Took the 50-230 for a walk today

Yes,

• it's a XC lens
• it's slow
• has a plastic mount
• lacks an aperture ring
• is cheaply built
• can have trouble focusing in low light
• might be a tad softer than the 55-200

But:

• it's so cheap
• is lightweight
• is plenty sharp
• its OIS is rock-solid
• can deliver some smooth OOF areas

Some full-resolution samples for the pixel peepers out there:

Honestly, I wish I used it more often.

C&C welcome.

Hi,

Thx. Some nice images there. I have Version 1 and like the output.  (I also have the 55-200, but I bought a used copy of the 50-230 for travel because it's so much lighter. These days it tends to be the 50-230 that gets slipped into the case for exactly that reason.)

To your list of positives, I would add that the 50-230 is also a nicely flare resistant lens (see below). And despite the plastic mount, they tend to keep working.....

Cheers, Rod

Yea, I think the biggest problem with the lens is that it is slow to focus. That being said, it is quite sharp once focus is attained and OIS works quite well. So if you like me and can't afford a large zoom, this is quite a lens.

Jim

Vey nice examples of what this lens might produce. My fav the last the cityscape with the long focal length compression. Thanks for posting your beautiful photos.

Rod McD wrote:

Hi,

Thx. Some nice images there. I have Version 1 and like the output. (I also have the 55-200, but I bought a used copy of the 50-230 for travel because it's so much lighter. These days it tends to be the 50-230 that gets slipped into the case for exactly that reason.)

To your list of positives, I would add that the 50-230 is also a nicely flare resistant lens (see below). And despite the plastic mount, they tend to keep working.....

Cheers, Rod

Yes, that's a good point about flare resistance. And nice shot, too.

I own the first version and its slow as a snail to focus on my X-e2 but I am stunned by how much it improved on the X-t30. As long as I don't let it drift to near focus it hit focus pretty darn quick!