Whats up guys? I am a bit excited about this post as this is going to be my first product review post. Recently I was diagnosed with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and as a result, had to get something to quench my craving. So I got myself a new Macro lens and since I am not at all good in taking macro photographs, I thought of taking some photos of the lens itself and make a new post. But before I begin, I should make this clear that, this is not a detailed, in-depth review of the lens with lots of stats, MTF charts and whatnot. You will find many such reviews online. I am just sharing my first impression as an amateur.
I got myself this lens only a couple of days back. I must thank Mr Prabir Bhattacharyya, a senior photographer, for accompanying me and giving me the final 'push' for buying this piece of glass. (He is a veteran bird photographer. You can take a look at his flickr link here) Though I am not skilled enough yet to take proper macro shots, I still got this lens for using it as a standard portrait/close up lens for taking photos of flower, food etc. (Plus at around 20k, I didn't have much to lose anyway :P ).
First things first, you get the following items inside the box- The lens and hood inside a nice cloth pack, warranty and instructions manual.
First impression of the lens appearance-
When I first hold the lens, I was happy due to its weight. Around 400 grams, its very easy to handheld and shoot. Although I must say, I was somewhat disappointed with the build quality. Although sturdy, the plastic used in the lens construction seems inferior to that used in the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AF-D. The supplied hood seemed somewhat better. The focusing ring is large and smooth with just the right amount of resistance. The only metal bit in the lens is the lens mount (thankfully)
The filter thread is 55mm and is plastic, just like the rest of the lens. The front element of the lens is deep inside the lens barrel (about 3.5-4 cms), which I believe is a good thing. You won't be able to scratch it easily while doing closeups. Plus if you add the hood, chances of the front element coming in contact with anything is remote (Unless you try to shoot macro of a snake and it decides to take a closer look at the front element ;))
Switching between AF and MF is done by shifting the focus ring. Pull the ring down for MF and push up for AF. At first it felt a bit cumbersome, but soon I got used to it . In fact now it seems a better option than to shift a tiny switch for AF/MF. However, it does seem that this may be more prone to dust. Also the focusing ring seems a bit wobbly. There is a focusing scale and DOF scale on the lens.
There is a focus limiter switch which I found invaluable. It allows to set focusing between 0.45 meter to infinity and between 0.29 meter and 0.45 meter It really increases the focus speed and accuracy of the lens, depending on the intended usage. The button is placed well and could be operated upon without removing the eye from the VF.
The front element doesn't rotate while focusing but it extends quite a lot (a good 4-5 centimeters). Thats one thing that should be kept in mind while shooting macros. The picture below may give a rough idea.
Handling and Performance
In the very limited time that I got to use the lens and from the few shots that I clicked, one thing I can say for sure, the lens is sharp. I don't know about FF cameras but in the APSC cameras, even the corner sharpness seems to be excellent.
One point I would like to mention here. Though it is a f2.8 lens, but the actual f value changes with magnification. At infinity focus its really f2.8. But as you begin to move closer to the subject, the f value also starts to increase and at its maximum magnification of 1:1, the actual f value comes to f5.6. Being a first time macro lens user, this confused me a lot and I was beginning to think that my copy is a defective one, until Google Baba came to my rescue. (I know mentioning this bit may look silly to seasoned macro shooters, but for first time users like me, it was very confusing.)
The minimum focusing distance of this lens is 11.4 inches. That may sound impressive, but the extension of the front element negates that advantage to a great extend. From my own little usage, the minimum working distance seems somewhere around 6-7 centimeters at full magnification. Whether that is enough for capturing critters and small insects is not known to me but I guess, a little longer than that is required (purely a guesswork there. I have seen people getting excellent results with lens reversals and Extension Tubes, so that can't really be an excuse for not getting good macro shots )
The output of the lens are really contrasty and the colors are punchy. I liked the output of the lens very much. Although not buttery smooth, the bokeh was pleasing and not too harsh on the eyes.
The downside of the lens is its AF. Its terribly slow and unpredictable. It failed to lock focus in some well lit conditions also. The focus limiter switch improves the AF ability to some extend, specially at the infinity end. The lack of VR definitely hurts at low light situations. If one has the budget, then he/she should definitely go for the VC version of the same lens. That lens offers some added advantages over this one at a little extra money. Also I missed the aperture ring that used to be there in the earlier versions of the same glass.
Sample Images
Like what everyone else does when they buy a new lens, I also took the usual headshots of unwilling friends and macro of a cigarette box. Sharing couple of them for you to see and decide the actual performance of the lens. They are not edited much apart from slight curves adjustment.
Conclusion
So after all this sh#$.. err.. facts and pictures, what is my final verdict? Lets look at the pros and cons once at one glance-
Pros- Its a definite Value for Money. You are getting a nice sharp macro lens for about the same price of a consumer grade zoom lens like the Nikkor 55-300. The performance (IQ wise) is great and the images look lovely without much effort in PP. Offers good magnification with reasonable working distance. Manual focusing is easy and comfortable with large focus through. Hood included in the package.
Cons- Not so great build quality. Front element extends quite a lot while focusing. AF is painfully slow and unpredictable.
So, in the end, considering everything, I personally believe its a good choice. At least for a beginner on a budget, you can't go wrong with this lens.
I got myself this lens only a couple of days back. I must thank Mr Prabir Bhattacharyya, a senior photographer, for accompanying me and giving me the final 'push' for buying this piece of glass. (He is a veteran bird photographer. You can take a look at his flickr link here) Though I am not skilled enough yet to take proper macro shots, I still got this lens for using it as a standard portrait/close up lens for taking photos of flower, food etc. (Plus at around 20k, I didn't have much to lose anyway :P ).
First things first, you get the following items inside the box- The lens and hood inside a nice cloth pack, warranty and instructions manual.
First impression of the lens appearance-
When I first hold the lens, I was happy due to its weight. Around 400 grams, its very easy to handheld and shoot. Although I must say, I was somewhat disappointed with the build quality. Although sturdy, the plastic used in the lens construction seems inferior to that used in the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AF-D. The supplied hood seemed somewhat better. The focusing ring is large and smooth with just the right amount of resistance. The only metal bit in the lens is the lens mount (thankfully)
The filter thread is 55mm and is plastic, just like the rest of the lens. The front element of the lens is deep inside the lens barrel (about 3.5-4 cms), which I believe is a good thing. You won't be able to scratch it easily while doing closeups. Plus if you add the hood, chances of the front element coming in contact with anything is remote (Unless you try to shoot macro of a snake and it decides to take a closer look at the front element ;))
Switching between AF and MF is done by shifting the focus ring. Pull the ring down for MF and push up for AF. At first it felt a bit cumbersome, but soon I got used to it . In fact now it seems a better option than to shift a tiny switch for AF/MF. However, it does seem that this may be more prone to dust. Also the focusing ring seems a bit wobbly. There is a focusing scale and DOF scale on the lens.
There is a focus limiter switch which I found invaluable. It allows to set focusing between 0.45 meter to infinity and between 0.29 meter and 0.45 meter It really increases the focus speed and accuracy of the lens, depending on the intended usage. The button is placed well and could be operated upon without removing the eye from the VF.
The front element doesn't rotate while focusing but it extends quite a lot (a good 4-5 centimeters). Thats one thing that should be kept in mind while shooting macros. The picture below may give a rough idea.
Handling and Performance
In the very limited time that I got to use the lens and from the few shots that I clicked, one thing I can say for sure, the lens is sharp. I don't know about FF cameras but in the APSC cameras, even the corner sharpness seems to be excellent.
One point I would like to mention here. Though it is a f2.8 lens, but the actual f value changes with magnification. At infinity focus its really f2.8. But as you begin to move closer to the subject, the f value also starts to increase and at its maximum magnification of 1:1, the actual f value comes to f5.6. Being a first time macro lens user, this confused me a lot and I was beginning to think that my copy is a defective one, until Google Baba came to my rescue. (I know mentioning this bit may look silly to seasoned macro shooters, but for first time users like me, it was very confusing.)
The minimum focusing distance of this lens is 11.4 inches. That may sound impressive, but the extension of the front element negates that advantage to a great extend. From my own little usage, the minimum working distance seems somewhere around 6-7 centimeters at full magnification. Whether that is enough for capturing critters and small insects is not known to me but I guess, a little longer than that is required (purely a guesswork there. I have seen people getting excellent results with lens reversals and Extension Tubes, so that can't really be an excuse for not getting good macro shots )
The output of the lens are really contrasty and the colors are punchy. I liked the output of the lens very much. Although not buttery smooth, the bokeh was pleasing and not too harsh on the eyes.
The downside of the lens is its AF. Its terribly slow and unpredictable. It failed to lock focus in some well lit conditions also. The focus limiter switch improves the AF ability to some extend, specially at the infinity end. The lack of VR definitely hurts at low light situations. If one has the budget, then he/she should definitely go for the VC version of the same lens. That lens offers some added advantages over this one at a little extra money. Also I missed the aperture ring that used to be there in the earlier versions of the same glass.
Sample Images
Like what everyone else does when they buy a new lens, I also took the usual headshots of unwilling friends and macro of a cigarette box. Sharing couple of them for you to see and decide the actual performance of the lens. They are not edited much apart from slight curves adjustment.
Conclusion
So after all this sh#$.. err.. facts and pictures, what is my final verdict? Lets look at the pros and cons once at one glance-
Pros- Its a definite Value for Money. You are getting a nice sharp macro lens for about the same price of a consumer grade zoom lens like the Nikkor 55-300. The performance (IQ wise) is great and the images look lovely without much effort in PP. Offers good magnification with reasonable working distance. Manual focusing is easy and comfortable with large focus through. Hood included in the package.
Cons- Not so great build quality. Front element extends quite a lot while focusing. AF is painfully slow and unpredictable.
So, in the end, considering everything, I personally believe its a good choice. At least for a beginner on a budget, you can't go wrong with this lens.
Since you have done a product review here can you do one for zoom lenses. More like a comparison sort of like nikkor 55-300 mm vs nikkor 70-300 vs tamron 70-300 mm. In short of a zoom lens. Also could you suggest a good tripod?
ReplyDeleteHi Kinkar. Good to know that you liked my post. As requested, I shall do a product review of the Nikkor 55-300 shortly as I already own that lens. But doing a comparison with the other lenses you have mentioned will be a little difficult as I do not own those. Let me see, if I can get them from a friend. If I can get my hands on them and get some time to use it, I will definitely post. Regarding the tripod, stay tunes as I am in the process of writing one and will be posting it shortly.
DeleteWaiting for those posts eagerly.
ReplyDelete