Same money - two choices, which one to buy and why ?

netuser · 12-28-2008, 04:00 PM

Hi

For the same money wich lens would you buy and why ?

Thanks in advance

Tamron SP AF 70-200mm f/2,8 DI LD (IF) Macro

or

Sigma EX 70-200mm f/2,8 DG II Macro (this thread seems to be needing a split because of new model DG)

ftpaddict · 12-28-2008, 04:03 PM

I'd go for the Tamron, hands down. Mainly because of its superb optical performance. And it's a whole lot cheaper to boot!

Lloydy · 12-28-2008, 04:15 PM

Noooooooooooooooo...........................

I'd just made up my mind to buy the Sigma, now everything has changed.

Isn't the Sigma autofocusing faster? ( Which is important to me as I shoot a lot of motorsports. )

netuser · 12-28-2008, 04:18 PM

I open the thread because I'm thinking on going for the tamron but wanted to know the opinion of other users.

Let's see where the discussion takes us.

ftpaddict · 12-28-2008, 04:28 PM

Originally posted by Lloydy

Noooooooooooooooo...........................

I'd just made up my mind to buy the Sigma, now everything has changed.

Isn't the Sigma autofocusing faster? ( Which is important to me as I shoot a lot of motorsports. )

The part that scares me quite a lot is dpreview mentioning significant focus shift on stopping down in their review.

Everybody complains about the Tamron having sluggish AF, but that's because everybody owns either a Canon or a Nikon, where the 70-200 has to use a micromotor. Things can change quite drastically with body-driven AF.

Here's a video of a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 focusing on a Sony Alpha body. Focus is body-driven: YouTube - Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 on Alpha

jsherman999 · 12-28-2008, 04:33 PM

.

I guess I'd go for the Tamron, but that's based on shots I've seen and dpreview's
take on it. The Sigma is pretty excellent though, and you really can't go wrong with
either IQ-wise.

The Tammy has been known to have QC issues - in fact, I had a bad copy briefly
(AF would quit working after 2-3 shots.) The HSM on that Sigma's pretty sweet.

But I'd vote for the Tammy, 50.1 to 49.9%

.

supa007 · 12-28-2008, 04:59 PM

I got the Tamron, was blown away by its optical quality. At 70mm, it matches DA70 Ltd in every respect, and is equally sharp at the 200mm end. True to DPReview testing, my copy is slightly soft wide open at 135mm, but improves significantly by F3.5. AF is pretty fast on my K20D due to powerful in body screwdrive motor, it's no slower, if anything faster than my DA*50-135mm SDM.

Unless you're shooting fast moving subjects with AF-C, or you need near silent focusing, you can't go wrong with the Tamron.

netuser · 12-28-2008, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by jsherman999

.

I guess I'd go for the Tamron, but that's based on shots I've seen and dpreview's
take on it. The Sigma is pretty excellent though, and you really can't go wrong with
either IQ-wise.

The Tammy has been known to have QC issues - in fact, I had a bad copy briefly
(AF would quit working after 2-3 shots.) The HSM on that Sigma's pretty sweet.

But I'd vote for the Tammy, 50.1 to 49.9%

.

Did you already got your tammy back from the fix on the AF problem ?

jsherman999 · 12-28-2008, 05:59 PM

Originally posted by netuser

Did you already got your tammy back from the fix on the AF problem ?

No - I just returned that copy to Amazon for a refund and decided to stick with my
lake-dunked copy for the time being - both to save money and because it's still
performing at a pretty good capacity.

.

netuser · 12-28-2008, 06:22 PM

Will the lens work 100% with Sigma EX 1,4x DG APO converter ?
(can't seem to find the tamron 1.4x converter available in EU)

Terri · 12-28-2008, 06:42 PM

I just had the Sigma ordered for me yesturday. I am really exited about it. I should have it in 2 weeks. It is my first lens purchase. (exept of course the 18-55mm that came with the camera.

I have been looking at the lenses for some time now and finnaly committed myself to the purchase.

I read a lot of good reviews with the Sigma and it felt right in the end. I'm sure I will post once it comes.

Terri

**dadipentak** · 12-28-2008, 06:45 PM

I've got the Sigma and I haven't made up my mind about it. It's given me some very nice shots and it's capable of very impressive resolution--including wide-open. But I'm having trouble getting consistently accurate AF and haven't decided (yet) whether it's operator error, a bad copy or an intrinsic characteristic on the lens.

joelovotti · 12-28-2008, 06:58 PM

I've got the new version of the Sigma.

I love the lens.

It may be more expensive but:

It is built like a tank.
The focus is fast and silent.
The focus and zoom are silky smooth and damped just right.
The shift from auto focus to manual focus is instantaneous and smooth.
When I'm shooting I can touch up the focus with one finger on the fly.
With the Tamron on a Pentax you have to click shift the focus ring from front to back to change from auto to manual focus then turn the camera body switch from auto to manual. Not very intuitive.
The image quality on the Sigma is great. Even if the Tamron's image quality is better, nobody would say the Sigma is lacking.
The tripod collar is very nicely build and has a quarter turn quick release which is very nice when you want to go hand held as often as I do.

I'm sure you would get great shots from the Tamron. I have had Tamron lenses and were happy with them but the Sigma is such a beautiful usable lens I gotta say Sigma.

joelovotti · 12-28-2008, 09:17 PM

Nothing special but here are two recent shots for you to see how the lens responds in world use.

This is my cat Chaz from about 4 feet away bouncing a flash off the ceiling.
ISO 140, 110mm, 180/sec, f 5.6
Attachment 24733

This is from a High School swim meet in continuous focus mode.(what I bought the lens for)
ISO 140, 200mm, 180sec, f4
Attachment 24732

sharko · 12-28-2008, 11:58 PM

I've got the Tamron 70-200mm and I've yet to be disappointed by it's images. I've shot high school football with it from the sidelines across it's entire focal length and had great results all around. The only thing to keep in mind though, and this applies to all lenses of similar focal length and aperture is that it's big, heavy, and will attract attention especially with the hood on (though I have heard that the Tamron is the lightest of them all). A battery grip definitely helps to balance the lens in your hand as well.

12-28-2008, 04:00 PM	#1
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236	Same money - two choices, which one to buy and why ? Hi For the same money wich lens would you buy and why ? Thanks in advance Tamron SP AF 70-200mm f/2,8 DI LD (IF) Macro or Sigma EX 70-200mm f/2,8 DG II Macro (this thread seems to be needing a split because of new model DG)

12-28-2008, 06:58 PM	#13
joelovotti Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 393	Vote For Sigma I've got the new version of the Sigma. I love the lens. It may be more expensive but: It is built like a tank. The focus is fast and silent. The focus and zoom are silky smooth and damped just right. The shift from auto focus to manual focus is instantaneous and smooth. When I'm shooting I can touch up the focus with one finger on the fly. With the Tamron on a Pentax you have to click shift the focus ring from front to back to change from auto to manual focus then turn the camera body switch from auto to manual. Not very intuitive. The image quality on the Sigma is great. Even if the Tamron's image quality is better, nobody would say the Sigma is lacking. The tripod collar is very nicely build and has a quarter turn quick release which is very nice when you want to go hand held as often as I do. I'm sure you would get great shots from the Tamron. I have had Tamron lenses and were happy with them but the Sigma is such a beautiful usable lens I gotta say Sigma.

12-28-2008, 09:17 PM	#14
joelovotti Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 393	Two Sample Shots from the Sigma Nothing special but here are two recent shots for you to see how the lens responds in world use. This is my cat Chaz from about 4 feet away bouncing a flash off the ceiling. ISO 140, 110mm, 180/sec, f 5.6 Attachment 24733 This is from a High School swim meet in continuous focus mode.(what I bought the lens for) ISO 140, 200mm, 180sec, f4 Attachment 24732 Last edited by joelovotti; 12-15-2010 at 07:23 PM.

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12-28-2008, 04:03 PM	#2
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	I'd go for the Tamron, hands down. Mainly because of its superb optical performance. And it's a whole lot cheaper to boot!

12-28-2008, 04:15 PM	#3
Lloydy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK Posts: 1,114	Noooooooooooooooo........................... I'd just made up my mind to buy the Sigma, now everything has changed. Isn't the Sigma autofocusing faster? ( Which is important to me as I shoot a lot of motorsports. )

12-28-2008, 04:18 PM	#4
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236 Original Poster	I open the thread because I'm thinking on going for the tamron but wanted to know the opinion of other users. Let's see where the discussion takes us.

12-28-2008, 04:28 PM	#5
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	Originally posted by Lloydy Noooooooooooooooo........................... I'd just made up my mind to buy the Sigma, now everything has changed. Isn't the Sigma autofocusing faster? ( Which is important to me as I shoot a lot of motorsports. ) The part that scares me quite a lot is dpreview mentioning significant focus shift on stopping down in their review. Everybody complains about the Tamron having sluggish AF, but that's because everybody owns either a Canon or a Nikon, where the 70-200 has to use a micromotor. Things can change quite drastically with body-driven AF. Here's a video of a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 focusing on a Sony Alpha body. Focus is body-driven: YouTube - Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 on Alpha

12-28-2008, 04:33 PM	#6
jsherman999 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,237	. I guess I'd go for the Tamron, but that's based on shots I've seen and dpreview's take on it. The Sigma is pretty excellent though, and you really can't go wrong with either IQ-wise. The Tammy has been known to have QC issues - in fact, I had a bad copy briefly (AF would quit working after 2-3 shots.) The HSM on that Sigma's pretty sweet. But I'd vote for the Tammy, 50.1 to 49.9% .

12-28-2008, 04:59 PM	#7
supa007 New Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 15	I got the Tamron, was blown away by its optical quality. At 70mm, it matches DA70 Ltd in every respect, and is equally sharp at the 200mm end. True to DPReview testing, my copy is slightly soft wide open at 135mm, but improves significantly by F3.5. AF is pretty fast on my K20D due to powerful in body screwdrive motor, it's no slower, if anything faster than my DA*50-135mm SDM. Unless you're shooting fast moving subjects with AF-C, or you need near silent focusing, you can't go wrong with the Tamron.

12-28-2008, 05:44 PM	#8
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236 Original Poster	Originally posted by jsherman999 . I guess I'd go for the Tamron, but that's based on shots I've seen and dpreview's take on it. The Sigma is pretty excellent though, and you really can't go wrong with either IQ-wise. The Tammy has been known to have QC issues - in fact, I had a bad copy briefly (AF would quit working after 2-3 shots.) The HSM on that Sigma's pretty sweet. But I'd vote for the Tammy, 50.1 to 49.9% . Did you already got your tammy back from the fix on the AF problem ?

12-28-2008, 05:59 PM	#9
jsherman999 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,237	Originally posted by netuser Did you already got your tammy back from the fix on the AF problem ? No - I just returned that copy to Amazon for a refund and decided to stick with my lake-dunked copy for the time being - both to save money and because it's still performing at a pretty good capacity. .

12-28-2008, 06:22 PM	#10
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236 Original Poster	Will the lens work 100% with Sigma EX 1,4x DG APO converter ? (can't seem to find the tamron 1.4x converter available in EU)

12-28-2008, 06:42 PM	#11
Terri Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 29	I just had the Sigma ordered for me yesturday. I am really exited about it. I should have it in 2 weeks. It is my first lens purchase. (exept of course the 18-55mm that came with the camera. I have been looking at the lenses for some time now and finnaly committed myself to the purchase. I read a lot of good reviews with the Sigma and it felt right in the end. I'm sure I will post once it comes. Terri

12-28-2008, 06:45 PM	#12
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	I've got the Sigma and I haven't made up my mind about it. It's given me some very nice shots and it's capable of very impressive resolution--including wide-open. But I'm having trouble getting consistently accurate AF and haven't decided (yet) whether it's operator error, a bad copy or an intrinsic characteristic on the lens.

12-28-2008, 11:58 PM	#15
sharko Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: City of Angels Photos: Gallery Posts: 278	I've got the Tamron 70-200mm and I've yet to be disappointed by it's images. I've shot high school football with it from the sidelines across it's entire focal length and had great results all around. The only thing to keep in mind though, and this applies to all lenses of similar focal length and aperture is that it's big, heavy, and will attract attention especially with the hood on (though I have heard that the Tamron is the lightest of them all). A battery grip definitely helps to balance the lens in your hand as well.