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07-16-2013, 05:31 PM   #1
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18-55 lens only has 37mm of range ...

Howdy from Maine USA

OK, it's Summer at the time of this writing. There is so much Sunshine during the day that an aperture of f/8~f/11 is all I need.

The idea for a lens :

Honestly, considering how sunny it is in the Summer during the day, I think a manufacturer should release an 18-200mm f/8 - I bet that would be nice and lightweight with lots of range.

The conspiracy :

So I'd like more focal range, my 18-55mm lens just feels so ... short.

So I started to think of focal range, I did the math 55 minus 18 and that's 37mm of range.

Well compared to the old kit lenses 28-80mm, they had 52mm of range !

Now I realize kit lenses are shrinking in range !

Cheers,
Craig

07-16-2013, 05:44 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by spystyle Quote
Howdy from Maine USA

OK, it's Summer at the time of this writing. There is so much Sunshine during the day that an aperture of f/8~f/11 is all I need.

The idea for a lens :

Honestly, considering how sunny it is in the Summer during the day, I think a manufacturer should release an 18-200mm f/8 - I bet that would be nice and lightweight with lots of range.

The conspiracy :

So I'd like more focal range, my 18-55mm lens just feels so ... short.

So I started to think of focal range, I did the math 55 minus 18 and that's 37mm of range.

Well compared to the old kit lenses 28-80mm, they had 52mm of range !

Now I realize kit lenses are shrinking in range !

Cheers,
Craig
Or the equivalent of 27-82.5mm which is a FF equivalent range of 55.5mm
07-16-2013, 05:59 PM   #3
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Hmmm "equivalent" ...

18mm x 1.5 = 27 "equivalent"
55 x 1.5 = 82.5 "equivalent"
82.5 - 27 = 55.5 "equivalent" range ...

Mind blown ! LOL

How about 28-80mm on a DX sensor ...
28 x 1.5 = 42 "equivalent"
80 x 1.5 = 120 "equivalent"
120 - 42 = 78mm "equivalent" range !

LOL

How about an 18-55mm lens on a micro four thirds camera ? (like an Olympus E-PL1 with 2x crop factor)

18 x 2 = 34mm "equivalent"
55 x 2 = 110mm "equivalent"
110 - 34 = 66mm "equivalent" range

How about an 18-55mm lens on a Pentax Q with it's 5.64 crop factor.

18 x 5.64 = 101.52
55 x 5.64 = 310.2
310.2 - 101.52 = 208.68mm "equivalent" range

But I wonder why we consider the "35mm film equivalent" anyway ?

An 18-55mm lens is an 18-55mm lens, period. And our DX sensors are DX sensors, not equivalent to 35mm film.

I think this whole "equivalent" fiasco is just a way for manufacturers to trick us.

The literal fact is, our current kit lenses have less literal range than yesterday's kit lenses. 37mm on 18-55mm lenses versus 52mm on 28-80mm lenses. 18-70mm would be the same range.

OK thanks,
Craig

Last edited by spystyle; 07-16-2013 at 07:46 PM.
07-16-2013, 07:50 PM   #4
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You do realize that (55/18) > (80/28), right?

07-16-2013, 08:17 PM   #5
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55 divided by 18 = 3.05 (as in 3X zoom range)

80 divided by 28 = 2.8 (as in 2.8X zoom range)

Oh mind blown again !
07-16-2013, 08:26 PM   #6
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There are 18-200s already that probably start not to be terrible at f8.
07-17-2013, 04:49 AM   #7
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If the goal was to minimize cost and size, the lens would probably be a variable zoom, like f/5.6 - f/11 or whatever.

Of course, a more compact overall package for a long zoom range would be a bridge camera. The X-5 lens is f/3.1 - f/5.9. Image quality difference for the smaller sensor is there, but for shooting in bright daylight like you suggest, it's not as drastic. Not saying this fits your specific needs, but this is where the industry as a whole has gone, for the scenario you describe, all for $200, It's kind of hard to market a slow superzoom K-mount lens against that.

07-17-2013, 05:06 AM   #8
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18 - 135mm is also being sold as a kit lens...
07-17-2013, 07:20 AM   #9
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Thanks all for chiming in
07-17-2013, 07:33 AM   #10
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If you want lots of mm in range, you need to get the 50-500mm Bigma. That's 450mm!

Seriously, though, it is as they said: it's all about the ratio between the min and max focal length, not the absolute distance between them.

The lens you want is out there. Several of them, actually. I have a Tamron 18-200mm that cost $140. The actual aperture is f/3.5-6.3, but you're welcome to keep it stopped down to f/8 the whole time. It's quite good at f/8, though not so good wide-open.

Superzooms don't get much love from the serious photographer community, but every time I look at the pictures I've taken with that budget lens, I'm surprised by how much they don't suck.
07-17-2013, 08:07 AM   #11
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That's a good idea
07-17-2013, 01:28 PM   #12
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FWIW, I use an old 28-90mm kit lens as my walkaround lens, and I have no regrets about doing so.
07-17-2013, 01:57 PM   #13
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Thats an interesting idea. I wonder if a manufacturer could pull it off in an attractive package. I would be interested in a high-quality slow zoom, if it were very compact and offered at a reasonable price.
Btw, there already are some zooms that kind of fit your idea (though, they are f4 and faster), like the 17-70mm f4, 18-250mm, 18-270mm, 55-300mm, and the high-end 60-250mm f4,..
07-17-2013, 02:46 PM   #14
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My 12-24 has only 12mm of range and cost way more than that kit lens. And the Limiteds have even worse range - none. What a ripoff. I should sell the lot.
07-17-2013, 03:03 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Na Horuk Quote
Thats an interesting idea. I wonder if a manufacturer could pull it off in an attractive package. I would be interested in a high-quality slow zoom, if it were very compact and offered at a reasonable price.
Btw, there already are some zooms that kind of fit your idea (though, they are f4 and faster), like the 17-70mm f4, 18-250mm, 18-270mm, 55-300mm, and the high-end 60-250mm f4,..
They do, on things called bridge cameras
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