Inspired by Herbert Keppler's praise of 500/8 mirror lenses in the August 2003 issue of"Popular Photography" I thought I'd dig my old Tamron 500/8 mirror lens out ofthe closet and test its performance against a Canon EF500/4.5 using an EOS 10D 6MP digital...

The other thing to consider is whether you actually need 500mm? If you're shooting witha 10D, a 500mm lens will give you the same field of view as an 800mm lens on a full frame35mm camera (due the the 1.6x "multiplying" factor - which is really...

As you can see from the illustration, it's an unusual looking beast, something of a cross between a lens and a UFO! At the base is the lens mount which couples to the camera. Attached to the base is a flexible plastic "bellows" which contains the lens. At...

So is the Lensbaby 3G a cheaper substitute for something like the Canon 45mm tilt/shift lens? No, it's not, though their principle of operation is similar. The Canon 45mm T/S lens has 10 optical elements and is designed to have a flat field with sharp ima...

The initial impression of the Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD Aspherical [IF] is that it's a solid lens. It feels "dense". Not heavy, but it gives the impression of solidity. The body seems to be made of a composite (plastic) material and the finish...

Length81.7mm (3.2") * Maximum Diameter74.0mm (2.9") Weight434 grams (15.3oz.) * Diaphragm Blades7 blades (Circular aperture) Standard AccessoryFlower-shaped Lens Hood Compatible MountCanon AF, Konica-Minolta AF-D, Nikon AF-D * values for Nikon AF mo...

To improve image quality the lens uses two LD (low dispersion) elements, one AD (anomolous dispersion) element and two hybrid aspherical elements

Length84.3mm (3.3") Maximum Diameter74.4mm (2.9") Weight430g (15.2oz.) Diaphragm Blades7 blades Minimum ApertureF/22 Standard AccessoryFlower-shaped Lens Hood Compatible MountCanon AF, Nikon AF-D, Pentax AF, and Sony (Konica Minolta) The lens apert...

The 70-200/2.8 lens is one of the most popular professional lenses. Just about every camera and lens maker has at least one in their lineup and Canon has two (plus two more f4 versions). It's popular because it covers a very useful focal length range and...

the EF 70-200/2.8L IS USM isn't a cheap lens. Even with the current $125 instant rebate (good though Feb 17th 2008), the price is around $1585. However you get excellent optical performance and a very effective Image Stabilization system. With the additio...

The 12-24/4 is Tokina's offering in the popular "superwide zoom" category for APS-C format digital cameras. In this category it competes with the Sigma 10-22, Tamron 11-18 and Canon 10-22. None of these lenses has full frame 35mm coverage and so all are s...

While convenient in theory, the action is a little stiff, so switching between modes with the camera up to your eye isn't as smooth as it might be. Still, it is quicker than having to find and throw an MF/AF switch and it is possible to switch from AF to...

The EF100-300/5.6L is the only lens in this group which uses fluorite or UD elements (it has one of each) to achieve "apochromatic" status. It's an old lens, introduced very early on in EOS history (1987). It was dropped from the Canon lineup around 2000....

the 100-300/5.6L is a decent lens from an optical standpoint, but the ergonomics leave something to be desired. I don't really know why Canon didn't upgraded it A 100-300/4-5.6L with USM and tripod mount could be a winner for those who need a sharp zoom....