Lens

PopPhoto reviews the Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T* lens and they write, “This sharp and nondistorting optic could give any commercial studio an edge over the competition. On a DSLR, it’s one of the fastest short teles made for the Nikon system, and while pricey, it could prove invaluable for low-light or active subjects.”

PopPhoto has reviewed the Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 Pro DX AF lens and they write’ “Our SQF tests found sharpness and contrast in the Excellent range at all focal lengths — an above-average performance, as many lenses in the category slip into the Very Good range at their long tele settings. DxO Analyzer 2.0 tests found Slight barrel distortion at 50mm (0.18%); Imperceptible pincushion distortion at 85mm (0.09%); and Slight pincushion distortion at 135mm (0.22%) — all excellent results. We found no light falloff at 50mm, and slight falloff at 85mm and 135mm, gone in both cases by f/3.5 — also exemplary. At the constant close-focus distance of about 39 inches, maximum magnification ratios ranged from 1:14.25 at 50mm to a respectable (but not great)1:5.42 at 135mm.”

PhotoReview has tested the Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Lens and writes, “It’s asking a lot of any optical system to cover a zoom range of 13.9 times but the Tamron AF18-250mm lens does surprisingly well. Not unexpectedly, its best performance in our Image test evaluations was with apertures between f/5.6 and f/16 and focal lengths of 50mm and 70mm. Chromatic aberration was low throughout the zoom range, although we found traces of colored fringing in some shots at longer focal lengths.”

Ken Rockwell compares the Nikon optically image stabilized Nikon 18-200mm VR to the Nikon 55-200mm VR and writes, “If you’re on a budget, get the 55-200mm VR. That’s easy.

If you have the time to wait and the budget, the Nikon18-200mm VR is much more convenient than swapping between two lenses.

If you don’t need the range beyond 55mm, I love the super lightweight and close-focusing 18-55mm kit lens. You may need no other lens. I make my best shots with wide angles; I rarely use teles. I prefer to get closer.”

DigitalCameraReview tests the limited edition Pentax smc P-DA 70mm f2.4 lens and they write, “Digital SLR photography can easily become a very expensive hobby; it is not at all difficult to spend a couple thousand bucks on your basic walk around shooting kit. The Pentax smc P-DA f2.4 70mm Limited Edition may sound a bit expensive, but when compared to professional quality Nikkors and “L” series zooms, this diminutive Pentax lens is a bargain.”

Sigma Press Release:

Sigma Announces the APO 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG; World’s First Ultra- Telephoto Zoom with F2.8 at 500mm Focal Length

The world’s first Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens that offers a fast aperture of F2.8 at 500mm focal length

The APO 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG is the world’s first Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens that offers a fast aperture of F2.8 at 500mm focal length. It covers the widely used 200 to 500mm focal length range, and maintains its fast F2.8 aperture over the entire zoom range. Four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations and produce a high level of optical performance throughout the entire zoom range.

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Tamron Press Release:

Tamron Announces SP AF 70-200mm F/2.8 DI LD (IF) Macro Lens

A LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGH-PERFORMANCE AND FAST TELE-ZOOM FEATURING A 0.95M (37.4) MFD OVER THE ENTIRE ZOOM RANGE

March 8, 2007 — Mr. Morio Ono, President of Tamron Co., Ltd., has announced the development of the SP AF70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO, a lightweight, high-performance and fast tele-zoom lens designed for SLR cameras with full-size image sensors.

The new SP AF70-200mm Di LD (IF) MACRO (Model A001) is an F/2.8 fast tele-zoom designed for full-size format SLR cameras. It inherits the product concept of the award-winning SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di (Model A09) standard zoom lens that is highly acclaimed for its compactness and speed, which lets photographers enjoy a high cost to performance uniqueness.

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