Photography Magazine

One of only two lenses that contains both refractive and diffractive glass elements, this image-stabilized tele zoom is dramatically more compact — and expensive ($1,143, street) — than its refractive-only Canon ($549, street) or Nikon ($479, street) counterparts. Unlike more common refractive optics, diffractive optical design is based on how light rays bend when forced to move around (not through) an obstruction — in this case, a pattern of molded, sawtooth, Fresnel-like, concentric circles. A full-frame lens, it scales up to a 105-450mm on Canon EOS Digital Rebel models.

Hands On:

About one-third smaller than other 70-300mm stabilized lenses, it’s also a few ounces lighter. Ribbed and rubber-clad focus and zoom rings turn evenly and smoothly. On our EOS 5D test camera, autofocus action is silent, rapid, and sure. In addition to AF-, IS-, and IS-mode switches, a fourth locks the zoom in its 70mm position.

In The Lab:

SQF tests found sharpness and contrast in the Excellent range at 70mm and 200mm, dipping to Very Good at 300mm, roughly equal to Canon’s refractive version. DxO Analyzer 3.1 tests found Slight barrel distortion at 70mm (0.11%) and Visible pincushion distortion at 200mm and 300mm (0.34% and 0.33%, respectively), slightly better than the non-DO lens. Light falloff left the corners by f/5.6 at 70mm, and by f/8 at 200mm and 300mm, an average performance, but again slightly better than the refractive zoom. Maximum magnification ratios at the uniform close-focusing distance of about 52.5 inches were 1:14.25 at 70mm; 1:6.33 at 200mm; and 1:4.75 at 300mm (less power than Canon’s claimed 1:4). Our image stabilization tests were based on DxO’s Blur analysis: Three different users gained 2.5 to 3 stops of handholdable shutter speeds.

Conclusion:

Willing to pay to travel light and save space? You won’t be disappointed with this remarkably bulk-free, satisfyingly sharp, full-frame, stabilized tele zoom.

Specifications

70-300mm (74.15-282.15mm tested), f/4.5-5.6 (f/4.74-n.a.* tested), 18 elements in 12 groups. Focusing turns 160 degrees counterclockwise. Zoom ring turns 80 degrees clockwise. Focal lengths marked at 70-, 100-, 135-, 200, and 300mm. • Diagonal view angle: 34-8 degrees. • Weight: 1.63 lb. • Filter size: 58mm. • Mounts: Canon AF. • Included: Lenshood, soft case. • Street price: $1,143.

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An 88-400mm equivalent, this is Canon’s longest EF-S (digital only) zoom, and roughly the low-cost digital alternative to its 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L full-frame “white” image-stabilized zoom that’s so hot with pros. At $280, street, this 55-250mm is by far Canon’s most favorably priced IS tele zoom, with the only glass close to it a 70-300mm IS lens that streets for roughly $550.

Not actually paired in a kit with Canon’s 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS starter lens (yet), this is the system’s de facto kit telezoom. It’s squarely targeted at intermediate DSLR shooters who feel hemmed in by the 18-55mm and crave something longer. While most comparable digital tele-zooms that start at 55mm go to only 200mm (i.e., the Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron), Canon reaches out to 250mm.

This lens replaces the 55-200mm full-framer, a late film-era optic, and boasts a new optical design incorporating a UD element for controlling color fringing and a simpler, less costly IS system. The IS mechanism (the same as in the 18-55mm IS lens) is claimed to produce up to 4 additional stops of handheld sharpness in the 55-250mm. This is the first IS system for Canon that autodetects panning and limits its shake control to the vertical axis.

HANDS ON

A bit heavier and longer than the non-IS 55-200mm that it replaces, this lens is still compact enough to throw no shadow at any focal length when used with the Rebel XTi’s built-in flash — surprising for a zoom that extends to the equivalent of 400mm.

Both zoom and focusing rings are rubberized, ribbed, generously sized, and smooth-turning. The AF action is fast and accurate with minimal searching and, by non-USM standards, relatively quiet (again on the Rebel XTi).

IN THE LAB

SQF data came in within the Excellent range at three tested focal lengths. The lens charted slightly better than Nikon’s 55-200mm VR zoom; at 55mm and 135mm, better than the comparable Tamron; and light-years beyond the earlier 55-200mm at all tested focal lengths.

DxO Analyzer 3.0.1 tests demonstrated very well-controlled distortion, with only Slight barrel at 55mm (0.14%), and Slight pincushion at 135mm and 250mm (0.14% and 0.15%, respectively). Almost into the Imperceptible range, these results compare very favorably with those of the 55-200mm, which produced Noticeable pincushion distortion at 135mm and 200mm (1.35% and 1.60%, respectively).

Light falloff, about average, was gone from the corners by f/5 at 55mm, by f/5.6 at 135mm, and by f/6.3 at 250mm.

Maximum magnification ratios at the uniform close-focusing distance of about 40.5 inches ranged from 1:12.6 at 55mm to a strong 1:2.85 at 250mm.

Using DxO’s blur factor analysis, four different shooters tested two sample lenses and found a somewhat underwhelming 2 to 2.5 extra stops of handheld sharpness with IS engaged.

CONCLUSIONS

A natural for globe-trotting vacationers and soccer parents, this is the obvious second lens for Canon EOS 40D and Rebel XSi owners. Clearly it and the 18-55mm IS make an attractive team that promises sharp pictures in dicey light across an amply wide 13.9X zoom range. And you can’t beat that price.

SPECIFICATIONS

55-250mm f/4-5.6 (55.65-256.41mm tested), f/4-5.6 (f/4.09-6.37 tested), 12 elements in 10 groups. Focusing turns 100 degrees counterclockwise. Zoom ring turns 70 degrees clockwise. Focal lengths marked at 55-, 70-, 100-, 135-, 200-, and 250mm.

• Diagonal view angle: 27-6 degrees.

• Weight: 14 oz.

• Filter size: 58mm.

• Mounts: Canon EF-S.

• Street price: $280.

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If you needed proof that Pentax has a high-performance, professional-quality DSLR in the offing, this $1,000 (street) lens is it.

Based on the film-era 200mm f/2.8 FA lens, it’s equipped with new internal-flare-suppressing coatings, and it has a newly designed rear element which Pentax claims projects a perfectly flat-field image. A 300mm equivalent, it sports Pentax’s SMC supersonic focusing motor for near-silent autofocus action, as well as Quick-shift focusing that lets you touch up focus manually while the lens remains in the AF mode.

Joining the 300mm f/4, 16-50mm f/2.8, and 50-135mm f/2.8, this is the fourth lens in Pentax’s DA* family of matched, pro-oriented glass. Fully loaded with water- and dust-repelling gaskets and O-rings, it’s a high-speed tele prime that’s clearly well constructed and ready for outdoor action.

Hands On

Surfaced in a faint, matte-black crinkle finish and ornamented with the bright green aluminum ring that signifies a Pentax digital-only lens, this mostly polycarb prime is average in weight and size for the class — very similar to the Sigma 150mm DG macro lens, for example. (At 1.8 pounds, it’s more than a pound lighter than the comparable Olympus 150mm, which also scales up to about 300mm, but that’s because the Oly is an f/2).

Although the Pentax is more than 5 inches long, it throws no shadow at close-focus when used with the K200D’s built-in flash. It also has plenty of gold ornamentation, a depth-of-field scale, and an extra-deep 3.25-inch lens shade that includes a clever trapdoor ( or finger window) that lets you reach in to fine-tune the positioning of a mounted filter.

In The Lab

SQF results showed sharpness and contrast in the Excellent range at all apertures and output sizes. (No surprise there.) DxO Analyzer 3.0.1 tests found near-absolute distortion control, with only Imperceptible pincushion distortion (0.01%) detectable. (This is, in fact, the single best distortion performance we’ve encountered since adopting the DxO system in 2005.) We found no noticeable light falloff in corners at any aperture. Finally, at the close-focusing distance of 46.75 inches, the maximum magnification ratio was a satisfyingly powerful 1:4.56.

Conclusions

In its superior vignetting- and distortion-control performance, this digital-only tele actually tests very much like the full-frame lenses we’ve evaluated on DSLRs with APS-sized sensors — no surprise since its design is based on a 35mm lens. Its high speed and near flawless optics coupled with Pentax’s sensor-based image stabilization technology helped us take dozens of satisfying pictures over several weeks of field testing. It promises the pro or serious amateur virtually distortion-free and perfectly sharp pictures, even in less-than-perfect light.

If there’s a downside to this lens, we couldn’t find it.

Specifications

200mm (198.33mm tested), f/2.8 (n.a. tested*), 9 elements in 8 groups. Focusing turns 210 degrees clockwise.

• Diagonal view angle: 8 degrees.

• Weight: 1.85 lb.

• Filter size: 77mm.

• Mount: Pentax KAF.

• Included: Lenshood, soft case.

• Street price: $1,000.

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This digital-only, 5.3X, wide-to-medium-tele, general-purpose zoom ($600, street) is an attractive upgrade for Nikon shooters underserved by their entry-level 18-55mm kit lens. No longer a beginner? It offers Vibration Reduction, plus extra reach in both directions, scaling up to 24-127.5mm on most Nikon DSLR bodies. Two extra-low dispersion glass elements rein in the image-softening effect of chromatic aberration (a.k.a. color fringing), and three aspheric elements help tackle linear distortion.

HANDS ON:

Slightly bulky for an amateur’s general-purpose lens, this zoom is more than an inch longer and 4 ounces heavier than Canon’s comparable 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS digital-only zoom ($515, street). At close-focus, the lens (without hood) throws a shadow at all focal lengths when used with a built-in flash. (As subject distances grow, the shadow gradually disappears, first at the long end of the zoom range.)

With a slightly stiff zoom action but well-damped manual focusing, the lens offers fast, accurate, and — thanks to Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor — extremely quiet autofocus. All switches and collars are adequately sized and marked, and the lens feels solidly constructed, almost pro-quality.

IN THE LAB:

SQF data showed sharpness and contrast in the Excellent range at all tested focal lengths — not surprising for a Nikkor. In DxO Analyzer 3.0.1 distortion control tests, we found Visible barrel distortion at 16mm (0.49%) and Slight pincushion distortion at 50mm and 85mm (0.20% and 0.19%, respectively). This is a noticeably stronger performance than the Canon, which showed, for example, Very Visible barreling at 17mm (1.25%). (The Nikon’s numbers suggest average distortion control by today’s standards, but 10 years ago, they would have been headline news.)

Light falloff was gone from the corners by f/8 at 16mm, f/5.6 at 50mm, and f/6.3 at 85mm — also an average performance. Maximum magnification ratios at the uniform close-focusing distance of a tight 13.2 inches ranged from 1:14.25 at 16mm to an OK 1:3.8 at 85mm.

In DxO blur tests of the lens’ Vibration Reduction system, three users gained between 2 and 2.5 stops of extra handholdability with VR engaged — not great, but also not surprising as image stabilization is usually most effective at longer focal lengths.

CONCLUSIONS:

If you’re an ambitious amateur calling for more optical oomph from your everyday zoom, but you’re not ready to take on the physical and financial burden of high-speed pro glass, Nikon has heard you.

SPECIFICATIONS:

16-85mm (16.54-86.42mm tested), f/3.5-5.6 (f/3.34-5.35 tested), 17 elements in 11 groups. Focusing turns 160 degrees clockwise. Zoom ring turns 80 degrees counterclockwise. Focal lengths marked at 16-, 24-, 35-, 50-, 70-, and 85mm.

• Diagonal view angle: 83-18 degrees.

• Weight: 1.22 lb.

• Filter size: 67mm.

• Mounts: Nikon AF.

• Included: Lenshood, softcase.

• Street price: $600.

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