Lens review

Wide angle zooms

When I started photography I carried four fixed focal lenses to cover wide to standard shots. A 24mm f-2.8, 28mm, f-2.8, 35mm f-2, and a 50mm f-2.8 macro which also worked great as my standard lens. Carrying all of these plus longer lenses made my gear heavy and uncomfortable at times. Also, I would have to keep changing lenses to see different perspective. I chose fixed lenses because they were much sharper than wide angle zoom lenses at the time. Wide angle zooms of 10 - 15 years ago could not compete with fixed focal lenses in terms of sharpness.

That is changing rapidly. Today's wide angle zooms are as good as any fixed focal lenses and many photographers are replacing their gear with one of these newer zooms. With one of these lenses you can lighten your load and fine tune your composition without having to change lenses or to move back and forth. Their main disadvantage is their slower wide aperture and close focusing ability compared to fixed wide angle lenses. They are also not at their sharpest when used wide open. I wouldn't be too concerned with the speed of a wide angle zoom lens as they are mostly used stopped down. But look for a zoom with closer focusing ability that can allow you to place a subject close to the foreground such as when photographing landscapes and you want to place wild flowers in front of a scene but also want to show the distance mountains in the background.
Most manufacturers are now offering wide angle zooms in different speeds and lengths. The chart below shows what's available.

Telephoto zooms:

Telephoto zoom lenses are also becoming more and more popular. Until recently 80-200mm lenses were the choice of most people but they only offered moderate telephoto range. Zooms that go up to 300mm and 400mm have replaced the 80-200mm lenses as many photographers want to take advantage of the longer range. These zooms are now made in smaller, lighter packages and are affordable. They are excellent choices that can cover a wide range of subjects from portrait and scenic to wildlife and sport photography. Team up one of these telephoto zooms with a wide angle zoom and you have all the bases covered. Their main disadvantage is their slower speed and they are not as sharp at their longest settings when used wide open. You can correct this by stopping the lens down by one or two stops and use a faster film. Keep in mind that when you are using these lenses at their longer focal lengths a tripod is necessary to get sharp images. Prices on these lenses have dropped a lot and their quality is getting better and better. There are many models to choose from for any type of budget. If you want a lens that can provide a vast range of shooting possibility 75-300mm and 100-400mm zooms are the choice.

Following is a chart of what is available.

300mm f-4 and 400mm f-5.6 lenses

If you do a lot of wildlife or sports photography you know that a long telephoto lens is needed to isolate your subject and fill the frame. In most cases you also need a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. 300mm and 400mm lenses are great for wildlife and sports photography and are available both in zoom and fixed focal types. Zooms that cover these lengths are slower and not as sharp as fixed focal lenses when shot wide open and this is where you use these lenses the most. Faster 300mm f-2.8 and 400mm f-2.8 lenses offer all the speed you need but they cost several thousands of dollars and are big and heavy. Another alternative is a 300mm f-4 and 400mm f-5.6 lenses.
These lenses are compact and sharp. Best of all they are affordable. They give the extra reach you need for subjects you can't get close to. They also have built-in tripod collars which can help you choose between horizontal and vertical shots without having to remove the camera from the tripod. With the addition of 1.4x and 2x converters you can increase their focal lengths for greater range. A 300mm f-4 becomes 420mm f-5.6 with the 1.4x and 600mm f-8 with 2x converter . If you use good quality teleconverters, you can get good results from 300mm f-4 lenses. Use faster films to compensate for the loss of light when you use these lenses with converters. 400mm f-5.6 lenses are best used without a converter attached. They are very compact and cover long distances with great results. You can use a 1.4x converter to get a 560mm f-8 lens with some loss in quality. With a 2x converter you end up with an 800mm f-11 lens which is too slow to use and the loss of sharpness is not acceptable.

If you need a long and sharp lens with good speeds but don't want to spend a lot of money or carry a bigger, heavier lens, 300mm f-4 and 400mm f-5.6 lenses are your choices. Most manufacturers carry these lenses. The following chart shows the models that are available.

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Macro lenses:

Macro lenses are mostly used for close-up photography, although they can be used for any other types of photography. The main difference between macro lenses and other lenses is that a macro lens can close focus on their own without the need of any attachments. They are also designed to produce sharper pictures in close range and are corrected for flat - field reproductions. They are available in 50mm, 100mm, and 200mm. Some of these lenses can focus down to 1/2 life-size while others can go to life-size. Longer focal length macros allow more working distance. With a 100mm macro lens you have to be twice as close to your subject compared to a 200mm to obtain the same magnification. Macro lenses have scales engraved on them. These scales show the magnification being obtained, for example, 1/8X shows the image is 1/8X smaller than its real size while a 1X means the image is the same size as the subject. You don't really need to refer to these numbers unless you are doing scientific work.

Minolta Maxxum 9xi, 100mm macro f-2.8 lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Multi-segment metering, 1/8 sec at f-16 on manual exposure mode and manual focus.

There are a number of macro lenses available from all manufacturers. Depending on your camera model, needs and budget you can choose any of these lenses if you like to do close-up photography.

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80-200mm f-2.8 Zooms

80-200mm and 70-210mm lenses are the most popular zooms as they cover a wide variety of subjects. They are also some of the sharpest zooms available and are very compact and affordable. Most have a maximum aperture of f-4 or f5.6 which is good enough for most situations. Many manufacturers are now offering 80-200mm f-2.8 zooms and they have become the work horse for many pros and advanced amateurs. Their fast constant f-2.8 allows photography in low lights and for sports and wildlife where you need a fast shutter speed. They are also very sharp when used wide open. These zooms can also be used for portrait and modeling as their large wide aperture can be used to throw a background out of focus and make the main subject stand out. All 80-200mm f-2.8 zooms also come with a tripod collar which allows quick and easy switching between horizontal and vertical shots. These zooms can also be used with teleconverters. With a 1.4X you end up with a 112- 280mm f-4 and 160-400mm f-5.6 with a 2X converter. Some loss in quality should be expected when you use converters with these zooms specially at wider apertures. Some zooms/converters are not compatible and cannot be attached. Check with the manufacturers to see lens/converter compatibility. The main draw backs to 80-200mm f-2.8 zooms are their size and weight. They also cost much higher than slower zooms ranging from $800 to $1500. Most camera and independent lens manufacturers offer these lenses. Do you need One? As I mentioned earlier the slower 80-200mm and 70-210mm lenses are great both in terms of sharpness and cost. If your current zoom is giving you the pictures you want then keep it and save your money for film and processing, but if you do a type of photography where you need the extra speed then consider faster 80-200mm f-2.8 lenses.

All in one zooms

Wide angle to telephoto zooms have become popular in the past few years and most manufacturers are now offering these lenses in wider and longer lengths. The main advantage of these lenses is obvious. Instead of carrying three or four lenses, you can take an all in one zoom and cover most of your subjects. Their main draw backs is their slower apertures, lack of sharpness when compared to other types of zooms or fixed focal length lenses specially in the telephoto range, and their minimum focusing distance. You can use faster films such as ISO 100 or 200 to gain extra speed when using these lenses. When using these lenses in wide angle range you will most likely stop the lens down to gain some depth-of-field which will increase sharpness. In telephoto range however, don't expect to achieve the same sharpness as a prime telephoto lens. This is not to say you shouldn't use these lenses at longer range but expect some loss in sharpness in the corners when using these lenses wide open. Take extra care if you only want to carry one of these zooms with you. If the lens gets damaged you are done taking pictures.

Fast telephotos

Go to any sporting event and you'll see photographers carrying big and heavy telephoto lenses. These long lenses are also used by many wildlife photographers. Costing several thousands of dollars, theses lenses will provide good coverage and speed for fast action photography where you can't get close to your subject. 300mm f-2.8 and 400mm f-2.8 lenses are the most popular ones, but 500mm and longer lenses allow much closer view at longer distances. One of the things you will notice about these lenses are designations such as APO, L, ED, A-TX, and G. Each manufacturer uses its own designation for their top line lenses. These lenses are made of the highest quality glass and are designed to control aberration which is more of a problem with telephoto lenses. Aberration is a lens inability to produce sharp images especially at the edges. APO (apochromat) lenses are corrected for chromatic aberration. This allows light of all three primary colors, red, blue, and green, to a common point of focus. Another advantage of these lenses is the use of matched teleconverters that can be attached to make these lenses even longer without sacrificing much of the prime lens quality. Add a 1.4X converter to a 500mm f-4 lens and you have a 700mm f-5.6 lens. Add a 2X converter and you are at 1000mm f-8. Handling these lenses is not as easy as shorter focal length lenses. First of all, a tripod is a must. Don't even think about handholding one of these lenses. You may be able to take some sharp photos with the shorter and less heavier 300mm f-2.8 lenses but it is almost impossible to get a sharp image using the longer lenses. I once saw a photographer handholding a 300mm f-2.8 lens with a 2X converter photographing birds. He either had the steadiest hands or had never heard of a tripod. I would bit my own 300mm f-2.8 and 2X converter that this guy didn't even get one sharp photo. The major draw back to these lenses are their cost and weight. They are not mass produced and are more expensive to manufacture. The longer and faster the lens, the more expensive and heavier it gets. The most common maximum apertures for 300mm and 400mm lenses is f-2.8, while 500mm and 600mm lenses have a maximum aperture of f-4. A lens is considered fast depending on its maximum aperture and focal length. For example, f-4 is considered fast for a 600mm lens but it is a moderate speed for a 300mm, and lightning fast for a 1000mm lens. Below is a list of all available models. All of the following lenses are of the highest quality. You can't go wrong with any of them.

300mm f-2.8

These lenses are the first choice for most photographers wanting a fast, long lens. They are more affordable than longer lenses. 300mm f-2.8 lenses are great for wildlife and sports photography. With the addition of 1.4X and 2X converters, you'll have two high quality 420mm f-4 and 600mm f-5.6 lenses. Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma, make excellent 300mm f-2.8 lenses. Manual focus models are also available from Nikon, Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, Olympus (350mm), and Contax (can be used in autofocus mode with the AX camera).

400mm f-2.8

A great all around telephoto lens but much higher in price than the 300mm f-2.8. 400mm lenses should be enough to cover most of your telephoto shooting, especially if you use 1.4X and 2X converters with them. With a 1.4X converter you'll have a fast 560mm f-4 lens, plus an 800mm f-5.6 lens with the 2X converter. Currently only Canon and Nikon produce 400mm f-2.8 lenses. Minolta makes a 400mm f-4.5, and Pentax, Sigma, and Tokina have the slower f-5.6 versions.

500mm and 600mm f-4

With these lenses, we are getting into some serious telephoto shooting. Much larger and heavier than the 300mm and 400mm f-2.8 lenses, these telephotos are best used for smaller wildlife subjects such as birds or sporting events where you can't get close to the action. Both the 500mm and 600mm lenses are also great for shooting from a blind or your car. You can keep a safe distance and still get frame filling shots. You can use teleconverters with either lens, but with the 2X converter, the maximum aperture of f-8 is slow for fast action shots. Canon, Nikon, Minolta produce 600mm f-4 lenses. 500mm f-4 lenses are made by Canon and Nikon, with Sigma making an f-4.5 model.

800mm and up

Lenses longer than 600mm are also available and are best used for specific subjects that you shoot regularly and can't get close to. Some wildlife photographers for example, who primarily photograph birds use these much longer lenses. Most common aperture for the 800mm lenses is f-5.6, with the 1000mm versions having a maximum aperture of f-8. Canon makes a very fast 1200mm f-5.6 AF lens which costs around $80,000! Currently, only Sigma makes autofocus 800mm f-5.6 and 1000mm f-8 lenses. Nikon's 800mm f-5.6 manual focus lens can be used on all Nikon cameras including AF models but in manual focus mode.

Perspective Control Lenses

Large format photographers have a big advantage over 35mm and medium format users. They can get everything in their photographs in sharp focus much better than those who use smaller formats. It is not because of the larger film size. True that larger negatives and transparencies produces more detailed and sharper images. Camera movements is the reason why so many photographers use view cameras. Tilt, shift, rise, fall, among other movements, allow the photographer more control over the final photograph. See tilts in large format. Some 35mm and medium format camera manufacturers offer tilt and shift lenses (known as PC or perspective control lenses). These lenses can be moved off their axis which gives the photographer some control over perspective. They are mainly used by architectural photographers, but these lenses can also be used for many types of photography when you need to alter the plane of sharp focus. By tilting the lens you gain much more depth-of-field without having to stop the lens down to its minimum aperture. This allows you to use faster shutter speeds. Besides, very small apertures don't always give the depth-of-field you require. The following manufacturers offer PC lenses. Note that autofocus models can only be used in manual focus mode.

Extreme wide-angle lenses

20mm lenses are usually enough for the widest landscape or architectural photography. Occasionally wider than 20mm lenses can come handy when you need to include more in a scene or when working in tight areas such as building interiors or forests. With telephoto lenses, a few millimeters doesn't make much difference. You won't see a big change between 200mm and 210mm lenses. When using wide-angle lenses, every millimeter counts. There is only 3mm difference between a 20mm and a 17mm lens, but the angle of view changes from 94 degrees to 110 degrees. That is a big difference. Super wide angle lenses have one problem: distortion. Keeping lines straight is a problem with extreme wide-angel lenses. Newer wide-angle designs, have corrected this problem. Super wide-angle lenses are available in 14mm, 17mm, and 18mm. Don't get fish-eye lenses confused with these lenses. Fish-eye lenses cover an angle of about 180 degrees and produce distorted images. Pay more attention to composition when using super wide-angle lenses. You can easily include unwanted objects in your pictures. The following list includes extreme wide-angle lenses currently available.

Canon EOS Image Stabilizer lenses (IS)



Telephoto photography has reached a new level with the IS lenses from Canon. By using image stabilization technology, these new lenses make it easier to take pictures that were very difficult to take before. Canon developed optical stabilization in which sensors and gyros adjust lens elements to compensate for camera shake. This technology gives sharper images at slower shutter speeds and when handholding a camera. To take sharp photographs a tripod is necessary especially when using longer lenses. When handholding a camera, the rule of thumb states using the shutter speed closest to the lens focal length (1/250 sec with a 200mm lens, 1/60 with a 50mm lens, etc.) With Image Stabilizer you can use a slower speeds handhold and still produce a much sharper photograph than with a normal telephoto. You may be able to go as low as 1/30 sec with a 75-300mm lens with good results. Longer super telephotos 400mm, 500mm, and 600mm lenses still require a tripod or a monopod to support the heavier lenses, but these lenses can compensate for any vibrations especially when using a monopod. The IS lenses also offer dust and moisture resistance, closer minimum focusing distances, improved focus preset control, and improved handling with wide manual focusing rings. A built-in Ultrasonic focusing Motor (USM) provides AF speed with split second accuracy.
Current IS lenses
28-135mm: A compact, lightweight standard zoom lens enabling handheld photography without a tripod. At the wide-angle end of the zoom range, the equivalent shutter speed gain is approximately 1.5 stops while at the telephoto end, it is approximately 2 stops. The lens has a USM drive mechanism for optimum AF performance, and the pulse control diaphragm (EMD) ensures precise aperture control.
75-300mm & 100-400mm: The 75-300mm and EF 100-400mm f/4.5- 5.6L IS USM lenses offer high resolution and superb contrast. Autofocus is fast and silent with Canon's ring USM, and AF speed is further enhanced through an advanced, lightweight rear focusing design that incorporates a floating element for consistent image quality at all focusing distances. Both lenses are equipped with dual-mode Image Stabilizer suitable for panning as well as stationary subjects. These lenses are ideal for a wide variety of applications including nature, wildlife, and sports, photography.
300mm f-4 and 300mm f-2.8: The 300mm f-4 provides AF with any EOS body when used with the EF 1.4x Extender, and will AF with the EOS-3 (center AF point only) with the EF 2x Extender. It is weather resistant, rugged, and has fast AF speed. The EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM is a high performance and versatile with lighter weight, better balance. The tripod collar can be removed for even more weight reduction and handholding comfort.
400mm f-2.8L, 500mm f-4, 600mm f-4 EF USM: With redesigned optical system, These lenses offer high performance and a significant reduction in weight. IS added steadiness and sharpness when working with a monopod at slower shutter speeds. They include the same lightweight, weather-resistant construction as the 300mm lenses, as well as their improved control layout, less front-heavy design, and mechanical manual focus.