Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 12:58 PM -0400 7/31/06, Kenneth Frazier wrote:
>On Jul 31, 2006, at 12:34 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:
>
>>.With all Nikon lenses, why should you buy Canon? Or am I missing
>>something here?
>>Cheers
>>Jayanand
>
>No, you're not missing anything. I'm exploring all my options at
>this point, and I'll check out the Nikon. I just haven't gotten to
>them yet.
I use some Canons; the 5D and 20D. I don't have any Leica SLR lenses,
but do have a number of Nikon MF lenses. A couple of the latter are
outstanding, and while I can see it in the files in actual, practical
terms it's not worth the trouble.
On the 20D I've used the Nikon 400/5.6 (old style non-IF; amazing
quality!), 200/4 micro (useful at times), 55/3.5 micro (before I got
the Canon 60; the 60 is better), 28/3.5 PC (better than Canon's
24TSE), 24/2 (before I got the Canon 24/1.4), and 15/3.5 (before I
got the Canon 10-22). Now the only one I use occasionally is the
200/4 micro.
On the 5D I still use the 55/3.5, 200/4 and 28PC at times. The other
Nikon lenses I have are either not enough better to ever matter, or,
in the case of the 400/5.6, so inconvenient to use relative to the
100-400 zoom that the final quality difference does not justify its
use. IS on the zoom generally improves the quality more than the
Nikon's optical superiority.
Getting the very best lenses makes for wonderful pixel peeping on the
screen, but the lenses Canon makes for the cameras are actually very
useable. That said, I wish Canon would hurry up and upgrade some of
its offerings in the wideangle range.
For the 20D, I use the 10-22, 17-85, 60 and 70-300DO as standard, and
the 24/1.4 and 50/1.4 for low light conditions. Of these, the 10-22
is very good and an excellent match to the 20D. The 17-85IS is not as
good, but extremely useful and 'good enough' in 99% of the cases. The
70-300 is OK, and excellent when you have to pack it. The 60 is truly
outstanding and should stand comparison with any macro lens,
including the 100 APO. This lens' performance is well beyond what the
20D sensor can make use of. I have some other lenses I use
occasionally, such as the 100 macro and 70-200 IS, but they are
rather large and in the end don't help me get more useful shots.
The 24/1.4 is not the greatest lens optically, but so useful that I
would not want to be without it. Set the camera to 1600 or 3200 and
no black cats will be able to hide. The 50 is OK, but I don't care
for it much. It hardly feels any better than the $75 50/1.8, and
optically is no better. The only advantage is that the focussing ring
doesn't turn during AF.
Another lens I have the is really useful and outstanding is the
35/1.4 Canon, but I only use it on the 5D, just like the 85/1.8.
--
* Henning J. Wulff
/|\ Wulff Photography & Design
/###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
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