Digital Home Thoughts: More Glass for Less: A Simple Guide to Inexpensive Lenses

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

More Glass for Less: A Simple Guide to Inexpensive Lenses

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:00 AM

Telephoto zooms:

Other than the 55-200/250 type lenses I mentioned, there are a few more decent buys here.

Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-300mm f/4-5.6G VR: For something with a little longer reach, the 55-300mm a decent buy, and is a more versatile and cheaper option than the Nikkor AFS 70-300mm f/4-5.6 VR. [SEARCH AMAZON STORE]

SMC Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED: Same as the Nikon, but for Pentax. Need 300mm cheap? This is it. [SEARCH AMAZON STORE]

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM: Here is the only L lens in the entire guide. It is at the time of writing the cheapest L lens available new, but definitely not the worst. The low price is due to the lack of IS, but otherwise this is a very fine lens, with good optics and a fast USM motor. A downside is that the lens does not come with a tripod collar, so photographers intending to mount this on a tripod (especially with a smaller and lighter camera) might want to take note. [SEARCH AMAZON STORE]

Really long lenses:

This is where it hurts. I am afraid to say that if you need something more than 300mm, the costs start to skyrocket. Again, very limited options here, and all third-party.

Tamron SP 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di LD IF: This is likely to be one of the two most expensive lens in this list, depending on where you live. However it is just about the cheapest way to get 500mm cheaply without sacrificing too much in terms of image quality. The aperture at f/6.3 is not fast, and neither is the AF (on a D70 it was just about passable), and it is a little soft at 500mm. It still beats all the other alternatives up to its price, and then some. [SEARCH AMAZON STORE]

Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM APO: Lots of alphabets, but basically it means there is a piezo-electric motor like that of the Nikon AFS and Canon USM lenses, and is also stabilised. The trade-off compared to the Tamron? It only goes out to 400mm. Plus it is a Sigma. [SEARCH AMAZON STORE]

Used Lenses:

Depending on where you live and who you buy from, this option can range from really cheap but risky to a good safe deal backed by a shop warranty. Given the wide range of options, all I can say is be careful, check in person if you can before buying, otherwise make sure there is an ironclad return policy in your favour. Good luck hunting!

To End

Lenses can cost quite a bit, but with a little care, one can assemble a system that costs less than a single f/2.8 zoom, yet offer top quality images and more flexibility than said f/2.8 zoom. If you find a budget lens you like, give a shout in the comments!

Lee Yuan Sheng would like announce that he has only spent more than US$800 on a single lens once, and has made do by spotting the cheaper buys in the markets. He is happily making photographs with his bargain buys in a very sunny place.

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.


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