Camera Labs

Im a new to DSLR and im planning to get the Sony A550 as the price is dropping rapidly at my place..around $570 US only for the body...

I tried the kit lens at the shop.. 18-55mm but it seems not enough for me... so I plan to get the body and buy another pair of lens separately but I have no idea what kind of lens I should get..

Some of my friends recommend me the 16-80mm Zeiss but I saw the youtube review for that lens from this forum that its not a wise choice... any recommendations?

P.S. i tried looking at the site but still... dun know which I should get

Have you seen my review of the 16-80?

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_ ... s_16-80mm/

I would recommend looking at the minolta af lenses in addition to the zeiss. The 70-210 f4 and 50 1.7 are high quality, low price lenses that you can find on ebay (no longer in production).

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Canon 40D | Tokina 11-16 f2.8 | Canon 50mm f1.4

www.flickr.com/claycarey

yea I saw the review..
+ the youtube review as well.. from cameralab.

How would the quality differ, mounting on a A100 and A550?


Yea I'm looking into minolta lens, the problem is im new to this and I dunno how to pick 2nd hand lens... what should I look out for?

My main advice would be buy from a reputable seller.

This way you can trust him if he says a lens is in excellent condition, you can trust him, and he probably has a decent returns policy.

Many people reject second hand lenses for bodywork scratches and even front element scratches do not effect image quality in 95% of cases in my opinion.

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

thanks for all the valuable comments, definitely look into the two minolta lens.... and the carl zeiss...

gonna give up the kit lens ,
btw what are those two lens specialty?
i have no clue

Big question would be - what types of photography are you into, and what do you need from a lens?

If you are looking for a similar lens to the kit lens, to just get you kicked off but with better quality, consider something like the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8. It's a well reviewed and well liked lens, and is faster for better performance in lower light.

If you are looking for a good all-in-one lens with maximum flexibility, then consider the Sony 18-250mm F3.5-6.3, or the Tamron 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 (same lens essentially...the Tamron can be found cheaper). It will get you from wide to long telephoto in one small package, and is a good all around performer. It's a bit pricey, but essentially replaces 2 lenses.

If you are looking for faster lenses...consider picking up a few primes. Start with the cheap used Minolta 50mm F1.7, consider adding something wider like the Sigma 30mm F1.4 and something longer like the Tamron 90mm F2.8.

Looking for some extra telephoto to add on to an existing lens that covers the wider range? Consider looking for a used Minolta 70-210mm F4, or a Tamron 70-200 F2.8 if you're willing to spend more for a nice fast zoom.

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

thanks for all the recommendations, now i have a set of lens I can look into

btw, for tamron, when i ask for them, do i need to specify alpha mount? Cuz i saw some videos that they mount on nikon and canon

Yes...with any third party lens manufacturer, you'll need to make sure you are getting the one for your mount. Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, and a few others all make lenses for just about all DSLR mounts - so specify one of these: Alpha/Sony/Minolta when looking!

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Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Brilliant advice thanks!!

I think I might save up for the 16-80mm Carl Zeiss, and the minolta 70-210 beercan....
might have trouble finding one in good condition

I loved the 16-80 when I had it, although I always wondered if the 16-105 would have been good enough, while being cheaper and having a bit more range.

As an alternative to the beercan, check out the Tamron 55-200 lens. It is cheap, sharp and covers a similar range.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

thanks man...i'll check out the tamron 55-200 as well... which is better though? beercan or tamron? ( for general use )

Never owned the beercan so I can't do a direct comparison. On spec, the beercan does give you a bigger aperture on the long end, but it is also bigger and heavier. Suggest you check out reviews for thoer characteristics. The Tamron 55-200 is believed to be the same optically as the more expensive Sony version.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

thanks man, gonna check both of them out