Charles Kozierok has posted an interesting thread at FredMiranda comparing the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 II with Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and Canon EF 50mm F/1.0 L

Crop comparison, near the center-bottom

Bokeh comparison

Please click on the images above to enlarge

He writes:

“#1. The 50/1.8 II has much more DOF than the other two lenses at the same aperture. This probably helps with its reputation as being very sharp for its size and cost. Overall it held up VERY well compared to its more expensive brethren.

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Digitalreview.ca has recently posted the new Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED Zoom samples shot with Nikon D70. They commented:

“In terms of handling and design, the Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED is sure to please. The sharpness and optical quality of the DX 18-200mm VR seems very good taking into account the broad 11x zoom range offered. The incorporated ED glass and aspherical elements contribute to this achievement. Overall, we feel the new Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED will make for a nice “all in one” walk around lens, great if you don’t want to carry a lot of gear with you.”

>> RELATED POST

- Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED Review Roundup & Sample Photos

Erik Magnuson has recently posted his comparison test on Canon 75-300mm IS, the new Canon 70-300mm IS, and Canon 100-400mm IS. The result looks very promising. Canon has made big improvements and bring us closer to ‘L’ quality.

@200% crop of centres - Click to enlarge

@200% crop of edges - Click to enlarge

The Digital Picture has recently posted their review on Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and wrote:

” The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens has decent sharpness wide open and good sharpness when stopped down a stop or so. Corner sharpness is good even at full frame. The long end of the focal length continues to be the weakest performing over the range. Overall, sharpness is definitely improved from the 75-300 IS.

Light fall-off is quite noticeable wide open (f/5) at 200mm and improves slowly as the focal length is increased or decreased - or the lens is stopped down one stop. Light fall-off is still noticeable at 100mm f/4.5 and 300mm f/5.6. 1.3x and 1.6x FOVCF body users will avoid most of this issue. “

Nikon Imaging.com has recently published the new Nikkor 18-200mm page with its main features, specifications, MTF chart and lens construction. The page also has sample photos of Nikon 18-200mm shot with Nikon D200 @ 95mm, 1/8 secs, f/5.3, ISO100

>> RELATED POST

- Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED Review Roundup & Sample Photos

Francesco has just posted his personal test of Canon EOS 5d with Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM and commented:

“It is certainly a fantastic lens. Unfortunately too heavy, big and intrusively obvious to be used as a walkaround lens. Great for sport / high movement and certainly for portraits in available light. I found the fall-off (vignette) at 70-100mm a little bit too much but looks overall nice in the pictures.”

Please click on the image above to visit his gallery

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The Digital Picture reviewed Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM and commented:

” The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens’ color and contrast are excellent. The rectangular baffle (above) over the rear of the lens is purposed to increase contrast and reduce flare/ghosting. CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well controlled with some CA visible at 24mm in very harsh contrast situations - mostly at full-frame edges.

Canon’s latest generation Image Stabilizer (IS) provides an additional 3-stops of handholdability in the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. This is definitely my favorite feature of the 24-105 L. The 24-105 L’s IS is very quiet and very well behaved (does not jump when starting, …). IS does not stop subject motion blur, but it is excellent for stopping camera shake. IS allows use of narrower aperture settings to increase DOF (Depth of Field) in handheld shots with non-moving subjects (landscapes, sculptures, art …). IS allows use of longer shutter speeds to create motion blurs - such as moving water. “

Canon USA has announced service notice regarding Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM flare problems:

We have recently discovered a problem with early production samples of the EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in which flare occurs at an unacceptable level under certain conditions. The flare is most obvious in the wide zoom and wide aperture settings

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Sample photos of Sigma 10-20mm with Nikon D2H have just been posted at Pbase Gallery:

- Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX @ 20mm, 1/80s, f/5.6 (original size)
- Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX @ 10mm, 1/250s, f/8 (original size)
- Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX @ 10mm, 1/160s, f/6 (original size)
- Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX @ 20mm, 1/80s, f/10 (original size)

The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM is a large-diameter wide-angle lens with f/1.4 capability that optimises brightness. It is the successor to the EF 24mm f/1.4 USM and further complements the Canon L-series of wide-angle lenses. The optical system includes a polished aspherical lens along with a floating element, providing high image quality with outstanding correction for both wide f/1.4 aperture and aberration effects and outstanding definition over the entire image area. In addition, the lens’s ring USM and silent AF operation make it an outstanding L-series lens for both professional and advanced amateur users.

REVIEWS (last update: 25.10.05)

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