frances's reviews
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Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
9 out of 10 points and recommendedrange and sharpnessheavyI use this lens on a 20D. I bought it to go on safari aabout 18 months ago and I have to say it takes wonderfully sharp pictures, with good depth, color and contrast. The push pull is cumbersome at first, but I am used to it now. For me the focus ring is too close to the zoom tightening ring and in the excitement of the finding the target and locking on, I sometimes get confused and turn the wrong one, which wastes precious time. Still, when I manage to connect with the target, the images are sharp, contrasty and simply beautiful. Initially I bought the 28~300 and use it for about a year. I love that lens I was constantly comparing the 100~400 to it. The 28~300 takes sharper pictures so at first, I was a little disappointed in the 100~400, but this one can be used with the 1.4 extender beautifully on a tripod (it does lose AF abilities on the 20D) but it enables me to take great images of wildlife and birds that otherwisw would be out of reach. I am quite happt with this lens. I just wish it were lighter.
reviewed September 24th, 2007 (purchased for $1,600) -
Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM
10 out of 10 points and recommendedsharp, versatileheavyI have used this lens for about 2 and a half years now. It is wonderful. Sturdy construction and very sharp, contrasty images. I shoot a lot of nature and wildlife, and where the target is within close enough range, the images are superior to the 100~400 (which I also have) The push pull zoom operates smoothly. The build quality is excellent. It focuses quickly and quietly. Image stabilization works great. The only inconveniences that I have with this lens are the weight and the cost. It is heavier and more expensive than the 100~400, but the images are better. If I can take only one lens, this is it. I just wish Canon and Nikon were interchangeable. Then I could use this lens on the Nikon d200.
reviewed September 24th, 2007 (purchased for $2,400) -
Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor
9 out of 10 points and recommendedsturdy build quality, feels good in the hands, vr works well and photos are fairly sharpa little slowI bought the Nikon D40X and this lens because I wanted a really good vacation camera and lens. The problem with this combination is that when the lens is at max wide angle (16)and the camera's flash is used, a shadow is produced on the lower edge of the photo. This is corrected at 18 and does not recur at other angles.
reviewed November 25th, 2009 (purchased for $665) -
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
10 out of 10 points and not recommendedfast, sharpheavy, expensive, fixed tripod mountI rented this lens for a week and tried it out at every opportunity. The iq is simply awesome. I found the lens to be uncomfortable to handhold. I would have removed the tripod mount were it possible to do so, but I could not find a way. The focus ring is so large that I always had my hand on it, which is good for MF but not so for AF. I am so used to the flexibilty of my 100~400 that I much prefer it to the 300. I compared IQ of both lenses and find that, for my purposes, the 100~400 is my best option. I used the 300 with a 1.4 extender and was not happy with the results, but without the extender it was slightly sharper and clearer than my 100~400. I will continue to wait for Canon to update the 100~400 and hope that the new one will be as sharp as my old one.
reviewed March 4th, 2014