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Lens
Test: 80-200mm f-2.8 zooms
Tokina 80-200mm f-2.8
AT- X Pro AF. Available mounts: Canon EOS, Minolta Maxxum, Nikon AF (D)
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-2.8. Minimum
f-22-32
Angle of view: 34-12 degrees
Construction: 17 elements in 14 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 6 ft
Zooming: Rotation
Length: 7.2 inches
Diameter: 3.4 inches
Filter size: 77mm
Weight: 49 Oz
Accessories: Lens hood, hard case
Test: Crinkle
finish and black with gold ring around the front of the lens. Solid feel and a bit heavy.
Lens includes a tripod collar. Both the zoom ring and focusing rings are rubberized,
damped and turn smoothly. A focus clutch mechanism lets you pull the focusing ring towards
you for manual focusing. Autofocus is very fast. Lens produced crisp images at 80mm and
f-2.8 with slightly soft edges. At f-4 corners were improved with edge to edge sharpness
at f-5.6. Images were razor sharp between f-8 and f-22. At 100mm lens performed flawlessly
at all apertures with no noticeable loss of sharpness. At 135mm results were similar to
100mm setting with only a slight loss of corner sharpness at f-2.8 and f-4. Lens produced
clear images at 200mm and f-2.8 with some loss of sharpness in center and corners. At f-4
lens is improved with very sharp results at f-5.6. Best results were between f-8 and f-11,
very good at f-16 and good at f-22. Lens balances very nicely and very comfortable to
operate. Images were very contrasty at all focal lengths.
Verdict: Very
fast and sharp. Undoubtedly the best buy in its class. Lens is solid and well built. A
built-in lens hood would have been much better. Autofocus is very fast and accurate with
easy manual focusing. It is comfortable to work with but handholding the lens is difficult
due to its built-in tripod collar and weight. Lens needs minor improvements at 200mm
setting and f-2.8. A pro quality lens covering short to medium telephoto range with fast
constant f-2.8 aperture costing much less than camera brand 80-200mm f-2.8 models.
Overall Performance:
80mm: excellent 100mm: excellent 135mm excellent 200mm: very good
verdict: 18/20
Note: lens was not
tested at f-32
From Amazon.com
Tokina 80-200mm f/2.8 AT-X 828 AF
PRO Auto Focus Zoom Lens
Amazon.com
Product Description
This is a model built to professional specifications and
is based on the AT-X 828AF optical system. Tokina has utilized coating
changes in the optical system and the unique floating element system
separately focuses the first three and last two elements in the forward
lens groups. This provides uniformly high image quality from infinity to
close focus. The new exterior finish improves overall handling and
durability. A focus clutch mechanism further assures top performance
during auto and manual focusing. |
Sigma 70-210mm f-2.8
APO AF EX HSM. Available mounts: Canon EOS,
Nikon AF (D), Sigma. Also Minolta Maxxum and Pentax AF without HSM.
Specifications:
Aperture range: Maximum f-2.8. Minimum f-22
Angle of view: 30-12 degrees
Construction: 17 elements in 11 groups
Minimum focusing distance: 5.9 ft
Zooming: Rotation
Length: 7.2 inches
Diameter: 3.3 inches
Filter size: 77mm
Weight: 47.2 Oz
Accessories: Lens hood, hard case
Test:
Beautifully made and rock solid. All black with gold ring in front. Lens includes a
removable tripod collar. Autofocus is very fast and quiet by using HSM (hypersonic motor).
Heavy but very comfortable to work with. Zoom ring is very damped and turns smoothly.
Large grippable manual focus ring is also damped and smooth. Lens produced razor sharp
images at 70mm and f-2.8. No loss of image quality was visible at f-4. Lens produced
superb results between f-5.6 and f-22. Set at 100mm, images had corner to corner at all
f-stops. Optimum performance was at f-11. At 135mm lens continued producing crisp images
at all f-stops with no visible loss of sharpness. At 210mm, only a slight loss of corner
sharpness was noticeable with crisp edges at f-4. Between f-5.6 and f-16, images were very
sharp in center and corners. Images were very contrasty at all focal lengths. Lens
balances very and feels very solid.
Verdict: One
of the sharpest lenses I have seen. A superb lens from Sigma that can rival more expensive
models. I liked its large focusing ring and very quiet autofocus. You can remove the
tripod collar for handholding the lens, but for best results lens should be used on a
tripod. Lens can be used with Sigma's 1.4X and 2X APO converters (not tested). The only
thing I wish this lens had is a built-in hood. I see no reason spending more on a camera
manufacturers 80-200mm f-2.8 when you can get this Sigma for lower price.
Overall Performance:
70mm: excellent 100mm: excellent 135mm: excellent 210mm: excellent
verdict: 19/20
From Amazon.com
Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX HSM Lens
Sigma's has been known the world over for their innovative design, ease of
use and for the excellent results that their zoom lenses produce - this
offering is no exception. The new 70-200mm f2.8 EX APO IF HSM lens features
an apochromatic optical design and four elements composed of Special Low
Dispersion (SLD) glass for high image contrast, resolution and color
saturation. For optimum performance in just about any photographic
situation, an internal focusing system means that the front barrel does not
rotate during focusing. For stability and the use of specialty filters, This
internal focusing system is a must. The internal zooming mechanism allows
the lens length to remain constant during zooming. Sigma's new Hyper Sonic
Motors (H.S.M.) provide silent, responsive autofocus action with both Canon
and Nikon AF SLR cameras. The H.S.M. feature also permits manual adjustment
of focus without the necessity of switching off the autofocus function.. The
Focus Free mechanism keeps the manual focus ring from spinning when the
camera is auto-focusing. The 70-200mm f2.8 EX APO IF HSM is fully compatible
with both the Sigma AF 1.4X and 2X APO EX Tele-converters. The new dedicated
1.4x APO Tele-converter features a high performance 5 element/3 group
optical design, and it is optimized for use with long telephoto and
tele-zoom lenses.
For Canon
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For Konica Minolta
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For Pentax
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For Nikon
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Do you want some
great bargains?
Equipment I test are either borrowed, demos at camera stores (used outside the store),
rental, or purchased. I look for bargains on used and new products. When I find a
good deal, I purchase the camera or lens for testing and my own pleasure. I then auction
the camera and lens on line for the price I paid. I only purchase used equipment that are
in very good condition or brand new cameras and lenses at reduced price. If you like, you
can fill out the form below to have your name added to my list of buyers. When I'm done
testing an equipment, I will e-mail you prior to listing it for auction. I will include
the minimum price and the condition of the camera or lens as well as page URL so you can
see the picture and more detail information on the equipment . If you like to purchase the
equipment, you must e-mail me within 48 hours and include the maximum price you are
willing to pay. Please note that I will only respond to the highest bidder which is kept
confidential. Only the highest bidder will receive an e-mail. I have purchased both used
and new equipment at very low prices. For example, I bought a Tokina 80-400mm f-5.6, brand
new on sale for less than half price at an electronic store that was going out of
business: A Tamron 28-300mm f-3.8-5.6 Super demo model in excellent condition on clearance
also at half price. Some short zooms I have tested here, were purchased in a trade show at
unbelievably low prices. I do not have bargain cameras and lenses at all times
and can't tell you what I may have in the future.
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