The Ultimate Lens Review Thread (All Brands) - Wallets & Credit Cards, BEWARE!

[photo_chick]

I'm just (mostly) kidding. On a lot of the photo forums I've visited, it seems like a lot of the self-proclaimed experts are either bad photographers, or never share their photography.

Some people follow the rule don't post what you don't want stolen. And some don't need the validation of posting online. And some really are just bad photographers.

I personally post pretty sparingly and selectively because I've had too much of my work stolen and a couple of times entered into contests where it won. Which is really funny because in my opinion I'm not worth stealing from. LOL

Now a lens review-

Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 - This is an older lens from Canon that was replaced by the current 28-135 IS. If you want a faster lens (on the long end) than the 18-55 kit, or a little more reach, and are on a small budget this is a great option. It's a mid-grade Canon lens, which means it's not L and it's not entry. It's fairly sharp for a mid-grade zoom. The bokeh is nice, with 7 aperture blades to help there. My favorite feature is the full time manual focus. IMO this is a great lens for those who want to bump up their glass quality a little but don't have the $400+ to spend on the current offerings in this area.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

No problem.

My go-to favorite is my Canon 17-55 f/2.8. It's larger and heavier than a kit lens, but I love it. It's super sharp and the colors are outstanding. It's on my camera most of the time.

I also have:

[snip]

I see you're reading "Understanding Exposure". That's an awesome place to start. Once you start understanding those concepts, you'll start to get a feel for what lenses you might want. Don't be intimidated. Camera bodies come and go. Lens collections are made over time and are always with you (barring any unfortunate accidents!)

Wow that's a nice group of lenses!

Yes the book is great. I am pretty set as far as understanding the basics of exposure now...the problem is putting it into practice to get results. Just last night I had a pretty sky at dusk over the trees...well to get the sky my trees got dark...to get the trees my sky blew out. Ugh! I suppose HDR is an option but I am not there yet.

He also has an 8 week online course I just might sign up for.

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

mom2rtk: What camera are you shooting with? It seems to be great in low light from the looks of those 3 shots. Is the 24-70 an IS lens? Is one offered.
Also just curious as to how long you have been shooting DSLR/SLR?

 

[mom2rtk]

Wow that's a nice group of lenses!

Yes the book is great. I am pretty set as far as understanding the basics of exposure now...the problem is putting it into practice to get results. Just last night I had a pretty sky at dusk over the trees...well to get the sky my trees got dark...to get the trees my sky blew out. Ugh! I suppose HDR is an option but I am not there yet.

He also has an 8 week online course I just might sign up for.

Thanks. I am pretty happy with the selection. I'd still like something longer in the 2.8 range, but don't know that I want to pay for it or carry it around, so that's gonna be a while. I did rent the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS for my son's high school graduation and enjoyed using it for the day (but not having to pay the hefty purchase price!)

Hang in there. You're asking a lot of great questions. I've had DSLR for 7 years, but only moved out of the auto modes 2 years ago. I still have to think much of this through each time I pick up the camera.

mom2rtk: What camera are you shooting with? It seems to be great in low light from the looks of those 3 shots. Is the 24-70 an IS lens? Is one offered.
Also just curious as to how long you have been shooting DSLR/SLR?

Well, as much as I'd like to take credit for those 3 beautiful shots, I haven't posted in this thread. Nor do I have the 24-70 lens. My go-to walk-around lens is the 17-55 f/2.8 from Canon and it does have IS. I've had a DSLR for years, but just got my T2i last fall. I really do think it does a great job in low light and you can see some of my shots here:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=42296446&postcount=10

 

[BillyBuff]

GREAT shots. HOw far from Cinderella?

I would say at least 30 feet away? I actually fired off 3 shots since I knew people would be using their flashes so I "borrowed" their light.

mom2rtk: What camera are you shooting with? It seems to be great in low light from the looks of those 3 shots. Is the 24-70 an IS lens? Is one offered.
Also just curious as to how long you have been shooting DSLR/SLR?

The 24-70 isn't an IS lens, but the 24-105 is and its widest aperture is at f/4.

 

[wenrob]

We ended up doing a Staycation this year because my Dad had some health issues and I wanted to be close to home. Since I'd been planning to rent a lens for vacation anyway I went ahead and rented the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. At first I found it a pretty heavy combo with the D700 for a "walk around" lens but within a day I was getting a handle on it. By the end of the week I was one handing it and it was love. I found it SHARP and FAST even wide open. I pulled off some shots in near dark that would never happened with my Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 which has been my favorite lens for quite some time. The price is pretty hefty but I knew going in with the D700 that I wanted to step up my glass and I think this will be my next purchase come bonus time next year.
Some pics:
ISO 200 F/4 SS 200 62mm

ISO 6400 F/2.8 SS 100 24mm

ISO 200 f/7.1 SS 320 24mm

And just for fun. Born and raised in Vegas and had never done this before. (set up the camera for DDs BFF to take the shot) Bonus, Elvis was there.
ISO 800 f/7.1 SS 640 24mm

As you can see I really liked the wide end. Am thinking about renting the 14-24 f/2.8 and taking it for a spin. If anyone has experience with it I'd love to see!

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Tamron 17-50 f2.8 Pentax K-mount

I was prettty happy to get this lens but now I am regretting not spending a more and getting a Pentax DA* 16-50 f2.8 or the Sigma equivalent. The lens reproduces some great contrast and colours, but it seems to have a little touble metereing and shows a TON of vignetting, I alway use the hood so I'm not sure if thats part of the issue but I doubt it. Next time out with it I will go "hoodless" to see what kind of results I get.

Great value for the money ($440 I think) but it does leave a little to be desired. Useing it in Manual under constant lighting conditions and it is a treat to use, focuses fast with any problems being user error.

I give her a 7.5 due to the heavy vignetting, its also not quite as sharp as some other lenses I have, I also havent really used it in very good conditions much, mainly indoor nd flashless.

 

[Frantasmic]

I rented the Canon 100-400 f4.0-5.6 lens. Despite the funky selection ring and size, this lens worked extremely well for outdoor field sports/activities.

I used a Canon 60D.

For soccer, baseball, cross-country, outdoor swimming venues, day time football games, I think this is a great lens, particularly when the sun is out as evidenced in the soccer picture below.


SPLS Cross Country 2011 075b by msf61, on Flickr


SPLS Soccer 2011 198a by msf61, on Flickr

 

[Frantasmic]

I like this thread and wish it hadn't died. I will resurrect it then.

Leased the Canon 24-105 f4 L lens over the weekend. Had some prom pictures and a trip to our local botanic gardens. Camera store was out of the 24-70, so this was my second best choice.

I really enjoyed this lens. It wasn't too bulky (although it is heavy). For outdoor use or with a flash, the f4.0 min aperture didn't affect me at all. Samples below.


2012 Botanic Prom 018 by msf61, on Flickr


Ab Grad 12 017 by msf61, on Flickr