Let’s have a little look at the lens itself. Included with the lens is a flower shaped sun hood (to reduce lens flares), and a lens cap.
The outer band which controls the focus has a printed surface containing measurements in focus distances in meters and Feet, as does the lower band that controls the zooming and displays the rough mm currently being shot. A good thing to know is that the minimal distance from the lens to an object has to be 45cms for it to focus correctly. Any closer and you wouldn’t be able to focus properly.
Now another great thing about this lens is that its compact, when in 18mm it isn’t much larger then the ordinary kit lens, yet fully extended it is a looker!
On 18mm its size without the hood is approximately 8cm and is roughly 15cm when fully extended. A 30ml perfume package is included in the photo to get a better perspective of its size.
Basically this is a good quality lens for the beginner or amateur photographer. It’s amazingly versatile and the best thing with buying this lens (and perhaps one of the main reasons why I bought it) is to keep from switching lenses in the field. Keeping one versatile lens attached prevents dust getting inside the camera and on the CCD sensor, one of the biggest disadvantages of digital SLR cameras.
Ok so we ruled out the dust part and changing lenses, but what about the weight? Comparing it to the kit lens this thing weighs a ton, 398g (14oz) to be exact. That added weight does give it a more robust feel, and for my own opinion provides more stability.
All of this is fine, you might say, but what about the price? All DSLR camera accessories and lenses come at a price, though this lens is still affordable when you think of it. Since this lens is more versatile, there is no need for seperate lenses for close-ups and zooming situations. Looking around on the web shops on the date this review you could obtain this lens for about 400$ (USD) or 450€ in Europe. It’s available for Canon, Nikon, Minolta and Pentax cameras.
