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Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
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Review Date: Jun 16, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $700.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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feels great on a canon body, lightweight, looks good, solid colors and sharpness
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Cons:
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not quite up to L standards, no good on full frame,
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ive had this lens for the past five years and ive been pretty happy with it. there are other wide angle lenses on the market with better features, but considering the sum of its parts, i think this one takes the cake. it feels great on my camera, in my hands, and gets me great pictures at the end of the day!
wrote a longer review here, have a look: http://www.aputure.com/blog/?p=2075
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Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM
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Review Date: Mar 8, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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fast, sharp (if you get a good copy), excellent build quality, good colors
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Cons:
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heavy, bulky, soft (if you get a bad copy), expensive
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This has been my most used lens, by far, for the past several years. It lives on my camera, and captures just about everything I need it to. The only thing I wish were different: it was sharper stopped down, and it was smaller and lighter. Anyways, a great lens, highly recommended. If you want to read more, here is my detailed review here: http://www.aputure.com/blog/2011/03/08/sigma-30mm-f1-4-lens-review-with-samples/
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Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
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Review Date: Jan 26, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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good build quality, effective OS, low barrel distortion, decent IQ, low price
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Cons:
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soft at certain focal lengths, especially the end
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After four years of heavy use and several drops to the pavement, this lens is still trucking. It may not provide the best image quality on the market, but it gives you a durable lens with a versatile zoom range. While working for a newspaper, this was one of my go-to lenses; you can cover just about anything with it. I pushed this lens to the limit, shooting 200mm indoors in low light, and still came away with usable results. But in some situations, such as surf shots, there is no substitute for a longer lens, and you’ll do well with extra range.
For more and samples, see here: http://www.aputure.com/blog/2010/11/24/sigma-18-200-dc-os-f3-5-5-6-review-with-samples/
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
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Review Date: Jan 24, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $80.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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CHEAP, lightweight, conspicuous, sharp when stopped down, fun
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Cons:
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soft wide open, slow focus in low light
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Having shot with lens for nearly 5 years, I must say it has served me rather well. The big question many photogs might face is whether to get this or the EF 50mm 1.4. That one has full time manual focusing, a focus distance scale, and of course a faster aperture, gathering 2/3rds more light. Personally, I should have probably gone with the 1.4 version, considering my love of shallow depth of field and creamy smooth bokeh (of which the 1.4 outperforms the 1.8) but that doesn't mean the 1.8 is not a good bargain.
To read more and view sample photos, see here: http://www.aputure.com/blog/2010/12/30/canon-ef-50mm-1-8-ii-review/
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