Photography News 16

Kit reviews

We’ve seen the arrival of plenty of exciting lenses over recent months. Here’s a close look at six optics that have caught our eye Lens test special ON TEST Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM £470 SPECS Words & pictures by Will Cheung and Roger Payne PRICE £470 CONTACT

www.canon.co.uk CONSTRUCTION 17 elements in 13 groups FOCAL RANGE (35MMEQUIVALENT) 24-105mm MINIMUM APERTURE f/22-36 APERTURE BLADES 7 CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 40cm FILTER SIZE 77mm IMAGE STABILISER Yes, 4EV benefit DIMENSIONS (WXL) 83.4x104mm WEIGHT 525g

There is already a 24-105mm zoom in the system line-up, the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, but the most obvious difference between the two is the inclusion of a Stepping Motor (STM) for autofocusing. It’s Canon’s first full- frame zoom lens to feature STM, which will appeal to users who shoot video because you get smoother, silent AF. With the STM technology lens, focusing transitions are noticeably smoother. STM technology is slower than USM to autofocus but in practice I didn’t notice any obvious difference. When it comes to optical performance, I took shots on both full-frame and APS-C format cameras, using an EF 24-105mm f/4L for comparison. Shots in the field looked good but I also shot a lens test chart in more controlled circumstances. Enlarging the shots to 100% and checking performance at the centre and edge of each image showed the L lens to be a more consistent performer across focal length and aperture ranges. Image quality with the new lens This telezoomcovers an important range in any system – the format’s 1.5x crop factor means this is equivalent to a 76-213mm f/2.8 – and its wide maximum aperture makes it suitable for a broad range of subjects. Weighing in at just under 1kg it’s no lightweight but then the lens features 23 elements, six of which are special glass. On the plus side, its fulsome specification includes weather- and dust-resistant build, internal OIS and an impressive optical performance. It’s very sharp, almost regardless of focal length and zoom setting. Diffraction does impact on sharpness at f/16 and f/22 but where this lens is more likely to be used, ie. at its wider apertures, the sharpness it delivers is excellent. Used wide open, the bokeh effect is nice too. There is some evidence of flare when shooting into a bright light even with the hood in place but its high-tech coating minimises

The verdict If you want a full-frame 24-105mm lens, you have three choices: Canon’s L version, Sigma’s 24- 105mm lens and this. Both the Sigma and L lens have a constant f/4 maximum aperture and a lens hood included in their higher price tags. Optically this new lens is perfectly capable, especially if you avoid the extreme aperture settings. It handles nicely, with the added benefit of STM technology, making it ideal for video shooting. RP

drops off at the edges of the frame, most obviously at the wide-angle end where the shots taken at maximum and minimum apertures display softness. The newer optic does have marginally tighter control over image distortion, while handling of chromatic aberration is on a par with the L series. In reality, none of this should come as a surprise and although the new lens can’t match the more expensive model, I wouldn’t expect it to.

Silent AF, full-frame PROS

CONS No hood supplied – the EW-83M is a £30 optional extra

FujifilmXF50-140mm f/2.8RLMOISWR £1100

SPECS

PRICE £1100 CONTACT

www.fujifilm.eu/uk CONSTRUCTION 23 elements in 16 groups – 5 ED and 1 super ED FOCAL RANGE (35MMEQUIVALENT) 76-213mm MINIMUM APERTURE f/22 APERTURE BLADES 7 CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 1m FILTER SIZE 72mm IMAGE STABILISER OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), 5EV benefit DIMENSIONS (WXL) 82.9x175.9mm WEIGHT 995g

The verdict Some dealers have this lens priced at £1100which is a bargain in terms of what it is capable of. It really is a class lens and while it’s neither compact nor lightweight it does fulfil an important need, notably for users coming from Canon and Nikon wanting a telezoom to replace their respective 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms. This Fujifilm 50-140mm f/2.8 easily fills the gap for a fast telezoom in the X-system and at a very good price too. WC

its impact. The OIS system works well too. Shooting pin-sharp shots at its longest focal length at 1/30sec or even 1/15sec is feasible. The whole zoom range is covered in about a one- quarter turn of the zoom barrel, the aperture ring is click-stopped in third stops like other X-series lenses and the lens stays a constant size regardless of focal length and subject distance. Even the tripod mount is worth a special mention – it’s substantial and high enough to avoid any issues with the camera body.

Optical quality, OIS, features PROS

CONS

Bulk and weight

Photography News | Issue 16