Showing posts with label f1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label f1. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM Digital Lens For Canon Mount
Sigma 30mm f14 EX DC HSM Canon EOS Fit Lens 300927 Cameras Camera Accessories
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Nikon 50mm/F1.8 D AF Nikkor
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By P. J. Menter
I've paired the AF Nikkor f1.8 50mm with a Nikon D300 giving a lens of roughly 85mm focal length and the combination is superb. The auto focussing and exposure operation are faultless. The body of the lens is plastic but the mount engagement and lens retaining parts are all metal. The focal lengths and f-stops are neatly painted onto the plastic barrel; with a lot of use these are likely to wear off eventually but at the low price for this lens that's a minor niggle.
There's a small slider switch on the body that allows fixing or releasing of the f-stop ring, its default position is f22 for automatic operation. On a modern digital its unlikely you'll find too much use for this but when operating fully manual it'll be just like an old mechanical camera, twist and shoot. The front lens element its heavily recessed in the mount so the chance of sun flare is very low without a lens hood. It comes with the superbly practical Nikon lens cap fitting into a 52mm screw mount.
Image quality and colour rendition are faultless - even if you have a zoom lens this is a great buy for portraits and getting out and about all day long with a lightweight combo that doesn't give you shoulder ache
By Mr. G. Bridgeman-clarke (Rayleigh UK)
Everyone had a 50mm lens on their film cameras and everyone underestimated how useful it was and it ended up in the cupboard. With digital cameras all of a sudden the 50mm lens is back in vogue and seen to be an excellent and very useful addition at a reasonable cost to anybodies camera bag.
I bought this lens a minth or so ago and on the downside its plastic but the advantages outweigh that. Its light, sharp and a great price. I use it for portrat work on my D3 but also on my D300 iyt becomes a great portrait lens with the equivilent focal length of 75mm. Very versitile.
Ok I would love to have the f1.4 but at over twice the price, its not as good value for money as this little gem.
By Mr. D. Arrowsmith
In my view every Nikon DSLR owner should have either this or the f1.4 in his/her camera bag. The f1.8 is small,light and inexpensive and gives super image quality as well as the ability to shoot in low light without flash or other forms of studio or off camera lighting. It is ideal for portraits although some may consider it too sharp. It is a very sharp lens and some ladies may not like to have their little skin flaws exposed. I find a little Gaussian blur in Photoshop fixes that. A very nice lens well recommended.
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Monday, August 9, 2010
Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM Digital Lens For Canon Mount
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This is a fast F1.4 aperture standard lens for digital cameras. SLD (Special Low Dispersion and ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements are used to obtain the best possible correction for magnification and chromatic aberrations, which are particular problems for digital cameras. From 40cm (15.7") minimum focusing distance to infinity, this lens creates very sharp images with high contrast. The HSM models provide quiet, high-speed auto-focus shooting, as well as full-time manual focus override. Large maximum aperture of F1.4 can perform superbly in a great range of applications, including snapshots, portraiture, indoor shooting and landscape photography. Large Maximum Aperture of F1.4This lens is perfectly suited for a wide range of subjects, portraits, indoor shootings etc. It is fast aperture makes this lens desirable for use with Digital SLR cameras. The shallow depth of field produces an outstanding image, sharply outlined from the blurred background. SLD and Aspherical lenses Two SLD glass elements are especially effective in the compensation of magnification chromatic aberration. A molded glass aspherical lens at the rear lens group reduces colour aberration and provides high-quality image results. HSM Auto FocusingThe HSM design provides quiet high-speed auto-focus with full-time manual focus override. Minimum Focusing Distance and Fast ApertureThe lens creates exceptionally sharp images of high contrast from its minimum focusing distance of 40cm to infinity. The large maximum aperture of F1.4 produces a versatile lens that performs superbly in a great range of applications including portraiture, indoor and studio work and landscape photography.
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See more technical detailsBy JFL
I bought this because I love shallow dof for some shots and my canon 50mmm was a bit too long for indoor shots on my 40d. I don't like buying non Canon lenses but this was well reviewed so I gave it a go and I'm happy that I did.
By L. Lee (UK)
Bought this from Amazon recently, was really impressed with the quality of the build on the lens, real solid hefty piece of kit yet small enough for me to carry around!
Was testing this out on my new Canon 550D, the video recording on it was absolutely amazing! Crisp quality! Would definitely recommend this to anyone!
The f/1.4 was a real joy to play with and i was thoroughly satisfied with it, the sharpness of my pictures and the background blur was a nice touch which added more emphasis to the subject in focus.
Until i took a couple more shots, and realised the focus appeared to be slightly to be off.
Prior to purchasing this lens, i'd read about the lens having alot of front/back focusing issues, so i wasn't too surprised, but was abit disappointed.
Didn't realise until i tried focusing on certain points, taking picture and upon closer inspection of the image, i'd find that the point of where i intended to focused on, was off by quite a margin. Although slightly disheartened, i am not going to give up trying to find the 'perfect' working model of this lens.
A word of advice, though not guaranteed - check the serial number on your lens/box. Supposedly later batches of the item was less likely to have problems.
A word of recommendation, get the B + W 62mm UV Filter with Multi-Resistant Coating, cheap solution to protect your lens and give you a nicer picture!
Goodluck & Enjoy!
By Neil Bailey (uk)
This is a superb lens, and the 30mm (48mm equivalent)focal length is perfect for portraits in low light, where flash would be intrusive. The only problem, as other reviewers have stated is in respect of Auto Focus (AF) in poor light/full aperture shots, but this is inevitable. Overall the build quality and performance are superb, and I recommend the lens without hesitation.
By I. Ahmad (London, London United Kingdom)
I own a Canon 40D with the following lenses Canon EFS 17-85mm USM IS, Canon 50mm MK 2 and Sigma 10-20mm EX DG. The majority of pictures are taken with the Canon 50mm which I bought very cheaply 2 years ago. I do a lot of portraiture shots and the canon 50mm works pretty well for the most part especially for head shots. However for full length body shots you need to be standing a fair way back. I saw a gap in my lense collection. I thought if i had a slightly wider angle prime lens then I could take more interesteing full length portraits so I decided to buy a the Sigma 30mm to fill this gap.
I have only had it for the weekend but have already taken a couple of hundred shots and I'm incredibly impressed by the results. The colours are vived and the sharpness of the pictures are better than any of the other lenses I have. Sigma include the a lens hood when purchasing the lens. Why don't Canon do the same ?? Instead they charge upto £30 for a bit of plastic - be sure to factor this into the price when considering a lens. Don't be fooled by third party lens hoods that may not fit your lens correctly.
The build quality has a sturdy feel and the focus ring is well positioned with a nice grip for manual focussing. Moreover The hypesonic motor ensures auto focussing is fast so you don't miss the important shots.
In summary this is an excellent lens but it obviously costs over 3 times as much as the canon 50mm however you can see results in pictures. If you have the money it's worth the investment for the pro-sumer who doesn't necessarily want to fork out for a Canon L series Lens.
By R. Hinchcliffe (Yorkshire)
I got the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens to use an an 'everyday' lens to go with my new 550D. This is an excellent lens for the money (I paid £270 for it). After mainly using a Canon 50mm f/1.8 (which is an excellent lens for £60!) on my 400D for the last couple of years but commonly feeling the need for a slightly wider angle, I really wanted another fast prime lens, and I read a lot of good things about the Sigma - all of which have so far shown true. Compared to the Canon 50mm f/1.8, the Sigma 30mm is much, much more solid lens and 'feels' like a better product. The sharpness is spot on (i'm sure some Canon L lenses are way better, but who really looks at photos zoomed in at 100% anyway) and the f/1.4 has come in very handy. I was unsure whether to get this lens or something like the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 for it's zoom range - but I'm glad I got this little Sigma prime. I imagine it'll be on my camera 90% of the time and so far it's focusing and build quality have blown me away. The weight of the 550D + Sigma 30mm makes for a good solid SLR camera to carry around all day.
I use it on the 550D, and for those who are interested - it works just as well as a lens for shooting video. The manual focus ring is large, comfy and easy to turn which makes shooting even a moving subject with a shallow depth-of-field easy.
All in all I can't recommend this lens enough. If you're looking for a lens to leave on your camera 90% of the time this is definitely a good option. Sure you don't get the zoom range of the canon's kit lens but 30mm on a crop body is a very good compromise for most peoples shooting styles. I promise you won't miss that zoom, and the f/1.4, fast quiet focusing and excellent manual focus make up for any zoom envy you might get.
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Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sony SAL-50F18 SAM 50mm F1.8 Portrait Lens
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Sony F 1,8/50
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See more technical detailsBy Mr. P. J. Holbrook (Northern Ireland)
Sony SAL-50F18 SAM 50mm F1.8 Portrait LensVery happy with this lens, exactly what I expected after reading reviews and performance charts and samples. Well worth every penny and while the bokeh is a little wild at 1.8 aperture it is easy to go to 2.8+ to tone it down a little if needed. Portraits are just great and some very interesting (nearly) macro is possible with this lens. Buy one.
By T. Crinson (Suffolk, England)
I just bought this lens for a friends wedding to take some nice portrait shots. It was a bit of an impulse buy as I bought it the day before the wedding so had no time to practice with it, and as this was my first prime lens I didn't want to splash out too much. Wow. I am so glad I got this lens. The pictures turned out beautifully. The f/1.8 worked brilliantly in the low light conditions at the reception and it remained very fast so there was no motion blur in the portraits; nor in the smoke from the cigars they were smoking!
Some of the other reviews have said about there being too much "Bokeh" ( the nice blur of the photograph out of the main area of focus ) and I disagree, I think there is a pleasing level of it and it makes for some lovely effects, but this is subjective.
I do agree with another reviewer about it feeling plasticky, but it doesn't feel flimsy, but I wouldn't treat it any less carefully than any other lens because of it.
Since purchasing this lens it hasn't been off the camera and I think I will have a great time learning the ins and outs of prime lens photography.
For reference it's fitted to my Sony Alpha 300.
By Mr. G. Manning (London, UK)
I've had mine 4 months now and have taken the best pictures ever with this lens. The depth of field / blur you can create is great and it allows you to shoot in lower light than the kit lens (assuming yours starts at f3.5 like mine). Since using it I've moved away from opening it right up at f1.8 (as others have mentioned) because it can be a bit soft but some of the pictures I've taken have got great praise in online forums and my Flickr pages. I think every photographer needs a 50mm prime in their case. If I had the money, maybe I may have bought the f1.4 but I don't think you really need to. The auto-focus seems fast enough, not noticed it being noisy and because it's smaller than a zoom, you can get away with taking pictures in public without sticking out like a sore thumb. I haven't noticed that the build quality feels cheap - just like any of your kit, be careful with it and it will last. I've only taken it off the camera twice this year and put it back on within 10 minutes because it's so much better than my kit lens. Only problem is, once you try a faster lens, you'll want to spend even more on a large aperture zoom and that could hurt your wallet !
By M. Bhangal (Somewhere in Northern England)
I own two lenses (apart from the kit lens that comes with the Sony Alpha 200) - the Sony SAL18250 (18-250 zoom) and this lens.
Between then, I get the best of all worlds - a good outdoor walk-around lens (the 18-250), and a nice portrait/indoor/low light lens (the SAL50F18).
The only downside of this lens (SAL50F18) is that it is a different diameter from most other lenses (including most Sony kit lenses), so if you have any filters, you will either have to buy an adapter ring or invest in another filter.
By C. F. Turner (GB)
Genuine Sony. Used to take portraits on a A300 and a A550 with in my opinion exellent results. Very impressed with the low light capabilities. have taken some good outdoor/scenic shots also. Does look a bit cheap/plasticy, but all lower price Sony lenses look this way. A good addition to your kit lenses.
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Friday, June 11, 2010
Canon EOS 50mm/F1.8 Ef Lens (Mk11)
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See more technical detailsBy Jo Donaldson (Scotland)
I originally only had the standard kit lens for my Canon 350d, but after reading lots of reviews i decided on the wee nifty fifty. Honestly, best buy for my camera yet. If you are quite new and don't have lots of lenses this is a great wee starter to get your passion back!
It's very light, so when its on the camera its great for slinging into your bag :-)
It's a bit strange getting used to the fact that you can't zoom mind you, but it does make you a bit more mobile ha.
The focus takes a bit of getting used to as well, I personally have found that I prefer it on manual focus. For me, the autofocus hasn't always zeroed in on what I want, but for me these are such minor issues I wouldn't even consider them negatives.
and the 1.8..man, it's just beautiful :-)
By A. Slater
Haven't had the lens long, but from what I can tell, it is really good. Very pristine images produced. Very good for portraits. Lightweight. This lens is specifically for Canon EOS cameras, just so people are aware... ultimately, a very good buy. recommended.
By Mr. C. Ciureanu (London, UK)
My girlfirend didn't understand why I want this lens... after I bought it I shoot few pictures with her... some of them she keep for desktop images. :-)
All the cromatic aberation (very few) don't put in shadow a very good (and cheap) lens and a beautiful woman. :-)
If you want your woman (women ;) ) to love you, you must have this lens. :)
By Mikalis Paparazzi (Cumbria, UK)
So much has been said about this great little lens that it's hard to add something new. Quality is far and above what you'd expect for the price, and it's so light you hardly notice in in the bag.
Build quality is strictly amateur, but don't be fooled, this lens delivers and unless you treat it badly it will reward you for years.
Going back to a fixed lens after the comfort of a zoom may seem strange at first but it takes me back to m old SLR days, when you simply walked back to fit more it. It makes you concentrate more on your framing and will make you a better photographer. The more shots you take, the more you'll want to use this lens, especially when you see the results.
If you're used to the plastic kit lens, the quality will blow you away. If you're used to L series, then it's worth buying for the heck of it.
Have to agree with the vast majority.
By James H. Ettle
I bought this lens after reading positive reviews of it here and elsewhere and seeing sample shots. I'd just acquired a Canon EOS 400D with the 18-55mm EF-S kit lens, which is by no means a bad lens but I wanted something a bit sharper, with a wider range of depth-of-field, and to try working with a fixed-length lens.
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens did not disappoint. Optically, it's a little marvel: the images are clear and sharp, colour and contrast representation is excellent, and if there's any chromatic aberration with this lens, I certainly haven't noticed it. It's not a USM lens, so to manual focus you need to push the gear-switch on the side of the barrel. The manual focusing ring is right on business end and although ridged, tends to be a bit fiddly. However, wide-open, the depth-of-field is so shallow one really needs the autofocus, which is not silent but is as quick as it need be. In fact, I'm glad it's non-USM since this would only bump up the price; similarly with the construction, yes, it's made out of plastic but unless you're a routine and systematic lens abuser, how tough does it have to be?
All in all, given its optical quality, this little lens is fantastic value for money and a good buy for anyone who's just moved into the world of digital SLR.
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Sunday, June 6, 2010
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G
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35mm wide aperture lens with high-quality optics and compact dimensions designed for use with Nikon DX format cameras. Features a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 that offers a bright viewfinder image and is ideal for low light shooting situations. Delivers high resolution and contrast with quiet autofocus operation.
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- The AF-S DXNikkor 35 mm f/1.8 G is aslight, fast and silent as a standard 52.5 mm lens (in 24x36). Theaperture of the 35 mm f/1.8 G lens allows you to capture all your images perfectly, evenin low-lighting conditions. The SWM(Silent Wave Motor) enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus, but you canadjust the focus manually as well. Despite its compact size, the AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8 G includes an aspherical lens elementthat minimises lens aberrations and ensures high resolution and image integri- tyfrom the centre to the edges of your shots.
- NIKON AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 G lens for All Nikon D series SLR cameras, maximum sensor size: APS-C Lens for Nikon Camera Lenses
- Lens for Nikon
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By Paul Gibson (Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK)
I was after a fast, wide aperture lens for my Nikon DSLR, and this little beauty fitted the bill perfectly. Ideally I would've gone for a 50mm / f/1.4 but as this type of lens is out of my budget the 35mm does just fine. Apart from some wide aperture 'bokeh' experiments at home (which came out very well) the first proper work-out I gave the lens was photographing my mates band at a rehearsal studio. Low light ability is very good, images are sharp through 400-800 ISO (and probably higher if I'd gone up that far), and wide open at f/1.8 it gives you that gorgeous narrow DOF I mentioned above with the focus points pin sharp. I did the whole shoot under fairly dim fluro light and didn't need to use flash at all. AF works well, pretty quickly, but struggles at very close range in low light as you'd expect. The lens is very light weight and although this may raise concerns about build quality / durabilty compared to some of my other older lenses, only time will tell. So far I'm really pleased with the 35mm and would recommend it without doubt.
By Nickibee (Bristol, UK)
I bought this lens at xmas 2009 and i am not disappointed at all having used it quite a bit. This lens is a 35mm DX and is a cropped sensor equivilent of a 50mm Prime, the 50mm prime has long been an essential part of any photographers kit as it's extremely fast, light, small and versatile, apart from that it is the closest lens to what the human eye sees also.
Out of the box this lens is of high quality, it comes with the standard soft pouch and Nikon lens hood. It is primarily plastic but the same finish as all Nikon DX lens bodies and feels very nice in the hands, and solid.
Now the most impressive thing about this lens is at f1.8 you can shoot in your living room in mood lighting without a flash and get some beautiful results, the low aperture gives an amazing shallow depth of field and makes shots really dramatic.
The second thing about this lens is it is extremely crisp but this is expected of a prime lens what with there being less glass in the lens body. My first few shots with this lens blew me away and i personally think it works better in low light than normal/bright light. If used as a portrait lens you will be very pleased as well, it softens skin tones and brings eyes out of faces perfectly. You will also get a lovely soft background that is clearly out of focus while keeping your main subject tack sharp!
My only problem with this lens is handheld on my D300. It is extremely difficult to get a perfectly crisp shot in sunlight but then it should be on a tripod, im just a handheld shooter while im still young! When on a tripod you'll have no problem and with a high shutter you will be ok as well. It works a little better on my D60 but this is due to it being lighter i think.
I use mine for pretty much everything and i have taken every kind of shot except sports/wildlife with it. I would recommend it particularly for portrait photographers or abstract photographers as you could really play with light with this lens. Saying that if you do want a portrait lens and have a D body with internal focusing id go for the somewhat cheaper 50mm for around £100. I have had some excellent luck with landscape as well and when stood a long way back from your subject it can be reletively wide.
This lens is cheap, light, small, versatile and a formidble partner to any Nikon camera. If you have the cash get it or if a little lighter in the pocket go for the 50mm (DOESN'T AF ON D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D5000. You will not be dissapointed at all.
All round an absolutely cracking lens and an appriciated addition to my glass collection. I can see myself keeping this one for a while.
By Want the Best (UK)
The last 50mm prime lens that I used was on a Canon FX back in the Sixties, the only lens that I owned and it served me well. Decades later I now own a D5000 with a couple of zoom lenses up to 200mm. I bought the Nikkor 1.8 on the strength of some reviews and for the optical quality that I could'nt afford in a top end zoom. I am not disappointed, not by a long chalk. This lens is a cracker, it now lives permanantly on the camera. It has learned me once again to work for composure and the optical quality is stunning. Forget a macro lens, this lens will focus close enough to crop out your selection and you have brilliant, cheap autofocus macro. I have shunned prime lenses for over 20 years, what a mistake! This could be the only lens you ever need. Top quality buy, highly recommended. Bear in mind this is a 35mm lens but the 1.5x crop factor on a digital D series Nikon will give the eqivalent of 50mm.
By Chris
Since I swapped my 18-55mm lens with this one on my little Nikon D40 I can't take it off. The quality of pictures on this f1.8 lens is so good that I don't even miss not having zoom and use my legs instead.
I think for photographing everyday life, products, people and landscapes you hardly need anything else.
This is my best lens by far and I think if you want the best quality picture for the price (lenswise) there isn't anything else out there better.
By Happy Snapper (Cambridge, UK)
I really wanted to love this lens, as it was one of those rare beasts, a DX format prime. But I didn't. In fact, I almost grew to hate it.
I'm a prime fan, and will always choose a fixed focal length over a zoom, for the double advantage of speed (f 1.8 is 3 stops faster than most 'standard' zooms) and image quality, which I find is always better with primes unless you are spending serious cash on the f2.8 pro-spec zoom lenses, which are then enormously heavy and make you look instantly geeky or Oriental touristy. I thought this new 35mm was worth a go for my D300, despite the presence of an older D design 35mm f2 in the bag already. I gave this lens a good workout on Lake Como in Autumn 2009, and was distinctly underwhelmed with it. So much so, it has now been e-bayed, for almost what I paid for it new, and my faithful old 35mm f2 is back in its rightful place on the D300 as my standard lens.
I found this DX lens only good at f4 or slower, but for me I never really found it a sharp and contrasty performer. Perhaps I had a dud, or perhaps my technique wasn't up to it. If it were the latter I would be surprised after more than 25 years experience of shooting Nikon primes with great success..... Anyhow, the 35mm f2 is for me a far superior piece of glass. Sharp throughout, beautiful colours, and uber-fast AF, even for a 20 year old design. Oh, and its FX ready.
If you can run to the extra £90 or so, buy the 35mm f2 over this. I think it is a far better overall performer.
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