Tokina AT X235 AF PRO - Wide-angle zoom lens - 20 mm - 35 mm - f/2.8 - Canon EF Review

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(More customer reviews)This lens is very well built. The construction quality is excellent, the focusing is silky smooth, and the photos are razor sharp. I have found a bit of chromatic aberration at full apertures and the lens is a bit softer also when wide open. Just stopping down to 3.5 seems to get rid of the CA and the lens sharpens right up, as well.
The lens is a little sluggish when focusing in very low light (i.e. situations requiring high ISOs and/or slow shutter speeds). This lens is VERY wide, so expect some typical wide-angle distortion. The distortion is very pleasing, not as much as a fish-eye and easily "correctable" using Photoshop if desired. I even created an action for it and it works flawlessly.
I used this lens on an Xti Body and a Elan IIe film camera (because I want full frame sometimes and can't afford the 5D). The photos were outstanding and the lens is VERY VERY wide on full frame.
Here is my brief analysis of this lens:
1) Nearly as good as the Canon L equivalent
2) Outstanding build quality
3) Use the lens hood in bright light or expect lens flares
4) Normal wide-angle distortion, no barrel distortion and nothing unpleasant
5) Very sharp images f/3.5 or smaller
6) Use high-quality filters only or expect flares
7) Silkiest focus ring I have ever used
8) Use manual focus for night shots or very low light


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The AT-X 235AF PRO lens uses the latest in lens development technology, using 2 (the front and rear) molded, multicoated aspherical elements which are created through a collaboration with Hoya Corporation, the world largest manufacturer of optical glass. This lens also features the exclusive "Focus Clutch Mechanism". As with all the lenses in Tokina AT-X AF series, the AT-X 235 AF PRO is constructed using all aluminum lens barrels and a chrome plated brass mount plate. The lens elements are made of higher quality HLD (high refraction, low dispersion) glass for higher resolution and contrast.

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Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Aspherical Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Sigma SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned and used this lens professionally for over a year now and after a minor focus issue that was resolved very quickly by Sigma's excellent service department I have to say this is the sharpest 24-70 lens I have used. I also have experience with the canon 24-70L lens which retails for just over a grand and the Sigma is sharper throughout the whole range(even at 2.8). The only negative thing I have to say about this lens is the noisy autofocus (Canon's USM is much quieter). But it is still reasonably fast to AF. This is definately the best lens for the money in this zoom range and is without a doubt the best optically. Canon's build quality and weather sealing are definately superior to the Sigma so if that is an issue, you may want to go with the Canon.
-NB

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Large aperture zoom starting from 24mm and realizing a maximum aperture F-value of 2.8 As for the front element does not rotate at the time of focusing.

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Nikon 28mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)Nikon remains one of the pioneering manufacturers with respect to perspective control lenses of which this 28mm f3.5 PC Nikkor AI-S lens is a fine example. This lens retains a manual lens diaphragm, which means that lens apertures must be opened and closed via stop-down metering. In plain English, it's not nearly as automatic as most other Nikkor lenses - both manual focusing and autofocusing - when it comes to setting the desired aperture and taking the photograph. But those who are interested in both architecture and landscape photography will appreciate the fact that this lens will adjust apparent distortions by manually shifting the lens angle via its tilt and shift feature (For example if you came up close to a forest and photographed with a regular 28mm lens, the resulting image would look as though the forest was "falling down"; instead with this perspective control lens, any photograph of the forest will show that it is still standing erect.).

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this lens is design for controlling your perspective for building,landscape,and interior shooting

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Nikon 45mm f/2.8 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this lens as the companion for my FM3a. The lens was especially designed for the camera and they make a beautiful silver pair. As far as aesthetics goes, these two are a match made in heaven.
So what's right about it? Lots.
The lens is 45mm which is only 2mm longer than the 'true' normal of 35mm film which is 43mm. That means that it is more normal than your standard 50mm lens.
It is stylish. The pancake design is sleek and tight. The silver matches the silver of the FM3a (will they make one in black to match the black FM3a?). The provided filter and inverted lens hood also add to the lens' attractiveness. It is also light, which makes it an easy choice to take along as your normal lens.
The lens is very sharp throughout its focal range. It is a snap to focus the lens and the focus ring is solid and sure. The aperture blades are rounded so that the final aperture is almost a circle. If bokeh is your thing, this lens delivers awesome blur.
There are drawbacks, of course.
It would be nice if the lens was a little faster. The 50mm Nikkon lenses come in f1.4 and f1.8. They are more than twice as fast, allowing you to gather more light when you need it. The 45mm is restricted to f2.8, which is plenty fast for everyday shots, but in lower light a faster film may be necessary.
I found the focusing ring and the aperture ring a little too close for comfort. Sometimes when trying to adjust the focus, I ended up adjusting the aperture instead. It's not a huge deal, as it's simply a twist of the ring to change it back, but it happens often enough that there may be a user-design issue that needs to be addressed (redesign the user? :-)
The price. It is too high. That's the biggest complaint I have with this lens. With a 50mm f1.8 available for bargain basement prices, is it worth it to spend this much on a slower, only slightly more normal lens? That's up to you to decide.
In all, I'm very happy with this lens. It is a treat to use and the picture quality is outstanding. I don't know if I would have bought it if I hadn't been swept up in the FM3a purchase, but I'm glad that I have it now. It is my primary lens and it hardly leaves the camera body. Of course it doesn't have auto-focus, so you may not find it terribly useful on your N80 or N75, but if you are getting the FM3a, take a look. You might find that the price is justifiable.

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Built-in CPU for Nikkor information exchange / Compatible with all P-Type Nikkor SLRs, and F3HP, FM3A and FM-10

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105mm f/2.5 Ai-S Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)The 105mm f2.5 Nikkor lens was one of those which earned for Nikon its excellent reputation for optical quality and reliability back in the early 1950s. Many professional photographers still regard this lens as among the finest medium telephoto lenses ever made; it's an opinion I strongly agree with. I onced owned this very lens when I had a manual focusing Nikon 35mm SLR system, and was constantly surprised with the excellent quality of the photos obtained, especially at its maximum aperture of f2.5. Only a handful of other lenses I have used may be better than the 105mm f2.5 Nikkor, of which the ones I can think of include the equally venerable Contax Carl Zeiss 100mm f2 Planar for its Contax/Yashica 35mm SLR system, Contax G-Series Carl Zeiss 90mm f2.8 Sonnar for the Contax G-series autofocus 35mm rangefinder cameras, and last, but not least, the Leica 90mm f2 Apo-Summicron ASPH for Leica M-mount 35mm rangefinder cameras; but all of these are substantially more expensive than the 105mm f2.5 Nikkor. Even if you own an autofocus Nikon SLR camera which accepts manual focus Nikkor lens and don't own any older manual focus Nikkor lens, I still strongly recommend acquiring the 105mm f2.5 to be your standard portrait photography lens. You will be pleased with the excellent contrast and resolution of the photographs taken with this lens.

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:The "Classic" portrait lens;Tack sharp at all apertures;Ideal for photojournalism and other low light applications.

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Nikon C-PL3L Slip-in 52mm Circular Polarizing Filter Review

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(More customer reviews)Amazing filter and finition!
really enjoy it for beach-volley pictures.
[...]
Great and quick purchase no trouble.
Futurvision from France

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Polarizer filters give you several key creative features.They evenly increase color saturation of all colors (except black and white), creating deep, rich scenics.They add contrast for dramatic skies and arial shots. They eliminate the whitish glare from highly reflected surfaces like glass and water.Polarizers are two part lenses that rotate, allowing you to select the degree of additional saturation, contrast and glare reduction desired.Circular -- for all types of cameras: required for beam splitting metering systems commonly found in auto-focus SLR's and in most current TTL SLR's.

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Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AutoFocus Zoom Nikkor Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)This lens is probably the best lens I own. It focuses fast and it is very sharp.
Even professional photographers say that it is one of the best lenses and reasonably priced.
Ken Rockwell wrote, "This is a tiny, fun and easy-to-use cheesy plastic zoom lens that is also the best performing midrange zoom I've ever used!" See his webpage here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/2485afs.htm
Thom Hogan wrote, "I was prepared to be disappointed with this lens. Instead, I've decided to keep in my bag and use it regularly." See his webpage here:
http://www.bythom.com/2485lens.htm
After reading all the reviews I could find, I decided this lens had to be worth a serious look. I bought it and have been happy with it from day one.


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Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AutoFocus Zoom Nikkor Lens

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Nikon DR 5 - Angle finder Review

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(More customer reviews)Great way to take shots in tough locations!!

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Right Angle Viewing Attachment attaches to the finder of Nikon 35mm SLR Cameras.With this attachment, the viewfinder image is viewed at right angles (via the built-in roof prism) to the camera's optical axis - a feature that is very convenient when shooting from low (or high) viewpoints or when normal finder viewing is difficult, as in close-up work or photomicrography. The DR-5 allows you to set the reproduction ratio to either 1:1 or 1:2 The DR-5 is fitted with a prism to maintain the image un reversed and erect A built-in diopter adjustment ring allows you to adjust the diopter from -8.0m to +3.8m at 1:1 and -5.0m to +6.0m at 1:2 reproduction ratio. The DR-5 is designed with a circular eyepieceThe DR-5 is compatible with All Nikon SLR cameras with a 22mm round high eye-point viewing eyepiece thread including:D1, D1H, D1X, D2H, D2X, F3HP, F4, F5, F6, F100, N90, N90s, N8008 and N8008s.Removal of supplied and initially attached eyepiece adapter ring allows use on all Nikon SLR cameras having a 19mm round non-high eye point viewing eyepiece thread including:F, F2, F3, F3AF, FA, FE, FE2, FM, FM2, FM3A and Nikkormat series

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Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)I know what you're thinking: Seventeen hundred bucks or more for a mere midrange zoom?
There is nothing "mere" about this zoom!
Wide open, Nikon's new workhorse is sharper than most prime lenses. That's right -- I shoot all day long at f/2.8 (I like resulting blurry backgrounds) and never, never lack for sharpness. Being able to shoot f/2.8 at night doesn't stink, either.
Colors are vibrant, the bokeh (out of focus areas) is creamy, and you'll see ghosts and flares *only* when shooting straight into the sun. And I've never seen an autofocus do its thing so quickly or with such accuracy. I'm catching a lot of shots I used to miss.
No lens is perfect. This one has exactly three drawbacks.
1. It's pretty darn big for a midrange, so sometimes I miss Nikon's compact 18-200mm zoom. And that's without the massive lens hood in place. Snapped on, a big lens gets even bigger.
2. The zoom ring is too close to the camera body. I've only been shooting with it for a few days, but I keep grabbing the manual focus ring by mistake. There's a learning curve here, and I'm not yet over it.
3. It's in short supply. Good luck finding this beast at the suggested retail price.
On my D300 however, it's as perfect as a giant, expensive hunk of glass can get. It takes all my standard 77mm filters, and its DX-effective 35-105mm (approximate) zoom range makes it a great "walk around" lens. It goes wide enough for most landscape shots, and zeroes right in on my two-year-old's face.
But mostly I can't get over the sharpness, the color, and the responsiveness of the autofocus. I probably paid too much for mine, but it was worth every penny.

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