Needless Snowmonger: Telephoto vs Telezoom Lenses Review

Needless Snowmonger, originally uploaded by mavenimagery® Merry Christmas&Happy New Year.

Needless Snowmonger
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maven's vision: After shooting a wild horse and jumping across a 5ft wide dike (not that dyke, the other dike that water runs in it), I spied this 'unuseful snow-plows" on a back highway 26 in Northern California, speeding 55mph, plowing nothing more than sunny air, and as I landed on this side of the dike or ditch, I set the camera to Tv (Shutter Priority) and AI Focus with H Continuous Shutter Speed mode (if you're using Nikon, start reading your manual; yes, off the couch and fetch, hop hop! thank you; if you have Sony aim,  pray, shoot!) which, even with a not so right lens like 17-40mm f/4 Lens, is suited to variety of still and moving subjects (as in this needless subject in the image), the camera will switch between One Shot and AI Servo (keep your setting at Tv AI Servo if you're not familiar with 'panning technique) according to the movement of the subject. That's how maven { } sees it!

maven's Killer Lens Recommendations

TELEPHOTO vs TELEZOOM Lenses

For the shot above both Telephoto and Telezoom lenses would be ideal. In terms of optical quality, however, a fast, prime telephoto lens is hard to beat. But longer lens, naturally, tend to be long, heavy and can break your bank, costing thousands. Unless you're shooting wildlife, action or sports, it is best opt for a telezoom instead.
Let's take a closer look at one of Nikon’s most popular telezoom lenses:

Nikon 80-400mm VR ReviewDespite its (removable) tripod collar, Nikon have clearly designed the lens with handholding in mind. Although it feels a little bulky, it weighs a relatively modest 1340g and boasts Vibration Reduction (VR) technology. The VR uses a ‘tilting’ element to correct vibration, so framing can change slightly when VR is active. It has two different VR modes. In Mode 1,
VR runs while the shutter is semi-depressed and also when the shutter is released so that you can see the effect (if any) of the tilting lens element through the viewfinder.
In Mode 2, VR only works when the shutter is fully depressed – to conserve battery life. Therefore, you can’t view what the VR is actually doing and can mis-frame slightly as a result. Nikon claim it can be used at three stops slower than a non-VR version and, generally speaking, it works very well. I was able to capture acceptably sharp results at 300mm using just 1/60sec when shooting handheld. However, at its longest end, I would recommend using a shutter speed upwards of 1/200sec.
The VR is excellent at detecting direction so is a good ‘panning’ lens. This is not an AF-S lens, and quite simply – by today’s standards – it is slow. The AF is also relatively noisy and I found it had a tendency to ‘hunt’ for the subject. Its 2.3m minimum focusing distance is also disappointing and restrictive for nearby subjects. This is a key consideration for wildlife snappers who regularly work from a hide and might deter some photographers from buying it. But it’s not all bad news, though. Optically, the lens is excellent. I found images to be very sharp between 80-300mm, and whilst image quality softened slightly at its longest end, overall I was impressed with the results. Build quality is also good, feeling like a solid bit of kit when handled.


maven's verdict:
Costing around $1,599, this lens isn’t cheap, but it does have an impressive zoom range and maximum magnification. Its relatively slow maximum aperture and sluggish AF means it is not best suited to action and sports. It is beginning to show its age and is in need of an upgrade, especially as it lacks a Silent Wave Motor (AF-S).


However, optical quality is good and VR makes it a versatile lens for photographers on the move. And, shaving a couple of hundred dollars off the price would make it better value.



Canon pro 70-300mm L-series lens




Thanks to two ultra-low dispersion (UD) elements and a floating lens group, the 
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM captures stunning high-contrast, high-resolution images with low levels of chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range. The lens makes use of Canon’s Super Spectra coatings, reducing ghosting and flare to ensure the highest possible image quality and minimising the requirement for extensive post processing.




Canon’s advanced optical Image Stabilizer (IS) provides photographers with a four-stop IS advantage, enabling the capture of sharp images even when shooting at maximum zoom or in low light conditions, by allowing the use of slower shutter speeds than would usually be possible with handheld shooting.

An eight-blade circular aperture also offers excellent bokeh ideal for portraiture, producing a more pleasant background and creatively isolating the subject.



Autofocus (AF) is fast and quiet thanks to a ring-type USM AF motor, combined with the independent lens CPU and advanced AF algorithms to enable accurate, reliable focusing in all conditions. As with all Canon L series lenses, full time manual focus override is possible, allowing photographers to manually focus, even when the AF motor is engaged. With a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m (3.9ft) throughout the zoom range, photographers can achieve sharp results, even when close to the action.



Professional accessories

As part of the L-series range, the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is supplied with a lens hood ET-73B and lens case LP1424 as standard. In addition, an optional, dedicated tripod mount C (WII) can be directly attached to the lens. This allows it to be stabilised easily and the camera switched quickly from vertical to horizontal and back, without having to reposition the camera body on the tripod, perfect for fast-paced action with a variety of subjects


maven's verdict: L-series – robust performance in all conditions




Honoring the L-series heritage, the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM offers exceptional build quality, ideal for daily use by professionals and advanced amateurs. The lens includes environmental protection, allowing photographers to shoot in harsh conditions - even in the extremes of the desert or rainforest. Canon’s new Fluorine Coating also makes cleaning the lens easier, preventing smears or streaking.