SLR and Digital Camera Lenses

Buy Kenko MC-4 2x "DG" Teleconverter for Canon EOS

2012-05-25T17:01:00.001-07:00

I wanted to try some macro photography without shelling out the bug bucks for a dedicated lense. These are the perfect addition to the lenses I already have and I am looking forward to spring to try some outdoor shots. Their construction is solid and I had no trouble mounting them. The camera works great with them but forget about auto focus(which you shouldn't be using with macro anyway).Get more detail about Kenko MC-4 2x "DG" Teleconverter for Canon EOS.

Purchase Sony SAL1635Z 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens

2012-05-23T17:01:00.001-07:00

With the 16-35mm f2.8 lens, Sony/Zeiss have introduced yet another high quality lens to complement their professional grade 85mm f/1.4 Sony SAL-85F14Z 85mm f1.4 Carl Zeiss Planar T Coated Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera, 135mm f/1.8 Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera and 24-70mm f/2.8 Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Cameras lenses.

The only alternative to this lens is the rare and coveted Minolta 17-35mm f3.5 G lens. I have tested both lenses using the Imatest lens test software. At an aperture of f3.5, the Sony/Zeiss 16-35 lens at 16mm exhibits better corner sharpness and less chromatic aberration than does the Minolta 17-35 G lens at 17mm. The only advantage of the Minolta 17-35 lens is that it is smaller and lighter than the Sony/Zeiss 16-35 lens.

A review of the Sony/Zeiss 16-35 lens may be found at the lemondedelaphoto web site. It is written in French but it can be translated via Google.Get more detail about Sony SAL1635Z 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens.

Order Tiffen 58mm Close Up Lens Set

2012-05-22T17:01:00.001-07:00

Although I'm just beginning to use filters for my digital images, I think that the Photo Essential Filter Kit is going to help me a lot and am pleased with them.Get more detail about Tiffen 58mm Close Up Lens Set.

Where To Buy Opteka .5x HD2 Wide Angle Lens for Sony Handycam HDR-UX1 UX10 UX20 SR1 HC62 HC52 HC96 HC3 DCR-SR42 SR45 SR65 SR85 SR220 SR10 Camcorder

2012-05-20T17:01:00.001-07:00

I received the Opteka lens quickly from the seller. I have used it often since getting it. I am very happy with the quality of the videos. And the price was quite reasonable.
Get more detail about Opteka .5x HD2 Wide Angle Lens for Sony Handycam HDR-UX1 UX10 UX20 SR1 HC62 HC52 HC96 HC3 DCR-SR42 SR45 SR65 SR85 SR220 SR10 Camcorder.

Shop For Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Silver)

2012-05-18T17:01:00.001-07:00

While researching lenses to use photographing landscape and architecture on various online forums and review sites, I came across several references to this old lens. (see [...] to read the one that made me decide).

It turns out that this is an old kit lens for some ancient Nikon camera. It's plastic. It's silver-colored (although you might be able to find a black one). And it shouldn't be that good. The thing is that it IS quite good for some reason. Every once in a while the stars just come together to make a lens click and this was one of those rare occurrences.

I found it used, inexpensive, and thought I'd give it a try. I'm not at all disappointed. It's extremely versatile, it's fast, sharp, and responsive on my D-80. It has a very flexible zoom range that doesn't require changing lenses for most purposes. It's very light, so it's a great walking-around lens. And, best of all, it produces beautiful photos.

My only regret is that, at the time I gave in to my impulse, I couldn't find an all-black one. The silver (plastic silver at that) does sort of look like a toy. But it doesn't matter. I'm delighted with my lens and it's become a favorite.Get more detail about Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Silver).

Canon 500D 52mm Close up Lens for Canon S1 IS Digital Camera

2012-05-16T17:01:00.001-07:00

After switching to digital SLR, I had a Nikon 35-105mm zoom lens needing a use. I did not have a true macro lens, and bought this closeup lens. Besides giving me almost 1:1 enlargement, I extended the distance from the subject so the lens doesn't cast a shadow from on-camera flash. The pictures are sharp as a tack (probably from using the center of the lens's field), and I am producing saleable closeups of flowers and small wildlife with this combo, extending the lens to 105mm for extreme closeups. The quality is much better than the built-in "macro" setting on the lens itself, probably because the lens is zoomed out for that setting. No vignetting, no distortion perceptible. A fine investment!Get more detail about Canon 500D 52mm Close up Lens for Canon S1 IS Digital Camera.

Opteka 10x HD² Professional Macro Lens for Fuji S5500 S5200 S5100 S5000 Review

2012-05-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

I was able to take some nice macro shots with my fuji camera, not expensive and well made.Get more detail about Opteka 10x HD² Professional Macro Lens for Fuji S5500 S5200 S5100 S5000.

Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Top Quality

2012-05-13T17:01:00.001-07:00

Looking for the best buy for the buck to replace my old Sigma 400mm APO lens, I bought the Sigma 120-400 AF DG HSM lens. This is a large, fairly heavy lens but I use it on a homemade gunstock mount and it's not too heavy to lug around. The lens seems to be sturdy and very well built. I use it to photograph birds, mostly and the images are clear and sharp, certainly sharper than my old lens. Focusing is very quiet and fast. Since my Sony DSLR has built in image stabilization this lens does not have, or need it. That is a bonus for Sony users, because the company that sells the lens (47th St. Photo) charges about $110 less than the same lens with image stabilization for other camera mounts. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase and I would recommend it without much reservation. Best sharpness seems to be at f8, so be sure to use a tripod or a gunstock mount because of the slower shutter speed.Get more detail about Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras.

3x Digital Telephoto Professional Series Lens + DB ROTH Micro Fiber Cloth For The Sony HDR-SR5, SR7, SR8, SR10, SR11, SR12, CX7, CX12, CX100, XR100, XR200V, XR500V, XR520V Camcorders This instant

2012-05-11T17:01:00.001-07:00

This Lens was a joke. Buy the real "Sony" product. The video captured through this lens was unusable.Get more detail about 3x Digital Telephoto Professional Series Lens + DB ROTH Micro Fiber Cloth For The Sony HDR-SR5, SR7, SR8, SR10, SR11, SR12, CX7, CX12, CX100, XR100, XR200V, XR500V, XR520V Camcorders.

DIGITAL OPTICS 2X TELE CONVERTER AF 2XAF/INF NIKON Immediately

2012-05-09T17:01:00.001-07:00

The teleconverter provides an adequate two power increase in focal length. However, the auto focus feature of my Nikon D60 is intermittant when I use it. Despite this limitation, the teleconverter is still a very good value.Get more detail about DIGITAL OPTICS 2X TELE CONVERTER AF 2XAF/INF NIKON.

Sigma APO 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Best Quality

2012-05-08T17:01:00.001-07:00

This was my first Sigma purchase in over 35 years. It came highly rated by Popular Photography. I was impressed when I took it out of the box. The build quality is excellent. It yeilds excellent photos at any f/stop. I seldom shoot below f/5.6. It is vastly smaller than the 70-200mm f/2.8 I borrowed. It fits comfortably in my shoulder bag. The 67mm filter size and lighter weight are important. I would recommend this lens to anyone.Get more detail about Sigma APO 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras.

Tokina 80-400/4.5-5.6 AT-X 840 D Telephoto Zoom Lens for NIkon D USA Get it now!

2012-05-06T17:01:00.001-07:00

I purchased this lens for greater DOF but when i spent the whole day on an excursion i had problems with this lens. It locked up on me at 200mm. I was able to get it lose but it did it again to me. also it doesn't do well with low light. This is a lens that needs a tripod to use ( which i figured that much anyways. It also has a built in colar for tripod which is a Pain getting around to adjust DOF. All around i would give it a c- Also the lens hood is gigantic. So far my experiences with Tokina hasn't been impressing. On the other hand Sigma 50-150 f2.8 II is an awesome lens. A must for the photographer aka (shooters.desire)Get more detail about Tokina 80-400/4.5-5.6 AT-X 840 D Telephoto Zoom Lens for NIkon D USA.

Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver) Buy Now

2012-05-04T17:01:00.001-07:00

The lens is perfect...very easy to use...but i think the color of black is more cool...(FOR SILVER BODY)Get more detail about Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver).

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Ultra Zoom Lens for Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras Order Now

2012-05-02T17:01:00.001-07:00

I have only used this lens for a couple of weeks now, but I like it so far. It takes nice crisp pictures, but it does had some substantial weight. Nice addition to my camera.Get more detail about Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Ultra Zoom Lens for Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras.

Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM II Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Decide Now

2012-05-01T17:01:00.001-07:00

This was my first Sigma purchase in over 35 years. It came highly rated by Popular Photography. I was impressed when I took it out of the box. The build quality is excellent. It yeilds excellent photos at any f/stop. I seldom shoot below f/5.6. It is vastly smaller than the 70-200mm f/2.8 I borrowed. It fits comfortably in my shoulder bag. The 67mm filter size and lighter weight are important. I would recommend this lens to anyone.Get more detail about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM II Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG IF HSM APO Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras Right now

2012-04-29T17:01:00.001-07:00

I use this lens on a Canon EOS 5DMkII and I'm amazed! The lens is superfast and supercrisp, The colour reproduction is very lifelike and true. If using the focus limiter, AF (HSM) is quick and absolute silent too. Manual focus is very nice and exact, and it has a comfortable focus grip. Denis

Get more detail about Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG IF HSM APO Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras.

Save CBL 110mm Color Balance Lens System

2012-04-24T17:01:00.001-07:00

I know there are so many light balancing tools out there that it seems that you can't go to a camera show without seeing one per aisle. But I really fell for this when I saw it at WPPI. Basically it is an incident meter. Hold it at subject position so it reflects to the camera the light falling on the subject. Shoot a target shot and capture it. The key over expodisc is that it measures the light on the subject NOT the light on the camera position. Also it is the only one that can give accurate readings in mixed light. I own it and shot with it. I also have seen Hanson Fong use it and really respect Hanson's chioces.Get more detail about CBL 110mm Color Balance Lens System.

Cheap Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

2012-04-18T17:01:00.001-07:00

It's a wonderful lens! Great value for the money!

At f/1.8, it's a fast lens that's capable of shooting in low-light condition, or making artistic photos with dramatic bokeh. With 9-blade aperture diaphragm, the bokeh (or the out-of-focus blur) is so buttery and dreamy.

However, you do need to know how to control the shallow depth-of-field (DOF) with the wide aperture opening or big distortion from a wide-angle lens. If you aren't careful with the composition and have the subject too close to your lens, then the 28mm will cause the subject to have a big & round face. As for DOF, I calculated that a 28mm at f/1.8 with the subject distance of 4', is only 6". If you are not careful with the focus, then you'll get a blurry photo.

Many folks are concern about the automatic focus accuracy of this Sigma lens. When the subject is only 1.5' away (1" DOF), I did notice that I was getting a front focus of about 1". That is probably within the tolerance of the lens still, since the error was a combination of the deviation of my camera body and the lens. An easy adjustment of the calibration setting in my camera took care of the problem and everything is hitting bulls-eye after that.

The 77mm lens diameter is the same common Canon diameter of many EF lenses. Thus, all my existing filters fit just perfectly. The exterior finish is the typical wrinkle EX finish and looks nice. Although the front lens do not rotate with focusing, the lens itself does extend or contract when focusing. In addition of the automatic/manual focus switch, there is the quirky pull/push clutch system for fine focus adjustments. The communication with my Canon 1D Mk III is great. It would be nice if this lens had the Sigma's Hypersonic Motor (HSM) instead of the conventional, robot-cop sounding, motors. However, the focus was quick enough and not much hunting for focus even in darkness.

Get more detail about Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.

Buying Opteka .45x HD² Wide Angle Lens for Canon A540 A520 A510 A95 A80

2012-04-17T17:01:00.001-07:00

Good value for the money. This is a low cost wide-angle lens that does the job reasonably well. There is some minor warping of the image around the edges of the picture, but, for most amateurs like me, I find it to be pretty acceptable. If you're looking for top professional quality (and higher cost), then, truthfully, this may not be the right lens for you. Also, while my camera (Canon A540) accepts lenses and adapters, the truth is that these cameras weren't exactly designed for that. It works, but there are some compromises. For example, any lens on these cameras will block the flash. I get a shadow on the lower right area of the picture. The adapter will also block part of the little viewfinder. Don't plan on using the flash or the viewfinder with this lens (or any other lens). Aside from these minor details, I'm glad I bought this lens package. It allows me to take some shots that I wouldn't be able to get otherwise.

You actually get three pieces here: a macro lens, a wide-angle lens, and a 52mm tube adapter for the camera:

1. The 52mm adapter works well. The one I received is made of aluminum and it's silver color, which matches the camera pretty well. It works on my Canon A540, and it should also fit the A520, A510, and others. It's easy to attach it to the camera and to remove it, and it allows you to use any 52mm lens or filter. I normally leave the lens attached to the adapter. This lets me install or remove the whole thing with a quick twist.

2. The macro lens helps your camera take pictures up close. Normally, my A540 by itself, when set for Macro mode, can focus on a subject as close as 2 inches. With the new macro lens, I can now focus as close as 1 inch. I'm not sure that's of much value to me, but it does work. The back threads of the macro lens are 52mm so it fits perfectly on the 52mm adapter, but interestingly, the front threads are a little larger (maybe 53mm?). This is for the wide-angle lens. See below.

3. The wide-angle lens works well. It does show some minor warping around the edges of the picture, but I find it acceptable, especially when considering the price of this lens. It's interesting that the wide-angle is designed to work together with the macro lens. Unfortunately, the macro reduces the effect of the wide-angle, so I don't think you really get to "double your angle of view" with this 0.45x wide-angle lens. Again, this is a compromise: The wide-angle lens by itself would throw off the camera's autofocus system, but the two lenses combined preserve the original focus. This allows the camera's autofocus to continue to work as it should. The wide-angle lens by itself seems to be an odd size (53mm?) so it won't fit most standard adapters. This forces you to first attach the wide-angle to the macro lens, which accepts the 53mm threads and now allows the combination to fit the 52mm camera adapter.

TRICK FOR EXTREME WIDE-ANGLE (advanced user's only): I found a way to use this package for some super wide-angle shots. In essence, the trick is to use the wide-angle without the macro lens. A 53mm-to-52mm (?) adapter would've been ideal, but something like that may be hard to find. So, I had to resort to a little hacking. ;-) It is possible to remove the glass from the macro lens frame. On the back side of the macro lens, the glass is kept in place by a thin black ring with two small notches. I used the notches to unscrew the black ring, and then removed the glass. (If you're going to try this, be very careful not to scratch the glass! Do this at your own risk). I then used the empty frame of the macro lens to attach the wide-angle lens onto the camera. Since the camera's autofocus won't work like this, you'll need to use Manual Focus. I set my A540 to Program mode ("P" on the top dial), press "MF" twice, and focus manually. There is some fish-eye effect, but I can get some extreme wide-angle shots that are pretty impressive!

Get more detail about Opteka .45x HD² Wide Angle Lens for Canon A540 A520 A510 A95 A80.

Buy PENTAX DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 ED (IF) Fish-Eye Lens for Pentax Digital SLR

2012-04-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

Even though I've only had this lens less than a week I am impressed with it. I have gotten some shots where the blues and greens are so saturated it looked like a polarizer was used, and one wasn't. Simply beautiful.

There are no threads on the lens hood for filters. I have tried holding a square sunset filter in front of the lens with good results. The Auto focus is fast & smooth and quiet. I'll post photo's when I get a chance.

I got the full width of my house in the picture while standing five feet back from the bottom porch step. The lens cap slides over the hood. I may try to make up a series of adaptor rings to slide over the hood so I can use filters on this lens.

Get more detail about PENTAX DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 ED (IF) Fish-Eye Lens for Pentax Digital SLR.

Order Sony SAL-500F80 500mm f/8 Reflex Super Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

2012-04-11T17:01:00.001-07:00

Three good attributes of this lens: excellent quality rapid auto focus and low f/#. An annoying characteristic of this lens to me is its large size. That requires a separate case for it if one uses a standard camera bag with other lenses. At high magnifications, good photos require no camera movement and precise focusing on subjects. I highly recommend using a tripod with this lens and focus on still subjects whenever possible. I've taken many excellent photos at long distances with this lens on my Sony Alpha 700 camera.Get more detail about Sony SAL-500F80 500mm f/8 Reflex Super Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera.

Shop For Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2012-04-08T17:01:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a REALLY wide lens that's vert well built, then this is the lens for you. You can get as close as a few inches from your subject and still capture a wide field of vision. For videography, even a small pan gives a large visual scene change. And since it's soooo wide, everything remains in focus.Get more detail about Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

Zeikos ZE-2X52B 52mm 2X Telephoto Lens

2012-04-06T17:01:00.001-07:00

As another reviewer stated, these lenses are built well. They come with their own pleather carrying case and lens caps, which is nice. If you want, you can even thread a 58mm (or possibly 62mm) filter on the other end. The lenses themselves are "multi-coated" simply meaning that they have an Anti-Reflective coating put on them to reduce ghosting and lens flare. The glass appears very clear to the naked eye, and the overall build quality is excellent.

Now for the performance. If you have a dSLR camera and your only lens is a "standard" 18mm-55mm focal length, this telephoto attachment should work for you. However, the clarity of the lens is less than perfect. Even when focused as perfectly as possible, there is still a little softness to the image, however, it DOES magnify the image as stated. There is also a little bit of chromatic and barrel distortion around the periphery of the image at 55mm (82mm in 35mm equivalent).

If you are trying to use this lens with a longer telephoto zoom lens, you will be disappointed. The focal length of this 2x adapter is shorter than most telephoto zooms. By that, I mean that you can probably focus it with up to about a 100mm (original) lens (give or take). But if you try to use it with a 200mm telephoto zoom, you will find that you cannot focus it at all. In fact, through some experimentation, I discovered that by moving the adapter about 5" away from the end of the camera lens at 200mm, the focus point then moved to the middle of the focus range and I could then take a picture. However, at this distance, the barrel distortion became so great that the picture was unusable. Also, the fuzziness that was mentioned at the shorter focal length lens is also magnified with the longer lens.

In conclusion, I would say that if you only have a "standard" zoom lens, or a short telephoto lens, this adapter will work for you, albeit in a limited manner. If however you are expecting to multiply an already long tele-zoom lens to 300mm or more, don't waste your money.Get more detail about Zeikos ZE-2X52B 52mm 2X Telephoto Lens.

Opteka HD² 0.20X Professional Super AF Fisheye Lens for Sony CyberShot DSC-H10 H5 H3 H2 H1 F828 F717 F707 Review

2012-04-04T17:01:00.001-07:00

Its a perfect fit for my DSC-H5
It takes very good pictures with the fisheye effect.
But this is where it looses a star:
- Can't use the flash when the lens is on.
- In bright light situations you can see the interior of the lens in the pictures (not very pretty)

Still, I'm not a photographer I just wanted it to take cool pictures.

Another comment:
Once I got it wet and got condensation in it, but after an hour besides my computer fan (hot/warm air coming out) it was as good as new.
Get more detail about Opteka HD² 0.20X Professional Super AF Fisheye Lens for Sony CyberShot DSC-H10 H5 H3 H2 H1 F828 F717 F707.

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras Top Quality

2012-04-03T17:01:00.001-07:00

Have been using the Sigma 15mm Fisheye for some weeks on a 5Dii and have taken about 1.000 shots with it. The short story: its a great lens that has lots to offer for anyone who like wide angle shots. Colors and flare resistence is tops. Centre sharpness is very good even wide open, while corners tend to be soft and suffer CA unless it is stopped down.

Fisheye lenses have a mixed reputation, which is a shame as they are some of the most versitile lenses around. Some of the bad reputation comes from the fact that some people think all fisheyes are "round". However, the Sigma 15mm is diagonal fisheye, and fills the picture across the entire sensor.

But why a fisheye at all? Three main reasons;
1) its wider than a standard lens (so 15mm fisheye is much wider than a 14mm standard lens)
2) by not correcting the light (as much as a traditional lens), the fisheye should have less flare and
2) better - even spectacular - colors.

And when it comes to flare resistance the Sigma 15mm shines. Colors are also great, but fisheye lenses can be very tricky for the camera's light meter. So with my 5Dii I often shoot @ f/-2/3 to f/-1½ to compensate for overexposure at bright daylight.

Some people complain that the Sigma may hunt at low light, but I do not find it more difficult to use than most other lenses - actually I find it quite good. It has worked fine from early morning, over heavy rain to dark night.

Versatile? You bet! The important aspect of shooting a fisheye is to use the focal plane very actively in your shots. There is a dramatic shift in the look and feel of a shot depending on the tilt to the horizon and where in the picture plane your objects are.

Also, as long as you shoot "rounded" objects such as people, a fisheye often works better than a traditional wide lens like the Canon 14L. On the other hand its not very good at buildings unless you use software to correct.

Finally, the ability to use software to straighten out the curved lines makes fisheye lenses more versitile than ever.

For me the Sigma has been a hit. My impression from reading reviews etc. on the net is that there is no significant difference between the Sigma and the Canon, so get whichever is the cheapest where you live (that's what I did).

[Please disregard the previous review about vignetting. This lens has almost none even on a full frame. The user just forgot to take of the entire lens cap before shooting...]Get more detail about Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras.