Powerdoc's reviews

  • Tamron 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di LD IF SP AF

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp, well build, easy to handhold
    no USM, no IS

    This lens is a true alternative to the bigma. it's very sharp on both the 20 D and the 5D from 100 to 400, and it's sharp at 500, even if you need to stop down for increasing the sharpness in the corners. The maximum chromatic abberation is encountered at 500 mm, but it's not that bad.

    It's well build, easy to handhold (1200 g), have a not so bad AF (but not USM). The zoom ring, and the MF ring are smooth. If you want something sharper at 500 than this zoom, you have to take a prime.

    reviewed February 9th, 2006 (purchased for $1,200)

  • Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX DG HSM APO

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Optical quality, AF, build quality, internal focusing, hold well the 1,4 TC
    a little soft wide open at 300

    I tried this lens on several cameras : 10 D, 20 D and 5D. It's sharp at all aperture and focal lenght except wide open at 300 where it's a little soft.
    So at 300 mm, I will recomand to stop down at F5,6 or more.
    It hold well the 1,4 TC if you stop down at F8 at 420 mm.
    The build quality is superb, the lens is a little bit heavy, the internal focusing and zooming is great. The AF is on par with the best USM from Canon.
    This is a very nice lens, but I would recommand to use a monopod with it. It's one of the best sigma zoom

    reviewed February 14th, 2006 (purchased for $1,500)

  • Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Optical quality
    Slow and noisy AF

    This lens is very sharp, well build. It only lack USM.

    reviewed February 16th, 2006 (purchased for $450)

  • Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Professional tool with oustanding IQ

    IQ wise this lens is great even wide open.
    Still great with the TC 1,4
    just good with the TC 2 (but a bit better on the 5D, than the 20 D)
    The AF is fast (just average with the TC2 : you should limit the AF range here)
    The build quality is fantastic
    You can handhold it , but not during minutes.
    The IS is a fine improvement especially in this focal range.

    This lens is one of the best 300 mm lens, and one of the best canon lenses. Wide open it's the sharpest of nearly all canon lenses.

    reviewed August 17th, 2006 (purchased for $6,000)

  • Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Very good IQ : one of the best for a 35 1;4 mm on an APS camera.
    nothing

    This is a must have lens, on the X pro 1. It's very sharp wide open, and good from center to corners at F2,8 and smaller aperture. The bokey is very nice.
    The AF is rather fast (for the X pro 1 camera).
    Highly recommended.

    reviewed June 8th, 2012 (purchased for $500)

  • Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    very good IQ at avery aperture at the center.
    Purple fringing, the corners are never as good as the center

    It's not a landscape lens, at least, if you want to print at A2 or larger.
    It's a very good lens for street photography.
    It's the fastest AF lens in the current FX line.
    The bokey is very nice, and it's very sharp at the center even wide open.

    reviewed June 8th, 2012 (purchased for $500)

  • Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.4 R Macro

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Outstanding Image quality
    slow AF , only 1/2

    IQ wize, it's the best lens for the XP . Sharpness is incredible, bokey is very nice, there is no AC, no vignetting and no geometrical distortion.
    It's a flawless lens.
    The only cons is that i's only 1/2 , and the AF is rather slow (quite normal, for a macro lens)

    reviewed June 8th, 2012 (purchased for $500)