tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 16 Sep 2008 at 14:48 GMT
updated: 16 Sep 2008 at 15:11 GMT
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Hello everyone,
I've decided to follow your advice and get the best zoom lens I can, probably on a cropped sensor DSLR. Nikon have their EDs and Canon their Ls, but what letters/nos are used for the top quality lenses produced by Tokina, Tamron, Sigma, or Schneider? If I’ve left any out, please advise me.
Thanks,
Fergal.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 789
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 16 Sep 2008 at 17:57 GMT
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Fergal
The after-market lens makers basicly have one level of quality.
They don't make "kit" lenses like the camera manufacturers do to package with their less expensive camrera bodies
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 15:09 GMT
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Thanks again Doug,
So they are all pro quality? Those are the names I know of. Have I missed any? I have my own selection criteria, so when I compile a list, I should get through it fairly quickly.
Regards,
Fergal.
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tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 15:25 GMT
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Doug,
When I purchase a lens, I want the option of using it on an FF, should I decide to upgrade later. Will FF lenses work on cropped sensor DSLRs as well?
Fergal.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 789
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 15:31 GMT
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Fergal
You're still hunting for ghosts & phantoms.
Some of the major manufacturers advertise "pro" series of lenses and some of those may have better specs, but they're made in the same factory. Its mostly advertising hype.
For a virtual photographer you'd add a fisheye.
I've met couple local commercial photographers here in Albuquerque and they typically use 3 lenses; a Telephoto Zoom, something around a 35-50mm Zoom and a wide-angle.
They were impressed with my Canon 10-22mm wide-angle zoom which is made specifically for the Canon's APS sensor cameras, not the "pro" cameras like a 5D or 1D
Canon lists ONE Fisheye on their lens chart. They don't offer a "Standard Fisheye" and a "Pro Fisheye". I don't think Nikon makes a fisheye other than the 10.5mm. Sigma makes two, the 8mm and the 4.5mm. I'm not familiar with what Tokina, Tamaron & Peleng make, but doubt they have 2 series lenses.
But there's just not that many choices for lenses for VR Photography!
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mediavets
Posts: 475
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 15:53 GMT
updated: 18 Sep 2008 at 15:55 GMT
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tallmanirl said: Doug,
When I purchase a lens, I want the option of using it on an FF, should I decide to upgrade later. Will FF lenses work on cropped sensor DSLRs as well?
Fergal.
Yes. But they are larger, heavier and tend to be more expensive than lenses designed specifically for cropped sensor bodies.
And most of the recent lower end cropped sensor Nikon DSLRs (D40/40X/D60) do not have have the autofocus screw drive used on older FF lenses from Nikon.
Andrew
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 789
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 16:53 GMT
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Fergal
tallmanirl said: When I purchase a lens, I want the option of using it on an FF, should I decide to upgrade later. Will FF lenses work on cropped sensor DSLRs as well?
If you're still hung up on getting a camera with a full-frame sensor...buy one now!
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 866
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 18:24 GMT
updated: 18 Sep 2008 at 18:35 GMT
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Here is a very nice German test site which can give you some info on how good the different lenses are.
www.photozone.de/canon-eos
As you want to do partial panoramas, not at all spherical you should forget everything about fisheyes.
That said the new 5D Mark II is very cheap at 21 mp and with the Canon 15mm fisheye you can get a full spherical 360 degree panorama with 14500 pixels width in 6+1 images
The site has not tested any of the Sigma fisheyes but the tests on the Nikkor 10.5 and the Tokina 10-17 are quite interesting.
They confirm my own tests which shows better edge resolution at full F stop with the Tokina, Of Course they just tested them as a fullframe and my tests are for the full circle where I found it much better than the Nikkor.
Another surprise is the test of the very cheap standard 18-55mm IS lens which you usually get for almost nothing if you buy a Canon APS kit set.
It actually beats lenses with a price tag many times higher.
Hans
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 789
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 18:55 GMT
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Hans
Don't tell Fergal that.
If he uses the kit lens on a Canon he won't be able to tell every one that he has "pro" lenses with a letter in the model name
It would be.......embarassing! Wouldn't it?
He's not looking for results, he's looking for a status symbol
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Steven Scott
Posts: 38
Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, United States
Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 19:05 GMT
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EFS lens are specifically made for Canon DSLR's with a cropped sensor. Tests will show they are excellent value for the money --- they don't fit FF SLR's but they are quite nice.
The EFS 17-55 is an excellent value and pushes the "L" glass hard.
Glass is more important than bodies. Many "pros" still shoot with a 20D (8mp) but have excellent glass. For around $445 the EF 20mm f/2.8 is a nice lens, too, but not wide enough for panos.
What impresses pros is the composition of your photos and the IQ you achieved !
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 866
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 19:56 GMT
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Steven Scott said: For around $445 the EF 20mm f/2.8 is a nice lens, too, but not wide enough for panos.
That really depends on what you want to do.
A 20mm on an APS is exellent for multirow or partial panoramas if you do not need large resolution.
If you want to do large partial 140-180 degree it is to wide. 35-50mm would be better.
Hans
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tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 22 Sep 2008 at 19:05 GMT
updated: 22 Sep 2008 at 19:16 GMT
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Doug,
You and the others have been of immense help to me in choosing my equipment.
That remark about status symbols is inappropriate and wildly inaccurate. I have a specific job I want my equipment to do and have no regrets about digging as deep as I have to, to see which does it best. If a Canon 5D2 has been launched, that is indeed good news. My current plan is to buy something like the 450D and a telephoto lens and try it out. If it gets the results I want, great. If not, I want there to be room enough in the lens to properly accomodate FF.
I am aware that the quality of FF images diminishes as you move out from the centre. However, I read the quality of telephoto images is higher than wide angle. I would like to try the combination to see if it balances out.
My watchword has always been accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. One of the things I want to do though with my new equipment is reduce my workload. That's the sole reason I have a specific interest in FF.
I checked out lenses marketed for Pros, as I was always told to get the best glass I could. If it's just a marketting gimmick, is there any other way of telling from the company given specs whether a lens is good quality or not?
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tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 22 Sep 2008 at 19:14 GMT
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Thanks guys,
There is one more thing that confuses me, the f-stop given in a name and the Aperture. I always thought they were the same thing, but for eg the Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM has a minimum aperture of 22 (I know that means 1/22, but how come the difference in the name?
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Dasher
Posts: 15
Location: Netherlands
Registered: 12 Feb 2007
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 22 Sep 2008 at 21:25 GMT
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The only way to know is to test them. You will find some are good, some are not.
It's good to know a little about photography before diving into these things, especially if you are going to spend a lot of money on lensen that you do not know anything about. Go to a store that has an assortment, take your camera with you and make some snapshots. Compare them and home and make a descision.
You also have to ask what you want to do with the particular lense. Make a panorama or make QTVR. If you want to make QTVRs it is best to get a fisheye (15mmFE on Fullframe or the 8-10mmFE for cropped).
I have a sigma 15mm FE specially for making QTVR on my 5D (fullframe) and I am very satisfied. For cylindrical panoramas (ussualy 120-180 degrees) I use a 35mm and 50mm prime lens with the camera in portrait mode. The 17-40 range of zoom lenses is also versatile for this application.
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tallmanirl
Posts: 76
Location: Ireland
Registered: 5 Jun 2008
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Re: Pro Quality Lenses
Posted: 23 Sep 2008 at 11:17 GMT
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I've been to the local shops to test lenses and cameras out. The main shop, had no camera batteries charges, so no luck there. I did try out a Nikon D3 with telephoto and 12-24mm ultra wide-angle lenses. This was in a street. The Ultra Wide kept the buildings straight alright, it corrected that distortion. However, the foreground was still way oversized and the background far too small. I will re-check them for any fall off in quality as you move out from the centre.
Some online suppliers give you a trial period. If you don't like the equipment after 14 days, you send it back for something else. Meanwhile, the 5D has fallen to from €1,000 (1,476) without a lens, to €676 ($999) with telephoto lenses since the launch of the Mark 2.
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