All Camera Lenses - About Our Brands


Canon

EOS digital SLRs are backed up by the worlds most comprehensive system of interchangeable lenses. From 14mm ultra wide angle to 600mm super telephoto, the 60+ lenses in the EF series cover all possible shooting requirements. See the world from new perspectives. Capture your vision through the eyes of EOS

Canon EF lenses incorporate an image stabiliser to prevent camera shake from spoiling the shot. This is particularly useful on close-ups or at slow shutter speeds, in situations where a tripod camera cannot be used. Optical shake is detected by gyro sensors which provide data to neutralise the shake. Some EF lenses have two IS modes, including one for panned shots to help you enjoy still greater photographic freedom.

Extender is Canons name for a teleconverter. These high-performance accessories multiply the effective focal length of an attached lens by 1.4x or 2x. For example, a 200mm lens with Extender 1.4x has an effective focal length of 280mm: with the Extender 2x, this increases to 400mm. Extenders are only compatible with selected EF lenses, including the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, EF 70-200mm f/4L, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM, EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM and fixed length L-series lenses of 135mm or higher.

Nikon

AF NIKKOR lenses work with Nikon SLRs for optimal performance, even the very latest. This series provides a broad selection of lenses to suit all applications, from wide-angle to telephoto, and includes DX, Zoom, Fisheye, Micro and fixed focal length NIKKOR lenses.

Minolta

24mm/f2.8 Good solid wide-angle lens. Fast internal focus, 55mm filter, flower-shaped bayonet lens hood.
28-135mm/f4-4.5 (discontinued) The secret handshake of dedicated Minolta users, this surprisingly sharp and contrasty zoom is a hot item on the used market. The slow maximum aperture and relatively poor close-focus ability (five feet) are the tradeoffs the designers made to allow this lens to perform extremely well, even wide-open. 72mm filter (but dont actually try to use normal 72mm filters below about the 40mm setting), fast internal focus, variable flare (mine seems fine, others have to use it carefully, and it wasnt designed to take a dedicated hood), no lens hood. Has a special macro mode that Ive never seen much point to, that gives you roughly 1:5.

  • f you want to fit a hood to this lens, you have two choices: buy a 72mm wide-angle rubber hood, which gives you a little protection at the 28mm setting and is completely useless at 135mm, or buy a 72-77mm step-up ring and a 77mm Hama zoom lens hood. Use it folded back at 28-35mm (you may get slight vignetting), at the official "wide" setting at 35-50mm, at the "normal" setting from 50-90mm, and at the "tele" setting from 90-135mm. [full review coming soon]

  • 28-70mm/f2.8 G Given the performance of the 28-135 mentioned above, my primary interest in this lens isnt the quality or the speed, but simply the ability to focus closer than five feet. I do expect higher quality, but thats a bonus; the real win is not having to elbow as many people out of my way when Im shooting casuals in a crowded room. 72mm filter, non-rotating front element, relatively slow AF.
  • 35-105mm/f3.5-4.5 (second version, discontinued) Small, light, inexpensive. Also a bit flat and prone to flare, but still capable of decent pictures when pointed at the right subject. 55mm filter, clip-on lens hood.
  • 50mm/f1.7 Lighter, cheaper, better-corrected, and with faster autofocus than the more expensive 50/1.4, this lens is the same incredible bargain that it is in every other line. 49mm filter, built-in lens hood. It has reportedly been discontinued recently, but with luck theyre just clearing out old inventory before introducing a new version.
  • 70-210mm/f4 (discontinued) The little brother of the 80-200/2.8, this is a better lens than the ones that replaced it. In looks it reminds me a lot of the 20-ounce beer cans my college roommates used to bring home most weeknights. Reasonable autofocus performance, good flare control, 55mm filter, clip-on lens hood, focuses down to 3.6 feet.
  • 80-200mm/f2.8 APO (old version) This is where I get to say "nyah, nyah" to Nikon users, because even the old version of this lens has a built-in tripod mount that can be rotated for shooting verticals. Of course, they get to laugh right back, because it only focuses down to six feet rather than the five feet that every other lens in this category is capable of. Reasonable autofocus performance, solid construction, 72mm filter, rotating front element, bayonet lens hood, excellent flare control. Depending on which reviews you believe, this is either optically just as good as everyone elses, or at least close enough to still produce professional quality, even wide-open. The newer version promises faster autofocus and a white finish.
  • 85mm/f1.4 (old version) This lens gets top marks from all who try it, including me. My first test roll was terrific, and Im looking forward to using it often. It balances well, is easy to focus manually, and is very, very sharp. 72mm filter, bayonet lens hood, non-rotating front element (recessed for excellent flare control).
  • Tamron 90mm/f2.8 Macro This lens costs $10 less than a Minolta 100/2 and $155 less than a Minolta 100/2.8 Macro, making it an excellent compromise if you want to shoot both portraits and close-ups while saving some money. Very sharp, terrific contrast, reasonable AF speed, and excellent flare control even without the hood, due to the deeply recessed (1.75 inches) front element. The focusing ring can be pushed forward to rotate freely when the camera is set to auto-focus, or pulled back for well-damped manual focus, and theres a focus-limiting switch at the 1:3 mark to reduce the "hunt" distance for AF. 55mm filter, bayonet lens hood, non-rotating front element.
  • 135mm/f2.8 (discontinued) My Christmas present to me, this hard-to-find lens comes highly recommended, and I ll be taking it out for a spin as soon as I get a chance. 55mm filter, non-rotating front element, built-in lens hood, internal focus, minimum focus distance about 3 feet.
  • 200mm/f2.8 HS APO The smallest of the sexy white lenses in Minoltas pro telephoto line, this fast, easy-to-handle lens is a superb performer wide-open, and is compatible with Minoltas dedicated 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. It has fast internal focus, takes a 72mm filter, and focuses down to five feet. Manual focus is smooth and easy. [full review coming soon]
  • 500mm/f8 Reflex I picked this up cheap, in suspiciously immaculate condition. I think it had been mounted on a body once by the previous owner. Internal filter (clear and 4x neutral density supplied), autofocuses with central sensor only (on some bodies) and hunts more than a bit even then, minimum focus 13 feet. [full review coming soon]

Leica

Leica s high-performance lenses are all made, by hand, at Leicas main factory in Solms near Wetzlar, Germany. They represent the fruit of many years of experience in optics and precision mechanics and are produced using unique technologies, high-quality materials and the commitment and craftsmanship of expert staff. Only they can deliver true Leica quality to your images. The Leica Summarit-M lenses are new affordable lenses, based on a proven classic design, while lenses like the LEICA SUMMICRON-M f/2 28 ASPH. and the LEICA SUMMICRON-M f/2 75 ASPH. are at the cutting edge of optical performance and represent the best possible kit for the M8 user.

Olympus

ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses meet the high demands of digital SLR photography providing edge-to-edge sharpness and high light utilisation.
They feature near telecentric optics for high image quality. Based on the Four Thirds standard they feature bright, compact and lightweight design.

The standard lenses are ideal for all-round applications for advanced amateurs and ambitious hobby users. They are special dedicated digital lenses with a near telecentric design for perfect image quality. For all needs, the perfect lens can be offered from a standard, telephoto & ultra zoom to a macro lens.

In addition to a near telecentric design, the pro lenses are also dust and splash proofed to meet the special requirements of professional use.
These high-performance models are robust and bright for a pros daily work.

The Top Pro lenses are designed for highest professional requirements. Big maximum apertures over the whole zoom range as well as dust & splash proof construction distinguish these lenses. They all contain ED glass elements for best edge-to-edge image quality. They are specially marked with a platinum ring round the front lens.

Pentax

PENTAX offers an extensive lineup of manual and autofocus wide-angle, standard, zoom, telephoto, and macro lenses for PENTAX DSLR cameras.

PENTAX wide-angle lenses provide a greater angle of view and allow more of the subject to be included in the frame. They are perfect for landscape shots or for adding depth to a shot.

PENTAX standard lenses are similar to the human eye in both angle of view and perspective, and produce shots with superb definition and a natural perspective.

PENTAX zoom lenses provide versatility, convenience, and performance in a compact lens. With a large assortment of zoom lenses to choose from, PENTAX has a zoom lens to meet your needs.

PENTAX telephoto lenses magnify the image and are suited for a variety of subjects including portraits, sports, and wildlife photography.

PENTAX macro lenses are perfect for extreme close-ups and provide a ratio up to 1:1 which produces negatives with true-to-life dimensions.

Contax

Like most photographers attracted to the Contax SLR system, the reputation of the Zeiss lenses was a major inducement to me. Many photographers seem to know of the attractiveness of the Zeiss / Contax SLR lenses, but far fewer know of the attractions of the Contax bodies. After having used this system for a while I actually have found that the bodies are as attractive as the lenses.

All of the Zeiss / Contax SLR lenses are designed by Zeiss in Germany. There are approximately 30 optics available, including five zooms, four special order lenses and three teleconvertors. You can compare this to Canon, which has about 50 optics in its lineup, including a number of lower grade lenses. The range of optics is actually larger than most people think. The only weakness is in long telephoto lenses. With the exception of two very expensive mirror lenses and a special order 600 mm lens, there is nothing over 300 mm in the line. As a practical matter, the Zeiss / Contax system is not very attractive for long telephoto photographers. Since I also use Canon equipment, I find that Canons strength in long telephotos complements the Contax system. Other than this, the range of quality lenses is a match for any other system. Presently, seven of the Zeiss / Contax optics are manufactured by Zeiss in Germany. All of the others are manufactured under a secretive arrangement by Kyocera in Japan. Kyocera also manufactures all of the Contax bodies.




Word Explanation
  • Type - Lens version or model
  • Lens - Lens focal length and designation
  • Optic - Optical construction in Elements/Groups.
  • Angle - Picture angle / coverage (PC lenses)
  • f/ - Minimum Aperture
  • Bl - Number of aperture blades, r = rounded diaphram opening
  • Close - Closest marked focus: normal setting / macro setting (m)
    Some lenses focus slightly closer than the closest marked distance
  • Macro - Maximum magnification: normal setting / macro setting or with matching macro acessory
  • Turn - Angle the focus ring turns from infinity to close / macro setting
  • Filter - Filter attachment size / Internal filter (mm)
    r - Filter rotates when focusing
    z - Filter rotates when zooming
    Rear - Rear bayonet filter
    Gel - Gelatine filter holder
  • Weight - Weight (g)
  • Diam - Diameter (mm)
  • Length - Length from mount and overall (mm)
  • Features
    CRC - Close Range Correction
    IF/RF - Internal Focus / Rear focus
    nAS - Number of Aspherical lenses
    nED - Number of ED lenses
    Tri - Built-in Tripod mount
    MA - Manual / Autofocus switch
    FL - Focus Limiter
    CPU - Chip number