| This is the most recent revision of this list (1/12/97). | |
| Here are some Lens Rankings Based upon Personal | |
| Experiences of several Closely Allied Pro Photographers: | |
| NOTE: THESE ARE OPINIONS OF ABOUT 10 WORKING | |
| PROS -- They are ONLY OPINIONS -- If you disagree, fine; if | |
| you flame I'll ignore you (as will most others). They may not | |
| include your pet lens -- if not I'm sorry but it isn't one we use or | |
| I've omitted it inadvertently. This version has updated | |
| teleconverter information -- better estimation scheme thanks | |
| to Bob Atkins -- and it also rates two of the Russian lenses | |
| often asked about at the end. | |
| Grover Larkins | |
| ******************************************************* | |
| Rating is on a scale of 0-5 w/5 high and are Optical, | |
| Mechanical -- | |
| A RATING OF ABOVE 4 IS PRO QUALITY! | |
| 5 = Super -- Sharp at All Apertures until Diffraction Limit set in | |
| with Outstanding Contrast and Flare Resistance. | |
| 4 = Very Good -- Center 75% of the Image is Sharp Wide | |
| Open and by 2 stops down entire image is crisp w/very good | |
| contrast and flare | |
| resistance at all apertures. | |
| 3 = Good -- May have to be stopped down more than 2 stops | |
| to get the entire image sharp and contrast could be better but | |
| is still OK, Flare resistance is not as good as it could be -- this | |
| is a lens you need to be cautious using a teleconverter with. | |
| 2 = So-So -- Portraits and Family Photos -- Contrast is | |
| acceptable but not nearly as good as a 3 or 4 rated lens, don't | |
| even think of using a teleconverter. May have one good | |
| aperture for sharpness and contrast but in general a lens | |
| strictly for amateur use. | |
| 1 = Dog -- Only slightly better than an Instamatic Lens. | |
| 0 = Awful -- a lens polished using sandpaper or bubble gum. | |
| Mechanical Ratings - | |
| 5= Pro Quality in EVERY respect | |
| 4= Better than Avg. Amateur quality | |
| 3= Avg. Amateur Quality. | |
| 2= Below Avg. Quality | |
| 1= It will Break in Normal Use | |
| 0= Manufactured Broken. | |
| Teleconverter ratings should be as follows (gives ESTIMATE ONLY!) | |
| Lens + TC = Lens rating*Teleconverter rating/5 | |
| Hence for the 400 f3.5 EDIF Nikkor the Rating w/a TC14 is = 5X4.5/5 = 4.5 | |
| With the TC 300/301 the 400 f3.5 EDIF = 4.2 | |
| Lenses: | Ratings: |
| NIKON: | |
| 20 f2.8 MF AIS Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 24 f2.8 MF AI/AIS Nikkor | 4.5,5 |
| 28 f2.0 MF Nikkor AIS | 4.5,5 |
| 28 f2.8 Series E Nikon | 4.5,4 |
| 35 f2.5 Series E Nikon | 3,4 |
| 35 f2.0 MF Nikkor AIS | 3.5,5 |
| 35 f1.4 MF Nikkor AIS | 5,5 |
| 35 f2.0 AF Nikkor AIS | 5,4 |
| 50 f1.4 MF Nikkor AIS | 4.5,5 |
| 50 f1.8 MF Nikkor AIS | 4,5 |
| 50 f1.8 Series E Nikon | 4,4 |
| 55 f1.2 Nikkor | 3,5 |
| (a true dog) | |
| 55 f3.5 Micro Nikkor AI and Non-AI | 5,5 |
| 55 f2.8 Micro Nikkor AIS | 4.5,4.5 |
| 55 mm f2.8 AF Micro Nikkor | 4.5,4 |
| 58 f1.2 Noct Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 60mm f2.8 AF Micro Nikkor | 5,4 |
| 85 f1.4 MF AIS Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 85 f1.8 AF Nikkor | 5,4 |
| 105 f4 Micro Nikkor | 4.5,5 |
| 105 f2.8 MF AIS Micro Nikkor | 4,5 |
| 105 AF Micro Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 200 IF Micro Nikkor MF | 5,5 |
| 200 IF Micro Nikkor AF | 5,5 |
| (Goes to 1:1 and does better at infinity due to ED Elements) | |
| 180 ED MF Nikkor | 4.8,5 |
| 180 EDIF AF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| (New Version) | |
| 180 EDIF AF Nikkor | 5,4 |
| (Old Version) | |
| 200 f2.0 EDIF Nikkor | 4.5,5 |
| 300 f4.5 MF Nikkor (Non-ED) 3,4.5 | |
| 300 f4.5 EDIF Nikkor | 4.8,5 |
| 300 f4 EDIF AF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 300 f2.0 EDIF MF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 EDIF MF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 EDIF AF-I Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 EDIF AF-N Nikkor | 4.8,4.8 |
| 300 f2.8 EDIF AF 1st vers. Nikkor | 4.8,4 |
| 400 f5.6 EDIF Nikkor | 4.8,5 |
| 400 f3.5 EDIF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 400 f2.8 EDIF AF-I Nikkor | 5,5 |
| (Good lens, great boat anchor 6kg vs 3kg for the | |
| f3.5; couldn't Nikon make the 400 f3.5 as an AF | |
| lens?) | |
| 500 f8 Mirror Nikkor | 3.8,5 |
| 500 f4 EDIF-P Nikkor | 5,4.5 |
| (Wimpy Tripod Mt.) | |
| 500 f4 EDIF-AF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| (AF Version IS sharper wide open in the corners | |
| than the MF but they both are quite good) | |
| 600 f5.6 EDIF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 600 f4 EDIF Nikkor (AIS) | 5,5 |
| 600 f4 EDIF-AF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 600 f4 EDIF Nikkor (AI) | 5,5 |
| 20-35 f2.8 AF-Nikkor | 4.8,5 |
| (Arguably the best wide zoom on the market; | |
| Crisp and competitive with primes for sharpness | |
| and contrast) | |
| 24-120 f5.6 Nikkor (AF) | 4.5,4.5 |
| (Zoom loose on early versions, great travel lens) | |
| 75-150 f3.5 Series E Nikon | 5,4.5 |
| 80-200 f4.5 AI Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 43-86 Nikkor | 3,4.5 |
| (later vers. better but still not great) | |
| 80-200 f2.8 EDIF MF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| 80-200 f2.8 EDIF AF Nikkor | 4.8,4 |
| (No Tripod Mt) | |
| 80-200 f2.8 EDIF AF Nikkor | 4.8,5 |
| (Tripod Mt. -- Yahoo!!!!) | |
| 50-300 f4.5 EDIF Nikkor | 5,5 |
| (An African Classic should be done in AF!) | |
| 200-400 ED MF AIS Nikkor | 5,5 |
| (An African Classic; should be done in AF!) | |
| Teleconverters: | |
| TC-14/14B/14E | 4.5,5 |
| TC-300/301 | 4.2,4.5 |
| TC-20E | 4.8,5 |
| (Noticably better than TC-301) | |
| CANON: | |
| 17-35 f2.8 EF-L | 4.5.4.5 |
| (Flare control a bit better than the 20-35) | |
| 20-35 f2.8 EF-L | 4.2,4.5 |
| (Flare a bit worse than in prime but still | |
| awfully good!) | |
| 100 f2.0 EF | 4.5,4 |
| 300 f4 EF L | 5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 EF-L | 5,5 |
| 400 f5.6 EF-L | 4,5 |
| 400 f2.8 EF-L | 4.3,5 |
| (Everyone I know who HAD this lens has | |
| sold it and purchased the II model, wonder | |
| why???) | |
| 400 f2.8 EF-L II | 4.8,5 |
| (Canon's first really top quality 400mm lens!) | |
| 500 f4.5 EF-L | 4.8,5 |
| (f4.5 + 1.4X = No Autofocus!!!) | |
| 600 f4 EF-L | 5,5 |
| 24 EF TS | 4.5,5 |
| 45 EF TS | 4.5,5 |
| 90 EF TS | 4.8,5 |
| 80-200 f2.8 EF-L (Early) | 4,4.5 |
| 80-200 f2.8 EF-L (Recent) 4.5,4.5 | |
| 70-200 f2.8 EF-L | 4.8,5 |
| 100-300 f5.6 EF-L | 3.5,4 |
| (Gets Loads better when you put a tripod | |
| mount on it! A buddy of mine makes such | |
| a mount, costs about $150 or so E-mail | |
| me for info.) | |
| 35mm FD TS | 4.5,5 |
| 80-200 f4 FD L | 4.8,5 |
| 300 f2.8 FD-L | 4.5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 Fluorite | 4.8,5 |
| 400 f4.5 FD | 3,4.5 |
| 500 f4.5 FD-L | 5,5 |
| 500 f4.5 FD Fluorite | 5,5 |
| 600 f4.5 FD | 3.5,4.5 |
| 150-600 f5.6 FD-L | 4.9,4 |
| (Some break in the Middle!) | |
| Teleconverters: | |
| 1.4X EF | 4.5,5 |
| PENTAX: | |
| 200 f4 Macro ED | 5,5 |
| 300 f4.5 AF EDIF | 4.9,4.5 |
| 300 f2.8 EDIF MF | 4.5,5 |
| 200-600 f5.6 ED AF Zoom | 4.8,4.8 |
| MINOLTA MAXXUM: | |
| 200 f2.8 APO | 4.5,5 |
| 300 f2.8 APO | 4.5,5 |
| 600 f4 APO | 4.5,5 |
| SIGMA: | |
| 80-200 f2.8 APO (Canon EF mt.) | 4.8,4.8 |
| 300 f2.8 APO (Minolta Maxxum Mt.) | 4.5,4 |
| (MF Linkage Breaks sometimes) | |
| 400 f5.6 APO Canon EF Mt. | 4.7,4.8 |
| Sigma Teleconverter 1.4X (AF) | 3.7,4.5 |
| (Vignettes w/long teles) | |
| TOKINA: | |
| 300 f2.8 MF Nikon mt. | 4.8,4.8 |
| 300 f2.8 AF Nikon Mt. | 4.8,4.5 |
| 80-200 f2.8 APO MF ATX Nikon Mt. | 4.5,4.5 |
| (Tripod Mount is chinzy) | |
| 100-300 f4 APO MF ATX Nikon Mt. | 4.5,4.8 |
| TAMRON: | |
| 300 f2.8 LDIF MF (Early) | 4,4.8 |
| 300 f2.8 LDIF MF (Recent) | 4.4,4.8 |
| 300 f2.8 LDIF AF | 4.5,4.5 |
| 400 f4 LDIF MF | 4.2,4.8 |
| 200-500 f5.6 MF | 3.5,4.5 |
| 20-40 f2.8 AF | 4,4.2 |
| (Some vignetting at 20mm?) | |
| 80-200 f2.8 AF (Nikon) | 4.5,4.5 |
| 200-400 f5.6 LD - AF (Nikon/Canon) | 3.5,4 |
| (Soft wide open at 400mm and poor balance) | |
| Teleconverter 1.4X (AF) | 3.7,4.5 |
| (Tends to Vignette w/some long teles) | |
| LEITZ: | |
| 100 f2.8 Macro R | 5,5 |
| 280 f2.8 APO R | 5,5 |
| 400 f2.8 APO R | 5,5 |
| 180 f3.4 APO R | 5,5 |
| 180 f2.8 R4.5,5 | |
| 560 R (Clumsy) | 4,4.5 |
| 1.4X Teleconverter | 4.5,5 |
| 2X Teleconverter | 4.3,5 |
| Russian 300 f2.8 | 3,4 |
| Russian 35mm PC | 3.5,4 |
Last Updated on 1/12/98
By Dr. Grover Larkins