Reviews | Photocrati

Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM EF Review Round-Up

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

Photo.net:

The new EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM is a better lens than the original EF 75-300/4-5.6 IS USM, as it should be since it costs more, in fact it’s more expensive than the EF 70-200/4L. The original lens has been discontinued, so the decision as to which is the better value of the two is now moot. I’d say the new lens is probably better value than the DO lens, as long as you can live without a silent ring USM motor and full time manual focus and don’t mind the extra 1.5″ in length. If you shoot at 300mm a lot, I’d say pay the price for the EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM. If you shoot most of the time at the shorter end, you can save by getting the original lens used (or maybe you could find a new one if you’re quick), so if funds are tight that’s not an unreasonable option. I can tell you that I have upgraded to the new lens. Whether the EF 70-200/4 L or the EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM is the better buy depends a lot on your application. If you’re shooting from a tripod and don’t need to zoom to 300mm, the EF 70-200/4L is a very good buy. On the other hand if you’re shooting handheld and need the ability to easily zoom from 70 to 300mm without stopping to add a TC, then I think the EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM might well turn out to be the better choice. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro MP-E Review Round-Up

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

PopPhoto:

For the hardcore macro shooters, the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.8 1-5x Macro is one heck of a lens. It is a sharp, well built lens and it is matched by no other lens on the market. It is the only stand-alone consumer lens capable of going from life-size to five times life-size magnification. While there are other ways shoot beyond life-size magnification, it is tough to compete with the convenience and unbelievable magnification range of the MP-E 65mm. The MP-E 65mm is not a starter lens by any stretch but if you have experience with macro and are looking to expand your horizons, this lens comes highly recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 450D Rebel XSi Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Imaging Resource

The Canon Rebel XSi is indeed a worthy successor to the Rebel throne. A camera with the Rebel name has never carried such sophistication, nor so rich a feature-set. It has all that makes the Rebel XTi great, but with more resolution, live view, a faster frame rate, a new look, and an image-stabilized lens. It’s the image quality that makes the Rebel XSi stand out, with great performance across the ISO range. … As I said of the XTi, the Canon Rebel XSi is an excellent, take-anywhere, all-purpose digital SLR camera that’s great as a second camera for pros, or as a primary camera for anyone else. It will more than serve, it will make its owner very happy. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 50mm f/1.8 II EF Review Round-Up

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

Photo Zone:

At the beginning of this review I stated that the 50mm f/1.8 II is the cheapest lens in the Canon line. Cheap really refers to the price tag only because for a price below 100 EUR you get a light-weight, high performing lens. So most affordable may be a better wording here. Naturally you can’t expect wonders regarding build quality for this price but the compromises work out better here than with the cheapo kit zooms. The 50mm f/1.4 USM may be a tad better at large aperture settings and surely regarding build quality but at quite hefty extra costs. If you’re on a budget the 50mm f/1.8 II is a good alternative here. It may also be interesting to check out the used market for a EF 50mm f/1.8 (I) which features the same good optical formula but combined with a better construction. It’s not really surprising that the old lens tends to sell at higher prices on the used market than the “new” mk II though. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 200mm f/2L IS USM EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Telephoto Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

SLR Gear:

The 200mm Æ’/2L IS USM is definitely a lens designed for the ”where price is no object” crowd. Tack-sharp, with no visible chromatic aberration or distortion, the only issue (if it is indeed an issue) would be some corner shading when shot wide-open on a full-frame body. But for the ”style” of image that it produces: sharp subjects with creamy, dreamy out-of-focus backgrounds, the 200mm Æ’/2L IS USM is a lens that will consistently exceed expectations. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone:

Every now and then EOS, the goddess of mercy, seems to speak to the Canon lens designers and this time they listened carefully. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L IS may well be the very best tele zoom on the market today – it is certainly the best Canon zoom lens tested locally to date. The lens was capable to deliver a near-flawless performance is all categories. The resolution figures are stunning regardless of the setting. Distortions, vignetting and CAs are nothing to worry about. The build quality is excellent with the new sealing as a another highlight. On top of that the lens now features a image stabilizer with an efficiency equivalent to 4 f-stops (at cost of shutter speed). The only heartbreaking drawback for some is the price tag which increased significantly to a whopping grand – price/performance-wise this is still very sound though. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon 200mm f/4 D ED AF Micro Review Round-Up

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Photo Zone

The Micro-Nikkor AF 200mm f/4 D ED is an excellent lens with no real weaknesses. The resolution figures are very good to excellent. You may argue that the new AF-S 105mm f/2.8G VR is somewhat sharper but the AF 200mm f/4 offers a longer working distance of 26cm vs 14cm – a good argument in favor of the old lens when it comes to nervous critters in macro photography. The vignetting at f/4 is not field relevant and both the distortion and CA characteristic are outstanding. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is exceptionally smooth and buttery. Typical for such oldies the build quality is superb whereas the old-style AF (driven by the camera) is very slow but then macro photographers tend to prefer to focus manually anyway. At around 1400â‚¬/US$ the entry hurdle for this lens is a bit steep. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 50mm f/1.0L USM EF Review Round-Up

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PopPhoto:

If you absolutely need what an f/1.0 50mm can deliver, this lens will provide it. Whether it’s the extra-creamy defocused backgrounds created by ultra shallow depth of field, or handholdable shutter speeds in dismal light, or extended flash range, Canon’s 50mm f/1.0 won’t disappoint. These benefits come at a price, however. Only you can decide whether the unique look this lens can provide is worth the price you pay in weight, sharpness, AF speed, and dollars. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 50mm f/1.2 USM L EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone:

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 USM L is a specialty lens for those requiring the maximum in depth-of-field capabilities. At large apertures the lens produces the beautiful, buttery bokeh which can be expected from such a lens. Technically the resolution results are very good to excellent but not really superior to its cheaper cousin – the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. The center performance is generally stellar but the borders can ´t quite follow although they remain easily in very good territory beyond f/1.2. The vignetting is quite high at maximum aperture and CAs are unusually pronounced for a fix-focal. The build quality of the lens is exceptional and the AF speed is very fast for such a lens. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM EF-S Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Photo Zone:

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS is not a perfect lens but it lives quite well up to the very high expectations of the user base. The resolution figures are among the very best seen so far for an APS-C standard zoom lens. The center resolution is nothing short of outstanding and the even borders can keep a very good to even excellent quality level. The distortion characteristic is quite typical for a zoom lens in this range (pronounced barrel distortions @ 17mm, moderate pincushion distortions @ 55mm) whereas CAs are unusually moderate. Unfortunately vignetting is a weak spot of the lens peaking around 1EV at f/2.8 throughout the range. It’s not a show stopper but a little annoying nonetheless. The build quality of the lens is pretty good but in relation to the price tag of the lens Canon should have used a little less plastic – finally even the much cheaper EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L features a magnesium-alloy shell. Probably a marketing decision to keep professionals away from APS-C DSLRs. All-in-all the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS is clearly a level up from the other Canon standard zooms – a highly desirable lens though the pricing may rise a few question marks. READ FULL REVIEW

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