Lenses

This week Canon officially added three new EF lenses to their lineup, including the very much anticipated next generation 24-70mm f2.8 lens as well as two replacements for the very popular 24mm f2.8 and 28mm f2.8 primes.

Today Nikon announced the latest addition to their lens line-up, the DX-format Nikkor 40mm f/2.8 G. This micro lens boasts a true 1:1 reproduction ratio, minimum focusing distance of 0.163m (from focal plain) as well as the large maximum aperture of f2.8, making it a promising Macro lens.

So is it the perfect travel lens? It certain crams in all you’d normally need – with some icing on top as it has more than excellent reach – 300mm equivalent used to be ‘long’ so the 405mm the Tamron offers is a very useful bonus.

When you move to an SLR there’s very little point sticking to just the kit lens… you’re buying into the idea of a system, so make the most of it! Choosing which lenses to add to your bag isn’t to be taken lightly, you aren’t Madonna picking children! Here I’ve gathered a few of my favourites together to help you navigate your first steps into a lens collection.

The Nikon 24mm f1.4 is a new fast aperture wide-angle lens designed for creating a beautiful shallow DOF and low-light photography on FX digital SLRs. Packed full of ED and aspherical lens elements, the 24mm f1.4 is probably the closest Nikon aficionados can get to wide-angle optical nirvana…

A new FX wide-angle zoom has just been announced by Nikon and it looks like an absolute corker: The Nikon 16-35mm f4 features 2nd-generation Vibration Reduction, Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass and a Silent Wave Motor (SWM). If you aren’t drooling already, the features list doesn’t end there…

Canon has announced a New Years gift for all the L-series addicts out there: A shiny new 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM EF lens, featuring a revised optical design, optimised AF performance and reduced minimum focus distance to 1.2m (the original was 1.4m).

Just in case the new Nikon 70-200mm VR II didn’t have you reaching for the bank manager’s phone number, details of Nikon’s latest pro telephoto lens may tempt you: An AF-S 300mm f2.8 ED VR II Nikkor lens with the latest generation Vibration Reduction and a new A/M focus mode. Because it’s nearly Christmas, Nikon have also released a new 2x teleconverter, the TC-20E III, which has a completely new optical design.

A new weather resistant Pentax 100mm f2.8 macro lens has been revealed today, designed to complement the class leading weather sealing of the Pentax K-7 digital SLR. In addition to the WR construction, the lens features Super Protection (SP) coating to protect against dust & grease and reduce reflections to deliver clear high-contrast images.

This new Micro Nikkor is Nikon’s first DX macro lens, designed for entry-level digital SLR owners who want to jump into the world of macro photography. Just like the Nikon 35mm f1.8G AF-S DX lens released recently, the new 85mm f3.5 AF-S VR DX lens is tailored perfectly to beginners needs.