AlainD's reviews

  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    cheap cheap cheap - at $65 what can I say. Fun to play for DOF, low light
    none at that price. But check your copy for front/back focusing issues

    was told this was a must have given the price, and sure is. Even though I have a sigma 18-200 on my Xt most of the time, I always take this little gem in case I need low light shooting. Granted I don't use it much...

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $70)

  • Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    cheap - good for figuring out what range you use. Decent stoped to F8-10. Light weight
    cheap! very soft wide open

    This lens is actually pretty decent stopped to F8-10 so it works well in good light. Wide open it very soft compare to say a Sigma 135-400, btu so much lighter and compact (fit into small over the sholder bag, while the sigma is big).

    I bought this lens for not much (with rebate on XT) to figure out what range I needed, and got some very decent shots out of it. It is actually better than people make it sound.

    I now know I need a 400-500+ range.
    Not a bad entry level lens

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $75)

  • Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

    4 out of 10 points and recommended
    kit lens can be cheap addition to body only
    too short a range. Feels like a toy. Need to be stopped down.

    I have the regular (non USM) version. Getting it on the my 300D then later on the 350D as the additional cost was something like $40-50, and it's a ok lens to gets started and see what works.

    at $100+ I would save my money and get a Sigma 17-70 or 18-200 (which I have - havn't used kit in a year)

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $40)

  • Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    love the range. My everyday walkaround lens. very compact travel. better than kit
    noisy AF, soft wide open but good stopped down 1 stop (no surprise given 11x zoom)

    I absolutely love this lens - it's on my camera 99% of the time. very compact when I travel (along with 50mm f1.8). Kit just never had enough reach for me and felt liek a toy.

    This lens is relatively heavy for it's size (balance 350D nicely) and feels and looks good with supplied hood.

    Picked this over the tamron 18-200 for the sharper center (but worse on edges), and non rotating front, and was cheaper used.

    great lens. figure I'll use it for a while and see what range I use the most then upgrade, but I can't seem to depart with it...

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $220)

  • Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 Aspherical APO

    5 out of 10 points and not recommended
    cheap, reach
    very stiff zoom ring, 135 not very wide

    I had this lens for only about a week (bought used and returned it) as mine had a bad back focusing issue (so check for that!), but also the zoom ring is VERY stiff and couldn't use it on the field easily with just 1 hand while holding on a monopod for sport.

    The pictures are pretty soft wide open at 400mm (expected for the price) but get better stopped 1 or 2 down. but much better at 300mm than the cheapo canon 75-300mm which also have (quite a size difference though!)

    All depends on how much you want to spend.
    The next up were a lot more money (like 3x).

    Looking at tokina 80-400 which is much more compact as well and wider end, which I need. We'll see.

    reviewed January 12th, 2007