2010-10-30T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
for price you cant beat it
I have taken some great macro pics with this lens just remember you get what you pay for. With that in mind i have taken sports action shots and macro pics and been very pleased with the results.
All in all a very sound lens for the money.
Zeffy62
2008-09-03T21:00:00
Rated 3 out of 5
Can't be beat for the money!
Obviously not the absolute best lens money can buy, but a great bargain for the price. I use it as my all-round general purpose lens, as well as my long lens for football.
Jeeper
2008-04-30T21:00:00
Rated 3 out of 5
Decent with light; don't expect much
Bought the lens for general wildlife / bird shooting, sports, etc. I'm an enthusiast shooter and was looking for something cheap.
The lens is definitely cheap, but with careful use it can produce satisfactory results.
Things to remember:
1) The lens needs lots of light. AF is fairly slow and hunts in anything worse than heavy overcast days.
2) Stay below 220mm or so. Anything above that, your focus becomes soft. CA/PF is something to worry about above 200mm or so.
3) Macro shots are pretty good. Keepting the lens at about 180mm on a macro ensures some pretty sharp results.
4) Not recommended for birding unless you just need a cheap zoom. Very often I find myself wishing I could zoom out to 300mm, but because of IQ issues, I almost use it like a CA 220mm lens.
5) Front rotates during focus.
Overall it's a decent lens, but don't expect much at this price. Acceptable sharpness for 66%-100% crops can be had up to 200mm or so at around F/8.0 Past 200mm or ~F/8, crops aren't an option as the focus is just too soft.
JEREMY S.
2007-07-16T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Long on value
This lens is a great value in a med - long telephoto. The 4.9' minimum focus lets me capture skittish insects without scaring them and still fill the frame. The 300mm focal lenth lets me take candids of the family and the local wildlife.
All this & six years of warranty, I may have found "photo heaven."
Brent s.
