Lightdow 420-800mm f/8.3-f/16: Cheap Telephoto Lens Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- This is my review of the Lightdow 420-800mm lens. It's an inexpensive, manual, telephoto lens. It's definitely not going to blow anyone away with it's optical performance compared to virtually any more traditional DSLR lens. But for this much focal length, the performance isn't too bad for the cost.
Reviews don't get better than this. Your diction and narrating voice (++) are superb. You got yourself a new subscriber.
I have both the Canon EF 100-100mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM (2.100 USD), the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM (6.100 USD), and a Takahashi SKY 90 II APO Doublet scope, but here I am; Looking at this ;-)
I'm actually considering buying something like this, just for fun...and for testing/comparing...and to make some people shut up :-) These lenses *are* fun to use, and they are good learning tools for people on very tight budgets, and for learning manual shooting, and shooting techniques. I had something similar when I started out in 1970.
I have one of these for my canon t7. I've done landscape macro, portrait wildlife photography. I've even caught birds in flight. It's a great lens, sharp images and easy to use handheld. The manual focus works really easy and smooth. Ive been doing photography for 50 year so manuel lenses are no problem for me.The only problem I've had is the set ring for the zoom doesn't hold really well when temperatures are cool. I think it's because it's metal and when the lens get cold that's why
You might have just saved my decision to go ahead and buy this while it's on sale
@jayjones8424 Glad to be of assistance. 😀
Is it worth for someone who's a beginner trying to do planespotting?
Can you use it to take a picture of the moon?
Thank you for your candor. I truly appreciate your review.
Thanks for your review of the lens. It definitely helped tremendously.
I'm presently off out to purchase one, but it will only be for fun 😂 😊👍🏻
Ps... Just to let you know that you now have a new subscriber 👍🏻
Pretty good optics for 99$ manual reach, thanks for the video
You can move the tripod mount towards the camera
The tripod mount rotates, but it does not move forward or backward on the lens.
@@bigtb1717 why does it have the thumbscrew on the tripod mount? It looks like you simply loosen the thumbscrew and you can slide the mount forward or back.
When you loosen the thumb-screw the mount rotates on the lens, allowing you to level the camera or switch between portrait and landscape. It does not move forward and backward on the lens.
ordered a jintu and looking forward to trying this n my nikon D3400 for shooting local eagles
How is it to shoot eagles with manual focus? how are your results?
i just found the jintu and have a d3400, what do you think of the results?
Great Bang-For-Bucks Telephoto Lens! 🤩
Excellent work.
Great overview. I have a Nikon D7200. With this lens, I have been able to shoot some good shots of California quails and a few far-away buildings at 420 mm but none at 800 mm in daytime. But I am having a tough time shooting the moon at its various phases, even on a tripod. There is a lot of shake and the images are blurry. The shutter exposure seems to be several seconds. I am going to try it with the remote controller, ML-L3 tonight. Any suggestions? I am not sure how to adjust the exposure. My shots with the Sigma 18-300 mm zoom lens at 300 mm in manual mode are turning out to be a lot sharper.
For the moon I doubt you need exposure times of several seconds. I haven't shot the moon with the lightdow lens, but I have done with another fixed, manual lens, which was f7, and it was fractions of a second, not multiple seconds.
What are the shutter and ISO settings you were using?
At this focal length the moon is moving noticeably due to earth's rotation. Need to keep the exposure short, but the small aperture of this inexpensive lens may not allow that unless you push the ISO pretty high. Also on a short exposure the camera shake from the mirror will blur the shot so use mirror lock up if your camera has that.
Thanks for the review. I also saw one of your older reviews for the Bower 500mm F/8. It looks like you are the only person I could find, who tried both of this. Do you think one of them provides explicitly better results? Or do they provide about the same picture quality? If the photos are comparable in quality, then it's probably better to take the Lightdow 420-800mm F/8.3-16, as it gives you a bit more flexibility with the focal distance... Would really appreciate your advice. Thanks in advance.
It's hard to say for sure, but I think the 500mm F/8 was slightly better. Neither is very sharp, but the biggest problem with both is simply the very tricky focusing. But they are usable in some situations. I think on a newer camera with a focus assist feature that zooms in they would be much easier to use.
@@bigtb1717 Thanks for the quick reply. That is exactly the feeling I've got, that the 500mm is slightly better, and that I should be just fine with the focus assistance on my Sony A7R iii.
Hi! I have no idea what I'm doing, purchased a fancy smancy Nikon 3500, want to take good pics, vids of small animals, looking at the Apexel 60x. Is there a big difference between the 2? Thank you!
From what I can tell, the Apexel 60X is just for phones and would not work with your Nikon D3500.
It seems crazy that they didn't make that tripod mount movable (forward and backwards).
No, it seems not,@@gjfc5857
How it is the lense on astrophotography like the moon?
Can you slide the mount back? Looks like a set screw on top.
That screw lets the mount rotate, but it does not slide back. It is actually in a groove in the lens and cannot move forward or backward.
I got these lens but when I’m taking a photo I only see a black screen once I capture.
My recording does work but not photos
It's probably to do with your exposure settings. Depending on the amount of light you will have to slow your shutter speed and/or raise your ISO until your pictures are bright enough.
@@bigtb1717 thank you! I figured it out, it was in fact the iso setting and I set it to the highest one. Thank you!
Why you didn't show how to setting the camera to lens.
What exactly are you wanting to know? Do you want to know how to physically mount the lens on the camera, or how the camera should be set up? Most cameras will need to be set to manual mode, or least aperture priority. You will have to manually adjust the exposure. Some cameras also have a setting in menu to allow the shutter to work with no lens attached. If you camera has this setting you will have to make sure it is on. Since this lens has no electrical contact with the camera as far as the camera is concerned, there is no lens attached. If you have any specific questions, let me know.
The bottom line is, it’s still a bit crappy. I would rather go for Vivitar or another reputable brand that is affordable. This is what happens when we try to cut corners just to save some money, but in the long run a dedicated lens for your camera brand is always the best.
I agree for the most part. But keep in mind that from what I can tell, Vivitar lenses are simply re-branded versions of the same Lightdow, Bower, Opteka, Jintu, etc. Most of these lenses are the same and simply labeled with different brands.
This lens work on 3400d?
Nikon D3400? Yes.
Hola sirve para una canon rebel eos T7 ?
It will work with the Rebel T7. You just have to get one with an EF mount T-ring.
Can it work with eos550d ?
Should I buy it for my nikon d3500 and how long is it zoom range?
That depends. What exactly are you hoping to do with it? The zoom range is 420-800mm of focal length. If you are looking for an X number of zoom, it won't sound impressive with this lens, but only because of how that number is actually derived. Technically, it is slightly under 2X zoom. But all that means is that it can "zoom" from 420mm to 800mm. It isn't actually a measure of magnification like you would see on binoculars or a telescope. It's a little confusing if you aren't already aware of where they get the number for how many "times" zoom it is.
Thanks got it
Bonjour ! Merci pour la vidéo de retour sur ce téléobjectif ! Je viens juste de le recevoir et j'ai l'intention de l'utiliser pour la lune et les planètes telles que Jupiter et Saturne, pensez-vous que je pourrais faire des photos intéressantes avec ça ?
J'ai vu des images de Saturne et de Jupiter dans certaines des critiques d'Amazon. Mais je pense que c'était le même modèle d'objectif sous le nom JINTU. Le avait l'air correct mais pas génial.
J' ai acheté ce téléobjectif justement et je vais faire les photos de la lune après le package arrive chez moi. Je vais vous dire si ça marche. (Désolée que je suis une Chinoise, mon français est mauvais ://
@@EmeraldLiang J'ai pris plusieurs photos de la lune et pour le prix de l'objectif, je suis satisfaite. Je cherche comment corriger les aberrations chromatiques pendant le traitement. (Votre français est très bien à côté de mon mandarin, 谢谢 )
@@carokhyda4551 Haha merci beaucoup :) Je suis satisfaite pour le prix aussi. Je vais essayer de trouver une méthod d'éviter les aberrations chromatiques (ou les corriger pendant éditer sur photoshop) quand je le reçois, et puis vous la dire! XD
@@carokhyda4551 Bonjour et désolée de ne pas répondre un peu tôt, j’ai reçois cet objectif il y a quelques jours. Je pense qu’il n’y a pas beaucoup d’aberration chromatique que vous devez les corriger, mais vous pouvez décupler le iSO et réduire le temps de pose pour éviter le vacillement des photos.
Sir can we fit canon EOS 3000D ? Please reply me too fast 🙏
It can work with the 3000D. You just have to make sure to get a version with a Canon EF mount adapter.
Please answer. I want to buy the Canon EOS Rebel T7, and I also want to buy a cheap telephoto lens. Does this work with the Canon T7?
Yes, this lens will work with that camera. Just make sure you get a version with the Canon t-ring, or buy one separate.
@@bigtb1717 Is it a fixed zoom lens?
This is a zoom lens that can go from 420 to 800mm focal length. The aperture is directly related to focal length and cannot be adjusted separately.
@@bigtb1717 Ok, thanks!
not sure if you are familiar to deepsky astrophotography. Would this telephoto lens be suitable? (The camera I might be getting is a Nikon D3500). As, I am on a tight budget to spend on the equipment for this kind of work...
This lens really wouldn't be very good for starting out cheap with astrophotography. Being only an F/8.3 lens you would need long exposure times to really get anything from it. Long exposure times combined with the focal length of this lens means you would need a very stable and accurate tracking platform. A quality tracking mount gets expensive fast. For just starting out you'd probably be better off with a wider angle, faster lens.
Maybe I should ask, what will your initial setup be? Will you just be using a stationary tripod, will you be using a camera tracker, or will you be using a fully tracking equatorial mount?
Another question, do you have a telescope, preferably with a 2" eyepiece capable focuser?
bigtb1717 my telescope is only available in 1.25" eyepieces.
@@bigtb1717 I would be using a stationary tripod and using a T - Ring/Adapater to connect my DSLR to my telescope. I'm thinking of buying this tripod www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B06XKXCTSN/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=AJOR17O0JPJRP&psc=1
What model telescope do you have? With the lens I reviewed, as well as with most telescopes, you have to use fairly short exposures if you don't have a tracking mount because star trails will start to show up quickly. Combined with the small aperture of F/8.3 on this lens (and F/7 to F10 of many small refractor telescopes) and a short exposure isn't going to provide a very bright image. To get the best images you will likely have to use stacking software or some other type of processing with multiple images, and even then, you won't have much to work with from a short exposure with those setups. The telescope or long lens could work for basic images of planets and the moon. But for deep-sky photography (nebula, galaxies and star clusters) you need to let in more light.
To get good images of faint, deep-sky objects with a telescope or telephoto lens you have to have a tracking mount so you can use long exposures. For what you are looking to do with a DSLR on a tripod, a standard camera lens with F/1.8 or wider aperture will likely be your best option to start with. A wider angle lens won't show start trails as quickly, allowing for slightly longer exposures without tracking. And a wider aperture of F/1.8 or better will let in many times more light so you will have a brighter image to work with as well.
Can you use it to Nikon D3000
As long as you get one with the correct mount, you can.
Will this lens fit in nikon d3500?
It is available with a Nikon F mount and it will work on the D3500.
@@bigtb1717 OK thanks
Is this lens useful to blur background while taking portrait photos?
it is, but the model should be far away from camera, my recomandation is to get a 35 or 50 mm lens with 1.4 or 1.8 aperture
I would not recommend this lens for portraits. Because of the very long focal length you would get some background blur with this lens, but the fact that it is f/8.3 will limit the blur a bit. The long focal length also means you will have to be pretty far from your subject to get good framing. You would have to be over 10 meters away to get anything more than a head shot. You also need a lot of light since it is f/8.3. Depending on what camera you have there are relatively inexpensive prime lens options that would work FAR better for portraits.
@@artianrika8329 thanks
@@bigtb1717 thank you
No problem.
Can u use this for videos?
Yes. You would just want a sturdy tripod and it will obviously be manual focus.
This lens work on canon m50 eos?
It should work, but you will have to get the correct T adapter for the Canon M mount.
I have canon mount adapter
@@bahadurali4898 Do let me know if it fits in M50.. Thanks
...just to be honest, it is a peace of cheap junk which came along under various brand names. indeed hard to be patient by focusing with so called lens
but thanks for the post anyway
Did you buy one? Just askin"
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Sounds Terrible
Never seen a worst lens than this. You better spend $100 on a nice dinner. If you're satisfied with this quality, you better skip your hobby and find something else to play with.
Will it work on canon eos 1500d
Should work, no problem. Just make sure you get the correct Canon EF t-ring mount.
@@bigtb1717 thanks...but which t ring mount is suitable for that??
Canon EF T-ring.