Supporting Stars page 2

For those who want to get close in on their quarry and capture every freckle, hemline and stitch, there’s also Sigma’s optically stabilised 105mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM macro lens that Paul promises should be available soon, or alternatively, as a multi-purpose tool there’s Sigma’s telephoto zoom in the 70-200mm f/2.8 with optical stabiliser, which he describes as “good for a long wedding-type lens. The standard lenses for a wedding photographer would have to be a 24–70mm, a 50mm or 85mm prime, and then a tele zoom to do distant candid shots, and maybe a 12–24mm.” Paul lets slip that Sigma’s also bringing out a new version of the latter for full-frame cameras, such as the pro Nikons and Canons. “That’s something that’s super wide and almost scary to look through at 12mm. But it’s excellent for little group shots and creative work.”

In terms of alternative third party optics, Jane Nicholson at Intro2020, UK distributor for independent lens manufacturer Tamron, recommends the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD ‘Piezo Drive’ zoom as a good catch-all tool for Canon, Nikon and Sony users – the Sony version coming without Vibration Correction as anti-shake is already a feature of the camera body. “Tamron doesn’t tend to do primes and concentrates more on your zooms and mega zooms,” admits Jane.

Also offering a general-purpose alternative that provides a lot of framing options with a simple twist of the wrist is a new Tokina lens from UK distributor Kenro. The AT-X 16.5-135 offers an equivalent 35mm focal range of 25-200mm, is available for either a Canon EOS or Nikon DX fit, and has an SRP of £816.

“This lens is a great ‘all-rounder’ so is a really handy addition to any photographer’s bag,” enthuses Kenro MD Paul Kench, who is also keen to flag up “a heavyweight lens at a medium weight cost” in the Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 PRO FX, the first in its new generation of full-frame ‘FX’ lenses designed for pro DSLRs. Available for Canon or Nikon mounts, the 16-28mm retails for a suggested £1,072 and uses Tokina’s innovative one-touch focus clutch mechanism that allows photographers to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward (for AF) and back toward the camera for MF.

Canon meanwhile is rather keen on its EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II USM as “a really key lens for SWPP’ers” from among the 60+ EF series options. Though a sizeable investment at £2,799.99, a handful of commissions later and the optic with a durable design and fourstop image stabiliser will have paid for itself. Thanks to a virtually circular aperture diaphragm, out-of-focus regions have a softer, more uniform feel while sharp foreground objects stand out against a smooth blurred background. The fast constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 enables hand held shooting in low light as well as control over depth of field. Moreover, for surreptitious shooting and candid portraits the USM motor comes in handy with its near silent AF operation.

Arch rival Nikon meanwhile has three lenses aimed at SWPP members. These are the AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED wide-angle lens with ultra fast aperture and opportunity for shallow depth of field effects, the AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G, a fast aperture medium telephoto for portrait/fashion photographers, and the multi purpose ‘walkabout’ AF-S Nikkor 28–300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR aimed at FX format Nikon users and featuring an almost 11x optical zoom ratio. Suggested pricing? It’s £1,990.99, £1,531.99 and £888.99 respectively.

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