Lens Reviews

Back in the day when prime lenses ruled supreme and snooty purists decried zooms for lack of absolute sharpness, Tele-Converters (TCs) were popular accessories. Photographers wanted to bring distant subjects closer, and TCs provided a means to that end. Also known as tele-extenders, these thick slabs of metal and glass increase the focal length of a given lens while also decreasing the f/stop.

If, like many Shutterbug readers, you have a film SLR camera plus several interchangeable lenses, you might be wondering if you can use those lenses with your new D-SLR camera of the same, or even different, brand.

We have seen new options from independent and camera maker manufacturers alike, each bringing the fun and creative options of these unique angles of view to ever more affordable price ranges.

Long considered the focal-length sweet spot for macro work, the 60mm focal length of the new Tamron 60mm f/2 lens ($569 MSRP) converts out to 96mm for Canon and 90mm for Nikon APS-C D-SLRs.

“Most pro lenses have much sturdier construction than their consumer counterparts.”

I’m a pro photographer and have been for about 30 years. I mostly shoot portraits and a few weddings. I’m not one of those guys who will be first in line for the latest 15-800mm f/1.2 lens. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty much an equipment minimalist. But when I need a lens, I...

There is no doubt that Carl Zeiss is one of the magical names in the world of optics and so the introduction of the Zeiss ZE lenses for analog and digital cameras is big news.

The arrival of the new Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens was a case of perfect timing as within a few days I’d be on the road for a couple of weeks photographing the abundance of wildlife at the Blackwater Refuge.