[tubamatt]

Hi guys, I have been thinking to get a new lens as a upgrade to my pentax 18-55 kit lens and I come across this 2 tammy lens. They both seem really good to me so I am here to look for some experiences/ comments on this 2 lens.


P.S. I am also interested in Sigma 17-70 but I have a Sigma 70-300 APO and I feel that Sigma's ring (to zoom in/ out) is tighter to move, in other words not as smooth as Pentax lens so I am thinking to give Tamron a try.

Cheers
Matt

[rkt]

I have used a Tamron 17-50 and it is a great lens ... value for money and sharp ... the 17mm makes for great landscape (and indoor) shots as well ... I think both these lenses are highly regarded, and your focal length preferences should determine which one of the two you get ...

[tubamatt]

Thanks rkt. I will mainly use this lens to take landscape pictures and use it at dog parks. so do you still use your 17-50 often?

Regards
Matt

[rkt]

I am in the middle of re-configuring my kit, and just sold this lens a few days back ... but it saw a lot of action and always did very well till I had it ... E.g. I shot my younger brother's entire wedding with a K200D and this lens (just for leisure, to challenge the hired hands ) and I was very happy with the results, specially since I didn't use a flash at all ...

I had bought it as a 'faster' / 'sharper' companion to the 18-250 and it did exactly what I expected and read about it ... unless I was out in the open on a bright day, this was the lens on the camera ...

[Andi Lo]

Tamron 28-75 is the ultimate portrait lens on APS-C length and speedwise imho. For walkaround I always wishes that it's 24mm on the wide side, but these days I often bring the Sigma 10-20 or the Takumar 24 for its companion anyway, so wides are not a problem anymore....

Both are really great lenses, build quality is very similar I think, but the 28-75 is usable on film cameras, a little bonus (not that I ever use it with my film bodies... it's just way too heavy for them). In the end you should go with the length that fits you best, choose: 17mm or 70mm?

Zoom ring wise I find the tamron very close in quality and ease of use with the kit lens.

[anthers]

I've never used the 28-75 but I have the 17-50 and love it. It's my main lens about 90% of the time these days. I've heard good things about the 28-75 and I think the real question is which set of focal lengths would you find more useful? I would go for the 17-50 myself (I find the 17-28mm range to be more practical and useful than 50-70mm), but your style might prefer a different setup than mine.

[bc_the_path]

You say:
P.S. I am also interested in Sigma 17-70 but I have a Sigma 70-300 APO and I feel that Sigma's ring (to zoom in/ out) is tighter to move, in other words not as smooth as Pentax lens so I am thinking to give Tamron a try.

I have used both of those. The 70-300mm was the first lens I have sold. The 17-70mm served me nicely for quite a long time. Its construction, ease of use and optical quality are noticeably better than the tele one. I have no idea about the Tamrons, though people seem to be happy with them. The Sigma 17-70mm also allows for close focusing, which you may enjoy.

[bimjo]

I have both. I got the 28-75 6 years ago. I just got the 17-50 earlier this year. It's really hard to determine which lens took what pics on the computer by eyeballing them.

Pick the one that has the focal range you use most often. You can't go wrong with either one.

[SpecialK]

When my Sigma 18-50 dies, I will likely get the Tamron 28-75 if a 17-70 constant 2.8 does not exist at the time.

I recently got the Tamron 90 macro and Tamron 70-200 2.8, and they are very nice.

[Tonto]

I thought I would add my 2c on the focal length as I have just purchased a Sigma 17-70.
As a walkaround lens 70mm is very usefull as it is perfect for across the road shot where 50mm doesnt quite cut it. Also 75mm would be great for portrait.
I love the 17mm also- great for indoors and sweeping landscapes.
Maybe get a 28-75 and add perhaps a DA15 or DA21 to keep in the pocket .
That would be a great combo!

[tubamatt]

Thanks guys, I am more toward to Tamron 18-50 at the moment because of superb picture quality but I am not ruling out the 28-75mm just yet, I am still looking forward to hear more suggestions or comments of these 2 lens or Sigma 17-70mm from everyone.

Regards
Matt

[Lowell Goudge]

I think the decision should be based upon the kit you are working to build and the focal lengths you want.

I have the Sigma 10-20, and the tamron 28-75 F2.8. The tamron is a good lens, although a little soft at F2.8, but very few lenses are tac sharp wide open, so I don't hold the lens at fault.

the gap between 20 and 28 mm is not a problem for me because I usually use 2 bodies, with one lens on each, BUT 28 mm minimum focal length can be a problem if you are only going out with one lens, in this case a 17-70 may be a better choice. The issue will be getting this lens at F2.8 through out the range.

When I looked at lenses in this range, I considered the sigma 24-60, and 24-70 as well, but the issue was decided ultimately by the fact that I already had a large number of specialty filters, polarizers, graduated ND filters etc with 67mm diameter. The sigma 24-60 has 77mm filters and the 24-70 has 82mm filters. Filters of this size are not cheap, and for me the cost of having to replace filters or purchase duplicates was the deciding point.

Remember, you are making a system here, not a collection of unrelated bits and pieces. Look at what suites all your needs. it may require some compromises.

[opiedog]

i've used the sigma 17-70 for a while and i found it to be excellent. it's slower on the long end.
i sold it a while back to fund a different lens.

i also have a sigma 18-50 f2.8-4.5 which is pretty good considering the OS and HSM, but 50 is a tad short for portraits.

i'm waiting for my tammy 28-75 to arrive and this is what i'll use for portraits.

as someone else has mentioned, pair the 28-75 with another ultra wide and that should cover the not so wide "28". for me i'll use my 12-24.

if you need more of the wide angle, pick the 17-50. if you need more portraits, get the 28-75
YMMV

[klh]

I had the same dilemna a while back, and decided on the 28-75 for two reasons.

One is that it fit nicely with my 70-200, and second, I hope my next Pentax is full frame, and the 28-75 will still work.

The 28-75 is a great walk-around lens, and only occasionally do I find it too long on the wide end.

That being said, I'm still considering an ultra-wide zoom to complete the set.

[opiedog]

i agree. i had to decide between buying the new sigma 17-70 HSM OS or the 28-75 and i chose the 28-75 tammy.

i resisted buying any new APS-c lenses, hoping that sooner or later pentax will come out with FF. it's inevitable.

so far only my tamron 90 mm macro is FF and 28-75 (coming)...