SETI's reviews
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Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro
5 out of 10 points and not recommendedSize, Macro capabilityToo hard images ! Macro images are too flat and expressionlessI got that lens after reading so much positive reviews in our magazines. I was greatly disappointed because of harsh pictures. Avoid to shoot mid-aged women with that lens =) All skin deffects will be visible twice strong !
reviewed April 26th, 2007 (purchased for $400)
Sold it with a great pleasure.
Thank you ! -
Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightwight, size, sharp, cheapno for that priceI got that baby in 2005 right after purchasing Nikon D50. All that I can say - it's very very good deal ! For a bargain price you get quite big range of focal length. The lens was very sharp... maybe I got a true Sigma ? =) I sold it some time ago, but still like the images produced by 18-125.
reviewed April 26th, 2007 (purchased for $275)
Thank you -
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 SP AF
7 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight, sharp, non-expensive, amazing bokeh !chromatic aberrations, slow focusGot it for my old D50. Great... portrait lens =))) Macro is good too, but it's 9 rounded aperture blades makes very expressive images !
reviewed April 26th, 2007 (purchased for $400)
It's weak point is ability to catch CAs ! I had even long correspondence with Tamron about it and they tried to tell me that it's impossible. I had change it to another and got same problems (tried it at my D200 too). So... I sold it =)
Also AF is slow... So, I can recommend it as a portrait lens with good macro included =) -
Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor
8 out of 10 points and recommendedPrice !!! Aperture ! Size, weightsoft at 1.8, yellow castChanged 3 of them =) Tried to get sharpness at 1.8. Good if you have only 100$. At f4 is extremally sharp ! Don't know what to add... it costs that 100$... maybe even 120 =)
reviewed April 26th, 2007 (purchased for $100)
Thank you. -
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM
10 out of 10 points and recommendedGreat image quality, close and fast focusing, really wide angle, bargain pricedistorsionsFirst wide-zoom was Tokina 12-24. I didn't like it because of great CA and awfull corner softness. So I got Nikkor 12-24. That was good in distorsions but had soft spot in right side at 12-18mm. I changed it and new one had soft right/down corner. So I gave it back and bought Sigma 10-20. The photo quality is REALLY same like Nikkor and better than Tokina. Wider angle, good built, close focusing and very nice color rendition. Distorsions and vignetting are not a problem for my Photoshop =)
reviewed July 16th, 2007 (purchased for $600) -
Nikon 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro Nikkor
10 out of 10 points and recommendedSharp !!! Exellent bokehNot so fastGreat lens. I use it for portraits and have exellent results ! Sharpest lens I ever had. Not so fast, don't have VR, but it's hard to unmount it from my body =)
reviewed July 16th, 2007 (purchased for $465) -
Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF DX AF-S Nikkor
5 out of 10 points and not recommendedNo distorsions, vignettingprice, built qualityFirst one had soft spot in the right side at 12-18mm. Got another from service with soft corner ! Got money back and bought Sigma 10-20 with no problems. So bad quality for so big money... Test it very thoroughly !
reviewed July 16th, 2007 (purchased for $1,100) -
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor
6 out of 10 points and not recommendedLightweight, price, size, VRImage quality is so-so, cheap plasticI don't like this lens. The images are very "cheap"-looking. Even my vacation Nikkor 70-300G can match with it. I'm sad I have sold my 70-300 VR... I tried it on my D200 and D70s and the results are very same. Thanx
reviewed August 15th, 2007 (purchased for $400) -
Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF AF Nikkor
10 out of 10 points and recommendedImage quality, build quality, macroLittle bit soft at 24mm/f2.8It's my second 24-85/2.8-4 lens. I sold the first in order to upgrade to 17-55mm/f2.8. After I saw the picture of 17-55, I sold it and got that new again =) There's no rivals for this. Great picture, beautyful bokeh and outstanding macro... it's all in one lens =) Made in Japan
reviewed December 30th, 2007 (purchased for $580) -
Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF DX AF-S Nikkor
7 out of 10 points and recommendedAll but picturepicture is dull, priceToo much said about that lens, so I just wanna say that I don't like it's dull picture. It's not a portrait lens for me. But ideal for journalists.
reviewed December 30th, 2007 (purchased for $1,650) -
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 ASPH LUMIX G
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight, sharp, fastnoNo doubts it's good lesson for all competitors. "That's what I call the lens" =) Small, sharp and fast. Very good, contrast images ! BTW colors from my G1 + 20mm much better than for my D700 and 5D, I mean without processing. And in spite of 2x crop I like it's pictures more than from Canon and Nikon 1,5 crops.
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $500)
Amazing little jewel !
You can see some of my shots here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photodrug/sets/72157622881853782/ -
Panasonic 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH MEGA OIS LUMIX G VARIO
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight, sharp, versatile, stabilized !!!noNot much to say - one of the best kit lens I ever saw. 28-90 equivalent of 35mm - very versatile. I love 28mm wide lens and 85-135 portrait lens, so that's what I mean. Of course forget about bokeh =)
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $400) -
Panasonic 45-200mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS LUMIX G VARIO
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight, sharp, stabilized !!!noI always shoot in RAW and never have any problems with this lens. Yes, it can't create that POP images that can do 70-200/2.8 from both Canon and Nikon, but it's not that lens aim. It's just the best coupling with my G1 for street and candid shots ! Rotating LCD and 90-400mm is all what I could ever dream !
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $450) -
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight,lighting fast AF,sharpnoWith no doubts it's the best Canon price/quality lens. Great bokeh included =)
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $360) -
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
6 out of 10 points and not recommendedCheapall otherIt's not bad bayonet cover, but I had never see more harsh images from other primes.
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $120) -
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
10 out of 10 points and recommendedFocusing distance,AF speed,bokehnoThe best Canon L !!! No need in words
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $1,500)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photodrug/sets/72157615975932888/ -
Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
8 out of 10 points and recommendedOptics quality, sharp,very special picturebuild qualityGreat lens, but I can't understand why Canon can't control quality. In 3 months I got loosy focus ring. And it's not the one problem from my L lenses... very sad =(
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $1,100) -
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
9 out of 10 points and recommendedSharp, stabilized, fast AFharsh bokehPerfect lens for journalism or studio works. Amazing focusing speed. Good contrast. No bokeh =)
reviewed January 27th, 2010 (purchased for $1,100) -
Olympus 14-150mm f/4-5.6 ED M.Zuiko Digital
10 out of 10 points and recommendedLightweight, sharp,smallno sunshadeI have Panasonic GH2 kit with 14-140mm lens and have read a lot of positive opinions about that lens. Now I can compare panasonic and oly and want to say that I like Olympus 14-150mm more but only for still pictures. Sharpness is noticeable better especially on the long end. So I can recommend it to all who want light and versatile lens.
reviewed March 12th, 2011 (purchased for $500)
Best regards. Dmitry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photodrug/ -
Panasonic 14-140mm f/4-5.8 ASPH MEGA OIS LUMIX G VARIO HD
7 out of 10 points and recommendedSilent work,good construction,sunshadesoft,priceGreat lens for video ! Absolutely silent, fast. But not as good for still pictures - need to use f/9 to achieve best results
reviewed March 12th, 2011 (purchased for $700)
Best regards. Dmitry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photodrug/