waro52's reviews

  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    it's fast, price, size
    soft wide open

    This is a nice lens overall. Yeah, it's soft @ f1.4, but my particular lens is not as bad as I expected from reading all the reviews. Stop it down to f4 or smaller and it is incredibly sharp, contrasty with very nice color. Great for shots of basketball in difficult lighting on a 40D. Focus ring has a little more play than I'd like, definitely not L quality, but if you need that, get the f1.2.

    reviewed December 29th, 2008 (purchased for $300)
  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    sharpness, awesome image quality, size and weight
    it's white

    This lens is awesome. Canon nailed it on every front. Incredibly sharp and contrasty at all apertures. Fast focus, with no hunting. It balances nicely on a 40D and you can carry it around all day without a neck ache. This is becoming my favorite lens. I really think it is as sharp as any of my primes and the IS is the icing on this delicious cake.

    reviewed December 29th, 2008 (purchased for $1,125)
  • Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    L quality all around
    price, size

    Another winner from Canon. It makes a great normal lens for a 1.6x camera. Sharp and contrasty wide open. I love the low light capabilities of this lens. Almost makes flash unnecessary, almost. Very quick focus and superb construction. Duh, it's an L series. The vignetting others talk about is an extremely minor concern for my type of photography (indoor sports) and has not made any shot a tosser. It is big and heavy for a 35, but it balances nicely on a 40D, and it is an f/1.4 so weight is a small price to pay for the pictures its speed allows you to take. All in all, this lens will not disappoint you if you have money to burn.

    reviewed December 31st, 2008 (purchased for $1,100)
  • Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    IQ, focusing speed,
    none

    I get more keepers with this macro than any other macro I have owned (50mm f2.5 canon and a nice old Zuiko). Fast focus, incredibly sharp at f/5.6 and good working distance make this a fun lens. The build quality is not at L quality but then, neither is the price. I played around with canon's 180L. The 180 is too heavy and I could not see an appreciable increase in image quality over this lens. I love this lens. It make day hiking an adventure both ways. On the way up to a lake I have on a 17-40 for scenics. On the way back this lens allows you to focus on flowers and insects. I used to put the camera away on the way home. No more.

    reviewed December 31st, 2008 (purchased for $485)
  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    sharpness, contrast, color fidelity, Canon L quality
    weight

    Another awesome 70-200 zoom from Canon. I think this lens is sharper than my f4 IS version, which is incredible. For indoor sports it focuses quickly with no mircoadjustment needed on either of my bodies. The only bummer is it's weight. Small price to pay for the images it produces.

    reviewed November 12th, 2012 (purchased for $2,200)