Lens Reviews

This diminutive lens was launched with the last generation of Pens, and aside from its 100 degree wide field of view the big news then was that this is an MSC (Movie-Still-Compatible) lens. That plainly means that it’s optimised for movies and stills… and translated that means it’s fast, smooth and silent when focusing.

I was half expecting the 150mm to be a slightly more grown up version of Sigma’s 105mm macro that I tried last year. This, however, is a very different beast; modern, slick and smooth.

I had always thought of the Canon EF 200mm f/2.0 L IS USM as a bit of a unicorn – you hear tales about it and it’s magical qualities, but I very much doubted I would ever have the privilege of shooting with one myself. That all changed the moment the doorbell rang.

After spending forever carting lenses that weigh 4kg and upwards around, what an absolute breath of fresh air it was to just go out shooting with the Sigma! It’s so much lighter, making it far more portable, and when paired up to a crop sensor camera it offers an incredible amount of reach.

The lens is extremely well built. On mounting it to my Canon 5D Mark II for the first time I noticed this straight away. The metal gives it a tank like feeling and it will easily deal with the knocks and bumps of daily life.

So is it the perfect travel lens? It certain crams in all you’d normally need – with some icing on top as it has more than excellent reach – 300mm equivalent used to be ‘long’ so the 405mm the Tamron offers is a very useful bonus.

The Canon EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER 1.4x zoom lens. Yes, that’s quite a mouthful. While not a particularly succinct title, this does tell you pretty much all you need to know, and in fact all Canon are willing to tell you, for now. Due for release later this year, this is one lens worth keeping an eye on.

I wasn’t a fan of the original 24-120 VR. Build quality was OK but nothing amazing and the optics left a lot to be desired with a sharp centre that rapidly softened up. So when this new 24-120mm f4 version was announced I was curious to see if they had brought the lens up to scratch. After all, it’s a fantastic focal length for those that need or want a little more reach than the 24-70.

When you move to an SLR there’s very little point sticking to just the kit lens… you’re buying into the idea of a system, so make the most of it! Choosing which lenses to add to your bag isn’t to be taken lightly, you aren’t Madonna picking children! Here I’ve gathered a few of my favourites together to help you navigate your first steps into a lens collection.

From the moment you pick it up the heft and workmanship makes it clear that this is a quality bit of kit. That’s not to say it’s quite up to the minute but it has the well machined charm of pre digital photography which the snazzy finish doesn’t disguise.