Excellent first telephoto lens.

Advantages: Light in weight for its size; ultra-fast focussing
Disadvantages: Faster lenses exist (at a price!); zoom range a modest x3

...I used one of these lenses on a 35mm camera for many years and now use it on my Canon 20D. It is light in weight, and, fitted with the essential but pricey lens hood, produces sharp, flare-free photos throughout the zoom range. It is easy to handle and allows manual focussing WITHOUT moving any switches to disengage the motor. In addition, the lens focusses so quickly as to be near-instantaneous and is also completely silent. The maximum aperature varies from a slow 4 to 5.6, which limits its use in dim lighting conditions, such as in a church or theatre. This is the price for the light weight design - a wider front glass makes a for a heavier, and far more costly, lens. The front of teh lens has a 58mm screw thread, allowing for teh easy attachment of a UV filter, which I would regard as essential to protect the front element...

happydadtoo 24.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Canon telephoto zoom lens - 100 mm - 300 mm F/4.5-5.6

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 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 review
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Review of Tamron A17 - telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

Great 2nd Lens

Advantages: Fast Focus, well built, reliable excellent performance all round
Disadvantages: Heavy, you will need a tripod

...As you may be gathering, I have been investing in camera stuff recently... This is the 2nd lens I bought for my camera which is excellent. It takes very good and sharp pictures all the way through and is not prone to glare, possibly due to the very large hood it comes with! The operation of the lens is very simple and fits on both the Sony a-mount as well as the Konica Minolta mount. Zooming is done through a large in the middle and if you are focusing manually it is through a front ring. Again there is no distance indicator for the focus ring but that is only useful for nerds as you will not be able to focus and measure distance at the same time unless you want to get a tape out to check! The longest zoom is at 300mm. Now bear in mind that digital SLR cameras have a "crop" factor in the majority of cases and the Sony a-100 has...

jtamagnini 21.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Sony SAL75300 - telephoto zoom lens - 75 mm - 300 mm F/4.5-5.6

Canon 75-300mm USM III - A good all-round lens but not perfect

Advantages: Speed, Appearance, Build quality, Price
Disadvantages: Picture quality at long focal distances

...I have read several positive reviews about the Canon 75-300mm USM III lens but I don't share other people's enthusiasm because it is not nearly as sharp as I would expect from a Canon lens. Of course, compared to the Canon L Series lenses, this is an incredibly inexpensive item and, in its defence, I do find that my Canon EOS 50D, with it's jam-packed 15mp APS-C sensor, is very difficult to marry up with a lense to get the most out of it (unless you are prepared to spend thousands). At the close end of the focal range, the picture is crisp and sharp but unfortunately this tails off quite noticeably as the lens is extended (as does the auto-focus accuracy) and I have even taken to focusing the lens manually when it is at full extent, using the camera's magnified live-view to ensure crisp results. It is also a little slow...

rabidbadger 01.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 USM MK III

Canon Lens

Advantages: Lightweight
Disadvantages: None

...This is a good quality lens that offers good value for money. It's a great lens for any canon enthusiast and incorporates plenty of features that I would highly recommend. This really is a wonderful piece of kit that should go well with many accessories because it really looks good. After using this product for a few months I have not so far come up against any reliability issues but only time will tell. I therefore would recommend the product. However, always think carefully as to whether you actually really need something before you buy it. We buy so many things nowadays that we don't really need. Product Features * Product Description: Canon EF telephoto zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm * Lens System: Telephoto zoom lens * Mounting Type: Canon EF * Lens Aperture: F/4.0-5.6 * Focal Length: 70 mm - 300 mm...

Nazuku 13.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Canon EF zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

Why 75-300mm?

Advantages: Great focusing length
Disadvantages: Price

...Why to chose Canon EF 75-300mm IS lens? Because is long, heavy and expensive. But seriously, the lens is suitable to use exclusively with Canon EOS range of cameras, SLR as well as DSLR (Digital SLR). It works with all new digital SLR including 20D and 30D, so if you use a compact Canon camera the lens is not for you! Canon tends to sell the SLR (or DSLR) cameras as a set including a lens. Usually the lenses included in the package aren't best quality, don't get me wrong, there isn't anything wrong with them but they are just basic lenses deprived of newest gizmos like IS, USB and so on? Currently Canon produces seven different lines of lenses to suite any job and pocket: • Fixed Focal Lenses; • Zoom Lenses; • Macro Lenses; • Diffractive Optical Lenses; • Image Stabilisation Lenses; • Tilt...

malekowie 05.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Canon EF zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm F/4.0-5.6

Canon

Advantages: Good Lens
Disadvantages: None

...This is a good quality product that offers good value for money in the very short term. Although as with most products of this type, the value will deteriorate over time and should be able to get a cheaper version next year. It's a great device with plenty of features that I would highly recommend. This really is a wonderful piece of kit that should go well with many accessories because it really looks good. After using this product for a few months I have not so far come up against any reliability issues but only time will tell. I therefore would recommend the product. However, always think carefully as to whether you actually really need something before you buy it. We buy so many things nowadays that we don't really need. Focal Length: 70 mm - 300 mm Lens Aperture: F/4.5-5.6 Optical Zoom: 4.3 x Magnification: 0.19 Image...

Nazuku 02.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Canon telephoto zoom lens - 100 mm - 300 mm F/4.5-5.6

Super Sigma

Advantages: Image quality. Consistent aperture. Internal zoom/focusing. Build. Great with converter.
Disadvantages: Needs a large (tall?) outfit bag. Quite heavy. Quite large.

...I purchased this lens a little over a year ago and it has never failed to impress me with it's superb image quality. This is a fairly large and heavy lens and comes with a sturdy rotating tripod collar. This is both useful and in my opinion, essential. Although this lens has a relatively fast maximum aperture of f/4, consistent throughout the zoom range, it IS heavy and has no image stabilisation, making it difficult to hand-hold and guarantee truly sharp results. I always use this lens attached to a sturdy Manfrotto tripod with heavy-duty head. Whenever possible - obviously only with static subjects - I always try to use mirror lock-up on my Canon 5D and 400D cameras while on a tripod to avoid any chance of vibration. I have carried out extensive testing of this lens and can confirm with confidence, that if unsharp results are...

davecham 26.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sigma EX telephoto zoom lens - 100 mm - 300 mm F/4.0

Great new breed of lens works with most new DSLRs

Advantages: Works with Canon, Nikon, Minolta & Pentax DSLRs.
Disadvantages: A bit slower on AF than other lenses.

...I was lucky enough to get my Nikon D70 with the 18-70mm lens kit before the rush started, but immediately needed a longer lens as I do a lot of astronomy and wildlife work. I started off with the Nikon 70-300mm lens, but a) I was never really happy with it anyway, and b) I had to carry two lenses and being stuck in a wheelchair, this was not helping much ! I started to look around for a decent quality, but low priced, all round lens which would do wide angle AND telephoto work. After a couple of false starts, I found the new Tamron 28-300mm lens at College Cameras for only £214, and that included a free Hoya UV filter. It arrived very promptly, and the 18-70mm and 70-300mm were sold on to fund the purchase - I actually ended up in credit as they were so much in demand at the time ! This is a crackingly good quality lens...

g8ina 25.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Tamron 28-300mm Ultra Zoom Lens XR