DSLR Guide: Know about Lens part:6 First vs Third Party Lenses Which One To Choose?

Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 12:52 pm

First and Third Party Defined

1. First party lenses are NOT interchangeable with cameras from different manufacturers: a Canon lens will not attach to a Pentax camera and vice versa.

2. The lenses are interchangeable with different camera models from the same manufacturer: a single Canon lens will work with every Canon digital SLR camera.

The third party lenses, there are really only three major players: Sigma, Tamron and Tokina.

The same third party lens can be attached to cameras from different manufacturers, so long as the lens mount is correct.example, the Tamron 28-70mm f/2.8 zoom comes with a Canon mount (to attach to all Canon digital SLRs)

Once you’ve bought a lens with a specific mount type it won’t attach to cameras that don’t share the same lens mounting system

First Party Advantages

1. Quality – the build quality of first party lenses (especially those made by Canon and Nikon) is part of the reason why many professional photographers don’t use anything else.

2. Compatibility – since all modern lenses are electronic, it makes sense that the camera manufacturers are the one who can make lenses that are most compatible with their cameras.

Third Party Advantages

1. More Options – camera manufacturers can’t make a lens to suit every need, which is why the third party companies are able to step in and fill the gaps.

2. Lower Prices – in order to be competitive with the big camera companies, many third party lenses don’t cost as much as the first party alternatives.
The quality of third party lenses has also improved, so many of them are now indistinguishable from a similar first party lens.

Third party lenses is that they favor the two leading manufacturers: Canon and Nikon. If your digital SLR is made by Pentax, Olympus or Sony, it will be much easier to find a first party lens.

Which One To Choose?

When you have a complete picture of the lens you would like to have, see what’s available.
If a third party lens is a closer match to your ideal lens than a first party, then I would recommend you buy the third party lens without hesitation.
if there is a first party lens that is also a strong contender, then compare the two side-by-side

More info visit http://rebeldigitalslr.com

Popularity: 26% [?]

Canon Digital Rebel XSi, T1i, Or X1i Which one is the best?

Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

Comments (45)

What you must do is to resolve within yourself what are your priorities when purchasing a new Digital Rebel.

Oh, almost forgot to tell you. But you probably know already. There is no Rebel X1i. . . yet.

I have no idea how the camera makers are equipped with cameras in their names, but it certainly is not clear, is not it?

There is a long line of rebel digital, from the original Digital Rebel 300D. At that time there were combinations of 3 characters to remember, as XSi, XT1 or JQ2. These letters are difficult to keep in mind if you do not already have one of the devices they represent. One thing has remained constant is the number system that Canon uses. It ’started with the Rebel 300D, and each new voice added 50. Then there was the Digital Rebel 350D, 400D, and now we are up to the 500D is the T1i.

So this article really know if you need to buy a Digital Rebel 450D and 500D.

Historically, Canon has added to the Rebel line of cameras every 2 years.

Each new item have been some significant improvements over its predecessor.

rebel That is, until you get the latest offering, which hit the market about a year after the previous version.

The result is, in the opinion of many experts, that improving the Rebel T1i are not sufficient to justify a person to buy the latest model.

Now, there are a couple of good reasons to buy the latest version of the Rebel:

I checked with some very reliable sources to reach the conclusion that the previous version of Digital Rebel (XSI) is very reliable, and digital camera that takes pictures that are considered among the best at this level and price range.

There are some differences I noticed:

OK, it seems that I am totally against the Digital Rebel T1i.

But it is not.

I think both cameras would be a great fit for anyone but extreme amateur or professional photographer.

Digital Rebels have always given them the fantastic images. Mine certainly did. And these devices are not different. Both are highly recommended.

We hope that you are better informed today than you were. Buying a new camera has always been an exciting adventure for me. There are so many options and features that guests techy look pro. But, in my opinion, it all boils down to this – that the photo does not do what you do.
For more info and review of Canon DSLR visit http://rebeldigitalslr.com

Popularity: 44% [?]

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Comments (6)

Amazon.com Price: $479.00 (as of 2010-09-03 12:43:30 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Manufacturer: Sigma Corporation
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List Price: $640.00
Sale Price: $479.00
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Product Description

Optimized for Nikon digital SLR cameras but also compatible with film SLR cameras, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 medium telephoto lens allows a greater working distance between the lens and the subject, helping it excel in all shooting ranges. The increased working distance of the lens is ideal when taking the picture of a flower among several branches, or an insect on a leaf. The narrow angle of view helps simplify the background, while the shallow depth of field makes it easier to handle the composition. The lens also offers a super multi coating that reduces the flare and ghosting that tends to occur when using digital SLR cameras, helping create crisper, sharper photos. And thanks to the Dual Focus (DF) system, the lens is easy to hold during autofocusing, but also offers smooth and positive action should you choose to focus manually on images. Other features include a minimum aperture of f/32, a screw-in lens hood that supports the use of circular polarizing filters, and a minimum focusing distance of 12.3 inches. Offering a 35mm equivalent field of view of 178mm on a digital SLR camera, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

Specifications

Focal length: 105mm
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Lens construction: 11 elements in 10 groups
Angle of view: 23.3 degrees
Number of diaphragm blades: 8
Minimum aperture: f/32
Minimum focusing distance: 12.3 inches
Maximum magnification: 1:1
Filter size: 58mm
Corresponding AF mounts: Nikon
Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches long
Weight: 16.1 ounces
Warranty: 1 year

Product Details

Compact and lightweight medium telephoto macro lens.
Optimized image quality for Digital SLR cameras. Super Multi Layer (SML) coating reduces the ghost caused by reflections
Maximum magnification of 1:1
Focus Limiter Switch that limits the AF range so improving the speed and accuracy of auto focus
Dual Focus (DF) system that is designed to make the lens easy to hold during auto focusing

Video Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Worth every penny

Review Date: May 15, 2006

Reviewer: Gary Gray,

I've been using this lens for about 3 months now on a Canon EOS-350D and the Canon 5D. It has supurb optics. At f2.8, it is sharp. From f3.0 it takes off and stays sharp up to about f14. The focus mechanism is a little different from most other lenses, but actually I've grown to like it. With a push-pull lock at the end of the lens for manual-auto focus, you can put this thing in manual mode two different ways. If you're focusing in, pull the mechanism and you don't have to worry about the camera trying to change focus and you don't have to take your hand off the lens to find the manual button. Really cool actually, just a little different at first. It is light enough that weight has never been an issue, though it does extend out pretty far when focusing. Focus speed is not as fast and there is a little more motor noise, but this too is never an issue as all my close work is manual focus. As a telephoto, it works very well, but the autofocus speed comes into play here. It will hunt in some conditions as a telephoto, but it is pretty accurate.

Save some money and take great SHARP shots with this lens. Highly recommended!

I am absolutely loving this lens!

Review Date: April 27, 2008

Reviewer: Z. Henneman,

Originally I didn't want to stray from Nikon products, but Sigma definitely has my attention. This is an excellent lens in both build quality and function. It works flawlessly on my Nikon D40, metering perfectly and in addition, even though it's manual focus on my camera, it is spot on with the auto-focus indicator light (lower left corner of view finder). I highly recommend this lens to anyone who is looking to get into macro! Don't be scared if you're a Nikon D40 user, I was at first, and now I'm hooked on this lens! Do yourself a favor and buy one!

Sharp and clear

Review Date: February 8, 2007

Reviewer: M. Olson, Tucson, AZ

Of all my Four-Thirds compatible lenses this has become a favorite. The Sigma is sharp, reasonably compact and features an actual manual focus mode. Yes, the 50-200mm Zuiko covers this range and is just as sharp, but this lens is much smaller and lighter than the Olympus lens and is, of course, a macro lens that focuses much closer than the Zuiko 50-200mm.

Despite being optimized for macro photography, this lens works quite well for general photography and has a bokeh that is a bit more pleasing than many of the admirably sharp Zuiko lenses. In macro operation the lens often gives a greater distance from the subject than the Zuiko 50mm macro lens does, but this lens is not (as far as I can tell) able to mount the Olympus ring flash for macro work so I use it strictly for outdoors and ambient light macro work (Edit: I have since purchased the Olympus twin flash and it works very well with this lens via an easily obtained step ring adapter.)

The build quality of the lens is not up to the level of the better Zuiko lenses and it is not a weather sealed lens but it is certainly of a higher quality than the Olympus kit lenses that normally ship with cameras like the E-410/510. It's also a higher quality lens than the inexpensive Sigma zoom lenses that have been available for Olympus and other Four-Thirds applications for some time now. I would say that it has a nice feel to it both in heft and in operation.

Due to optical designs that I do not pretend to understand the front element of this lens is remarkably deeply recessed into the lens housing. In fact, it's so deeply recessed that I don't feel the need to use the supplied screw on sun shade (which is a poor design in my opinion) nor do I feel the need to use a clear filter in order to protect the front element (it would be difficult to bang it on anything given how far from the front of the lens it is). One might view this as a money saver as well as a convenience but that's a very subjective opinion I do admit.

Finally, the lens features a fully manual focus mode that works very well but unlike the 'fly by wire' Olympus lenses that many are familiar with this lens requires that you throw a switch on the side of the lens housing in order to disengage the auto-focus motors. This is not terribly convenient, however with practice one certainly can train themselves to operate the switch without taking one's eye from the viewfinder.

To sum it up, I did not expect great things from this lens given that some of the Sigma lenses in the Four-Thirds mount have been a disappointment but I was pleasantly surprised by this lens. It is sharp at maximum aperture, it is moderately priced, it is an excellent macro lens, and it is a fine medium telephoto lens on top of it all. I can highly recommend this lens as a handy addition to any Four-Thirds DSLR camera kit provided weather & dust sealing is not required.

Sharp and well-built

Review Date: January 14, 2008

Reviewer: d80shooter,

I debated between this and the 105 Nikkor but at $ 350 versus $750, I decided to try the Sigma and return it if it was not satisfactory. The build seems good with a very solid feel and, while the autofucus is a bit slower than the AF-s Nikkors, it is fine for all but the macro shots which need manual focus anyway. Comparing sharpness at f8, it is about as sharp as my 18-135 at the center and much, much sharper as you move from the center. Overall, I'm very happy I saved the $450.

super sharp, a great value compared to other brands

Review Date: December 16, 2006

Reviewer: Michael, Paris, France

I previously owned the sigma 150 macro. It was super sharp and awesome in any way, just kind of big and heavy. So I decided to get the 105mm because it's cheaper and lighter, more likely to stay in my bag. The 105 lacks HSM but that's not really a problem for macro where you use manual focus, or for portraits where you don't need fast focusing. The min focus distance is about the same.

I didn't get the 60-70mm macros because I also want to use the lens for portraits and 105 is better.

I researched the tokina & tamron equivalents but I choose sigma cause it was cheaper. The reviews say they're all about the same. I agree the Tamron 90 macro is better but it's a lot more expensive. Plus I think 105 is better for portraits.

Overall I highly recommend this lens for nikons. For canon bodies, the sigmas typically front focus and I would only buy canon lenses (canon has a good 100mm macro).

Popularity: 13% [?]

Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens with Built In Motor for Nikon Digital SLR

Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 10:28 pm

Comments (7)

Amazon.com Price: Too low to display (as of 2010-09-03 12:43:33 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens with Built In Motor for Nikon Digital SLR

Manufacturer: Tamron
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List Price: $644.95
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