Photo Review Reviews section

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS

8.8 Rating

An affordably-priced long-zoom lens that will suit photographers who want a single ‘go-anywhere’ lens for their DSLR cameras.Sigma’s versatile 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 DC OS lens has been designed as an all-purpose lens for digital SLR cameras with ‘APS-C size’ image sensors. Offering an 11x zoom ratio and a minimum focusing distance of 45cm at all focal lengths, this lens will appeal to photographers who want a single, long-range zoom lens to fit on their camera body. A built-in Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) uses ultrasonic waves to drive the autofocusing controls, providing fast and quiet AF.

SanDisk Extreme IV 4GB CompactFlash Card & FireWire Reader

Fast data transfer speeds for high-volume photographers.SanDisk has just released a new Extreme IV line of memory cards, which are designed to meet the needs of professional photographers who use high-performance DSLR cameras. Claimed as the fastest storage cards available, Extreme IV cards are available in 2, 4 and 8-gigabyte (GB) capacities and deliver read and write speeds of 40 megabytes per second (MB/sec.), twice as fast as the SanDisk Extreme III cards.

PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED Lens

8.5 Rating

A highly specialised lens that provides control over the plane of focus and is usable for shooting close-ups.Nikon’s PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED lens is the latest in a series of perspective control (PC) lenses that have been produced by the company over many years. Offering a shift range of plus or minus 11.5mm and tilt of plus or minus 8.5 degrees, it can also be rotated through plus or minus 90-degrees in 30-degree increments. In all respects, this is a pretty wide range – but it’s only achievable on camera bodies with 36 x 24mm sensors. The lens can also be used on cameras with smaller imagers, but its adjustability will be limited.

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4 ASPH. (H-X025) Lens

8.8 Rating

A fast prime lens that covers a ‘normal’ field of view and supports the advanced autofocusing systems in the latest Panasonic G-series cameras.The Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens was announced by Panasonic in June 2011 at the same time as the Lumix DMC-GF3 camera. It’s due for release locally at the end of August. On G-series bodies, it provides an effective focal length equivalent to 50mm on a 35mm camera, making it an excellent ‘standard’ lens.

Orbis Ring-Flash Adapter

8 Rating

A fit-over adapter for softening the light from electronic flash guns.The orbis ring flash adapter has been developed with the specific aim of providing SLR photographers with a softer light source from their accessory flash guns. Made from tough ABS plastic it has a ribbed grip with lugs for the supplied tethering strap. Above this sits a 42 mm thick annulus with a translucent front panel and internal mirrors that direct the light forward.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD Lens

8.5 Rating

Designed for general photography, the new Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm Pro lens is a high-performance standard wide zoom lens that is optimised for use with the E-3 DSLR camera. It features a splash-proof and dust-proof design and robust construction plus the Olympus Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) lens drive mechanism that supports an ultra-fast, quiet and high-precision AF system.

Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Lens

9 Rating

A more versatile, better-performing alternative to the standard Olympus kit lens.Released concurrently with the Olympus E-30 DSLR camera, the Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II provides an alternative to the standard 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. It covers angles of view equivalent to 28-108mm in 35mm format, has multi-coated optics and a circular aperture and supports the new contrast-detection AF capability with Live View mode in the latest Olympus DSLRs.

Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm f2.8 Lens

8.5 Rating

An ultra-compact prime lens that covers a field of view close to that of the human eye and is ideal for everyday snapshots.Released concurrently with the E-420 camera, the new Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm f2.8 standard lens is a fast prime lens with ‘pancake’ styling. Less than 24mm thick, it makes a great companion to the E-420, providing a camera-plus-lens package that rivals many high-end digicams in size and weight. The 50mm effective focal length provides a near-natural visual field that is ideal for everyday photography.

Nissin Di622 Mark II Flash Gun

9 Rating

A powerful and affordably-priced external flash for Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras.The Nissin Di622 Mark II flash gun, which was announced at Photokina in September 2010, improves on an earlier model by adding Wireless TTL remote capabilities and the ability to be used as a slave flash with multiple flash units (including studio flash systems). This model sits in the middle of the Nissin flash range and is for DSLR cameras only. Its light output, coverage and controllability of the flash head make it ideal for photo enthusiasts.