60 7 September 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
LENSSUFFIXGUIDEUSEDBYMANUFACTURERS
AF NikonAFlensesdrivenfromcamera
AF-S NikonlenseswithSilentWaveMotor
AF-P Nikonlenseswithsteppermotors
AL Pentaxlenseswithasphericelements
APD Fujifilmlenseswithapodisationelements
APO SigmaApochromaticlenses
ASPHAsphericalelements
AT-X Tokina’sAdvancedTechnologyExtraPro
AW Pentaxallweatherlenses
CS SamyanglensesforAPSC croppedsensors
D Nikonlensesthatcommunicatedistanceinfo
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors
DC Nikondefocuscontrolportraitlenses
DC Sigma’slensesforAPSC digital
DG Sigma’sdesignationforfullframelenses
Di Tamronlensesforfullframesensors
Di-II TamronlensesdesignedforAPSC DSLRs
Di-IIITamronlensesformirrorlesscameras
DN Sigma’slensesformirrorlesscameras
DO Canondiffractiveopticalelementlenses
DT SonylensesforAPSC sizedsensors
DX Nikon’slensesforDXformatdigital
E Nikonlenseswithelectronicapertures
E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorless
ED ExtralowDispersionelements
EF Canon’sDSLRlensesforfullframe
EF-S CanonlensesforAPSC sizedsensors
EF-MCanon’slensesforitsmirrorless M range
EX Sigma’s‘Excellent’range
FA Pentaxfullframelenses
FE Sonylensesforfullframemirrorless
G Nikonlenseswithoutanaperture ring
HSMSigma’sHypersonicMotor
IF InternalFocusing
IS Canon’sImageStabilisedlenses
L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of lenses
LD LowDispersionglass
LM FujifilmLinearMotor
MP-ECanon’shighmagnificationmacrolens
OIS OpticalImageStabilisation
OS Sigma’sOpticallyStabilisedlenses
PC-ENikontiltandshiftlenses
PF NikonPhaseFresneloptics
PRO TokinaandOlympusProfessionallenses
PZD TamronPiezoDrivefocusmotor
SAMSonySmoothAutofocusMotor
SDM Pentax’sSonicDirectDriveMotor
SMC Pentax Super Multi Coating
SP Tamron’sSuperPerformancerange
SSM SonySupersonicMotorlenses
STF SonyandLaowaSmoothTransFocus
STM Canonlenseswithsteppermotor
TS-E CanonTiltandShiftlens
UMC UltraMultiCoated
USM CanonlenseswithanUltrasonicMotor
USD TamronUltrasonicDrivemotor
VC Tamron’sVibrationCompensation
VR Nikon’sVibrationReductionfeature
XR TamronExtraRefractiveIndex glass
WR WeatherResistant
Lenses
Interchangeablelensescomein
ahugearrayoftypesforshooting
differentkindsofsubjects
Maximum
aperture
Wideraperturesmean
youcanusefaster,
motion-stopping
shutter speeds.
Lensmounts
Eachmanufacturerhasitsown
lensmountandmostaren’t
compatiblewithoneanother.For
example,a CanonDSLRcan’tuse
Nikonlenses,althoughyoucan
useindependentbrandsif youget
them with the right mount.
Filterthread
Athreadatthefrontof
thecamerawillhave
a diameter,in mm,which
willallowyoutoattach
a varietyoffiltersor
adapters to the lens.
Built-infocusmotor
Mostlensesnowincorporateaninternal
motortodrivetheautofocus,although
somearestilldrivenfromthecamera
body.DSLRlensesoftenuseultrasonic-
typemotorsforfastfocusing,while
thoseformirrorlesscamerastendto
employ video-friendly stepper motors.
INGENERAL,theeasiestway
toexpandthekindsof pictures
youcantakeis bybuying
differenttypesof lenses.For
example,telephotolenses
letyouzoomin ondistant
subjects,whilemacro
lensesenableclose-upsof
smallobjects.Large-
aperturelensesallowyou
toisolatesubjectsagainst
blurredbackgrounds,or
shootin lowlightwithout
havingtoraisetheISOtoo
high.Meanwhile,all-in-one
superzoomscovera wide
rangeof subjects,butusually
with rather lower optical quality.
CANONDSLR
EF8-15mmf/4L USM £1499 Impressive-lookingfisheyezoomlensfromCanon • • 15 n/a 78.5 83 540
EF-S10-18mmf/4.5-5.6ISSTM £299 4 ★ A superbultra-wideanglethat’sa must-haveforanyoneshootinglandscapesandcityscapes • • 22 67 74.6 72 240
EF-S10-22mmf/3.5-4.5USM £990 4 ★ A goodperformer,withsolidMTFcurvesandminimalchromaticaberration • 24 77 83.5 89.8 385
EF11-24mmf/4L USM £2799 5 ★ Long-awaitedbyCanonfull-frameusers,thisis theworld’s widest-angle rectilinear zoom lens • • 28 n/a 108 132 1180
EF14mmf/2.8L II USM £2810 4.5★ Impressiveresolutionatf/8butlesssowideopen • • 20 n/a 80 94 645
EF-S15-85mmf/3.5-5.6ISUSM £900 4 ★ Four-stopimagestabilisationandSuperSpectracoatings,together with a useful range • • 35 72 81.6 87.5 575
EF16-35mmf/2.8L II USM £1790 4.5★ A goodperformerwithstrongresultsatf/8in particular • • 28 82 88.5 111.6 635
EF16-35mmf/2.8L IIIUSM £2150 Revampedwideanglezoomincludesnewopticsin a weather-sealedlensbarrel • • 28 82 89.5 127.5 790
EF16-35mmf/4L ISUSM £1199 4 ★ Versatileandwitha usefulISsystem,thisis a verygoodultra-wideanglezoomforfull-frame cameras • • • 28 77 82.6 112.8 615
TS-E17mmf/4L £2920 Tilt-and-shiftopticwithindependenttilt-and-shiftrotationandredesignedcoatings • • 25 77 88.9 106.9 820
EF17-40mmf/4L USM £940 4 ★ Designedtomatchtheneedsofdemandingprofessionals– anddoessowithease • • 28 77 83.5 96.8 500
EF-S17-55mmf/2.8ISUSM £795 4 ★ Verycapablelenswiththree-stopimagestabilisation,SuperSpectracoatinganda circular aperture • • 35 77 83.5 110.6 645
EF-S18-55mmf/3.5-5.6ISSTM £195 Versatile,affordablestandardzoomfeaturingfour-stopimagestabilisation • • 25 58 69 75.2 205
EF-S18-55mmf/4-5.6ISSTM £220 LateststandardzoomforCanon’sAPS-CEOSDSLRs,withcompactdesignandupdatedoptics • • 25 58 66.5 61.8 215
EF-S18-135mmf/3.5-5.6ISSTM £478 Usessteppermotorforsilentandfastautofocusthat’salsowellsuitedtovideowork • • 39 67 76.6 96 480
EF-S18-135mmf/3.5-5.6ISUSM £500 VersatilezoomwithnewNanoUSMfocustechnologyandoptionalpowerzoomadapter • • 39 67 77.4 96 515
EF-S18-200mmf/3.5-5.6IS £740 4 ★ Automaticpanningdetection(forimagestabilisation)anda useful11xzoomrange • • 45 72 78.6 102 595
EF20mmf/2.8USM £610 Wideanglelenswitha floatingrear-focusingsystemanda USMmotor • • 25 72 77.5 70.6 405
EF24mmf/1.4L II USM £2010 Subwavelengthstructurecoating,togetherwithUDand aspherical elements • • 25 77 83.5 86.9 650
EF24mmf/2.8ISUSM £750 4 ★ Smallwideangleopticwithimagestabilisation • • • 20 58 68.4 55.7 280
EF-S24mmf/2.8STM £165 4 ★ Bargainprice,tinycarry-everywheresizeanda highlycompetentimagingperformance • 16 52 68.2 22.8 125
TS-E24mmf/3.5L II £2550 Tilt-and-shiftopticwithindependenttilt-and-shiftrotationandredesigned coatings • • 21 82 88.5 106.9 780
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARYEF24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM £2300^5 ★^ Professional-quality standard zoom lens with a fast aperture • •^3882 88.5^113805
DSLR Lenses
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS
WIDTH
(MM)
LENGTH
(MM)
SONY WEIGHT (G)
ALPHA
CANONFOUR
THIRDS
NIKONPENTAXSIGMAFULL
FRAME
MIN
FOCUS
(CM)
FILTER THREAD (MM)
BUYING GUIDE