| Review of: Samyang 16mm F2 ED AS UMC CS by shawnbo on Wed December 27, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 64428
Reviews: 16
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Obtained primarily for astrophotography, as my other lenses in this focal length are f3.5 or slower, and not as sharp wide open. Its ability to focus past infinity is irrelevant for the intended use. Focus ring is much easier to turn than that on my 135mm f2.0 from the same maker, again nice for most photography, but not a consideration for astro. At under $300 NIB, this has to be one of the best deals on the market.
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| Review of: Tamron Adaptall P-KM mount by shawnbo on Wed December 20, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 8068
Reviews: 3
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Needed one for a 500mm Tamron mirror lens I picked up. Does exactly what it's supposed to - adapt the lens to a Pentax K mount camera. The KA version is more expensive and unnecessary with a fixed aperture lens.
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| Review of: Sigma EX DC HSM 10-20mm F3.5 by shawnbo on Mon November 6, 2023 | Rating: 6 | View more reviews | |
Views: 140011
Reviews: 35
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So far, unimpressed with this lens. Build quality is excellent, the HSM autofocus is quiet and instantaneous, but initial images are not great. Most reviews cite the corner softness, which I was not overly concerned about, but overall, the contrast and color rendering are flat. Not what you want for a landscape tool. Even my run of the mill Pentax glass like the 28-70 f4 FA produces much better results, including center sharpness. The Sigma also overexposes by about a stop when the camera is left to meter the shot.
Not sure I'm going to keep this one.
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| Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP Mirror (55BB) 500mm F8 by shawnbo on Wed November 1, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 109412
Reviews: 32
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This lens is a step up from the Samyang 500m f6.3 I've had for several years. The Tamron's build quality is far superior, and it has a long focus throw necessary to get good results with a manual focus 500mm lens. The Samyang produced satisfactory results, but the image quality of the Tamron is markedly better - sharper, and much higher contrast. The Tamron is significantly smaller, as you'd expect with a claimed aperture of f8 versus f6.3. I prefer the compactness of the Tamron over the slightly brighter view with the Samyang, and in shooting, the half stop advantage is not worth the trade off in image quality. Both the Tamron and the Samyang are about a half stop slower in effective aperture than their stated values.
I acquired the Tamron for only slightly more than I paid for the Samyang several years ago, so I can't recommend the latter for anyone interested in a mirror lens. I also discourage anyone not thoroughly familiar with catadioptric lenses from acquiring them, as they require a lot of practice and competence with manual focus to master. Most of the negative reviews are the result of the limitations of the user, not the lens itself. Included in the purchase price is the Adaptall mount, as anyone acquiring this lens probably doesn't have one lying around, and the lens usually isn't sold with one included.
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| Review of: Tamron SP AF Di Macro (272E) 90mm F2.8 by shawnbo on Wed October 18, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 240032
Reviews: 59
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For some reason, the Pentax mount version of this lens was significantly cheaper than the Canon/Nikon mounts I found on Amazon. The seller listed the condition as very good, but considering the lens age, I would have rated it excellent+. Optically, it performs as expected - superbly. Right out of the box I made images of flowers in the yard that astounded my girlfriend. If I ever need a portrait lens, it'll do that very well. It has (by design) a long focus range, so it hunts a lot in low light if you're using it in a non-macro situation. For macro, I use manual focus, so the long throw is highly effective. It's not as sharp as my Rikonon 135mm F2.0, so I can't give it a 10 in that department. My only personal beef with it is the bold gold lettering, only because it clashes with its conservative Pentax and Sigma siblings. Other reviewers have noted that as a positive.
If you have a need for a full frame macro lens with manual aperture control ability that is bargain priced but delivers professional results, this lens is a top choice.
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| Review of: Sigma 1.4x DG EX APO Teleconverter by shawnbo on Mon September 11, 2023 | Rating: 9 | View more reviews | |
Views: 38697
Reviews: 7
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I purchased this converter along with my 50-500 Bigma, and at the time, it was one of the few Pentax mount Sigmas designated as compatible. I don't use it much, as the Bigma is already slow @ f6.3 - a manual focusing f9.5 700mm isn't much fun to use. Optically, it is very good in combination, though. Several other reviews noted the protruding elements as hindering use; well, the Bigma can't use this converter without a special converter lockout setting @ 100mm to get its rear elements out of the way, either. On a whim, I tried the converter with my Sigma 50mm DG EX macro and surprisingly it works the same way as Bigma - as long as the focusing is short enough to get at least 1:2 magnification, it's fine. The added benefit is that it retains autofocus ability with the 50mm, although I don't often use autofocus for macro.
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| Review of: Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC by shawnbo on Tue February 28, 2023 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 55997
Reviews: 21
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I finally bought this lens after mulling it over for a very long time. It's reputation is legend, and initial frames show that it is a cut above my Pentax glass...if you can nail the focus. Not easy, even for someone raised on manual film cameras. The ring is exceedingly difficult to rotate; you won't be taking many candid snapshots with this beast. I'm looking forward to getting it out with the Astrotracer and verifying its sky rendering magic. I'm glad Samyang hasn't dropped this model in favor of autofocus, as it keeps the price of this high performer within reach of serious hobbyists.
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| Review of: Sigma APO EX DG 50-500mm F4-6.3 by shawnbo on Tue July 5, 2022 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 66254
Reviews: 22
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Bought this lens many years ago, as my first big commitment to going digital. It was simply the only way to get super telephoto capability at a reasonable price. I also bought the compatible 1.4X converter at the same time.
I'm completely happy with the Bigma. It provides superb results, considering the zoom range and price. It pretty much loses autofocus capability with the converter, but since you're using 500 to 700mm, autofocus probably isn't your main concern. It's not a wildlife lens, unless your wildlife doesn't move around much and poses in perfect daylight conditions.
I wouldn't have considered a lens this slow back in my film days, but with the ISO's typically used in digital photography, this lens becomes very practical. One caveat - you need to practice to become proficient with it. It's quirky - it grows to about twice its nominal length at the long end of the range.
Reviews rating this lens as a "1" in sharpness are ridiculous, and yes, I have very sharp prime glass in my possession to judge the relative sharpness of the Bigma. Misinformation, plain and simple.
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| Review of: Samyang ( Opteka, pro-Optics etc) 500mm F6.3 DX by shawnbo on Thu April 12, 2018 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 76216
Reviews: 7
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Mirror lenses get a bad rap - yes, they have drawbacks, but they aren't meant to be substitutes for equivalent focal length refracting lenses. There is no way for a $100 lens to outperform a $1,500+ zoom or prime lens. If you don't need 'professional' quality, they are entirely viable. Most of the negative feedback likely comes from the extreme difficulty in focusing them adequately. For those raised on autofocus, this lens is just about unusable. For an old dog like me who started in the Kodachrome days, it's very easy. In fact, I had this lens set up, on the camera, and took very decent photos of an obliging urban coyote less than ten minutes after opening the box. I was quite impressed. With steady hands and ISO 400+, this lens can be hand held in reasonable light. The infamous donut shaped bokeh aspect has been talked to death, and would be a factor if this is the only 500mm you own, but most times it doesn't come into play. I bought the Samyang to get the ability to produce this effect if desired, so it's not a downside for me. Most of my shots are either tightly composed subjects with little background, or at infinity, which eliminates bokeh as an issue.
I've been using a Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm) for years, and it's good, but very cumbersome, especially when racked out past 400mm. I wanted a lens with the Bigma's reach without the bulk penalty, or its profile; these small, long reach lenses allow one to be clandestine. The mirror is slightly slower than the zoom (effective aperture seems to be about f8, not f6.3) but it is nearly as sharp at 500mm. Again, I was impressed that such an inexpensive, primitive lens could perform so well. Forget about the included 2X multiplier - this lens isn't fast or sharp enough to merit using it. If you need more than 500mm, buy Samyang's 800mm f8.
Samyang could improve this lens greatly with a simple change - double the focusing ring rotation from about 120 degrees to at least 2/3 of a rotation. Also, the lower contrast (compared to refractors) demands that this lens be used with a hood, which isn't included. I would gladly have paid an extra $20 to get one, rather than having to search and wait. They should repackage this lens without the multiplier but with a hood, for the same price, IMO.
I wouldn't recommend this as someone's primary super telephoto lens, but for $100 (or less) new, I don't know why everyone wouldn't own one, if just for the fun of using it. The price difference between this f6.3 and Samyang's 500mm f8 is minimal, so unless size is of utmost importance, I wouldn't consider the slower lens.
Update: Out of curiosity, I mounted the 2x converter. Waste of time, as the lens wouldn't focus to infinity with it in place. Suspected as much. The build quality is somewhat questionable - after it's been used a while, the focus rotation develops varying resistance in its travel, making adjustments that much more difficult. If used heaviily, I think this lens will eventually come apart.
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| Review of: Sigma EX DG Macro 50mm F2.8 by shawnbo on Tue July 23, 2013 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 78589
Reviews: 19
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I made a mistake buying this lens; I should have put up the bucks for a 100mm macro. No fault of this lens - it simply has too short 1:1 image production distances for me. So, I have not used it much at all. It is well made, sharp, has good autofocus performance and is reasonably priced. I should sell it, but I keep telling myself it will make a good portrait lens. Trouble is, I rarely take portrait photos.
Buy what you need, not what you think you can afford.
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| Review of: Tokina AF (193) 19-35mm F3.5-4.5 by shawnbo on Tue July 23, 2013 | Rating: 7 | View more reviews | |
Views: 68116
Reviews: 18
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Bought this lens in 2007 as a foundation lens for my new digital SLR. Popular Photography highly recommended the lens on a price vs. performance basis.
My opinion is a little less enthusiastic. Sharpness, color rendition and contrast are all just average. As one reviewer said, flare can be a problem, but I mitigated that by getting the dedicated hood. Oh, another con - the hood fit so tight that once installed, I've never taken it off the lens again. Scared that doing so will strip or break the bayonet notches.
A decent lens, but there are better choices out there, with larger zoom range, smaller size, and equivalent (or better) optical performance for similar dollars.
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