Camera Labs

I thought I would write an opinion on my first additional lens purchase. I am no professional when it comes to photography so you can get an idea of the lens from a newbie's prospective.

Today I bought this new lens, the first additional lens I have purchased for my Sony A100 to compliment the 18 - 70 kit lens.

Here are some sample shots I have taken from my window to demo the view and range.

Sony 18-70 kit lens at 18mm:


Sony 18-70 kit lens at 70mm:


Sony 75-300mm lens at 75mm:


Sony 75-300mm lens at 300mm:


As you can see it greatly expands the zoom length from the kit lens that comes with the sony alpha camera's and produces a nice open wide landscape view all the way out with a nice close telephoto view with this additional 75-300mm lens.

I haven’t had a chance to fully test it out yet and these are the only few photo's I have taken from my window but so far im very pleased with it and look forward to taking photo's with it. I will finally be able to get closer and take photo's that I was previously unable to when I only had the kit lens.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

Hello tobywuk!

Good to see you have made the first user review/lens gallery of this great kit lens.

Would be nice to see more details when you have explored it further. Oh and could you try some macro shots? After all the Sony lens catalogue has this lens as one of the highest Max. Magnification Ratio among the Alpha lenses of ~0.2 or so.

Also, I have added this thread to the list of Sony user reviews.

SnS

Edit: Corrected typo.

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

I only got the lens yesterday so I havent had a chance to go out with it and test it out properly but once I do I will report back. Sure I will give some macro shots a go and see how things turn out.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

By the way, toby, if i remember correctly the 75-300mm is not DT(Digital Technologies, compatible with APS-C sensor cameras only). Would you mind checking the box again?

Thanks,
SnS

Edit: P.S.: Referred to your Signature.

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

my mistake.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

Don't fret it - its a common oversight.

I made the mistake too when I just had the lens. Yeah it can be confusing with the other kit lens being DT.

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

I went out today for the first time since having the new 75-300mm lens.

This is the first aditional lens I have purchased and I am used to only using one lens. Im finding switching lens's a bit difficult and fiddly while im out and about as swaping the lens caps on and off from my camera bag while standing up is difficult. This is probably something new DSLR owners will also find difficult but im sure that it gets quicker and easier the moor practice you have. Prehaps some of the more experianced users could help out with some advice on this?

The physical size of the lens is bigger than the kit lens, but not by to much and im not finding it difficult to get used to. Im able to get some much closer shots that I was perviously unable to do.

As requested I have put some images of some close up macro shots that I have taken. one thing im finding a bit of a nusance is that Im having to switch to manual focus quite a bit for these pictures as the auto focus sees to be having trouble ajusting to close up images. Is this normal?

Image croped only, no other editing:




With my previouse lens I would never have been able to get shots like this because I couldent get close enough.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

WOW TOBY, nice pics of the insect, wonderful.

I'm going to read your review later, it's bedtime. Good night!

- Bjorn -

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

thanks Bjorn

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

tobywuk you have proved to me that nice macro shots are possible with this lens

And yes, I have to mention, the lens has lots of difficulty auto-focusing at less than 2m or so. With a not-as-bad-manual-focusing-ring-as-the-18-70 kit lens I'd say it ain't tough or troublesome to use manual focus for your macros.

I almost had it sent for repair because it wouldn't focus so near but waited a while because of the hassle till I could bring it out for not-so-close-up shots and I found the autofocus worked perfectly fine. Looking back I think thats a little silly, , but then we all have our newbie-moments No offence though..just saying my personal experience.

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

Thanks for the words SCREAMnSHOUT. So is this focusing problem a thing that most lens's have or just this sony lens?

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

I'm not sure it can really be called a problem. Like most lenses this one has a minimum focusing distance.

Macros have a much shorter minimum focusing distance, if any.

I hope this answers your question, otherwise, don't keep any doubts to yourself

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

I guess this means that a macro lens will need to go on my shopping list lol. thanks

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

Do you enjoy doing macro a lot? The two lenses you have seem enough for the occasional 'improvised' macro, optionally with some cropping or a macro filter.

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

Yes I enjoy taking macro photographs, i like to see the detail on close up images that its difficult to pick out with the eye. I also find they make very interesting and different photographs. I will make do with the lens's i have at the moment for a while though!

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200