tamd50's reviews

  • Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED DX AF-S Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Cheap, Very Good image Quality
    Build quality not great, Rotating front element

    In my opinion this lens deserves some respect. It gets bashed too many times (often by camparison to its big brother the 18-70mm kit lens). I own both the kit lenses and hence say that this is a good lens that holds up very well against the 18-70mm

    The Good:
    1> This lens is cheap. At $125 US its a bargain.
    2> Very good optical quality. For its price point the lens delivers very good images. Photos are sharp, have good color and contrast. Distortion and Purple fringing (Chromatic abberations) are well controlled.
    3> Its light/compact so very easy to carry around.
    4> It has the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) making autofocus fast and quiet.
    5> 52mm filter thread means filters are inexpensive.

    The Bad (or as I like to call it "the not so good")
    1> Build quality feels a little poor.
    2> It has a plastic mount, so more chances of wearing out the mount if you change lenses very often
    3> Front element rotates while focusing which means that circular polarizing, GND etc.. filters will have to be re-adjusted after focusing.

    Inspite of the few above mentioned shortcomings, you have to realize that the shortcomings are really a compromise to offer good image quality at a very affordable price point.
    If you are a beginner, the lens is a no-brainer. I would even recommend this lens to amateur/ serious hobbyist who are looking for a good lens at an affordable price point.

    reviewed November 21st, 2006 (purchased for $125)

  • Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Excellent image Quality, Cheap, Fast (f/1.8)
    AF is a bit noisy

    This lens is the gratest bargain offered by Nikon. Amazing image quality at a very affordable price point.

    The GOOD
    1> At $100US this is a must have for any Nikon user
    2> Fast f/1.8 comes in very handy when shooting in low-light. I take a lot of pictures indoors and this lens never fails to deliver. Wide aperture also gives very shallow depth of field.
    3> Excellent image quality. Photos are sharp with good color and contrast.
    4> Compact/light so easy to carry around
    5> Front element does NOT rotate.
    6> 52mm filter thread means inexpensive filters

    The Not so Good
    1> AF is noisy. After using Nikon's Silent Wave Motor Lenses this lens seems loud when focusing.

    I'd recommend this lens to any Nikon DSLR user at any level. Lens is great for portraits, anything indoors and anything that will require a shallow depth of field.

    Too bad Nikon has dicided to discontinue this little gem. I hope they replace it with one with the Silent Wave Motor. Wouldn't that be fantastic :-) !

    reviewed November 21st, 2006 (purchased for $100)