You just can't beat such aperture and extras for such price. The lens performs nicely on photo and video.

This is my first SLR and it only took three years of research and self-justification to finally take the plunge and so far I don't have any regrets!I went with the 18-55 kit lens and the matching 55-250 lens to stay within a budget and even my worse pictures in automatic mode are optically better than my late model point and shoot.Moving from a point and shoot to an SLR is a little overwhelming. Concepts like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and how they relate do take some time to understand but once you get past that hurdle - all of the buttons just seem to make sense somehow. If you don't have a friend that can help you, I definitely recommend studying the basic mechanical concepts and reading up on composition tips - and then go out and shoot a ton of photos [just for fun] and try out some different things. Also, I haven't had any problems with the auto-focus issues that some have described - though now that I'm shooting in what's called Av or aperture priority mode, I changed my AF setting to use the center point instead of the all points mode and I get great focusing.P.S. Don't try to shoot flying butterflies, it's not practical :)

Great value for a lens. F/1.8 is a great aperture and really allows you to get creative with your photos and videos.

Part 1 - Minolta MD to Sony NEX adapterTechnically, it slightly overshoots infinity but the issue is easily corrected by dialing back the focus ring just a tad --- Not exact but clearly better than not-at-all.Although very light due to extensive aluminum usage, the build quality and fit-and-finish of the adapter is superb. Connections on the lens and camera mount sides are tight and precise --- absolutely, zero slop. The top of the lens release button is flattened making the lens removal process very easy and comfortable.Other notes:- There are no electrical connections so focus and zoom must be done manually on the lens itself- When mounting the lens, turn the adapter clockwise till you hear a "click"- Tested with a Minolta 85mm f/1.7 Rokkor-X MD lens mounted to a Sony a6000 camera-----------------------Part 2 - Nikon Ai to Sony NEX adapterEdit: Based on my positive experience with the Minolta MD adapter, I also purchased the Nikon Ai adapter later.As with the Minolta MD adapter, the Nikon Ai version focuses beyond infinity a tiny bit. Fortunately, the same solution applies - dial back the focus ring and the horizon will become crystal clear. The build quality is impeccable and the finish is smooth and clean of burrs or machine marks. Connections on both sides are taut and precise with zero play.Additional notes for Nikon Ai adapter:- No electrical connections present so focus and zoom must be done manually on the lens.- Unlike the Minolta MD adapter, mounting the lens for Nikon adapter requires a counter-clockwise turn until you hear the "click" of the locking mechanism- Tested with a Nikon Micro Nikkor 55m f/2.8 Ai-S MF lens mounted to a Sony a6000 camera

This is simply the best telephoto lens I have ever used. It arrived about 3 weeks ago and has performed flawlessly on both my 30D and my film camera (the old EOS 630). The blurred backround at wider aperture settings is satisfying and seamless, while the contrast, color and sharpness of the image are remarkable. There is a very slight, but barely perceptible, softening of the image on film when the lens is wide open at f=2.8, but by f=3.5 I can't detect any lack of sharpness even on enlargements.The IS works perfectly. There is a little motor noise (very soft) while the IS is engaged, but nothing that would disturb a nearby subject. As others have stated, IS is no complete panacea for hand-held shooting in near total darkness, but I have been able to get a lot of great exposures that would have been impossible with any other telephoto.Another huge plus is that this lens allows full time manual focus; you don't have to flip a switch to override the auto focus. All you need to do is start turning the focus ring. This saves a lot of time and missed shots when the autofocus is choosing something other than what you want to shoot.On the other hand this is not a "walk-around" lens. It is very serviceable off the tripod for short sessions, or even hanging around for a couple of hours. If you watch Art Wolfe on "Journeys To The Edge" (highly recommended show on PBS)he uses this lens a lot, and often hand carries it around without using the neck strap. But it does get heavy after a while. And it is a long,fixed length lens. But the weight and length are just the price we have to pay for a lens that retains its maximum 2.8 aperture through its entire range.If you are serious about the images you create, and can afford the price, this lens is an investment you cannot afford to pass up.

This lens was given to me as a gift and I love it.The aperture setting lets so much light in that my shots look impressive. For the price, it's the best you can get. It's a bit hard because it's a one size lens and novice photographers may get irritated but with practice, you can definitely hone in your craft. Learn your angles!

I bought a Z mount platform specifically for the S line lenses, and yet again, this doesn't disappoint. I bought this because I found I've been trying to do more "macro" style photography with my regular zoom lenses, which doesn't really work very well. As such, this is my first macro lens. Well, this delivers.My one and only complaint isn't really about the lens itself, it's more about Nikon's website/documentation about the lens. Yes, it technically has a max aperture of f2.8, but that's only achievable when focusing further than about 1.7 meters away. If you get closer than that (which you need to for macro photography), it starts incrementally stopping down. At closest focus, it's maximum aperture is f4.5. After I thought about it for a bit, I realized that's just how it has to be due to how the aperture ratio works, so it makes sense and I'm not upset by it. F2.8 at closest focus would be absolutely ginormous and it would make the lens huge. I just wish the documentation said something about that. Maybe it does and I missed it, but in case it doesn't or in case you missed it too, now you know. (I also have to assume most other macro lenses do something similar, in the same way a lot of zoom lenses have variable max apertures, but I don't have the experience with macro lenses to know.)

This lens is amazing the wide aperture allows you to take stunning portraits and the quality is amazing! 100% guaranteed