Lens test : 100-400mm zooms

Lens test : 100-400mm zooms

Minolta Maxxum 100-400mm APO

Sigma 135-400mm f-4.5-5.6 AF APO

Tamron 200-400mm f-5.6 AF

Tokina 80-400mm f-4.5-5.6 AT-X AF

Vivitar/Phoenix 100-400mm f-4.5-6.7

Minolta Maxxum 100-400mm APO

Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.5-6.7. Minimum f-32-45
Angle of view: 24-6 degrees
Construction: 14 elements in 11 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 6.6 ft
Zooming: Counterclockwise
Length: 5 7/8 inch
Diameter: 3 1/8 inch
Filter size: 72mm
Weight: 1 LB 14 Oz
Accessories: Lens hood

Test: Well made, solid, and lightweight. Finished in black, with rubberized focusing and zoom ring. Includes focus-lock button, which can be customized depending on the Maxxum camera used. It is comfortable and easy to handhold. A tripod collar would have been a nice addition for faster vertical shooting, however the lens does not put too much stress on the camera mount. Autofocus is fast and quiet. Manual focusing is smooth and focusing ring is well damped. It lacks focus limiter found on some other Minolta Maxxum lenses which I prefer, especially on all telephoto lenses for locking the range of focus when you know your subject will not be moving too close or far for faster autofocusing. Test slides were razor sharp at 100mm and 200mm, at all f-stop settings. At 300mm, center sharpness is good at f-6.7 wide open aperture and f-8 with loss of sharpness in corners. At f-11 and f-16, sharpness is extremely well. Lens produced good results at 400mm setting and f-6.7 with good center sharpness, but loss of sharpness more visible in the corners. At f-8, sharpness is improved, with edge to edge sharpness achieved at f-11 and f-16.

Verdict: Lens performed well, with very good overall sharpness and contrast. Its light weight makes it easy to handhold the lens. Optimum performance is at 100mm and 200mm setting, with good performance at 300mm. Except at f-6.7, lens performed good at 400mm. As I mentioned earlier, a tripod collar would make this great lens even better. I also wish Minolta had made the maximum aperture a constant f-5.6. This would have made the filter size a bit larger. Perhaps Minolta needed to keep the filter size 72mm to match its other larger diameter lenses.
Overall performance: 100mm: excellent. 200mm: excellent. 300mm: very good. 400mm: very good
Rating: 17/20.
Note: lens was not tested at f-32 and f-45, in 300mm and 400mm lengths.

Tokina 80-400mm f-4.5-5.6 AT-X AF. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax

Mount tested: Canon EOS
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.5-5.6. Minimum f-22-32
Angle of view: 30-6 degrees
Construction: 16 elements in 10 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 2.5m
Zooming: Counterclockwise
Length: 136 mm
Diameter: 77.2 mm
Filter size: 72mm
Weight: 2 LB
Accessories: Included: lens hood, soft case. Optional: close-up filter, tripod collar.

Test: Extremely compact for a lens of this class. About the size of an 80-200mm lens, It is very well made and solid. Black finish with gold ring in front of the focusing ring, identifying this lens as an AT-X Gold Band Series. Its compact size makes it very easy to handhold, although it's a bit heavy. Autofocus is fast with damped manual focus. Zooming is smooth with large zoom ring. Test slides were crisp at all f-stops between 80-200mm settings. No loss of sharpness was visible at wide open aperture. Lens produced very sharp images in the center at 300mm focal length with some softening in the corners, but very crisp when stopped down to f-11 and f-16. At 400mm a noticeable loss of sharpness is visible in the center and corners at f-5.6 but better at f-8. Sharpness is greatly improved at f-11 to f-22. Lens does not include a tripod collar, but available as an accessory and highly recommended. Its f-5.6 maximum aperture at longer focal length is very useful for wildlife and sport photography.

Verdict: This lens looks more like an 80-200mm than one with 400mm power at its longest range. I was very pleased with the results and surprised. Slides were sharp with very good contrast. Lens is easy to operate and carry. At its 80-200mm settings, this Tokina can seriously challenge regular 80-200mm zooms. I like to see an improvement at 400mm setting, especially at wide open aperture where faster shutter speeds are usually needed at this focal length. This is one of the best buys in short to long telephoto zooms.
Overall performance: 100mm: excellent. 200mm: excellent. 300mm: very good. 400mm: good
Rating: 16/20
Note: lens was not tested at f-32.

Sigma 135-400mm f-4.5-5.6 AF. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax

Mount tested: Canon EOS
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.5-5.6. Minimum f-32-38
Angle of view: 18-6 degrees
Construction: 13 elements in 11 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 79.2-98.4 inch
Zooming: Counterclockwise
Length: 7.1 inch
Diameter: 3.5 inch
Filter size: 77mm
Weight: 2 LB 10 Oz
Accessories: Hardcase, lens hood.

Test: A beautiful all black lens with large zoom ring, but very small focusing ring. Zoom ring is placed in front of the lens rather than close to the camera like other models. It is a bit heavy and big. This sturdy lens includes a removable tripod collar for easier storage. The addition of the tripod collar is a major plus for changing from horizontal to vertical shots. Autofocus is fast and smooth, but the narrow focusing ring makes it difficult to focus manually. It is heavy and somewhat difficult to handhold, especially with the tripod collar attached. Test slides were razor sharp at all f-stop from 135-300mm range. Only a slight loss of sharpness in the corners was noticed at f-5.6 and 300mm setting. Lens is superb at f-11 and f-16 settings. At wide open aperture and 400mm, lens begins to show some loss of sharpness in the corners of the test slides, but good center. Sharpness is improved at f-11. I think Sigma should have included 100mm in this lens. I guess this would have made the lens heavier and bigger.

Verdict: Although a bit bulky, this lens deserves serious consideration for anyone looking for a long telephoto zoom. It is capable of producing sharp and contrasty images throughout its focal lengths. At 400mm setting, it is the best in its class. Where other zoom lenses show loss of sharpness at larger apertures at 400mm length, this Sigma can match even some single focal 400mm lenses. I was very surprised and impressed with its performance. My only complaint is the very narrow focusing ring which makes it difficult to manual focus. I like the built-in tripod collar with its large knob which locks the lens securely. I don't mind the extra weight. It is a proof that this is a solid, pro quality lens.
Overall performance: 100mm: excellent. 200mm: excellent. 300mm: very good. 400mm: very good
Rating: 18/20
Note: lens was not tested at f-32-38 and f-22 at 400mm.

Special thanks to Mr. Shier for lending his lens for this test.

Tamron 200-400mm f-5.6 AF. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon.

Mount tested: Minolta Maxxum
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-5.6. Minimum f-32
Angle of view: 12-6 degrees
Construction: 13 elements in 11 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 98.4 inch
Zooming: Push/Pull
Length: 7 inch
Diameter: 3.3 inch
Filter size: 77mm
Weight: 2 LB 13 Oz
Accessories: Lens hood.

Test: At first glance, I knew a tripod would be needed to handle this lens. Big and heavy, but extremely well built. Dark grayish color. The lens is rock solid with the largest zoom ring in its class. It is a push/pull design zoom and holds settings well. Focusing ring is placed in front and well damped when manual focusing. Large and heavy duty tripod collar makes shooting from a tripod very easy, but difficult when handheld. No telephoto lens is good unless it can produce sharp images wide open. Set at 200mm and f-5.6, this zoom produced crisp and contrasty slides. Sharpness was very good at all f-stops, especially at f-11 and f-16. At 300mm and shot wide open, loss of sharpness was noticed in the corners. Set at f-8 corners are improved with very good sharpness at f-11 and f-16 with good sharpness at f-22. Set to its longest range and wide-open, center was sharp with acceptable corner sharpness. Lens needs to be closed down to f- 11 to improve corners. Autofocus was fast and accurate. Storing the lens requires more room.

Verdict: I love its solid feel and construction. It is clearly aimed at advanced amateurs and pros who are rough on their equipments. This lens should withstand lots of beatings. I was happy with the test slides, but like to see improvement at 400mm range and larger f-stops. Some may find the large tripod collar uncomfortable to carry and store. I don't recommend handholding this lens. Use a tripod to see what this lens can produce. Could Tamron have made this a smaller and lighter lens? Probably, but lens wouldn't have been as solid. I was very pleased with this lens.
Overall performance: 200mm: excellent. 300mm: very good. 400mm: good
Rating: 17/20

Vivitar/Phoenix 100-400mm f-4.5-6.7. Available mounts: Canon, Minolta, Nikon.

Lens tested: Phoenix. Mount tested: Nikon
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-4.5-6.7. Minimum f-22-32
Angle of view: 24-6 degrees
Construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 6.5 ft
Zooming: Push/Pull
Length: 6.5 inch
Diameter: 2.9
Filter size: 67mm
Weight: 26.10 Oz
Accessories: Lens hood.

Test: Nicely finished in cream color with very large rubberized zoom ring, but narrow focusing ring. It is compact and lightweight which makes the lens easy to handle. Zooming is push/pull and very smooth, but zoom ring slides down when camera is held up. Autofocus is moderately fast and manual focus needs to be more damped. Test slides were very sharp at 100mm setting at all f-stops with slight loss of sharpness in the corners at f-4.5 and f-5.6, improved at f-8. Set at 200mm and f-5.6, slides were soft in center and corners. At f-8 sharpness is improved with very good sharpness at f-11 and f-16. Lens also produced sharp images at f-22. Center and corners were soft at wide open aperture at 300mm and 400mm settings with small improvement at f-8. Center sharpness was greatly improved at f-11 and f-16, set at 300mm with acceptable results at f-22 which shows some ghosting. At 400mm sides were sharp at f-11 and f-16 , with ghosting visible at f-22. Slides were contrasty. Lens needs some improvements at 300mm, and especially at 400mm focal length at wide open aperture.

Verdict: It is aimed at amateurs. A good telephoto lens to start with. Very affordable and will perform fine for beginners. Zoom ring and focus ring needs to be damped. I found it difficult to use when lens was pointed up. If not using slow shutter speeds, hold the zoom ring while taking the picture when pointing the camera up to prevent the zoom ring from sliding down. Its performance was very good at 100mm and 200mm settings, good at 300mm, and acceptable at 400mm. To achieve maximum sharpness, close the lens down at least one stop at 400mm setting, especially if you plan to make larger prints.
Overall performance: 100mm: very good. 200mm: very good. 300mm: good. 400mm: fair
Rating: 15/20

Special thanks to Dan Perkins for lending his lens for this test.

Do you want some great bargains?
Equipment I test are either borrowed, demos at camera stores (used outside the store), rental, or purchased. I look for bargains on used and new products. When I find a good deal, I purchase the camera or lens for testing and my own pleasure. I then auction the camera and lens on line for the price I paid. I only purchase used equipment that are in very good condition or brand new cameras and lenses at reduced price. If you like, you can fill out the form below to have your name added to my list of buyers. When I'm done testing an equipment, I will e-mail you prior to listing it for auction. I will include the minimum price and the condition of the camera or lens as well as page URL so you can see the picture and more detail information on the equipment . If you like to purchase the equipment, you must e-mail me within 48 hours and include the maximum price you are willing to pay. Please note that I will only respond to the highest bidder which is kept confidential. Only the highest bidder will receive an e-mail. I have purchased both used and new equipment at very low prices. For example, I bought a Tokina 80-400mm f-5.6, brand new on sale for less than half price at an electronic store that was going out of business: A Tamron 28-300mm f-3.8-5.6 Super demo model in excellent condition on clearance also at half price. Some short zooms I have tested here, were purchased in a trade show at unbelievably low prices. I do not have bargain cameras and lenses at all times and can't tell you what I may have in the future.