Would you like to
Not your typical lens!
by Dave from Alberta
Rating: 
Since buying this lens about 9 months ago, it has rarely left my K20D. I find its focal length perfect for my kind of photography, namely landscapes and non-candid people photography. But the 1:1 "true" macro feature is what I enjoy the best, so definitely consider this lens over other non-macro offerings if you also enjoy or want super close-ups to your subjects.
This lens is built like a tank; no plastic that I can notice. In all shooting situations I've found it to be stunningly sharp with unnoticeable distortion, next to no fringing/chromatic aberrations, and no flare. There is also a hidden, built-in lens hood to reduce any chance of flare. The front element does not rotate while focusing, so polarizer use is not affected.
Some people complain about how it can hunt while autofocusing due to its large focus range from macro to infinity. I simply turn the ring manually and quickly until it's almost focused, and then I autofocus in order to fine-tune. With this lens, there's no MF/AF switch but rather "quick shift" focus; you simply turn the focus ring if you want to manual focus, and let go of the ring when you want to autofocus.
All this lens could possibly need is a real leather pouch instead of the cheapo vinyl one that comes with it, but this is simply a cosmetic complaint. For an incredibly crafted and amazing performer like this lens, I'll give up the lens pouch any day.
