Photo Review Reviews section

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens

9 Rating

A compact, high-magnification zoom lens with few aberrations and effective image stabilisation.The EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM is Canon’s second lens with three-layer type Diffractive Optics (DO). It can be used with both ‘APS-C’ (where it covers angles of view equivalent to 112mm to 480mm) and 35mm-sized image sensors. Using three layers of diffraction gratings enables lens designers to almost completely cancel out chromatic aberration and subdue spherical aberration to a near-negligible point. The resulting lenses are smaller and lighter and can out-perform other zoom lenses with equivalent focal lengths and aperture ranges that use fluorite, ED or aspherical glass elements to controls these aberrations.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens

8.5 Rating

A high-performing lens for general photography.A superb general-purpose lens, Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM is equally at home on the EOS 400D and the ‘full frame’ EOS 5D cameras, giving a focal length range equivalent to 38.4 to 168mm on the former. Compact for its specifications, it is relatively light and comfortable to use as well as being very well built. The lens barrel carries switches for IS (on/off) and AF/MF (Autofocus/Manual Focus). They are recessed into the lens barrel itself, which means you’re less likely to re-set them inadvertently.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

A high-quality, fast medium-range zoom lens that will suit fashion, wedding and portrait photographers.Built like a tank and ultra-responsive, Canon’s EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens is a great tool for fashion, wedding, portrait and event photographers and a good match for full frame DSLRs like the EOS-1Ds Mark II and EOS 5D. The addition of Canon’s second-generation image stabilisation technology adds $1,180 to its price tag but gives photographers up to three stops of exposure compensation, which is useful when flash is not permitted.

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

8.5 Rating

A high-performance ultra-wide-angle lens with remarkable flatness of field.Canon’s EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens replaces an existing lens with similar specifications. Designed for professional photographers and usable on both ‘full frame’ DSLRs and models with smaller (‘APS-C sized’) image sensors, it has many of the same specifications as the lens it replaces. However, it’s somewhat cheaper.

Canon PowerShot SX210 IS

8.5 Rating

A slimline advanced digicam with a retracting 14x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capability.A year after releasing the PowerShot SX200 IS, Canon has upped the ante with the SX210 IS. Resolution is boosted to 14 megapixels and the zoom lens range is extended from 12x to 14x, but kept its 28mm equivalent wide angle of view. The new camera is offered in black or purple. Aside a few minor cosmetic changes and relocation of some controls, not much else has changed.

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

8.5 Rating

The first Canon digicam with a CMOS sensor and a 20x optical zoom lens, it also supports full HD movie recording.Although CMOS image sensors are common throughout Canon’s DSLR range, the PowerShot SX1 IS is the first compact camera from Canon to be fitted with a CMOS sensor. Offering 10-megapixel (effective) resolution, the SX1 IS’s sensor is significantly smaller than the DSLR sensors. It’s partnered by a stabilised 20x optical zoom lens that covers the equivalent of 28-560mm in 35mm format.Although the front of the lens is threaded, it can’t accept screw-in filters.

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

8.5 Rating

A low-priced, long-zoom digicam with features to appeal to travellers.Canon’s PowerShot SX100 IS has many of the features of the popular S5 IS model but boasts a smaller, lighter body and significantly lower price tag. Boasting an 8-megapixel CCD imager and 10x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, the SX100 IS sports the latest DiG!C III image processor, which includes Face Detection technology plus support for ISO 1600 sensitivity. The 2.5-inch LCD monitor is fixed and has 172,000-pixel resolution and the camera has obviously been designed to provide performance and functionality at an economy price.

Canon PowerShot S2-IS

The update to Canon’s PowerShot S1-IS has been a while coming but the new S2-IS model offers some significant improvements over its predecessor; the most obvious being the 5-megapixel CCD sensor and longer 12x optical zoom lens. The zoom lens is slightly faster and covers a wider angle of view than its predecessor. The built-in stabilisation system has been extended with a new ‘Shoot Only’ IS mode that works only during exposures, thereby reducing battery drain.

Canon PowerShot S70

Essentially a higher-resolution version of the PowerShot S60, the S70 has been upgraded to support AF area selection in the P, Tv, Av and M shooting modes, although the AF frame is fixed to centre-point when you shoot with the viewfinder or use digital zoom. Focus and AE bracketing are also provided, along with flash output adjustment of +/- 2 stops in 1/3 stop increments.