Are you anxious to have the "S.O." get you a cool present?

[DonSchap]

Are you tired of trying to get a decent shot out of that awful 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 "kit" lens you swear someone
probably dropped into your box with your DSLR camera? :mad2:

Well, here is an appropriate layout in lenses to make up for that faux pas and will make for a pretty well-rounded lens selection,
that is going take serious money to beat.



Dear __________________, "love of my life" ... please consider these lovely lenses BEFORE anything else you may be considering for my Christmas gift.

|_| SIGMA 10-20mm f/3.5 DC EX HSM
|_| TAMRON SP AF 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di LD
|_| TAMRON SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II LD Aspherical (IF)
|_| TAMRON SP AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF)
|_| TAMRON SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)

Print this and just "accidentally" slip this little list of suggestions on the table ... one or two of them will be nice, ALL five ... priceless. :thumbsup:

Merry Christmas!
<- Click on Santa for "All I want for Christmas..."

[NoKnees]

Nice "wish" list...

How are the reviews on the Sigma 10-20mm? I don't recall all the suffixes these days, so is that a FF or crop sensor based lens?

I have the basic 11-18mm Sony lens which hasn't really changed since the original Konica Minolta version and it's filled a need, but is not my favorite piece of glass by any means, and will be useless if/when I move to a FF Sony at a later date... -- the best run-on sentence I've had in a while, too good to edit..

The other lenses are nice too. Some day I should consider upgrading my old 100-400mm Minolta APO lens to either the Sig or Tam 200-500mm.... Maybe... Someday... The rest I have covered pretty well in Minolta glass...

'Tis the season to be dreaming...

- G

[DonSchap]

Nice "wish" list...

How are the reviews on the Sigma 10-20mm? I don't recall all the suffixes these days, so is that a FF or crop sensor based lens?

- G

All 10mm to whatever (10-24, 10-20, 10-16) lenses are APS-C sensor glass. The "DC" means APS-C in SIGMA dialogue.

The SIGMA 10-20mm is as competitive as any of the others, leaning toward better, if it is sharp. Each copy of the lens can vary and require warranty service for proper focus alignment.

APS-C glass is denoted by:

TAMRON: Di-II
SIGMA: DC
Tokina: DX
SONY: DT

[LightBright]

I love this time of year. You cant have to much camera gear can you

[NoKnees]

Thanks for the quick clarification Don... I guess it's the 12mm+ Sigma that I was thinking of when FF stuck in my mind...

Anyway, I'm letting people know my NEED for a good tripod and ballhead... I'm hoping that is what shows up under my tree this year... Keeping fingers crossed...

[DonSchap]

Yes, the SIGMA 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG Aspherical is about as wide a zoom lens as you can have on a Full Frame, without "fisheye" and was EISA EUROPEAN LENS OF THE YEAR 2004-2005.

I have not used this lens and cannot attest to its capability on the Full Frame DSLR. Personally, I have not actually heard much about it, in that regard, so it does leave one to wonder. I have read that the lens is rather dark f/4.5, indoors, and the distortion is "typical" of lens going this wide, but at 12mm on a FF ... that's WIDE! ;)

Heck, maybe I'll get one .. and have a look. The price tag is a lot steeper than many others ($859).

[Frog]

Don't want to sound preachy but I try to think of what I'll be able to give rather than what I'll get.

[DonSchap]

Frog, you are so right. That is exactly why I try to find decent ways to give a little something back to the craft. This year, in October, for me it was handing out two zoom lenses from my collection to people I don't really know. They provided effort to make the craft more ... interesting and thought provoking.

If everyone did something similar (pay if forward), I suspect the popularity and interest in our "sport" would definitely feels some interesting results. In the spirit of giving, hear here.

Merry Christmas... and may you all get what you deserve.