This group will undoubtedly have some opinions on this topic.
I've been considering a particular range of zoom and know (from paper
knowledge) of three quite different models that strike me as interesting and
not too impossible to find used. So, I'm looking for advice and insights. I've
not (yet) had the pleasure of looking through any of these three, so insights
on these along with suggestions for others that cover a similar (or better)
range and are also optically sound would be appreciated.
The three (with the few pros and cons I know) are:
Zuiko 65-200 f4
Pro: Goes fairly short so it plus just a WA prime (eg 35mm) make a nice
day kit. Not too beastly heavy
Cons: A bit weak on the telephoto end. I often desire something longer
than 200mm.
Zuiko 85-250 f5
Pro: about 250nger on the telephoto end, for only the loss of 2/3 of a
stop in light. Separate zoom ring (I like that, actually)
Cons: Heavier, slower and won't go quite as short as the 65-200. Looks
to be quite a bit pricier than the 65-200 as well?
Tokina AT-X 100-300 f4
Pro: Reasonably fast for a 300mm lens, highly praised and covers about
500nger than the 65-200
Cons: Rather expensive (how bad?), _very_ heavy. Around 4 lbs of lens?
... scary!!
One thing to keep in mind: I really don't like distortion. I've seen some
cheaper telephoto zooms but the pincushion is so pronounced that it is
glaringly obvious in the viewfinder, just looking at a fence or other subject
with straight lines.
Questions:
a) Is the f5 too dark for the standard split image focus screen under overcast
or forest lighting? Also, f5 seems mightly small at portrait lengths! in
practice how annoyed are you 85-250 owners with that f5 (and it's DOF!) when
you are shooting at 85-135?
b) Are there other choices you might recommend -- especially where pincushion
is minimal? By way of comparison, the few samples I have seen of the Zuiko
300mm f4.5 and 200mm f4 primes have minimal or no pincushion that I observed.
(But the goal is to avoid having to buy an 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm and 300mm
-- but rather get four of those five focal lengths for 1/3 or so of the cost of
all five -- used prices in all cases. Getting something heavier than the 300mm
f4.5 Zuiko is also undesired)
c) Yes, I know that Vivitar offers a new 75-300, but at $129 (B&H new) I have
to think that thing's got to be a coke bottle. Maybe I'm unfairly dissing the
bargain of the century but I doubt it. There's also the 100-500mm Phoenix at
$349, but I'm afraid that an f5.6-8 is too dark for my tastes. I've got a
no-name 135mm f2.8 that I like just fine -- I can't imagine losing two full (or
more?) stops at that length.
Stuart
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