:2.9 to 1:2 and a minimum focusing distance of 95cm (37.4″). You can also change the shooting magnification without changing the distance between the camera and the subject. 58mm Diameter Filter Size Dimensions – Diameter 3.0 x Length 4.8 (76.6×122mm) Weight – 545 grams (19.2 ounces) NOTE – While this lens is designed to mount on Nikon SLR cameras, some functions may not apply to all Nikon-series SLRs.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good Utility lens
I bought this lens based on reviews here and my budget. I was just stepping up to a DSLR and wanted a long reach lens but I didnt have the budget for much. I went back and forth between the Sigma and the Tamron and ended up with the Sigma, again based on reviews here.

The Good:

This is a great starter lens or budget lens. With a 1.5 crop factor it is a 105mm-450mm lens with true macro from 200-300mm (250-450 converted). Thats a lot of lens for $150. The macro is good but takes some getting used to. First you have to go past 200mm, then flip a switch to go to macro focusing. When you are done, you have to do all of that in reverse or it wont retract. The macro focusing is good but most of the time you will want to switch to manual. The zoom ring has a nice positive feel that lets you stop when you want to and go when you want to. Some zooms are a little too “lose” for my taste. Because of its size, hand held shooting needs daylight and even then if you can use a tripod, do. With a tripod, the sharpness is excellent. This lens has a definite sweet spot between 135mm and 200mm, f/8. Shoot in this range and you will get amazing results.

The Bad

This thing is BIG and HEAVY. At 300mm and the full macro focusing, this lens is HUGE!! Do not try using it on a cheep tripod. I did, its frustrating. Because of the size and weight, it flops around more than some lenses. BE CAREFUL! Focus at either end is not a strong point. There is softness and CA at 300mm and at the low end of the f-stops. IF you can shoot f/8 or better, you will get better results.

This is not a “digital” lens. It is a full frame, 35mm film lens that works great on new Pentax digitals. AS long as you understand and accept its limitations, you will get a lot of value from it.

1 Star This lens has taken great shoots until the motor stop working
I have had this lens for less than a year. I have used it for son ball games and outdoor shoot. I have not used for an ever day lens. Yesterday the lens would not focus. It looks like the motor only turns one way and stops. I have not contacted sigma yet I will keep you posted. Would of been a great lens for the price, but you get what you pay for.

4 Stars very satisfied customer
I bought this lens to use with my Nikon D60. I needed a lens that I could use to take close up action shots of my son playing football. The lens has turned out to be a great buy for the money. It takes great, sharp, clear pictures. I recommend the lens to anyone that needs to keep their purchase price down, and wants quality pictures.

2 Stars just —ok—-
i sent the lens back…. didn’t do what i wanted it to do…. macro keep getting stuck…. and when zoomed all the way out pic too soft. i wanted it for my sons sports and it just didn’t do the job. even though i sent it back the company was quick on the return.

5 Stars Great value
So far this lens has proved to be a great value. While I am new at photography and haven’t figured out all of it’s capabilities, this lens has been great for my purpose. Shooting photos of my kids’ football games has been great. The zoom gets you very close action shots on the field that my (great) little point and shoot digital can’t get.

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Sigma 18 50mm f 3 5 5 6 DC HSM Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Nikon D90 D80 D70 D60 D50 D40 D40X D5000 D3000 D700 D300 D200 and D3 Digital SLRs

Exclusively designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras. The image circle was designed to match the size of the image sensors of most digitalSLR cameras and this has resulted in a compact lightweight lens. Sigma has incorporated an HSM Hyper Sonic Motor into the 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC HSM, that now allows quite and high-speed autofocusing with all Nikon DSLR cameras. Aspherical lens and Super Multi Layer Coating are used for excellent lens performance. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range.

Compact-Lightweight zoom lens has a maximum diameter of 60mm (2.4in.), overall length of 69.6mm (2.4in.) and weight of only 250gr (8.8 ounces) and filter size of 58mm. Compact dimensions offers superb handling and mobility. The use of aspherical lenses provides correction for various aberrations throughout the entire zoom range and produce high level of optical performance.

Sigma took digital characteristics into consideration when designing the lens power layout and created the most suitable lens that makes high quality images a reality throughout the entire zoom range. We used the most appropriate coating for digital products to cut down flare and ghost caused by digital SLR cameras and to produce the best color balance. It can be used with the supplied lens hood to block out extraneous light.

18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC HSM zoom lens has a minimum focusing distance of 25cm (9.8in.) at all focal lengths and is capable of macro photography with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5. The focus ring provides easy operation in manual mode. A distance scale on the focus ring is an easy to use and convenient addition.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Food photographer
I like to take close ups of food and from my use of it so far, it is a great macro lens!

4 Stars Affordable good performance
Right out of the box instructions were easy to follow. Lense quality is fairly good. I thought that for the price I would get something “cheap”; wrong. Very sturdy. Take the time to read the setting instructions and you will get very good/excellent results.

5 Stars Absolutely Fantastic!
This Sigma lens works spectacular with the Nikon D40X. It’s a great deal for a great price. With the Nikon D40X you have to have a lens that has AF because there is no motor for it in the Nikon. This is why I purchased this lens in particular. I’ve been able to take some amazing close ups. I took a photo of a rose and the detail in the rose was amazing! You could see the veins in the petals with vivid detail. I would recommend this lens to anyone with a digital camera for which it fits, especially those cameras without AF motors, owned by people who would like to have (AF) auto focus and fantastic photos.

4 Stars Unbeatable lens for the price.
Considering the price this thing is awesome. For wide angle scenic pictures this thing does a better job than my 700$ dollar Nikor 18-200 VR lens. I would suggest getting this for close up pictures of family/friends and also for the good wide angle scenic stuff. For close-ups/zooming and high end stuff you will want something with more zoom but I dont necessarily thing a better brand will do much more than lighten your wallet. I use a Nikon D90 camera with this as well.

5 Stars great lens for Nikon D5000 starter
IT’s one of the better lens that doesnt get much prop., it works great with my D5000.

- take great picture, (little under expose indoor but D-lighting always adjust, outdoor create smooth and very soft bokeh)

- decent focus and great close up and good wide-angle shot.

- cant beat the price for this value comparing to the kit lense, save that money for the Nikon-55-200m or the Nikon 35mm 1.8 AF-S.

- Made from Japan!

Cant go wrong with this lens, oh make sure to add the Hoya HMC 58mm UV protection with the extra $ saved. only about 22$!

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