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All posts tagged telephoto

CanonEF70-200_28usm_1_lThe Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens is the bomb in the telephoto class of lenses. This hefty lens weighs in at 3.3 pounds and is 7.8 by 3.5 inches without the tripod collar. This is a stationary glass lens meaning it doesn’t telescope out or moves when focusing or zooming, it is done internally.   Externally it has two rubber grip rings with the zoom ring being closest to the base or the camera.   It is marked with 70, 100, 135 and 200 mm. The second rubber grip is for manual focus. Due to the hefty weight of this lens it works best used on a tripod.

This Canon lens uses an ultrasonic motor to operate. Externally there are several switches and tweeks that can be made. A limiter switch allows you to choose between full or limited focus range from 2.5 meters to infinity.   A stabilizer switch is included that can be enabled or change the mode between one and two. The difference is one is for stationary shots while two is designed for motion shots like sports activity.

All this tech talk needs to be broken down to layman terms. A 70-200mm lens gives you the same amount of lens filling experience if an object is 15 feet away (this is the 70mm) or 150 feet away (200 mm).   These are the numbers you are looking for when choosing a zoom lens to determine length and quality of the zoom feature.

The f/2.8 refers to F-Stop, a feature of how much light a lens allows into the camera. It is like the opening of an eye, the smaller the number the wider the eye opens and the higher the number the eye is more squinted. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens excels in this arena with the f/2.8.   The ability to let in a lot of light allows for sharp clear pics even when fully zoomed. An added bonus to the Canon EF 70-200mm is the sweet bokeh, or photographer talk for background blur. It keeps the subject crisp with a delightful blur that if so sought in photography.

The optical performance of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens exquisite at all ranges with only a slight barrel distortion at 70mm. This gives straight lines a bit of a curve which is not noticeable in action shots but in landscapes or architectural shots where lines are critical you will notice the wobble but it is easily corrected in post processing. This was the only minor complaint about this lens.

This is a lens that becomes a workhorse of a professional photographer for its short and zoom telephoto range. The MSRP of this lens is as hefty as the lens itself at $2,499.00. Those who make a living with their photos won’t hesitate to spend this money because it is worth every penny in the crispness side to side and top to bottom in the entire frame throughout the entire zoom range.

Set your price on a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens here: https://www.greentoe.com/CanonEF70-200mmf-2-8LTelephotoZoom


nikkor-85mm-f1_8G Overview

Its inexpensive price and Nikon quality are two reasons why many experts recommend this compact telephoto lens. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Lens does everything you would expect a sub-$600 lens to do… and more.

As a part of Nikon’s f/1.8G prime lens series, this lens outperforms the competition at its price range. Its optimized f/1.8 aperture helps it excel at shooting still images and high definition video in various shooting scenarios, specifically those in low light.

You’re going to get a lot of use out of this lens, especially if you’re an avid photographer, beginner or burgeoning professional. Its auto-focus system makes shooting sessions less of a hassle—and there’s even a seamless manual auto-focus system if you need more precision.

Features At A Glance

  • Nikon F Mount Lens/FX Format lens
  • Aperture Range: f/1.8 to f/16
  • Measures 3.1 inches by 2.9 inches, weighs 12.35 ounces
  • Compatible with Nikon FX, Nikon DX + 35mm/Full-Frame Digital Sensor formats
  • Focal Length: 127.5mm
  • Silent Wave Motor AF System products fast and silent auto-focus
  • Super Integrated Lens Coating reduces glare and improves colors

Key Characteristics

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Lens is fast, inexpensive and probably the best compact FX-format telephoto lens available in its class. This lens’ fast f/1.8 aperture helps it excel at shooting still images and high definition video in low light.

Lens is produced with Nikon Super Integrated Coating, which helps significantly improve light transmission, color consistency and reduces flare.

Its 7-blade circular diaphragm helps the camera produce great-looking out of focus images when set at wider aperture settings.

This 85mm prime lens mount expands to about 127mm when mounted to a DX-format DSLR camera.

Key Features

Silent Wave Motor Auto-Focus technology with Internal Focus system produces fast and silent auto-focus, which doesn’t change lens length. The motor uses ultrasonic vibrations, instead of the usual gear system, to help focus the lens, producing smooth, accurate and silent auto-focus when in use.

Its internal optical processes, as a result, only utilize the non-extending lens barrel’s interior. This is why the lens is compact and lightweight in construction, better suited for close focusing distances.

Precise manual focusing is available through adjusting the lens’ focus ring. Its M/A mode switch easily overrides Auto-Focus system with no lag.

Pros 

Fast, inexpensive and compact FX-format telephoto lens with a fast f/1.8 aperture that excels at shooting HD video and stills video in low light.

Nikon Super Integrated Coating helps improve light transmission, color consistency and reduces flare.

Its 7-blade circular diaphragm helps the camera produce great-looking out of focus images when set at wider aperture settings.

Ultrasonic Silent Wave Motor Auto-Focus technology with Internal Focus system produces smooth, accurate and silent auto-focus when in use.

The lens is compact and lightweight in construction, better suited for close focusing distances. Precise manual focusing is available through adjusting the lens’ focus ring and easily overrides Auto-Focus system with no lag.

Cons

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Lens doesn’t have finely tuned image stabilization when compared to competitors. Auto-focusing issues may occur in certain shooting scenarios. up in images at certain settings.

The lens lacks enough range to shoot long distance subjects. It’s also limited in shooting scenarios where close focus is required.

Why Should You Buy Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Lens?

If you want an inexpensive mid-range telephoto lens for shooting portraits and other scenarios, this lens is great for that. Its internal elements make for a finely tuned lens that probably won’t be coming off your camera anytime soon. It’s not the best lens for all scenarios, but it performs incredibly well in most.

Those who are just getting serious about photography will definitely be doing themselves a favor by making this lens their first choice.

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