dennisc's reviews

  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp pictures for a 'very affordable' lens
    focusing ring is very loose - difficult to hold focus

    Like nearly everyone else's report, this is a cheap lens...and it is very sharp.

    Definitely recommended for users on a budget and looking for a lot of returns on investment.

    Great lens for portaits but watch out for overexposure on your backgrounds when shooting in bright outdoors.

    Another good use for this lens is to shoot still life, provided your subjects are not too small. Food shots and daily products do well with this lens.

    So what are you waiting for? Pop down to your local camera store and pick one up today. You won't feel cheated with this one.

    reviewed December 14th, 2006 (purchased for $80)

  • Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    The widest lens available for cropped sensor cameras
    Pricey

    This is THE wide angle lens for a Canon cropped sensor camera if you own one.

    Can't recall how many times this lens has saved me from a 'tight' situation.

    Event photographers will benefit from this lens when the location space gets limited.

    Weddings also benefit from the wide angle effect presented by this lens.

    This lens will also give you a very good perspective view if you are shooting buildings and interiors.
    Also great for making small spaces look bigger than they actually are. Real estate agents will engage your services for this.

    The one thing to look out for is the distortion effect on faces at the edges. Much as I am aware about it, it is very difficult to detect the distortion on the little viewfinder in the camera.

    Then again, if you need to get the job done, shoot first and figure out later how to solve the problem in Photoshop...

    Get it if you need it and don't worry about the picture quality because it is about as good as it can get.

    reviewed December 14th, 2006 (purchased for $700)

  • Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Image stabilizer
    Not wide enough on a cropped sensor body

    The choice between this lens and the EF-S17-85 is a tough one if you are shopping for a decent zoom.

    I chose this lens over the other because it is cheaper, has a longer tele end and works on full frames. Plus I already have the EF-S 18-55 kit lens so there is no point repeating the focal lengths.

    So what is this lens good for?

    It is good for covering stage events when you can't get too close. Yes, it doesn't go very wide on a cropped sensor body but it you need the coverage, just take a few steps behind...

    It is also good for portrait shots. Get the white balance correct and the skin tones will come out perfect.

    This lens is also good for covering field events especially if there is good light. This lens is a bit slow on the tele end but with enough daylight, it will actually do its job.

    In brief, a nice lens to have but not an essential one unless you see a great bargain for it...

    reviewed December 14th, 2006 (purchased for $570)

  • Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    Good and cheap
    Poor construction

    This lens came as part of my camera kit and it was hard to say no to it. Though I did try but the shop owner didn't want to take it in...

    Anyhow, no regrets. Definitely no.

    You want to travel light, you put this lens on.
    You want a very usable range of focal lengths, you put this lens on.
    You don't want to attract too much attention, you also put this lens on.
    You want a good return on investment, you definitely want to keep this lens!

    Sure, the image quality is no 'L' standard but it is good enough to sell and impress more than half the population.

    This lens is good for events especially parties and weddings. You can get good group photos and close ups without changing lenses. Tip - stop down the lens to f/7.1 and you get a good DOF and sharpness for group photos.

    This lens is also great for travelling. It is light and short so you can actually pack your camera kit in a waist pouch.

    Another tip - the focus ring is another loose one, so I'd use the autofocus most of the time. Using manual focusing is a real pain.

    I like this lens and I don't mind picking up another unit as a spare. As you already know, the construction makes us wish it was a wee bit better and I am really afraid I am going to break mine someday.

    reviewed December 14th, 2006