Cool Design and gadgets Lastest news*: my wider lenses.I have had this lens for a couple months on my XTI.

11/04/2012

my wider lenses.I have had this lens for a couple months on my XTI.

This lens can be summed up by the simple statement of "Good, but not great." It gets the job done without really excelling at it, and it is definitely not without its issues. That being said, you can't beat the price - depending on what you're looking for.

The price doesn't lie, and though the lens takes good pictures and offers a decent feature-set (IS under $300), it's not a top performer. Bokeh is a bit harsh, AF is somewhat slow and low-light is pretty much out. If you want to make a hobby out of shooting long focal lengths, do yourself a favor and give this a pass.

However, if you're more of a landscape photographer (like me) looking for nothing more than an adequate long-tele lens while you're spending your money on the awesome 10-22mm or a good 17-50mm f/2.8, this lens fits a VERY needed place in your bag.. A 70-200L f/4, it ain't - but it's also not $1,000.

All in all, you get what you pay for and it's good (bordering on sufficient) without being great at anything. It's a terrific buy for someone like me who looks at the tele- end of focal lengths as "that occasional odd shot I don't want to miss." It'd be bloody horrible if I actually used it as a regular lens - but then, I didn't pay the same amount for it that I have for my wider lenses.I have had this lens for a couple months on my XTI. I purchased it from Canada and it has North American warranty (both Canada and the U.S.) so I'm safely assuming it will be the same lens released here in May.
After hundreds of shots so far here are my thoughts:

The bad:
-On my copy the color is off. Skin colors have a slight gray hue and colors are not very saturated. In order to get vibrant hues post-processing is necessary.
-Front element rotates and extends while zooming
-It is an EF-S lens. Are you planning on upgrading to full frame soon? I am not so this is not necessarily "bad" but can be to those who are uninformed about the compatibility issues with this lens.
-People often complain about the quality of the plastic build. I am okay with it since this lens is a place holder until I have the money for an L class lens. I would rather have this lens now so I can capture the photos in this range than wait 6 months to a year until I can drop a couple grand on the lens I really want.
-Although it overlaps some with my Tamron 28-75 (which I absolutely adore)I like having the versatility to get a bit wider with this lens. It keeps me from carrying an extra lens when I know I will be shooting at the longer end but I still have the freedom to zoom out a bit to get more landscape if the moment strikes me.

The good:
-Sharp photos
-Decent bokeh
-IS is amazing on this lens. Shot a performance on a dimly lit stage at the long end of the zoom (5.6) without the flash and 85% of my images came out sharp. However, please realize IS controls the PHOTOGRAPHER'S shake/movement NOT NOT NOT the movement of the subject. So with the 15% of the images that weren't sharp (or flat out blurry) the subject moved at a decent rate. If you want to stop movement in less than bright environments a faster lens (2.8, 1.8, or 1.2) is necessary. Also, on my copy the IS is dead silent and I do not have the noise problem the other reviewer was describing.
-For the PRICE you will not find another lens in the 50-250-ish range with this level of performance, IS, and image quality. OF COURSE the 70-200's are better.. several hundred to thousands of dollars better. Cannot compare with Canon's L class lenses although people will (and have)...

Cool Design and gadgets Lastest news*

11/04/2012

my wider lenses.I have had this lens for a couple months on my XTI.

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