Reading mode: Light Dark

Canon 17-55 2.8 IS vs. Tamron 17-50 2.8

Go to last post
Dear William Castleman. I have to thank you for your 85mm 1.8 vs 100mm 2 vs 135mm 2 article. I must have read that a 100 times. Because you did such an excellent article. May I request a canon 1785is vs tamorn 1750 vs Sigma 1850 comparison?

I have both canon 1785 + tamron 1750. The 1785is is "much" sharper than tamron when both lens are tested @ 17mm f/4. The tamron become sharper when the aperture is step down to f/5.6 - f/11, but @f/4 it is pretty bad. I'm also not impressed by the loud and sometimes unreliable autofocusing in low light. No problem in daytime. Is Sigma better in this regard? Does it focus faster in low light? How loud is the AF operation? How does the bokeh from both lens comare?
--
FANBOY(i)sm is a NEUROSIS, Get Help!
 
Thank you for your comments. The review you are interested is in progress. The first Tamron 17-50 I got didn't have calibrated autofocus. Otherwise, it performed comparable to the 17-85 when stopped down to f/5.6 or f/8. I am waiting for a replacement Tamron before I complete the review to see if it really performs as well as so many others say it does.
--
William Castleman
http://www.wlcastleman.com
 
Tamron wide open
Doesn't get much better than this, even with the Canon IMHO.

The Canon is nice because of the other things it offers like quicker focus and IS but as for IQ, ive not seen much difference



--
Dave.

Gallery @
http://davepearce.smugmug.com
 
I had Tamron 17-35mm for 2.5 years and was pretty happy with it. A week ago, I got Tamron 17-50mm. It is smaller than the older Tamron, but one thing I did notice was that the focussing sound is much louder and whining that the older one. Can almost be irritating. hope it gets milder or I will get used to it. Images look fine or better than the older lens, but haven't actually shot much with it.

Have never used the canon.
--
Sajal Sthapit
'A photograph is worth a thousand misleading words.'
 
William Castleman said:
Sorry, but you are confused. You must be thinking of the old Sigma
18-50 f/2.8 with the 67mm lens cap.

I'm talking about the new Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro lens with
the 72mm lens cap.
Click to expand...
How new is the one with 72mm cap?
I've seen this

http://www.popphoto.com/cameralenses/4118/lens-test-sigma-18-50mm-f28-ex-dc-macro.html

and it 'appears' to be a May 2007 lens? (I don't know much about the Sigma lenses)

So are there TWO Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro
with the only differentiator being the diameter of the lens cap? :-S

Sigma could have helped by appending II on the end or something?
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro II
 
JDuBS2 said:
These are all handheld test pics shot wide open on my 10D.



Focus test.



50mm at 2.8



17mm at 2.8



50mm at 4.0

--
http://www.winningphotography.com
Click to expand...
The test image of your focus chart is absolutely the VERY best I have seen for the Tamron 17-50 f:2.8. The area in front and behind the focus point are also the proper distance for both which indicates that you have basically a "perfect" lens as far as front/back focus.

I wish mine (NEW lens -- second replacement) was like that when tested and decided since I also had 2 previous shipments of the lens that were returned for very bad front focus. So, since I wanted the specific lens, I decided to "gamble" somewhat by sending to Tamron for corrective repairs. It should be returned within the next 8 to 10 days if their schedule is close to their projection. Hopefully it will be adjusted properly when returned.
--
Vernon...
 
kcwan said:
So are there TWO Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro
with the only differentiator being the diameter of the lens cap? :-S
Click to expand...
No, that's no the only differentiator. One has Macro designation (not that it is really 1:1 macro) and the other does not.

-------------------------------------------
See the colors of my world in:
thw.smugmug.com
 
William Castleman said:
I'm talking about the new Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro lens with
the 72mm lens cap. I tested the new Sigma, and it gave better 50%
MTF performance at 50mm than the 17-55 EF-S Canon. Look at the
portrait tests with the mannequin at f/2.8.
Click to expand...
50% better MTF??? Your Canon 17-55 probably has a misfocus or de-centering issue.

But I agree about the weight and size of the Canon 17-55. It's a little too big & heavy for me as well.

-------------------------------------------
See the colors of my world in:
thw.smugmug.com
 
Note that it is not possible to directly compare the MTF numbers from the links below (one on Canon 350D, another on Nikon D200). But it certainly gives one an idea of how the lens sharpness changes as the lens is stopped down, and also how the edge sharpness compares with the center:

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_1755_28/index.htm

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/sigma_1850_28m_nikon/index.htm

-------------------------------------------
See the colors of my world in:
thw.smugmug.com
 
And your tests of 17-55 IS compared to 17-85 at 35mm is flawed. I owned both lens and 35mm is a sweet spot for my 17-55 , outperforming the 35mm f2, 17-40L and 17-50 2.8 Tamron....

I am not even discussing the 24-105L, as that is the least sharp of all mentioned at all focal lengths ( although I tested it same time, a friend loaned it to me and he sold it since for the 17-55 ).

I am not a professional photographer, although I do make money with photos; and I do like to fiddle with gear. So my comments my not weight much, but that's what I think.

cheers
William Castleman said:
Torque124 said:
That Sigma is an inferior product compared to the Tamron. You
should have exchanged for another Tamron
http://1jzgte.zenfolio.com/
Click to expand...
Sorry, but you are confused. You must be thinking of the old Sigma
18-50 f/2.8 with the 67mm lens cap.

I'm talking about the new Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro lens with
the 72mm lens cap. I tested the new Sigma, and it gave better 50%
MTF performance at 50mm than the 17-55 EF-S Canon. Look at the
portrait tests with the mannequin at f/2.8.
I'm still testing it. I took it to photograph a graduation, and it
performed as well as any piece of f/2.8 L-glass I ever owned.

--
William Castleman
http://www.wlcastleman.com
Click to expand...
--
http://1jzgte.zenfolio.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top