ED 18-180 mm

[thevar]

Dear Friends,can anyone pls provide some expertise advise on this new lens ED 18-150mm, I am using a E 300 with 40-150mm and a 14-45mm lens,can this telephoto lens replace this two kit lens,any of the members tried out the new lens,thanks in advance.

[u2nofear]

I'm not expert but i know 18-180mm is 62 degree view; if you think this is wide enough then the answer is "Go Go Go"... 14-45mm is 75deg but not easy to sell leh...let me know if you got lobang !!! ok

[Raptor1]

The 18-180mm can replace the both kit lens, just that you lose some speed since it is an all-in-one zoom.
Look around @ depreview forums, i seen some pretty good pictures taken with it.

BTW: i am on a lookout to buy the 40-150mm lens, so if you are selling, do drop me a message.

[Cliffy]

I am asking the same question, would the quality of the photo taken by the 18-180mm differ from one by the 40-150mm?

how much is the 40-150? I may sell it(which I have yet to even get, lol)

[Raptor1]

Retail price is about $400 for the Lens if bought seperately.
Quality wise, i believe it would be similar, but the 40-150 would edge out by a tiny bit in terms of F stops and slightly faster focusing. It is all expected as the 18-180 is an all in one zoom lens.

[tao]

I have not tried out the 18-180mm lens yet but have checked out the images posted by users at DPReview.

If you really wanna nitpick the image quality, at the FOV that they overlaps, the 18-180mm cannot compared with the combination of the 14-45mm+40-150mm lenses in terms of sharpness and contrast. That is what you have to expect for an all-purpose zoom lens that covers a large FOV. The image quality from the optics is what I will call good enough for most intents and purposes. The same argument applies to zoom lenses from other makes/mounts such as the Nikon 18-200mm VR, in which people have complained about the lack of sharpness compared with their other cheaper and less zoom lenses but many people find it a great lens to use when going for a tour.

Thus, for travel purposes, the 18-180mm is certainly very versatile and makes your package much more lightweight compared with the 2 kit lens package. Convenience, size and weight are key points that may sway your purchase decision here.

[bliytz]

You really have to consider the speed you can change between your two lenses as a measure against how much sharpness in a picture you're willing to lose. That's the only fair comparison between a 14-45+40-150 and a 18-180 setup.

Do note that the dof lost can be compensated with a longer zoom range, at the sacrifice of speed.

[Hacker]

Is convenience more important than picture quality for you?

[Red-I]

Hi. See review below.

http://www.ephotozine.com/equipment/...fm?test_id=429

I was tempted to get the 18-180mm lens too when I was caught with the wrong lens and missed shots. But from reviews, the 18-180 optically not fantastic. Decided to spend my money on the better Oly lens like 11-22mm and the 50-200mm. Perhaps to achieve such coverage, can get one of those 12X optical zoom P&S. For travel, I bring my Sigma 55-200mm in place of Oly 50-200mm (which I find too heavy); but for travel I find 11-22mm range would be more often used than the long end.

Just 2 cents worth. Cheers.

[Raptor1]

How is the sigma 55-200mm compared to the 40-150mm of the Oly offerings? I am currently on a lookout for a budget(which means 50-200mm is out of my league) zoom ^_^

[tao]

Originally Posted by Raptor1 How is the sigma 55-200mm compared to the 40-150mm of the Oly offerings? I am currently on a lookout for a budget(which means 50-200mm is out of my league) zoom ^_^

If you are talking about the image quality that either lens can afford you, get the Oly 40-150mm, it is better of the two.

[Raptor1]

Ok, thanks for the advice

[Red-I]

Originally Posted by Raptor1 How is the sigma 55-200mm compared to the 40-150mm of the Oly offerings? I am currently on a lookout for a budget(which means 50-200mm is out of my league) zoom ^_^

There's a comparison of the Oly 40-150, Sigma 55-200 and Oly 50-200 here:
http://www.biofos.com/cornucop/telecomp.html

The Sigma 55-200 is very light weight and better reach (at the long end) than Oly 40-150mm. Overall the Sigma gives good performance per dollar (cost only $290 new), more bang for the buck. Although I have the Oly 50-200, I find it too heavy for travel, so the Sigma comes in handy. As for the Oly 40-150, it is better optically compared to the Sigma (but cost more, around $400). It really depends on what you want to shoot.... if telephoto reach is important then I guess the Sigma will serve you better. But if 150mm is all you need then the Oly 40-150 will probably give you better results.

Cheers.

[Stanly]

Hmm....the sigma doesn't lose out too much....really value for money......

[thevar]

Originally Posted by Red-I There's a comparison of the Oly 40-150, Sigma 55-200 and Oly 50-200 here: http://www.biofos.com/cornucop/telecomp.html The Sigma 55-200 is very light weight and better reach (at the long end) than Oly 40-150mm. Overall the Sigma gives good performance per dollar (cost only $290 new), more bang for the buck. Although I have the Oly 50-200, I find it too heavy for travel, so the Sigma comes in handy. As for the Oly 40-150, it is better optically compared to the Sigma (but cost more, around $400). It really depends on what you want to shoot.... if telephoto reach is important then I guess the Sigma will serve you better. But if 150mm is all you need then the Oly 40-150 will probably give you better results. Cheers.

Thanks! great link, a very good comparisons of the lens, now I am wondering is it worth buying the 18-180 mm lens and go for the sigma 55-200 for the extra mile. Anyone using the sigma pls give your comments,thanks.