Sigma or Tamron

Reid133934 · Oct 6, 2004

richardday said:
Jack Schouten said:

I don't know what the going price is for the 170-500 in comparison
with the 70-300.

Click to expand...

Almost 3 times the price.

There is a huge leap in new cost from the best optional 5 cheaper
lenses to the next group (Bigger glass).

$ = B&H prices - £ = Best of Camera World or Camera King (includes
UK 17.5% VAT sales tax) - Final number is the rating from Photozone
(out of 5).

Pentax 75-300 FAJ - $130 - £100 - N/A
Sigma 70-300 DL - $149 - £100 - 2.17
Tamron 70-300 LD - $150 - £90 - 2.79
Sigma 70-300 APO - $209 - £160 - 3.21
Pentax 80-320 FA - $210 - £170 - 2.95

Which is best? According to Photozone, the Sigma APO, but there
does seem to be a wide variation in peoples reported results. Why?
Difficult to say, sample variation maybe?

Next Group

Sigma 135-400 APO - $539 - £300 - 2.86
Sigma 170-500 APO - $649 - £450 - 2.78
Sigma 70-200 EX APO f2.8 - $799 - £580 - 4.02
Sigma 100-300 EX APO f4 - $899 - £600 - 4.18
Tokina 80-400 ATXII - $450 - £360 - 2.39

I think it's generally accepted that the Sigma EX 70-200 and
100-300 are the good 'uns.

I would love to have comments and a comparison between the EX
70-200 with a x1.4 converter in comparison with the EX 100-300.
Anyone out there who can do this?

Then the Pentax big glass (if available) is MUCH more.

I guess, in all instances, it's "pay your money and take your choice"

--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Reid133934 · Oct 6, 2004

So does anyone have any experience or opinion on the Pentax in this comparison? Would that be better than the either the Tamron or Sigma as a straight away comparison?

Thanks,
Reid

Reid said:
richardday said:

Jack Schouten said:

I don't know what the going price is for the 170-500 in comparison
with the 70-300.

Click to expand...

Almost 3 times the price.

There is a huge leap in new cost from the best optional 5 cheaper
lenses to the next group (Bigger glass).

$ = B&H prices - £ = Best of Camera World or Camera King (includes
UK 17.5% VAT sales tax) - Final number is the rating from Photozone
(out of 5).

Pentax 75-300 FAJ - $130 - £100 - N/A
Sigma 70-300 DL - $149 - £100 - 2.17
Tamron 70-300 LD - $150 - £90 - 2.79
Sigma 70-300 APO - $209 - £160 - 3.21
Pentax 80-320 FA - $210 - £170 - 2.95

Which is best? According to Photozone, the Sigma APO, but there
does seem to be a wide variation in peoples reported results. Why?
Difficult to say, sample variation maybe?

Next Group

Sigma 135-400 APO - $539 - £300 - 2.86
Sigma 170-500 APO - $649 - £450 - 2.78
Sigma 70-200 EX APO f2.8 - $799 - £580 - 4.02
Sigma 100-300 EX APO f4 - $899 - £600 - 4.18
Tokina 80-400 ATXII - $450 - £360 - 2.39

I think it's generally accepted that the Sigma EX 70-200 and
100-300 are the good 'uns.

I would love to have comments and a comparison between the EX
70-200 with a x1.4 converter in comparison with the EX 100-300.
Anyone out there who can do this?

Then the Pentax big glass (if available) is MUCH more.

I guess, in all instances, it's "pay your money and take your choice"

--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Click to expand...

Bruce Dayton · Oct 6, 2004

I have both the Pentax 80-320 and the Tamron 70-300 LD. There is not an obvious winner between these two. A slight nod goes towards the Pentax for build quality, manual focusing and flare control. A slight nod goes for the Tamron for optical performance at the 300 end.

This class of zoom is low end consumer and I think that there will not be any significant difference between any of them in real world usage. If you want something better, be prepared to spend quite a bit more.

Bruce

Reid said:
So does anyone have any experience or opinion on the Pentax in this
comparison? Would that be better than the either the Tamron or
Sigma as a straight away comparison?

Thanks,
Reid

Sophie Wilson · Oct 6, 2004

richardday said:
Sophie Wilson said:

The 70-200 is the best by far, but it can't equal the 135-400's
performance when the 70-200 has my Tamron 1.4x on it (OK, it can't
reach as far either) and the 170-500 is also pretty good. When I
can manage it, I take the most appropriate lens (both the 70-200
and 135-400 went on holiday to Yorkshire for example); when I
can't, I take one and the 1.4x teleconverter. My Sigma 2x EX
teleconverter languishes unused.

Click to expand...

Sophie, have you compared the Sigma EX 1.4x teleconverter to the
Tamron? I've read somewhere that it may be better than the EX 1.4x.

Lots of places say it is. I've got to say that the Tamron is a LOT cheaper and I bought it on that basis having been unwhelmed by paying so much for the EX 2x...

richardday said:
Also, why is the EX 2x languishing as it would better match the
135-400 for reach and speed, is it that bad? I'm agonising over
70-200 f2.8 (I love the speed) + a 1.4x converter, against the
100-300 f4 (I'm pretty well covered up to around 100mm), but I hate
extra weight and size, plus I already have 77mm polariser and other
filters, luckily the Cokin P filters/mount I have, go up to 82mm
filter size (max).

The 2x is unused because it doesn't help with the 170-500. Putting the 1.4x on the 135-400 gives worse pictures than the 170-500 and with the 2x you lose AF and get worse pictures still. Putting the 2x on the 70-200 gives much worse pictures than the 135-400 and weighs more than the 170-500 as well as being slower. Given that I've got all the lenses, the telecons are just there as a helper. Maybe one day I'll take both the 1.4x and the 2x with the 70-200 - but I know I'd prefer to use the 135-400 instead...

richardday said:
richardday said:

And dragging the thread back to topic - the Tamron 70-300 LD is
fractionally inferior to the Sigma 70-300 APO Macro II, but it is
lighter and does cost less. Mine may be on sale some time, since
with all the other lenses it sees little use now...

--Sophie

Click to expand...

I agree about the Tamron 70-300 LD, I just felt it was better made
plastic than the Sigma! I love its light weight, why can't someone
put some really good glass in a lightweight body with a 2:1 macro?
Come on Tamron or Pentax - I'd jump at it!

70-300 XR Di f4 1:2 Macro... If only. But the LD is better than the plastic Sigmas, just not the APO Macro II.

--Sophie

gawi · Oct 6, 2004

richardday said:
I am seriously considering buying the Sigma EX 70-200 f2.8 with the
x1.4 and maybe x2 EX converters to get to 280mm at f4 and 400mm at
f5.6 without having to carry a lot more weight. I hate weight!

Any comments about this lens and converters would be most welcome,
sample shots even more so!

Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Hi Richard,

Inspired by the many positive reviews on the Sigma EX 70-200 f2.8 I recently bought this lens together with the little compact 1.4EX. A very useful combination of excellent built quality showing very contrasty and sharp pictures. I am more than satisfied. Some test pics will be shared soon on pbase.
--
Gaby
http://www.pbase.com/gawi

richardday · Oct 6, 2004

gawi said:
richardday said:

I am seriously considering buying the Sigma EX 70-200 f2.8 with the
x1.4 and maybe x2 EX converters to get to 280mm at f4 and 400mm at
f5.6 without having to carry a lot more weight. I hate weight!

Any comments about this lens and converters would be most welcome,
sample shots even more so!

Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Click to expand...

Hi Richard,
Inspired by the many positive reviews on the Sigma EX 70-200 f2.8 I
recently bought this lens together with the little compact 1.4EX. A
very useful combination of excellent built quality showing very
contrasty and sharp pictures. I am more than satisfied. Some test
pics will be shared soon on pbase.
--
Gaby
http://www.pbase.com/gawi

Thanks Gaby

I look forward to seeing them.

Regards
--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

richardday · Oct 6, 2004

Sophie Wilson said:
Sophie Wilson said:

Sophie, have you compared the Sigma EX 1.4x teleconverter to the
Tamron? I've read somewhere that it may be better than the EX 1.4x.

Click to expand...

Lots of places say it is. I've got to say that the Tamron is a LOT
cheaper and I bought it on that basis having been unwhelmed by
paying so much for the EX 2x...

Here is a link to tests on 1.4x teleconverters I've just found - May be of interest to others.

http://194.100.88.243/petteri/pont/Reviews/de_TC_vs_TC/a_Tamron_vs_Sigma_1.4x.html

Sophie Wilson said:
70-300 XR Di f4 1:2 Macro... If only. But the LD is better than the
plastic Sigmas, just not the APO Macro II.

--Sophie

OH YES PLEASE!! and why not?
--
Richard Day - 'Carpe Diem!'
Gloucester UK

Phil_Rose · Oct 6, 2004

Thanks to all for the help offered. Now I have to decide whether to be sensible and buy a good chair for my sciatica or silly and get the lens!

Phil

Zaldidun · Oct 6, 2004

Phil_Rose said:
Thanks to all for the help offered. Now I have to decide whether to
be sensible and buy a good chair for my sciatica or silly and get
the lens!

Phil

Phil,

By all means get the chair first. Once you're sitting more comfortably in it, it'll be easier to order the lens. That's what plastic is for.

mark dimo · Oct 6, 2004

ill give you something outside the box. Tokina ATX pro series usually test just slightly behind Pentax prime glass, typically rated higher in performance than the other lens manufacturers. All lens lines, be it Sigma or tamron, or tokina engineer excellent optics. Tokina seems to rate higher than the rest of the aftermarket lenses according to the CAPA testing from japan.

my 2 cents worth

mark

Phil_Rose said:
OK, I am really on the verge of buying a longish zoom and I am
thinking it is a choice between the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO
Zoom Macro Super II or the Tamron Zoom Telephoto AF 70-300mm
f/4.0-5.6 LD Macro Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF.

I have asked this before but I seemed to get several different
views. I guess the same may happen again but... what do you think?
Sigma or Tamron (taking into account that the Tamron is $60 less
than the Sigma).

And if you say Sigma, is the APO worth the extra as opposed to the
non APO? What are the differences?

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experiences.

Phil
--
Pentax *istD and Nikon 5700

--
life is too short, surf waves, own a convertible, and marry for love!

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Sigma or Tamron

Reid133934

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Reid133934

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Bruce Dayton

Well-known member

Sophie Wilson

Senior Member

gawi

Member

richardday

Veteran Member

richardday

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Phil_Rose

Senior Member

Zaldidun

Veteran Member

mark dimo

Senior Member

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