Archive for the ‘SLR Lenses’ Category:
Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM Review
The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM is a new super-wide angle lens offering a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range. Two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration. Four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow compact and lightweight construction. The incorporation of HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.
Sigma Japan Press Release
SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
2009.3.3 - The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the new SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM. This super-wide angle lens has a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range. Its wide angle of view from 102.4 degrees produces striking images with exaggerated perspective. The maximum aperture of F3.5 is ideal for indoor shooting and it enables photographers to emphasize the subject. Two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration. Four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow compact and lightweight construction. The Super Multi-Layer coating reduces flare and ghosting. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. The incorporation of HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 24cm (9.4 inches) throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:6.6. The lens design incorporates an inner focusing system. It eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the Petal-type hood. The Petal-type hood blocks extraneous light and reduce internal reflection.
* Vignetting will occur if the lens is used with 35mm SLR cameras or digital cameras with image sensors larger than APS-C size.
SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
Case, Petal-type Hood (LH873-01) supplied
Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony
*For Pentax mount, if the camera body does not support HSM, auto focus will not be available.
THE SPECIFICATIONS (For Sigma mount)
*Lens Construction:13 Elements 10 Groups *Angle of View:102.4°-63.8° *Number of blades:7pcs *Minimum Aperture:F22 *Minimum Focusing Distance Distance:24cm/9.4in *Maximum Magnification:1：6.6 *Filter Size:Ø82mm *Lens Hood:Petal-type hood *Dimensions:Ø87.3mm×88.2mm/3.4in×3.5in *Weight:TBD
*The apperarance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
SIGMA DG UV 82mm : 00-85126-92376-1
SIGMA DG WIDE CIRCULAR PL 82mm : 00-85126-92387-7
Buy the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Review
Since their image circles do not need to cover the entire traditional 35mm film area (24×36mm), these DX lenses are less expensive to produce and can be smaller. Sometimes they can also cover a wider zoom range.
The first DX lens Nikon introduced was the AF-S 12-24mm f/4G, which helps DX DSLR users regain the super-wide angle of view. It has been very popular among landscape, building interior, and wedding photographers as well as anyone who needs a wide lens. Since then, several third-party lens manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina have produced various 12-24, 11-16, and 10-20mm DX-type lenses. In such super-wide range, each extra 1mm will make a noticeable difference. The new AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G DX zoom from Nikon helps them push further on the wide end as some of their competition have.
While a very good lens overall, the original 12-24mm f/4 DX is excellent on the long (24mm) end but somewhat mediocre around 12mm. Well known Norwegian Nikon expert Bjorn Rorslett once called it the best 24mm he had tested. However, on the 12mm end, there is noticeable distortion and loss in quality. A few years later in 2007, Nikon introduced the 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S, which can cover the entire FX (24×36mm) frame and is excellent all the way down to 14mm.
It will be interesting to see whether Nikon manages to improve the overall quality in the 10-24mm to match the 14-24. One welcome news is that while the 14-24mm f/2.8 has a bulging front element so that no filter is possible, the new 10-24mm will continue to accept 77mm filters. Compared to the original 12-24mm f/4, the constant aperture has become slightly variable from f/3.5 to 4.5
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Review
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G Review
- The Nikon 35mm is a fast-aperture prime, designed to give DX-format Nikon users the classic normal angle of view of a 50mm lens on a Nikon FX-format DSLR or a 35mm film camera. In other words, back in the days of 35mm film cameras most manufacturers included a 50mm lenses as the “kit lens” with your new camera because 50mm was considered the “normal” focal length (similar to what the human eye sees). Today, most DSLRs come with a low-cost zoom lens as a “kit lens” but many photographers still want a “normal” prime lens with a fast aperture. That’s where the new AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G comes in.
Auto Focus
The new Nikkor 35mm lens is driven by Nikon’s new AF-S in-lens focusing system rather than a traditional in-body screw drive focus system. This typically means focus is quieter and often faster than lenses using in-body focus motors. The new 35mm lens is indeed very quiet, but autofocus speed didn’t seem particularly faster than what we’ve seen with older Nikkor lenses on other Nikon bodies. Still, the AF-S 35mm is quite fast and makes an excellent lens in low light environments where a standard kit lens just can’t get a focus lock.
As mentioned previously, I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of a distance scale and/or depth of field scale on the side of the lens. It would have been nice if Nikon included a simple distance scale so photographers have another way to check the focus, but to be perfectly honest most people using Nikon D40, D40X, and D60 cameras don’t even know what a distance scale looks like and would never use it even if this lens had one.
Manual Focus
Focusing manually with the new Nikon 35mm lens on an AF-S camera like the D40x or D60 is much easier than with older Nikon lenses and bodies. Since the lens doesn’t use a screw drive for autofocus there is no need to disengage the autofocus clutch in order to use the manual focus ring. Simply turn the manual focus ring on the front of the lens to adjust focus. That said, there is a standard M/A and M switch on the side of the lens in case you want to disable the autofocus and just use manual focus.
The manual focus ring on the new 35mm lens isn’t as smooth as what I’ve seen on many other primes such as the Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. In fact, the manual focus ring on the Nikon feels rough … almost like it’s being turned over a series of stripped plastic gears. The manual focus ring has a “throw” of about 100 degrees, so moving the ring from the closest focus distance to infinity takes a little more than a quarter of a rotation.
Image Quality
The sample images in this review were taken with a Nikon D40x in RAW/NEF mode and processed using ACR with no significant changes to the default settings. It’s worth noting that Nikon Capture NX2 generally produces image files with more contrast and sharpness than the default settings in Photoshop. In any case, we believe these sample images are representative of what an average Nikon camera owner can produce with this lens … even if they don’t know how to post process images.
This compact lens has a solid overall build quality (much better than most lenses in the $199 price range) and takes up less space in your camera bag than the standard 18-55mm kit lens that came with the D40, D40X, and D60. The included lens hood helps shade the front lens element and prevent flare, but given the 1.5x crop factor for DX bodies and lenses, the hood could have been twice as deep (and twice as capable of reducing flare) without hurting image quality.
- The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G features a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 enabling effortless handheld shooting in dark settings, such as a dimly lit room. It is the first single-focal-length lens with a normal picture angle developed exclusively for Nikon’s DX format. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is a compact, lightweight model that achieves the high reproduction performance unique to single-focal-length lenses at an affordable price. This lens is suitable for natural portrait and landscape shooting.
- DX-format, normal single-focal-length lens with 35mm focal length (picture angle is equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats)
- Large maximum aperture of f/1.8
- Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures smooth, quiet AF operation
- High-performance optical system with aspherical lens delivers superior reproduction capability
- Compact, well-balanced design when attached to small SLRs
- Two focus modes available — M/A (manual-priority autofocus) and M (manual focus)
- Metal mount
- Natural blur effect thanks to seven-blade rounded diaphragm
Buy The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Review
The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens is, without question, Canon’s best-performing(optically and physically) and best-built 24mm autofocus lens. It is also Canon’s widest angle lens with an aperture wider than f/2.8 - a full 2 stops wider than all wider angle Canon lenses. This lens looks great, feels great and functions superbly.
The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens is shown above mounted on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II andCanon BG-E6 Battery Grip.
Since there was already a Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM Lens, one would expect the new version to be an improvement over the original. So, the primary question on many of our minds was - what has changed? Let’s start with Canon marketing’s perspective - here are a couple of paragraphs found in Canon’s 5D Mark II White Paper:
“This new wide-angle lens offers far more than a cosmetic makeover to the highly acclaimed EF 24mm f/1.4L USM lens it replaces, and it retains the distinction of being the brightest wide-angle L-series lens in its class. Added professional characteristics include dustproof and weatherproof construction, with dramatic improvements to image quality provided by a total optical re-design and the application of Canon’s exclusive Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) to the inside surface of the large front lens element. This special coating is designed to minimize ghosting and flare, especially from extreme off-angle light rays. It combines with traditional Super Spectra multi-coating, to give the lens unprecedented resistance to internal reflections and flare.
Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) glass lens elements were also added in order to reduce chromatic aberrations, and a high speed CPU and improved algorithms make possible a faster and quieter autofocusing system. Combined with two aspherical lens elements, the lens offers significant improvements in image quality and contrast, especially at the outer edges of the image when used on full-frame digital SLRs. A circular aperture means beautiful out-of-focus highlights in backgrounds. This new lens targets the critical professional photographer, and should be especially prized by users of high-resolution full-frame digital cameras like the new EOS 5D Mark II.”
As expected, that sounds great.
I was mid-way through the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Review when the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens showed up. I couldn’t help myself - I had to immediately try it out.
I mounted the 24 L II on a 1Ds Mark III and spent some quality time with the ISO 12233 chart. But my first impressions were not overwhelmingly exciting. A re-test yielded the same results - slightly softer (less sharp) than the original 24 L. My normal procedure was used for this test: I usually shoot some AF test shots for a data point, but the results showing on the site for this lens were shot using externally-magnified Live View LCD manual focusing. The best of approximately 18 samples (per aperture setting) were added to the site. Disappointed, I went back to completing the 5D II review and ordered another 24 L II.
With the 5D II review completed and the second 24 L II in hand, I resumed testing. What I discovered was not a lens issue with the first copy, but a bug in Canon’s Digital Photo Pro software. DPP was adding “Luminance Noise Reduction = 2″ to all of my 1Ds III (and other Canon DSLR) images shot with noise reduction turned off. Even those I shot long ago. Apparently this bug was introduced in a recent update as DPP has never done this in the past. Since I was using my standard camera test settings and procedures, noise reduction settings in DPP were not something I was regularly checking. Adding noise reduction (even this tiny amount), reduces image sharpness - thus my initial disappointment. Issue resolved. From The Digital Picture
Nikon AF DX Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED
The main application of this lens is rad special effects for skateboarding and in-the-water surfing shots. Other nuts will use this for just about anything crazy. Get close to your subject and watch out. Caution: people have been killed getting too close to airplane propellers; you really will think you are further away than you really are.
The only lines that stay straight with this lens are lines or line segments that would pass through the center of the image. All other lines are bowed out away from the center.
The 10.5mm isn’t for film cameras. Use the 16mm fisheye on film or full-frame sensor digital cameras.
Used on a film camera the 10.5mm will have black edges as you can see here. You may want to cut off the built-in lens guard to get more of the image on film, but you really should just use the 16mm fisheye instead. Even with the lens guard chopped off you still won’t get a full 180 degree circle with the 10.5mm lens on a 24 x 36mm image; the diagonal of the 10.5mm lens is about a 28 mm circle.