Sony SAL55200 - telephoto zoom lens - 55 mm - 200 mm F/4.0-5.6

Great affordable lens, but make sure you get it with VR!

Advantages: Excellent lens with many features. VR gives sharp shots even at long focal lengths. Smooth focus.
Disadvantages: For the price, none that I can think of. I am happy that I brought one.

If you are looking for a starter telephoto lens for your Nikon dSLR then look no further. This 55-200mm lens is ideal for wildlife or sports shots (equivalent to 90-300mm zoom because of 1.5x conversion factor), or other outdoor activities. Now the version I have is the AF-S IF-ED VR one, which basically means it has a quiet auto focus motor built in, internal focusing (meaning the thread you attach filters to will not twist), superior optics and vibration reduction. This makes it especially feature packed for its price, and VR is very helpful at the longer focal lengths. Basically with VR you can use this lens hand-held and at long focal lengths, but still get sharp shots. You can also shoot in dimmer light as you can get away with a slower shutter speed. This makes it a perfect lens for a beginner or enthusiast. Lens optics are ...

RossUK1 22.02.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Nikon Zoom-Nikkor telephoto zoom lens - 55 mm - 200 mm F/4.0-5.6

Sigma AF 70-300mm f4-f5.6 APO DG Macro

Advantages: Decent quality on a budget but only for APS-C digital SLR's.
Disadvantages: Really quite poor when used with full-frame digital SLR's.

of good quality. I don't know if it is simply a variation between samples but my own APO version appeared to have somewhat 'smoother' zooming than my friend's non APO one. As usual for Sigma, a decent lens hood (barrel type) and a soft case are included in the package. The lens sports a 58mm filter thread, so filters are relatively inexpensive to purchase. Being of more 'ordinary' status in the Sigma hierarchy, this AF 70-300mm f/4-f/5.6 DG APO Macro, has none of the more elaborate 'bells and whistles' evident on the more expensive EX range. What does this mean? Well, you don't get Sigma's superb HSM (Hypersonic Motor) AF (auto-focusing) for near silent and very fast AF, resulting in a somewhat more unsophisticated, noisy (although not overly so) and slightly 'harsh' action. It still works well however! Also, you get no FTM (full time manual ...

davecham 29.12.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Sigma telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

A must have lens for any photographer

Advantages: A lens for all photographers
Disadvantages: none

This is a great lens and will suite most amateur photographers needs. The detail and sharpness even at full zoom is fantastic even when hand held. The lens itself is light but feels very ruggedly built and is constructed of high quality glass which you would normally only find in more expensive lenses. Tamron have produced a lens that is not going to break the bank to buy and is not going to give you aches and pains carrying it around all day. I took some shots of a jackdaw in the distance and the sharpness of the image it captured was far more than i was expecting. It comes complete with a close up setting which although some would say it is not true macro it does give you the option to get a close up shot. Which is more than good enough for what i need. I have taken this in my camera bag for an all day nature walk i had planed ...

falcon1959 12.07.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Tamron A17 - telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6