| Author: | | New Member Registered: February, 2020 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: May 18, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharpness, color rendition,. contrast are okay | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Canon Eos
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OK lens.
| | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2015 Posts: 35 | | Review Date: August 10, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | solidd,cheap, good e everyday lens, fast focus | | Cons: | bit heavy,lots of plastic | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: k2s
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nice combat lens, I like the range. It doesn't come close to my old ricoh 50mm 1.7 or pentax 100mm macro. But still I find I use it more and more. For the price I d buy it again. | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: July 24, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | sharp lens | | Cons: | some CA's, some flare | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
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+ a good performer, but not the best lens ever.
+ sharpness, color rendition,. contrast are okay
O sometimes some flare anf visible CA's in the cornders
7,5 points | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2016 Location: Euless Texas Posts: 271 | | Review Date: February 21, 2017 | Not Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | IQ is "ok", Fast AF | | Cons: | lack of tension in zoom ring, Images soft at edges, cheap build | | Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 5
Value: 6
Camera Used: K-S2
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I was looking at the Promaster Version of this lens and I looked at the reviews on the Tamron version here on the forum. I should have stopped there but I hoped the Promaster version was somewhat better. Shame on me as the Promaster version is a rebranded turd.... The lens easily takes the title for the worst lens I now own. Where do I begin....
The zoom ring lacks tension and easily goes past where you want to zoom. The whole build is very plastic and cheap feeling.
As for image quality it is ok but not good enough for me use the lens on a regular basis. The images I took where reasonably sharp in the center but looked soft on the edges.
Bokeh is ok....
The minimum focus distance is almost 3 feet which does not lend itself well to my style of shooting.
The autofocus is fast which is the best feature of the lens.
If you are looking for a budget lens in this focal length I would recommend the Sigma 28-70mm UC Zoom series. I have one with a busted autofocus I like better than
this lens.
For $5 it was not a large loss but If I got to have a "Do Over" I would have taken the $5 and bought lottery tickets. I would have a better chance of coming
out of the deal happy.....
 | | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: November, 2012 Location: Transylvania Posts: 421 | | Review Date: September 6, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $65.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | manual aperture ring | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 4
Handling: 8
Value: 9
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As a regular 28-70mm good-weather zoom lens this one isn't worth buying because of bad corner sharpness, improper color rendition and harsh bokeh. That's why it is the cheapest lens available to be bought as new, with a 5-year TAMRON warranty.
F8 and F11 are the only usable apertures for center sharpness, although the range is 3.5 - 5.6 to 22. It has an 'A' setting on the manual aperture ring. The loud screw-driven autofocus was no concern for me, I only use manual focus.
If one buys a reversal ring with 58mm thread and mounts this lens reversed on the camera body then the usability gets totally different, to the positive side. I use it only for macro photography as a reversed lens, with manual settings for aperture. Limit the zoom range to 60-80mm only. Good results can be obtained at F8 and 70mm with a reasonable working distance for critters.
With the rear element towards the subject, the position of the foremost glass is well inside the barrel at 70-80mm zoom and that makes this lens usable without a lens hood.
I use a finger on the aperture lever to get maximum brightness in the viewfinder. After I compose and focus then I release the lever and shoot with aperture 11 to get a usable depth-of-field (DOF) for macro shots.
Compared with dedicated macro lenses that cost hundreds of dollars, this cheap lens gives good results at a tenth of the price, provided that one accepts the limitations regarding corner sharpness, colors, good light conditions, manual focus.
I would recommend this lens as a beginner's cheap macro lens, to be mounted in reversed position only, by means of a 58mm reversal ring. On a APS-C sensor as the K30, K50 and K500 have, the focal distance of 70mm corresponds to 105mm full frame and gives reasonable working distance for macro shots.
See sample photos here.
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: BC Posts: 138
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 6, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $37.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Good Value - Decent Picture IQ | | Cons: | So So Lens/Plastic Build | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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Lens is not that heavy and when paired with a K100D feels weighted just right.
Can be sharp if you work hard to make it sharp. Around f8 it is sharp but gets slow so steady hands and a tripod is a must.
There's nothing much else to say about this lens. It is like your run of the mill Kit Lens.
There are other better lenses out there but would cost more than this Tamron. For someone who is just getting their feet wet in the world of DSLR photography this is a great lens to start with. It forces you to really learn about aperture, iso, etc to get that "perfect" shot.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2012 Location: Prague Posts: 18 | | Review Date: May 2, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Cheap !? Plastic build but overall looks fine. | | Cons: | Unexpected image (soft and sharp mixed) ; AF sometime fail. | | Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 8
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I bought this 2nd lens in a camera shop in Prague. It cost only around 15$ in exchange rate. The lens come with origin caps and hood. I feel too lucky to buy it with that very cheap price. But....
SOFT SOFT SOFT and SOFT !
I tried nearly all the aperture and it soft, soft, soft. The sharpness is very poor, but as I concluded in Cons, it is unexpected, some image is in good sharp and many image in soft even did not change the aperture.
The AF sometime fail but it is fine with the price and it's age.
Last conclusion: Can not compare to the 18-55 kits lens in any points, just maybe who like the old colour produced of this lens !
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: October, 2010 Location: Baltimore Posts: 2,542
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 6, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Good Value | | Cons: | Slow | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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This lens is as good and probably better then the 18-55 Kit Lens. It shares the same speed of f3.5-5.6 through it's range but it does give you an 80mm long end, perfect for portraits. However, it does not focus nearly as close as the kit lens. If you know how to use the Kit lens, you'll really like this lens...
Relatively quick focus and quiet but it does not have "IF", so the barrel rotates as it focuses. It can take very very good close up shots with excellent bokeh but is weak on landscapes. The other thing to consider is the speed, this is a slow lens and may in most instances be more useful outdoors than in.
Very Smooth look to the sharpness of lens, makes it perfect for portraits...
tam2880-3 by theunartist, on Flickr
I like the Bokeh here...
tam2880-1 by theunartist, on Flickr
100% Crop shows how sharp this lens can be...
tam2880-4 by theunartist, on Flickr
I paid $20 for lens and a Pentax ZX-50 but I would probably pay up to $35-40 and still feel like I got a good usable lens...
I think this lens should be rated 7.5 to 8
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: California Posts: 32 | | Review Date: April 9, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $38.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Price, | | Cons: | plastic construction | |
This lens is identical in appearance and spec to the Promaster 28-80 AF. I have both.
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1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 11, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
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was looking for a longer,less wide outdoor walkaround lens that was reasonably priced.
So I came across this one at a very reasonable price and thought: "Why not?"
It's a terrific lens. It is sharp and contrasty, as good as any zoom. Good bokeh (Tamron has a way with decent bokeh).
The weight is great also. It's a very manageable lens that is solidly built and easy to use.
Bonus: It's a Full Frame lens.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2009 Location: United States Posts: 23
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 29, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $44.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Cost, utility, weight | | Cons: | Image softness, slow | |
This was the first lens I bought after getting my K200D. I wanted something beyond the 55mm from my kit lens but didnt have a lot of money to spend. At $44 it was hard to pass this up. Keep the price in mind when looking at this lens.
For $44 you get a good lens for indoor and outdoor shooting of people and "stuff." When I am shooting people in candid situations, I find the 28-80mm range gives me what I need to get the groups and zoom in to get expresions. Its a nice middle. The Image quality is not the best but again, for less than dinner for two with drinks, it is more than acceptable.
This is a fat but light lens. Lots of plastic but still seems well built. I dont think it will take any more or less abuse than any other lens out there. Then again, for $44, if it gets destroyed its not such a big deal. In fact, it has become my "Danger" lens - If there is a chance I might damage something, I use this one!
I am very happy with this lens and I would recommend it to anyone on a tight budget. But even if you dont have a tight budget, if it is the right lens 10 times a year, its a bargain.
80mm, f/5.6
58mm, f/32
40mm, f/6.7
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2008 Posts: 12 | | Review Date: May 31, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $89.00
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | Cheap if you get it online | | Cons: | flimsy, poor IQ | |
I was frustrated with my "kit" lens DA 18-55mm because it was always a little short for some things when doing street photography. I like the range of 28-80mm much better, but this particular lens is just too poor for me to use - ruins all photos IMO. Can't get sharp at any length or aperture, and colors are not beautiful. It works fine, AF is accurate and everything, I just don't like the lens.
The DA 18-55mm, mediocre as it is, is 3x better than this Tamron lemon.
The only lens I have that I'm happy with is an old 50mm prime I got for $26.
BTW this Tamron 28-80mm lens sells super cheap online. KEH et al have them used for next to nothing. I bought mine at a local camera store and have since decided to never buy anything but emergency supplies locally. The local stores offer no help and need to charge 50-100% above the market price to keep their doors open. If they helped me other things, I'd bite the bullet and help keep them in business, but I have yet to find a store in town that has actually helped me with anything.
This lens sucks. I spent two weeks - mostly full days of street photography - using this lens, and I don't have one shot to show for it that would hold together as a print bigger than 4x6"
I think a lens like this is okay if you want to try out a type of lens - in my case a range of focal length - if you do it cheap enough that you can get all your money back on resale. In my case I wasted about $100 cash and thousands of dollars worth of my time on a lens that can not under any circumstances produce a good photo.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 514 | | Review Date: March 15, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | light, cheap, good zoom range, smooth | | Cons: | slightly soft, lotsa plastic, focus slow | |
Picked this up as a cheap mid-range lens to learn with when I upgraded from Pentax manual film to DSLR. It is certainly not a pro quality lens, but it is capable of some great work in the mid aperture settings - which is where we should be taking picture from anyway.
Outside in high contrast settings you will notice some flare with the aperture wide open, but normally you'll never be using that much glass, so it shouldn't be a concern. The Pentax coatings make a real difference and this is one case that proves it.
The colors are slightly MORE saturated in flash photography than the 18-55 kit lens and my sample also showed more contrast & sharpness at f 8 with flash. The 28-80 also shows some softness when wide open - which can be a good thing if you're taking family portraits.
SUMMARY:
Overall I'd say it's worth the money you pay for it. It is capable of some good pictures & cheap enough to use at the zoo on a rainy day without worry that you'll ruin it.
If you're looking for a good middle zoom range lens to learn with or just as a disposable in rough conditions, this fits the bill well and might make a passable family portrait lens. Shoot mid aperture.
If you're looking for a pro quality lens to make a living with, move on to something better 'cause that ain't hap'nin at this price.
Tamron 28-80 on left, Pentax 18-55 on right
both set to 45mm focal length, with flash, f 8.0, auto focus centered on the #5
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