Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site harvard.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!sasaki From: sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) Newsgroups: net.rec.photo Subject: Re: My first lens(es) Message-ID: <117@harvard.ARPA> Date: Mon, 13-May-85 11:57:29 EDT Article-I.D.: harvard.117 Posted: Mon May 13 11:57:29 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 02:43:34 EDT References: <1015@ihuxb.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Harvard Science Center Lines: 30 One thing to beware of with inexpensive zoom lenses in the 28-90mm range is distortion. Most of these lenses exhibit barrel distortion at one extreme and pincushion distortion at the other extreme (I don't remember which end has which kind of distortion). Another thing to check for is vignetting, especially at the 28mm end. If you use flash a lot, then these lenses will also give you a problem. Most modern zoom lenses have larger apertures at the short end than they do on the long end. Unless you have through the lens flash metering, you are going to have to compensate for this change in aperture as you zoom. I would also question Consumer Reports' reviews of photography equipment. You would be better off going to the library and looking at reviews in the photography magazines. I've found three lenses very useful with most of my photograpy, the 24-48mm Vivitar Series 1, the 35-70mm Sigma, and the 70-150mm Vivitar. The 24-48 is very nice, very expensive, but it goes to 24mm. I've found that for me 28mm is not enough. The Sigma is old and heavy, but has a constant aperture over the zoom range and very little distortion. The 70-150 is small and light which is a plus with my already overloaded camera bag. I also carry a 2X converter (the one that is supposedly matched to the 70-150) for those rare moments when I want more than 150mm. -- ---------------- Marty Sasaki net: sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp} Havard University Science Center phone: 617-495-1270 One Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138