PMA2008: A Glimpse through the Looking Glass

There are lots of SLR lenses on view here at PMA2008. I'm not sure if there is more emphasis than previous years, but from low end to high, photographers are finding lots of intriguing pieces of glass.

On the low end, one intriguing development is that both Canon and Nikon are offering image-stabilized kit lenses in their consumer-targeted SLRs. You can tell when you look at the labels: Nikon's 18-55mm lens (click on the image at right for a closer look) has a "VR" (for "Vibration Reduction") at the end of the name. Canon's 18-55mm lens has the more commonly used "IS" at the end.

The primary benefit of  image stabilization is that you can get sharper photos in low-light, which often requires a slower shutter speed that makes your shots  more susceptible to camera shake. But word from the manufacturers is that these lenses have a better construction than previous kit lenses and have been tweaked to perform better. We’ll have the final word on how good these lenses are when we get them in to our labs, but if the claims true, better kit lenses in SLR packages would be good news for camera shoppers.

There were lots of specialty lenses on view, too. Most are obviously targeted at pros, but I couldn't help wanting take them home with me!

Sigma's booth had its gargantuan APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG lens which turns any SLR into a rocket launcher. (Click on the image at left for a closer look.) Only kidding—although I'm not sure they'd let me on a plane with this lens. What makes this lens so special is that it has a very wide aperture (f/2.8) throughout the zoom range, which allows for lots of flexibility in low-light shots. It also gives you wonderful shallow depth-of-field, which can be useful in many situations where you only want your subject in focus and have the background completely blurred. (Compositionally, it allows you to only focus on your subject.)

Many longer lenses have higher f-stops, such as f/4 or f/5.6. So, the fact that this one has a very wide f/2.8 is very impressive. It also has an attachment that gives it a zoom range of 400-1000mm, but the f-stop increases to f/5.6. Price wasn't available, but rest assured it will be several thousand dollars.

Canon also brought out its big guns at its booth. It had the EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM on view, which the company claimed is the world's longest focal length lens with optical IS. (Click on the image at right for a closer look.) Just like the Sigma zoom, such a lens has many possible applications, but wildlife and sports photographers will be very excited over such a long lens that also has IS. And they'll be the ones most likely to afford the $12,000 sticker price.

Nikon had its usual assortment of large, expensive lenses, but one that was creating a lot of buzz was the PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED lens. What's special about this lens is that a special feature on the body of the lens lets you literally tilt the lens in order to compensate for  naturally occurring distortions that are common in certain photos.

For example, if you're shooting up at a very tall building, you'll often notice rectilinear distortion by the converging lines on the subject as you  look farther and farther up the building. By using the tilt feature on this lens, you can counteract such distortion and take a photograph of the building that appears with its right angles intact. There are many other applications for this type of lens, including soft focus effects that you might see in food photography. The NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED lens will sell for around $1930 and be available some time in the spring.

—Terry Sullivan

Comments

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Hi NRF,

Consider Sony Alpha 100 body ($550), Sigma 28-200 f/4-5.6 DG zoom ($100), and a Sony HVL-56AM Flash ($308) as your basic starter system.

Read on the 'net or get some books on the style of photography you prefer.

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[NRF]

Appreciate your comments about the wonderful toys I cannot afford but is anything new for a person trying to go DSLR for about $1,000 including telephoto (200mm) and external flash?