Friday, November 30, 2007

Choosing digital SLR lenses: 28-75mm f2.8 vs 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3


The digital SLR camera choice is not only a brand selection. Choosing between Canon 40D, Nikon D40X, Sony A700, Fuji S5 Pro, Pentax K10D or Olympus E510 etc., you are getting a lens guide. It is better to know that after any lenses buying it should be hard to change your Canon to Nikon, because your favorite Canon 70-200mm f2.8 for $1,800 cannot join to Nikon D300’s body. What is more, there is a great difference between shooting with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Kit and 17-50mm f2.8 lenses.
- $1000 Sigma lenses for Nikon D40x or NikonD80
I was wondered a big popularity of shot-cut Nikon’s SLR D40 and 10-megapixels Nikon D40x. But when I was surfing in the Net and was talking with salesmen I saw that a lot of users want to have a small and cheap Nikon’s SLR. Other users were buying D40 such as second SLR (first is Nikon too). It is natural that majority of new Nikon’s users love their first SLR cameras. And it’s unreal to have some critical points from them. Especially it’s unreal to have some critical points from those who chose Nikon long time ago and bought second Nikon. But there are two bad points which were significant even for Nikon’s fans: the AF is not good on moving targets and the majority of Nikon’s lenses can’t work with D40 and D40x. Only special lenses are recommended for those SLRs.
- Olympus ZUIKO Super High Grade Lenses: from 7-14mm F4.0 for $1500 to 300mm F2.8 for $8000.
When I was looking for those excellent lenses I was thinking that its users never change Olympus SLR to Canon’s or Nikon’s. But it’s interchangeable lens series for professionals. In my opinion Olympus SLRs such as E410, E510 or previous models (excepting old E1) are not pro cameras. And developed for more advanced optical, precision technology and exquisite picture quality these lenses are much more expensive than SLR cameras. From other side I remember what pleasure I had while shooting with Sony’s 300mm F2.8 for $5999. In any case these devices are worthy of special attention.
- Olympus ZUIKO High Grade lenses: from 8mm F3.5 Fisheye to 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 Tele
There are: a high-quality standard zoom lens, diagonal Fisheye, super-telephoto zoom lens, large aperture medium-telephoto macro lens etc.
- Olympus Standard ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses: 35mm Macro up to 70-300mm Tele
There is infinitely much information concerning lenses for Canon and Nikon SLR cameras. It is easy to find even lenses for Sony DSLRs, inherited from Konica-Minolta. Instead Olympus lenses, which are not so famous among professionals and advanced photographers, appear less frequently in the Net. I can’t visit a trade delegates or an exhibition hall to test these lenses. I don’t have an Olympus camera body. However I am quite interested in comparing cameras and observing the market and trading trends. So I gathered a few reviews and prices of all best lenses and call your attention to the list.
- How to shoot with 10 great Sony Alpha lenses and not to be beaten by salesmen
A few days ago I was lucky to visit an exhibition with many groovy photo devices from various manufacturers. It was great because Sony guys allowed me to make use of many interesting gadgets for my Sony A100. What can I say; their method to conquer DSLR market by Alpha guide is very impressing. I already wrote that after Sony A100 the next big news from this manufacturer is the announcement of two professional additions: A-1 and A700.
- Choosing DSLR camera lenses: take a shoot before buying
For those who take Sony A100 as first DSLR camera and for those who look for easy life I advice the old fashion Konica-Minolta kit SAL-75300 - f/4.5-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens that costs $230. This compact, lightweight 4X zoom lens is of really great value and the ideal choice for travelers. It’s a good choice for covering outdoor activities and sports action, even in large stadium locations. Its wide zoom range of 112.5mm to 450mm (35mm equivalent) handles both middle-ground subjects and portraits shot from a relaxing distance, so people won’t be nervous -- even capturing intimate details and natural wonders close at hand.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been using the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for three weeks. Moreover, I would say that it is the best zoom lens in the market I could find. It is very sharp from F4 to F8, very usable at 2.8. Color and contrast are very good. In addition, it focuses very closely. It is relatively small compared to other f/2.8 zoom in the market. I would recommend this lens for all of SLR cameras users.

Anonymous said...

I personally do not use a wide-angle zoom such as 28 -85mm and a very long telephoto zoom as 75-300mm. The very first zoom lens that matched the quality of single focal length lenses is a 70 -210mm lens. Other zooms soon followed. The technology grew so rapidly that zooms replaced most fixed focal length lenses. Only fast telephoto lenses including 300mm f-2.8 and 400mm f-2.8 remain popular among wildlife and sports photographers due to their speed. Sigma's 120-300mm f-2.8 and Nikon's 200-400mm f-4 are indications of what the future of fast long telephotos will be. Even the pros who are usually very slow in adopting new technologies have switched to zooms which now incorporate fast apertures pros demand. The quality of today’s lenses is so good that you cannot tell the difference between moderately priced and more expensive professional lenses. What's more, the generic brands of lenses now rival those made by camera manufacturers. New lenses come to the market almost daily and they are getting better, faster, with extended range. So many choices available can make your head spin trying to decide which ones to buy. The question to ask you is which focal length do I need and then decide between your own camera manufacturers brand and a generic type. The other question is whether to choose a regular lens or a lens specifically made for digital cameras.

fototramp said...

To wacko
I know about this Tamron lens and I want to buy it next year.

fototramp said...

To anonymous
Thank you for your long comment. I shoot with Sony's 300mm f/2.8. This is a fantastic lens. However, it costs about $6000. This gadget is good for a Pro.

Anonymous said...

The digital SLR camera choice in not only a brand selection.