ychen's reviews

  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    sharp, sharp, fast, fast, amazing bokeh, small, light , cheap
    ca at harsh lighting

    the best lens for portraits u can get for that price.
    subject in focus simply pop out of the picture. creamy bokeh, very fast AF.
    working with a prime lens forces you to move your feet and look for your shot. this also enables you to find compositions you wouldn't get in a zoom lens while you're standing in place.
    a very creative lens that manages to get emotions out of the pictures.

    there is CA under harsh lighting but it doesnt affect the overall result which is too good for any CA to ruin :-)

    reviewed January 8th, 2007 (purchased for $350)

  • Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    excellent build, starts at 10mm, not pricy, a "creative" lens
    loses sharpness below f8, crappy lens cover.

    a very creative lens. one can really get interesting compositions with such wide lens. its not the sharpest i have, but its very good for its main uses.

    i use it a lot because it does give a sense of "more" to outdoor scenes. when you feel you dont manage to get the right "be there" in your outdoor shots then you know u need an ultra wide.

    its on of the cheapest of the ultrawide but its got enouge quality to satisfy most.

    f8 sweet spot.

    reviewed January 8th, 2007 (purchased for $500)

  • Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    excellent bang for the buck, small, good quality
    feels cheap, soft at 300mm, no IS, slow AF in low light

    excellent lens for its price, can compete with very expensive tele lenses when shooting up to 200mm.

    small and light and can fit in a pouch. no need for back pack.

    soft at 300mm and harder to hold tight but in good lighting its excellent.

    if u dont have the money for an expensive zoom, there is no better alternative among the cheapst.

    reviewed January 8th, 2007 (purchased for $200)

  • Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical IF SP AF

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    can beat an L lens in center sharpness, small, light, f2.8
    AF not fast enough for kids

    excellent sharpness with a large aperture in a cheap price.
    great lens for normal shooting.

    FF compatible. hard to beat for its price.

    AF is not fast enough for moving objects, but can get amazing shots in stills. sometime a 2nd AF press is needed for better results.

    reviewed January 8th, 2007 (purchased for $390)

  • Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

    5 out of 10 points and not recommended
    cheap, ok for beginners.
    build, distortion, contrast

    overall its an ok lens for beginners and auto/program shooters.
    u can't be too creative with it, but it gets u there.

    if you dont expect much from it, it can surprise.

    its got some pale colors and low contrast, so dont expect any "pop" out of the images. there's heavy distortion at the wide side.

    it so cheap and part of the kit, so you might as well keep it as reserve.

    reviewed January 8th, 2007