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Hot New Lenses For Your DSLR! by Jason Schneider The latest optical outpouring offers outstanding options for expanding your picture-taking opportunities Article rating: 7.51

Why are digital SLRs (DSLRs) destined to be the fastest growing digital camera category in 2007? Clearly there are many reasons for their unprecedented popularity, including a surge in attractive new broad-spectrum, entry-level DSLRs in the $400-600 class, instant responsiveness with very short shutter-lag times, and the increasing sophistication of digital shooters who demand better performance as they buy their second, third, and fourth digital cameras. However, from a photo enthusiast’s perspective the two main features that make DSLRs so enticing are their big, bright, through-the-lens optical viewfinders and their ability to use interchangeable lenses (including, in many cases, existing 35mm SLR lenses) ranging from fisheyes and ultra-wide-angle zooms all the way up to super telephotos. Indeed, buying additional lenses to complement the standard 18-55mm zoom that comes with many consumer DSLR outfits is the fastest way to expand your camera’s performance and shooting flexibility.

Savvy alternatives in standard zooms: Make your first lens a real winner!

Actually, when it comes to buying that DSLR outfit, you’re probably better off spending $50-150 more to upgrade the “economy 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6” to a longer normal zoom. One popular alternative available from camera makers is the still relatively compact and affordable 18-70mm (the 35mm equivalent of a 28-112mm), which is also offered in IS (Image Stabilization) or VR (Vibration Reduction) versions from Canon and Nikon respectively. For a bit more you can snag one of the fast 16-50mm or 17-50mm f/2.8 wide-to-medium-tele zooms from independent lens makers—their wide apertures at all focal lengths make them great for low-light shooting and selective focus. Indeed, some DSLR buyers go whole hog and spend a few hundred bucks more for a really long range wide-to tele zoom like the half dozen or so 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 (28-300mm equivalent) lenses offered by both major camera makers and independent lens companies. Yes, they’re also available in anti-shake versions—a sensible option if your DSLR body does not have built-in image stabilization.

When you consider how many people are jumping aboard the DSLR bandwagon, and how many serious shooters are upgrading their DSLR systems it’s hardly surprising that lens companies are doing very well these days, and that both camera and lens manufacturers are coming out with enticing new digital lenses at a fairly brisk pace. This optical onslaught is evident in all lens categories and the result is a spate of lenses that are, as U.S. automobile makers used to say back in the day, wider, longer, and faster than ever before. They’re available in mounts to fit all the classic mounts—Canon, Nikon, Pentax (Samsung) Sony (Minolta) as well as Four Thirds system. And in this increasingly competitive market sector, Nikon is offering more Vibration Reduction (VR) lenses, Canon is fielding more Image Stabilization (IS) lenses, Tamron is extending its zoom ranges, Pentax is offering wider apertures, Tokina has a new fisheye zoom, and Sigma is marketing both anti-shake and Four Thirds system lenses!

Obviously, it isn’t possible to detail each and every one of the exciting new DSLR lenses in the Great 2007 DSLR Optical Bonanza in a single article, but we’ve done our best to select some of the most exciting new entries to whet your appetite and give you a better idea of the optical opportunities out there for you and your DSLR-toting buddies. At prices ranging from $100 to well over $1,000, lenses are not the least expensive accessories you can buy for your DSLR, but unlike computers and even cameras, lenses are long-term investments that will continue to deliver outstanding images long after your present camera body is technologically outclassed. And they’re also the fastest way to extend your picture-taking horizons. We hope the tantalizing selection of the latest DSLR lenses listed below encourages you to check them out at your local store and on camera and at lens maker’s websites, because interchangeable lenses are really what makes the DSLR an ideal shooter’s camera--and one of the greatest camera concepts in the history of photography.

Optical offerings: Fascinating focal lengths; appetizing apertures

Canon 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L: This super-speed professional caliber lens is described as “serious glass for serious photographers” and it’s priced to match. It works as a normal lens on full-frame (24x36mm) DSLRs like the EOS 5D and provides 80mm equivalent coverage on consumer Canons with APS-C-size sensors. It’s primary assets: Blazing speed for natural looking non-flash photos in very low light, and shallow depth of field that can be used creatively to make portrait subjects “pop” off the background.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM: Aimed at advanced amateurs and pros seeking a versatile, reasonably lightweight telephoto zoom, it incorporates the latest generation of Canon’s Image Stabilizer (IS). This provides three steps of camera shake correction and is claimed to allow handheld shooting at four stops slower than a non-IS lens, bringing its field performance on a par with an f/2.8 tele zoom. It also has one fluorite element and two UD elements to suppress chromatic aberration and a USM motor for fast and silent AF.

Nikon

Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR: With a 4.3X zoom ratio, this long telephoto zoom incorporates Nikon’s ED glass, three complex aspherical elements, Silent Wave Motor (SWM), and Enhanced Vibration Reduction (VR II) and it’s compatible with both Nikon DSLRs and 35mm SLRs. Providing a 112-480mm equivalent range on Nikon DSLRs, this high-performance optic is ideal for sports, action, wildlife, and travel.

Micro-Nikkor 105mm f.2.8G EF-IF AF-S VR: The first Nikon macro lens with Vibration Reduction (VR) and Silent Wave Motor (SWM), it also features internal focusing (IF) and Nano Crystal Coating. Excellent for portraiture, general shooting or as a macro that gets down to 1:1 on DSLRs or 35mm SLRs, the VR is especially useful when shooting extreme close-ups. Nikon’s VR II also provides automatic panning and tripod detection.

Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR: With its impressive 11.1X zoom range and advanced features such as Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and VR II Enhanced Vibration Reduction, this all-in-one zoom provides a 35mm- equivalent focal length range of 27-300mm, making it a fine all-rounder and a great choice as a “universal” lens for travelers and vacationers.

Pentax

Pentax-DA 70mm f.2.4 Limited: Featuring an ultra-thin pancake design, this unique fast medium telephoto (112mm equivalent) single-focal-length lens is designed for go-anywhere portability and discreet photography, but its pro caliber performance makes it suitable for landscapes and portraiture as well. It has 9 diaphragm blades for enhanced bokeh (smooth out-of-focus image quality).

Pentax-DA 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM: This brand new fast, high performance, wide-angle-to-normal zoom (25.6-80mm equivalent) is a good choice as a standard zoom for Pentax and Samsung DSLR users who need speed for low-light shooting. It features weather- and dust-resistant construction, Quick-Shift for easy switching to manual focus, and DSM motor for quiet, smooth AF.

Pentax-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 RD (IF): Offering a focal-length range equivalent to 15-26mm in the 35mm format with Pentax DSLRs, this fisheye zoom provides 180-degree full-frame coverage at 10mm (with bowed lines toward the edges of the frame) plus super-wide coverage at its longer end, along with extreme depth of field. It also features new water- and oil-repellant SP lens coating.

Tamron

Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro: With an amazing 13.9X zoom ratio, this is the widest-range wide-to-tele zoom out there, providing an amazing 28-388mm 35mm-equivalent coverage. It also offers macro down to 1:3.5X at 17.7 inches at the tele end, and impressive performance in its class. It’s a great choice for shooters who want one lens that really does do practically everything.

Tamron SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF): This lightweight, compact beauty provides a fast f/2.8 aperture giving a bright viewing image and enhanced low-light capability over a 27-80mm equivalent range. Using XR and LD glass and an optical design that minimizes off-axis ray angles for improved imaging performance, it also offers macro capability to 1:4.5X at its minimum focus distance of 10.6 inches.

Sigma

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-603 DC OS: This unique 11.1X zoom ratio lens incorporates Sigma’s own Optical Stabilizer (OS) function that uses two sensors in the lens to detect vertical and horizontal movement, and moves an image-stabilizing lens group to compensate for camera shake, It also features two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) elements and two aspherical elements designed to provide enhanced aberration correction and field performance.

Sigma f/2.8 trio: The Sigma Macro 70mm f/2.8 EX DG, 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro, and 50-150mm f.2.8 EX DC HSM all feature fast f/2.8 apertures in compact, lightweight packages. Also noteworthy is Sigma’s expanded range of lenses in Four Thirds System mount for Olympus, Panasonic and Leica DSLRs, including eight lenses zoom lenses ranging from 18-50mm to 50-500mm plus 105mm and 150mm f/2.8s. A new 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 super telephoto in Four Thirds mount is also in the works.

Tokina

Tokina AT-X 107 AF 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye: This full-frame fisheye zoom gives up to 180-degree coverage with a dramatic curvature of field to capture a view wider than the human eye, and covers a 100-degree angle at the 17mm setting. Its has a WP (waterproof) optical coating to facilitate cleaning, and employs SD glass to make the lens more compact and reduce the number of elements.

Tokina AT-X 535 Pro DX AF 50-135mm f/2.8: With a fast constant aperture of f/2.8 and 35mm-equivalent coverage of a 80-210mm, this versatile tele zoom has a built-in tripod collar and a one-touch clutch mechanism for fast switching between AF and manual focus. SD elements are employed to enhance chromatic aberration correction and overall sharpness.

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	This is a great article. Posted by: John F. Anderson Mar 10, 2007 @ 4:3 PM EST
	Nice summary about these lenses but not enough information to help one make a buying decision. Would suggest your providing a link to lab tests of these and some comparison pricing links. I am considering a single focal length macro lens for a Canon XTI and would appreciate a good objective listing of available models from both camera makers and third party lens makers. Posted by: Robert Hart Mar 18, 2007 @ 6:6 PM EST
	I recently bought the Tamron SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD for my Canon 20d and it is a sharp and fast-focusing lens. The image quality lives up to its reviews and this was a good choice for my panorama work. I can't wait until Tamron announces its first image stabilization lens later this year. Posted by: Wayne Nolting May 23, 2007 @ 4:15 PM EST
	Glad to have chanced upon this article. In search of a macro lens, the Nikkor 105mm looks just right. But how much will it cost? Posted by: Jess Matubis Jul 9, 2007 @ 12:13 PM EST
	I have been considering buying a new lenses for my Nikon D70 so this article was a huge help. Posted by: K Hutchison Aug 27, 2007 @ 10:9 AM EST

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