Lessons learned....

[__Legion__]

When I first got my camera I got a standard kit zoom (18-55mm) and nifty fifty (f1.8) and decided to play with just those for awhile till I knew better what I would want and need as well as how to use them better...

A month or so later I got a Sigma Lens 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro because I had found I wanted to get closer to the action...wildlife, architectural details etc. Comparatively it blew my kit lens away, even though they are of different zoom ratios. I expected this, of course, but the Sigma was such a nice addition and it really made me see the differences.

Another month or so and I started to get annoyed at the lack of width I had. The area I live in has almost biblical cloud formations and quite interesting landscape so I started hankering after some another lens. A little research and I decided on and ordered a Tokina Lens AT-X 116 PRO DX 11-16mm f/2.8.

Wow! My first thought when I opened the box was that for the price they could have at least thrown in a lens case.....then I picked up the lens and all though of that faded away. The phrase I had read most often was "built like a tank"....and they ain't kidding!! This thing is solid! Heavy too, almost as much as my camera itself.

Attaching it to the body for the first time and scanning around the clarity of it became truly apparent. True, had I spent another grand or so on an L series I am certain I would receive even better sharpness and clarity..but then again, there is a law of diminishing returns.

You don't buy a lens like this for it's zoom range, but the 11 to 16 ratio is nice to have for framing especially when you just can't position yourself where you would like...at the side of a road or river for example. The constant f2.8 makes low light or evening shooting a breeze.

All in all...the best lens I have yet had my hands on..and it makes all my others look like toys. Of course, the next step now is to replace the 18-55mm with something of comparable quality...although it's going to be awhile before I can swing that.

The lessons I have learned? You get what you pay for. There may be a barely noticeable difference between middle and top tier lens even though there is a huge price difference but there is a world of difference between bottom and middle. I doubt I will waste my time or money on the lower end again. I'll work with what I have until I can afford better.

[__Legion__]

oh...having said that...I have to say that I don't think price is the ultimate arbiter of quality or usefulness.

I purchase a Glanz 3 head monobloc lighting kit awhile back. It certainly isn't of the quality of feature set of the more expensive units. Still, it does the job, gives me the tools to experiment and learn and...even better...it has no TTL type features, although it does have a basic radio sync unit.

I actually feel this is a plus for me..all light levels have to be set manually and the exposure calculated in practice. At this point it is much slower....but at l;east this way I am actually learning the how and why instead of relying on a meter to make decisions for me.

[nickbedford]

Originally Posted by __Legion__

The lessons I have learned? You get what you pay for. There may be a barely noticeable difference between middle and top tier lens even though there is a huge price difference but there is a world of difference between bottom and middle. I doubt I will waste my time or money on the lower end again. I'll work with what I have until I can afford better.

I bought the Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM to replace my kit lens. It's like an L lens without the metal body. Highly recommend.

[Jim Poor]

Originally Posted by __Legion__

oh...having said that...I have to say that I don't think price is the ultimate arbiter of quality or usefulness.

I purchase a Glanz 3 head monobloc lighting kit awhile back. It certainly isn't of the quality of feature set of the more expensive units. Still, it does the job, gives me the tools to experiment and learn and...even better...it has no TTL type features, although it does have a basic radio sync unit.

I actually feel this is a plus for me..all light levels have to be set manually and the exposure calculated in practice. At this point it is much slower....but at l;east this way I am actually learning the how and why instead of relying on a meter to make decisions for me.

Funny. Pick up an AB800 or another quality monoblock and you'll have the same "Ah-ha moment" as you did with the lenses.

[__Legion__]

hmm..something to keep my eye on..though I'm thinking of waiting till I caqn swing a Tokina AT-X 165 PRO DX AF 16-50mm f/2.8...

[__Legion__]

@Jim Poor, I'm sure I will...still got a lot to learn with the gear I have now though...

it's on the lust list though, for sure...