Digital SLR Blog

SLR Gear has reviewed the Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO lens and you can read their analysis here. The lens scored brownie points image quality as the it turned out to be sharp, and the reviewer found the distortion was negligible and light falloff almost non-existent.


Says the reviewer:

“Our tests show the Sigma 300mm ƒ/2.8 to perform very well: sharpness is very good, CA is optimized for use at ƒ/2.8, there's virtually no distortion and light falloff is almost non-existent. Optically, the lens stands well on its own”.

The Tokina AT-X 16.5-135 DX , is a 16.5-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AF lens that has been designed keeping in mind the needs of DSLR cameras with APS-C sensors. Having a focal length of 16.5 - 135mm, the lens has a minimum aperture of F/22 and is available in both Nikon and Canon mounts.

Tamron has announced the SP AF60mm F/2.0 Di II LD (IF) MACRO 1:1 (Model G005), a life-size macro lens for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size image sensors. The lens will have a fast maximum aperture of F/2.0 and an equivalent angle of view of 93mm when converted to the 35mm format. The new life-size macro lens from Tamron is expected to be made available in mounts for Canon, Nikon (with built-in AF motor) and Sony.

Olympus has released a firmware update for the Zuiko Digital 9-18mm lens. The Zuiko Digital 9-18mm lens update increases the responsiveness of the autofocus when using Imager AF (I-AF) with the Live View LCD in some situations.The firmware can be updated through Olympus Master software and go here for more info.

Another new lens unveiled by Panasonic at the PMA was the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. The Micro Four Thirds lens has a focal range of 28-280mm and uses four aspherical lenses and two ED lenses to achieve dramatic downsizing despite its powerful 10x optical zoom.

The Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH is a new ultra wide-angle zoom lens that has a range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm). When mounted on the DMC-GH1 Lumix G Micro System Camera, the new lens allows use of the advanced contrast AF system, which includes a Face Recognition function.

The SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM lens was unveiled at the PMA 2009.  The lens has a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range and  has a wide angle of view from 102.4 degrees. The on board ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration.

SPECIFICATIONS (For Sigma mount)
*Lens Construction:13 Elements 10 Groups *Angle of View:102.4°-63.8° *Number of blades:7pcs *Minimum Aperture:F22 *Minimum Focusing Distance Distance:24cm/9.4in *Maximum Magnification:1：6.6 *Filter Size:Ø82mm *Lens Hood:Petal-type hood *Dimensions:Ø87.3mm×88.2mm/3.4in×3.5in *Weight:TBD
*The apperarance and specifications are subject to change without notice.

The newly announced LEICA SUPER-ELMAR-M 18 mm f/3.8 ASPH wide-angle lens has been designed for Leica’s digital M series and film cameras. It has an angle of view of up to 100 degrees and  corresponds to an universal 24 mm wide-angle lens when mounted on a LEICA M8 model.

The newly announced AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens is the fastest DX-Format Lens till date. Offering a fixed focal length (which is also a first), the fast-aperture DX-format lens features an ultra-compact Silent Wave Motor for smooth and quite AF operation. The AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens should be available by March 2009 for an  estimated selling price of $199.95. For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Dpreview has reviewed the Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens and have mixed feelings about it.  While  the 'do-it-all' travel lens does come recommended however at times the lens was a sub-par performer especially when it came to optical stabilization.T he F6.3 maximum aperture at 200mm also compromises autofocus performance according to the reviewer.

Says the reviewer:
“Overall, then, this isn't a lens for pixel-peepers who above all else demand critical corner-to-corner sharpness in every shot. But for more normal users looking for a versatile, all-in-one travel lens within a budget”.

The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS is a new HSM lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7 inches) at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1: 3.4 reproduction ratio. The lens is ideal for close-up photography and is available in mounts for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax.


Features
* Equipped with Sigma’s own unique OS (Optical Stabilizer) technology
* Four SLD elements and three aspherical lenses provide high image quality throughout the entire zoom range
* Minimum focusing distance of 45cm/17.7 inches and a maximum magnification of 1:3.4 makes it ideal for close-up photography
* Super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting

SLRgear reviewed the PC-E NIKKOR 24mm ƒ/3.5D ED lens which comes equipped with a bayonet-mounted bowl-shaped lens hood and retails for around $2,000.The Tilt-shift lens was found to produce extremely sharp images at default settings however some corner softness was noticed when the lens as used without shifting or tilting.  he reviewer was also impressed by the exceptional build quality but cautions that the lens is only perfect for those who need images with a unique perspective.

Dpreview tested out the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM lens which was announced this March. The lens performed exceptionally well as vignetting was hardly noticeable even in wide apertures. The solid build quality was another area where the lens managed to impress the reviewer. However the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM lens isn’t perfect since  it won’t be available in a Four-Thirds mount and according Dpreview it’s quite heavy for a 50mm F1.4.

“It’s important to understand that this lens is currently very much at the start of its product lifecycle, and if the price drops to a level much closer to the other 50mm F1.4s, then it will be quite simply a steal.”

The Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/50 lens which is available in Pentax and Nikon mounts was recently reviewed by SLR Gear. The lens managed to impress since sharpness was found to be “excellent” and it performed really well after ƒ/2.8. While the manual focus control was smooth the lens disappoints at its widest aperture, the 50mm ƒ/1.4.

 Excerpt from conclusion:

“The problem in recommending this lens is that there wasn't anything wrong with existing solutions for Pentax and Nikon, which means the Zeiss would have to be something really special to justify the higher price point and lack of autofocus. I'm not convinced the Zeiss 50mm ƒ/1.4 quite reaches ''that'' level of lens; certain aspects of it are very nice, such as its smooth manual focus control and performance after ƒ/2.8.”.

June 3, 2008 - Pentax today announced the Pentax DA 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM interchangeable zoom lens,designed for compatibility with Pentax DSLRs. It will retail for $599.95 when it is released in late July.