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Zoom Lenses for Beginners and Amateurs
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Recommended zooms for beginners. A pair of wide-angle to short telephoto such as a 28-80mm and 70-210mm or 75-300mm telephoto zoom is a great and affordable way to get into the wonderful world of photography.

  1. Konica Minolta Users
  2. Canon Users
  3. Nikon Users

Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Maxxum Silver Zoom Lens for Minolta SLR Cameras

Features:

  • 28-80mm f/3.5 to f/5.6 zoom lens
  • Compatible with Minolta Maxxum SLR cameras
  • Includes lens hood
  • 62mm diameter
  • Lens construction of 10 elements in 10 groups

The Minolta Maxxum AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 II Silver zoom lens with lens hood is compatible with all Minolta Maxxum AF SLR cameras. Minolta makes its own optical glass, ensuring that you get high-quality accuracy and color rendition from each lens.

Konica Minolta 70-210mm f/4.5-5.6 II Silver Zoom Lens for Maxxum Series SLR Cameras

Features:

  • Very compact and lightweight 70-210mm autofocus zoom lens
  • Fits all Minolta Maxxum SLRs
  • Silver satin finish reflects heat
  • Minimum focusing distance of 3.6 feet allows close-ups of small subjects
  • Lens with 10 elements in 10 groups yields high-quality results for sharp images

The Minolta AF II silver zoom lens (70-210mm, f/4.5 to f/5.6) is a detachable lens for all Minolta Maxxum single-lens reflex cameras. It offers high-quality results for sharp images with its lens construction of 10 elements in 10 groups. The minimum focusing distance of 3.6 feet allows close-ups of small subjects. This lens is compact, lightweight, and has a heat-resistant silver satin finish. It comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Konica Minolta AF Zoom 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SLR Lens for Maxxum 5 & 7 SLR Cameras

Features:

  • With a variable focal length of 75-300mm, this lens provides a wide range of possible zoom applications from portrait to telephoto

Zoom Lens for Minolta SLR cameras with Auto-Focus compatibility

Product Description
Distance Encoding - Distance encoding with new and revised "D" lenses provides refined multi-segment metering for manual focus operation and depth-of-field display on Navigation Display with the Maxxum 7 as well as ADI flash functions when the new 5600(D) and 3600(D) flashes.

Alternatives

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 LD with Hood (Black) for Minolta AF Camera


 

Features:

  • Minimum focus of 59 inches
  • Rotational zooming
  • Angle of view of 33-8 degrees
  • Lightweight
  • Mounts to Canon, Minolta, Nikon-D, and Pentax cameras

Tamron AF70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD 1:2 Macro for Minolta (Black)



This is the definitive lightweight, compact telephoto macro zoom with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 at the 300mm setting -- ideal for shooting subjects that are difficult to approach such as sporting and theatrical events. The lens also features special effects such as the capability to provide beautifully blurred backgrounds to highlight the main subject in portraiture, or "compression effects" that make the most of the telephoto lens. By switching to macro mode, subjects as close as 0.95m can be shot within the focal range of 180-300mm, for true macro photography. The optical system incorporates a LD (Low Dispersion) lens, resulting in clear sharp images free of chromatic aberration.

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DL Macro Super Lens for Minolta-AF Camera


 

Features:

  • Dedicated to Minolta AF SLR cameras
  • Ultra-telephoto, telephoto, and macro photography all in one lens
  • High magnification of 1:2 (one half life-size) for macro photography
  • Lens constructed of an ecological, lead- and arsenic-free glass
  • Lightweight 70-300mm zoom lens

Canon

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Features:

  • EF mount; standard zoom lens
  • Environmental-friendly lead-free optical glass system
  • 28-80mm focal length
  • f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture
  • Quiet Autofocus with DC motor and rubber belt-drive

For many EOS users, this is their first EF lens. Light, compact and affordable, it covers a practical range of focal lengths--ideal for almost everything from family snapshots and travel to event photography. A lightweight DC-focusing motor provides brisk autofocus, as close as 1.3 feet (0.38m), enough to fill the frame with a subject about the size of a postcard.

All-Around, Practical Lenses
Very likely, your first EF lens will be (or was) one of these lenses. After all, they feature the most popular focal lengths. From wide-angle to telephoto, you get the best of both worlds. The smaller the maximum aperture, the smaller and lighter the lens.

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Features:

  • Compact size and lightweight ultrasonic drive lens
  • Compatible with Canon EOS SLR cameras
  • Powerful 75-300mm zoom
  • 9 elements in 13 groups
  • Autofocus operation

Compact and lightweight 4x telephoto zoom lens ideal for shooting sports, portraits, and wildlife. The newly developed Micro USM makes autofocusing quicker and quieter. The improved zoom mechanism also makes zooming smoother. The front part of the zoom ring now sports a silver ring for a luxury touch.

With the addition of a Micro USM for faster and even quieter autofocus, this version of the EF 75-300mm is well-suited for sports and other applications requiring fast AF. The USM version shares the compact size, close focusing range, and accessory compatibility of the non-USM lens. For many advanced amateurs, the 75-300 range is ideal as a versatile entry into telephoto photography.

Isolate the Interesting Part
The eye tends to see the whole rather than the individual parts. It also sees what’s near and not what’s far. By bringing attention to those things missed by the eye, you can create many interesting pictures. It could be the grimace of an athlete, the grill of a classic car, or a girl against a blurred background. Telephoto lenses can also compress images to give dramatic effects. You are limited only by your imagination.

Canon EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Features:

  • EF mount; telephoto zoom lens
  • Great for travel and portability
  • 80-200mm focal length
  • f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture
  • Micromotor autofocus

Though the Canon 80-200mm lens can be used with all Canon EOS SLR cameras, it is ideal for use with Canon EOS IX Lite cameras. Its second lens gives it expanded photographic capabilities while the built-in USM gives it high-speed, but silent, zooming capabilities, making this lens perfect for taking wildlife pictures. Each Canon EF lens, including the 80-200mm, have a microprocessor-controlled focusing motor to give you optimum performance. This lens can be used for a wide variety of photographs, including portrait and action shots.

From the Manufacturer
Telephoto zoom lens only 3.1 in. (78.5mm) long and weighing only 8.8 oz. (250g), making it very easy to carry around. The five zoom lens groups have been improved to obtain higher image quality.

The ultimate compact telephoto zoom lens in the EF system, and a great choice for travel and other applications where portability is a priority. It’s especially well-suited for compact SLR bodies such as the EOS Rebel and Elan series, and even compact digital EOS SLRs, with a weight of only 8.8 oz. (250g). Its optical quality is assured by a five-group zooming system.

Isolate the Interesting Part
The eye tends to see the whole rather than the individual parts. It also sees what’s near and not what’s far. By bringing attention to those things missed by the eye, you can create many interesting pictures. It could be the grimace of an athlete, the grill of a classic car, or a girl against a blurred background. Telephoto lenses can also compress images to give dramatic effects. You are limited only by your imagination.

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 LD with Hood (Black) for Canon EOS Camera


 

Features:

  • For Canon EOS SLR cameras
  • Offers true telephoto capability
  • Ideal for a variety of applications including sports and wildlife shooting

Tamron AF70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD 1:2 Macro for Canon (Silver)

Sigma 28-80mm F3.5-5.6 Aspherical Macro HF Lens for Canon-AF Camera



This generation of compact standard zoom lens retains the same 1:2 (Half Lifesize) Tele-macro capabilities of its predecessor. However, it incorporates a Helical Focusing system for convenient use of polarizing or graduated filters. This also allows a "Perfect Hood" (supplied) to be used. This lens also utilizes an optical design, and a "flare-cut" aperture, providing even better optical performance. And a convenient "Depth Scale" is displayed on the lens barrel to help calculate Depth-of-Field. This is the most desirable lens in the 28-80mm category.


Nikon

NIKON 28-70mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S Zoom-Nikkor Lens for Nikon SLR Camera


 

Features:

  • Lens Construction - 15 elements in 11 groups (2 ED-2 Aspheric)
  • Minimum Focus Distance - 2.3 feet
  • Attachment/ Filter Size - 77mm
  • Dimensions (diameter x length - 3.5 x 4.9 inches
  • Weight - 31.3 ounces

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G SLR Camera Lens

 

Features:

  • Compact and lightweight, this 4.3x autofocus zoom lens is ideal for candid shots, portraits, travel and sports photography
  • Count on genuine Nikon optics for outstanding picture quality
  • This is a G designated lens, not ED series - Nikon Part #1928
  • Accepts 62mm filters (see sidebar)

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DL Macro Super Lens for Nikon-AF Camera


 

Features:

  • Dedicated to Nikon AF SLR cameras
  • Ultra-telephoto, telephoto, and macro photography all in one lens
  • High magnification of 1:2 (one-half life-size) for macro photography
  • Lens constructed of an ecological, lead- and arsenic-free glass
  • Minimum focus range of 59.1 inches, 37.4 inches in Macro

Product Description
Sigma's 70-300mm f4-5.6 DL Macro Super is one of several tele zoom lenses. It is a compact Tele-Macro Zoom lens, capable of focusing down to 1:2 (half life-size) reproduction ratio at 300mm focal length (an optional accessory 58mm achromatic close-up lens allows even closer focusing and reproduction ratios up to 1:1 or life-size), with superb optical quality. A detachable bayonet hood is provided. The lens materials used in this product are lead and arsenic free ecological glass, including one Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass element.