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

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(More customer reviews)First, let me say this lens is one of my favorites. I own this lens for my Pentax PZ-1 and have read MANY reviews about it. The price is cheap. In fact, it's arguably the cheapest lenses in it's class. But don't mistake a cheap price as the sign of a bad lens. I use this lens for many occassions and at it almost always delivers GREAT pictures. Yes, it's not the single best lens in the world, but it is as good as many of the lenses I've used that are two or three times the price. Plus, if you break this one you can buy another without breaking your piggy bank ... or your credit card limit.
The two complaints most people make about this lens are, "It's a slow lens" and "It's almost impossible to focus manually." Let me put both those complaints to rest right now. First, when photographers refer to how "slow" a lens is, they don't mean how fast it can focus, they mean the F-stop setting. This lens is a F3.5-5.6. Granted, some expensive lenses at this focal length can go as low as F1.x, but most can't. And most experienced (and novice) photographers can use any lens that can go below F8. So, when people call this lens "slow," they should be talking about F-stops, not autofocus. I for one have found this lens to be more than fast enough for hand-held use. It's only been too slow once in about 1,000 shots.
Second, the focusing ring on this puppy is short. That means it's hard to focus manually. Still, that's to be expected on a smaller, cheaper lens such as this. Although it's tough to focus manually, it's not impossible. I've used manual focus on this lens several times and got great results ... just move the ring SLOWLY and you will get great manual focus. Nevertheless, keep in mind this IS an autofocus lens ... most people won't focus the lens manually. And on that note, the autofocus is spectacular.
Add in the macro ability of this lens and you've got one heck of a package! Oh, and don't forget ... It's CHEAP! If you can only afford one lens for your next vacation, make it this lens ... and use the $100+ you saved to buy more goodies.

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CL) RE) 28-80MM F3.5-5.6 MIN ASP MAC

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Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super Lens for Canon AF Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)...Should be this one!
Having recently purchased my Eos Rebel 2000, I needed a good zoom lens. Do you want a quality lens whose results speak for themself? Then this is the lens for you. The autofocus is quick and quiet and the lens is light and small enough to fit into my cramped camera bag. The perfect 2nd lens to go with your stock 28-80.

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Sigma's 70-300mm f4-f5.6 APO macro super lens has a compact apochromatic telezoom lens that incorporates two special low-dispersion glass elements in the front lens group with one special low-dispersion glass element in the rear lens group. The arrangement of the optics serves to minimize the chromatic aberration that can occur.
This telemacro zoom lens can achieve a magnification ratio of 1:2 (one half life-size) for macro and telephotography images at its 300mm focal length. As an accessory, you can add a 58mm achromatic close-up lens (not included), and get even closer focusing and reproduction ratios of 1:1 (life size) and still maintain excellent optical quality. The optical materials are made from lead-free and arsenic-free ecological glass. This model is dedicated to Canon AF SLR cameras.

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Deluxe Lens Pouch (Medium) Review

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(More customer reviews)The soft lens pouch is an excellent product for protecting your lens.
The belt strap is also very convenient and worry free for bringing your lens anywhere.

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This lens pouch is very lightweight, yet fully padded to protect your investment. Uses a draw string top with a quick release button on the cord. Easy to close and open. Also, the pouch has a polypropelene waist loop to attach to a strap or belt.

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Kenko Uniplus Tube 25mm DG -Canon Auto Focus Review

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(More customer reviews)The Kenko 25mm extension tube, for those who don't know, is in a nutshell just a tube that moves the lens away from the camera's sensor, enabling it to focus closer than it would be able to without, the caveat being that you can no longer focus to infinity, and depending on the focal length of the lens used, the total focus range may not be more than an inch total. So it's used mainly, if not exclusively, for macro shooting, for much cheaper than a dedicated macro lens.
Another warning about the tube: due to the way it works, any imperfections inherent in whichever lens you're using are magnified, but know that it's the same with all extension tubes and that's just how they work. In my own experience, shooting with a 50mm f/1.8 and the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6, I have noticed no such imperfections.
Anyway, I just got mine in the mail today and have been shooting random macros of whatever I can find on my desk. It should be noted that if you plan on shooting in available inside lighting, a tripod is mandatory, since you should probably be stopping down for better quality macros. So I've been working with 20- to 30-second exposures at apertures of f/8 to 10. And so far I've been very pleased with the quality of the output images, and perplexed with the challenges this new area brings to my photographic experience. For instance, my 50mm f/1.8, pretty much the most widely owned lens in existence in my experience, now focuses between 6 and 8 inches where it used to focus between 1.5 ft and infinity, and the depth of field is much much shallower. This effect becomes less dramatic the longer the focal length of the lens is. And the instructions that come with the lens say it cannot be used at focal lengths of 24mm or shorter for this reason.
As far as autofocusing goes, I can't comment, because I've pretty much been manually focusing exclusively to ensure tack-sharp images, which are what I've been getting. I can't compare this tube to that of Canon, but I can't imagine Canon's version being any better than this one, since they're both glassless tubes. I hear they might differ in how they relay EXIF data to your camera, but for my own purposes this makes no difference.
In short, I've been very pleased with this purchase and strongly recommend this tube to anyone who wants to give macro shooting a try without breaking the bank.

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Extension tubes are designed to enable a lens to focus closer than its normal set minimum focusing distance. Getting closer has the effect of magnifying your subject (making it appear larger in the viewfinder and in your pictures). They are exceptionally useful for macro photography, enabling you to convert almost any lens into a macro lens at a fraction of the cost while maintaining its original optical quality. The DG extension tubes have no optics. They are mounted in between the camera body and lens to create more distance between the lens and film plane. By moving the lens father away from the film or CCD sensor in the camera, the lens is forced to focus much closer than normal. The greater the length of the extension tube, the closer the lens can focus.

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Lowepro 1M Lens Case (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I use Lowepro lens cases to protect all of my lenses, even when they are in my camera backpack (Lowepro Fastpack 350), because I never want to risk damage from a lens falling out during a lens change. These Lowepro lens cases are the best answer. Of course these cases do take up more space in the backpack/bag so it is important to find the right size for each lens and minimise the case size as much as possible.
The Lens Case 1M is a perfect fit for the Canon EF 35mm f/2.0 (without hood attached). The 35mm fits like a glove (snug but easy to get in and out) and the 1M case is short enough that I can store the Canon EW -65II lens hood on top of the case in the section of the backpack...right where I want it.
This Lens Case 1M can also fit the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM (without hood). I actually currently use the Lowepro Lens Case 1S for my EF 50mm f/1.4 but I tried it in this 1M case and it would work well too, in fact I may buy one to replace the Lens Case 1S size to save some more space for the hood.
As with all Lowepro products, the materials and build are great and this is a high quality product.
***Note - The current Amazon product picture is not accurate and is likely a photo of the much larger Lens Case 1 or even 2. Pay attention to the dimensions in the description.***

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Lowepro Lens Cases offer everything that the serious photographer would need for serious glass protection. The cases are detailed on the outside with abrasion resistant ballistic nylon,and inside with two different types of strategically placed foam. New features include a mesh pocket inside the lid for lens capsand reinforced SlipLock attachment. With the wide variety of sizes offered there is sure to be a case for that perfect fit.The SlipLock attachment tab makes any Lowepro SlipLock compatible bag modularand able to bring more gear as you add lenses to your system.

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Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I was determined to love this lens based on the specs and price point alone. Canon really needed to come out with this lens at this price because Nikon offers a very decent Vibration Reduction lens at roughly the same range for the same price, leaving me to make apologies for Canon and their neglect to all my Nikon friends.
The IS can be switched off to save battery life but I haven't noticed a difference in battery performance with it. The IS is only activiated when you press the shutter halfway for auto focus. Although it FEELS like there is a small lag for the IS to start, I don't think I've had any photos messed up because of it.
You can HEAR the IS. A little bizarre after using point and shoots that have IS that is silent, but it doesn't seem to affect performance
Pro: Great price for an image stabilized zoom lens. I paid 299 and am very pleased even though Amazon is selling it for 280 a week later. ALso arrive 2 months sooner than Amazon initially promised. This lens has NEVER been 400 dollars. Its MSRP from Canon prior to release was 299.00. Shame Amazon!
Pro: Images are very sharp.
Pro: Image stabilization does a VERY nice job. Four stops as advertised by Canon? I'm not so sure. GREATLY enhancing the composition experience at 250mm? Absolutely.
Pro: Much smaller and lighter than the 70-300 of any manufacturer and much sharper than my Sigma 70-300.
Con: Cheapish feel. But just use it, quit feeling it already. Plastic mount. But if you NEED a metal mount, may I suggest you are being a little rough with your camera. *UPDATE* The plastic flanges on back were able to hold the camera securely to the lens, but NOT hold the rear cap securely to the lens. I've tried many different rear lens caps that fit snugly on other lenses. So I think this is beyond cheap feel and has to be called CHEAP BUILD.
Con: This lens is a little (ok, maybe not so little) slow to focus in dim light, sometimes it misses altogether when I think other lenses of mine would have had no difficulty.
Con: I never gave Inner Focusing much thought on my other lenses until I used this. The front of this lens rotates AND moves in and out a LOT while focusing, so much so that you MAY even want to recompose your shot. The length of this lens changes almost an inch across the focus range. I just checked my Sigma 70-300 and found that it does also, but I've never seen it make as much difference in the viewfinder as I have with this Canon. Your perception may vary.
This lens and the soon to be arriving 18-55 IS as the XSi kit lens will allow me to carry one less lens to achieve an 18-250 IS range. For a little more money than the cost of both lenses you can get the Tamrom 18-250 but not have Image Stabilization. And now Sigma has an 18-200 WITH Optical Stablization for about what these 2 lenses cost retail, but in testing the 2 Canons produced better images.
Conclusion: A great EF-S lens for Canon users. (even if Nikon had to force Canon to make it for us.)

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Incorporating Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology, this Canon 55-250mm telephoto zoom lens captures long distance, low-light shots far better than many comparable lenses, helping you photograph the far-off action of athletes or zoom in for an intimate portrait with a blurred background. The high-zoom-ratio lens is equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm in the 35mm format (when used on Canon EOS cameras compatible with EF-S lenses). More significantly, the image stabilizer effect creates an equivalent shutter speed of roughly four stops faster than the same size lens without an image stabilizer. In other words, if the slowest shutter speed you can hold a 250mm lens steadily is normally 1/250th of a second, this Canon lens will let you hand-hold shutter speeds as slow as 1/15th of a second. The lens also boasts a UD-glass lens element to correct chromatic aberration to create excellent image quality throughout the zoom range. Delivering an excellent performance at an affordable price for all photographers, the 55-250mm lens carries a one-year warranty.
Specifications
Focal length: 55-250mm
Maximum aperture: f/4 to f/5.6
Lens construction: 12 elements in 10 groups, including one UD-glass element
Diagonal angle of view: 27 degrees (at 50 feet) to 6 degrees (at 15 feet), with APS-C image sensors
Focus adjustment: DC motor, gear-driven (front focusing design)
Closest focusing distance: 3.6 feet (0.31x maximum close-up magnification)
Filter size: 58mm
Dimensions: 2.8 inches in diameter and 4.3 inches long
Weight: 13.8 ounces
Warranty: 1 year

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