k5 and Tamron 70-200 Macro combo

dankoBanana · 02-28-2011, 06:45 AM

so, a question to all the owners of the combo
how is the AF ?

the tamron seems ideal for me, considering the price and my only doubt is the AF

dgaies · 02-28-2011, 08:34 AM

Originally posted by dankoBanana

so, a question to all the owners of the combo
how is the AF ?

the tamron seems ideal for me, considering the price and my only doubt is the AF

The AF of that combo is decent, certainly not slow, but not blazing fast either.

The K-5 is an improvement over previous bodies, but whether or not it is good enough depends on your expectations and your application. I actually meant to take my Tamron 70-200/2.8 out with me yesterday (before I sell it) as I was testing out my new FA*80-200/2.8 (which will replace the Tamron) so that I could better compare the AF speeds of the two lenses.

dankoBanana · 02-28-2011, 08:57 AM

Originally posted by dgaies

The AF of that combo is decent, certainly not slow, but not blazing fast either.

how would you compare it to the DA* 50-135 & K5 in terms of AF and IQ?

i know the Tamron is double the weight, but its cheaper (a lot), significantly longer, has macro capabilities and great IQ

dgaies · 02-28-2011, 09:12 AM

Originally posted by dankoBanana

how would you compare it to the DA* 50-135 & K5 in terms of AF and IQ?

IQ of the 70-200 is on par with the 50-135, maybe even a little sharper wide open at f/2.8 over their common range. Really nothing (in my mind) to complain about when it comes to the IQ of either the Tamron 70-200 or the DA*50-135.

In terms of AF, the 50-135 is a little slower, but quieter. The throw on the 50-135 is longer, which accounts for some of the slow down. Manually focusing on the 50-135 is much nicer, and having the quick-shift focusing feature allows you to prefocus really easily compared to the clutch/body switch combo on the 70-200.

In terms of size, the 70-200 weights a good bit more than the 50-135, and is longer as well. I strongly prefer the size, weight and balance of the 50-135 on my K-5, but if you want/need the extra reach, there is a price to be paid (in terms fo physical size).

There's also a active thread discussing the 50-135 vs 70-200, here's a link.

02-28-2011, 06:45 AM	#1
dankoBanana Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 533	k5 and Tamron 70-200 Macro combo so, a question to all the owners of the combo how is the AF ? the tamron seems ideal for me, considering the price and my only doubt is the AF

02-28-2011, 08:57 AM	#3
dankoBanana Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 533 Original Poster	Originally posted by dgaies The AF of that combo is decent, certainly not slow, but not blazing fast either. how would you compare it to the DA* 50-135 & K5 in terms of AF and IQ? i know the Tamron is double the weight, but its cheaper (a lot), significantly longer, has macro capabilities and great IQ Last edited by dankoBanana; 02-28-2011 at 09:10 AM.

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02-28-2011, 08:34 AM	#2
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by dankoBanana so, a question to all the owners of the combo how is the AF ? the tamron seems ideal for me, considering the price and my only doubt is the AF The AF of that combo is decent, certainly not slow, but not blazing fast either. The K-5 is an improvement over previous bodies, but whether or not it is good enough depends on your expectations and your application. I actually meant to take my Tamron 70-200/2.8 out with me yesterday (before I sell it) as I was testing out my new FA*80-200/2.8 (which will replace the Tamron) so that I could better compare the AF speeds of the two lenses.

02-28-2011, 09:12 AM	#4
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by dankoBanana how would you compare it to the DA* 50-135 & K5 in terms of AF and IQ? IQ of the 70-200 is on par with the 50-135, maybe even a little sharper wide open at f/2.8 over their common range. Really nothing (in my mind) to complain about when it comes to the IQ of either the Tamron 70-200 or the DA*50-135. In terms of AF, the 50-135 is a little slower, but quieter. The throw on the 50-135 is longer, which accounts for some of the slow down. Manually focusing on the 50-135 is much nicer, and having the quick-shift focusing feature allows you to prefocus really easily compared to the clutch/body switch combo on the 70-200. In terms of size, the 70-200 weights a good bit more than the 50-135, and is longer as well. I strongly prefer the size, weight and balance of the 50-135 on my K-5, but if you want/need the extra reach, there is a price to be paid (in terms fo physical size). There's also a active thread discussing the 50-135 vs 70-200, here's a link.