Lenses

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Lens Test: Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T*

One of the first Zeiss lenses made for Nikon DSLRs, this optic is everything you'd expect from the legendary name.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
We've been waiting a year, but at last Carl Zeiss is unrolling its ZF series of Nikon F-mount manual-focus T* lenses, made by Cosina in Japan to Zeiss specifications. We tested what we think is the best ZF for portraits, the 85mm f/1.4 Planar T*. At $1,300 (street), it's expensive, but it offers a few advantages.
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Lens Test: Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 Pro DX AF

With its new multipurpose zoom, Tokina offers a standout performer in a very hot field.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
For full-frame film shooters, one of the most popular lenses is the highspeed 70-210mm zoom, suited to most typical photo subjects. No surprise, then, that lensmakers are now offering a spate of (approximately) 50-150mm digital-only zooms, the modern-day digital equivalent. At less than 2 pounds, Tokina's professional version, its 50-135mm f/2.8 Pro DX ($800, street), is lighter and more compact than traditional full-frame f/2.8 zooms. With multiple SD glass elements to better control chromatic aberration, it's the first Tokina with an easy-cleaning WP glass coating.
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Spring 2007 New Lens Roundup

A lot of great glass has been introduced over the first three months of the year, including an increasing number of stabilized lenses. Here's a look at what's new for 2007.
- By Popphoto.com Staff on December 16, 2008
Sigma
Among the biggest head-turners at PMA 2007 was the gigantic Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG supertelephoto zoom lens. Estimated at over 35 pounds, this monster lens should cost a pretty penny. But with a fast, constant maximum aperture, and a dedicated 2x Tx as part of the package, you've got two lenses in one, the 200-500mm f/2.8, and the equally ridiculously impressive 400-1000mm f/5.6! No price has been set yet, but we predict it to be a tad south of $10,000.
Olympus
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Lens Test: Canon 70-200mm f/4L EF IS USM AF

Canon's latest image-stabilized zoom is a superb but pricey way to leave that tripod behind.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
Hands on
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Lens Test: Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR ED AF-S

Impressive quality and a nice price for an image-stabilized lens for Nikon shooters.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
Hands on
Nicely and conservatively finished in semimatte black, this lens is a good match with medium to heavy Nikon bodies (such as the D80), but it's very nose-heavy on lightweights like the D40. Focusing and zoom rings turn very smoothly but need more damping; the focusing ring is conveniently close to the lensmount. Focus and VR switches may be hard to operate with gloves on. No tripod collar.
In the Lab
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Lens Test: Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 50-200mm f/4-5.6 AF

Full test of Samsung's Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 50-200mm f/4-5.6 AF lens.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
The tele kit zoom for Samsung's Digimax GX-1S, this D-Xenon, like its sister wide-angle lens (click here to see test ), except for some cosmetic differences, is nearly identical to the Pentax 50-200mm zoom for the *ist DSLRs. (It even picks up Pentax's unfortunate typographic choice of skipping the "mm" in the measurement in labeling the lens.) Almost certainly produced at Pentax's Hanoi factory, this 76.5-306mm 35mm equivalent is in some respects the best digital kit zoom we've ever tested.
HANDS ON
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Lens Test: Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

Full test of Samsung's Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF lens.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
The wide-angle half of a matched set made for the Samsung GX-1S, this Schneider D-Xenon, like its sister lens (click here to see test), is clearly based on the digital-only, wide-angle kit zoom (a 27.5-84mm 35mm equivalent) Pentax builds for its *ist DSLRs. As for its Schneider-Kreuznach label, Samsung purchased the right to use it, after Schneider had ostensibly tested both these lenses to ensure they met certain optical requirements.
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The Right Lens for the Job

Ready to move beyond the lens that came with your DSLR? Here's what to choose for extraordinary photos.
- By Peter Kolonia on December 16, 2008
Are your pictures just okay -- not spectacular? If so, the problem may be your lens. The kit lenses sold with most DSLRs today are true bargains, but can be limiting. Engineers designed them to have compact proportions, light weight, and small price tags. Made for average photographers, shooting in average conditions, with average subjects at average shooting distances, they excel at producing average pictures.
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Lens Test: Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8

The most compact M-series lens holds up in court.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
Leica's new full-frame, M-series wide-angle is a 37mm equivalent when mounted on the M8 digital rangefinder. It's the most compact of all M-series lenses -- small enough, in fact, that with the lenshood removed, it blocks only a little bit of the active finder area. This $1,495 28mm's most unusual feature is the new "6-bit code" engraved into the bayonet flange. It joins the much-admired Leica 28mm f/2 Summicron, which we called "unsurpassed" in our July 2002 test report.
HANDS ON:
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Lens Test: Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

Moderate tele glass that provides very high performance at a very low price.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
Olympus shooters looking for a moderate telezoom at a moderate price -- and with stand-out optical performance -- need look no further. This easy-to-handle 3.8X zoom, a 40-150mm (80-300mm equivalent), costs $240 (street) on its own and can also be purchased as a kit lens with the Olympus Evolt E-500 DSLR. That's hard to beat.
HANDS ON
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