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Tamron 70-200 or Pentax 60-250

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So you think the Pentax is the best choice out of the 3 as an all around lens, IQ, build quality, weather sealing and AF?
 
I can't find any MF sigma for sale at the moment
 
I cannot talk for the Tamron, but own the 60-250 and I am very satisfied with it. I actually have a whale watching shot I took with it that made the Premiere PPG gallery. From looking at photozone IQ wise they seem relatively close, although the Pentax one seems a bit sharper at the long end.

One thing I like about the 60-250 is its smooth rendering/bokeh and sharpness wide open, to a point where I now use it wide open without concern. You may be able to browse the PPG by lens type and see what has been taken with it to give you an idea of what it can deliver. As far as I am concerned, I have no complaint whatsoever regarding IQ on this lens. Unless you want/need F/2.8, I cannot think of an "IQ" reason to discount the 60-250. The weather sealing is also something that is important for me.

Here are a few of my shots, mostly from our trip to Africa this summer, and the Humpback whale shot I was talking about.

Cheers - Stephane













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Stephane Neron
http://www.experiencetravelnature.com
http://www.experiencevoyagenature.com
 
wow wow both Pentax and Sigma did a great job, the macros on the sigma are impressive, which Sigma are you talking about, the old FF one or the new HSM one?
the whale pictures and safari are great as well, excellent colors
 
This lens is sweet, great shots, they look amazing, are using the K5 or 7?
 
I love my 70-200 Tamron. I shot sports with it on my K20d through college (winning a State award for sports photography in the process) and continue to shoot professional motorsports after graduation. You also cant really argue with the price ($700 is about 1/2 of what our Canikon brethren are paying)





It is worth noting that this site has a very good comparison for these lenses available.
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Shiva
http://shivaess.deviantart.com
http://peterkoch.shutterfly.com
 
If focal length is important I would opt for locating a Sigma 100-300/4 EX as in my opinion it is superior to either of those. But its drawbacks are more weight and length, and no HSM (in Pentax). For IQ I prefer the older Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX DG (IF), the pre-Macro model. It has superior 200mm IQ and close focus sharpness over the later Macro versions up till the latest HSM OS Pentax where they changed the optical formula again. The older Sigma still has superior focus speed to the Tamrons, until they did their own ring motors recently. I also like the Pentax 60-250/4 because of the sealing and the greater range.
Kent Gittings
 
Great shot and nice car, Kent thank your for the Sigma tip, someone else recommended the older version of the Sigma which came without macro, it's hard to find but I'm gonna be on the look out
 
btw do you guys know if there is a big difference between the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 and the new Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX DG (IF) which costs 50% more
 
eliehbk said:
wow wow both Pentax and Sigma did a great job, the macros on the sigma are impressive, which Sigma are you talking about, the old FF one or the new HSM one?
the whale pictures and safari are great as well, excellent colors
Click to expand...
The macro-designated Sigma HSMs are said to have better close-focus performance than the earlier non-macro (screwdrive AF) version. I have the latter (Sigma 70-200 EX) and 200mm wide open at close distances does get a bit dreamy. However, at mid-long distances it's supposedly better than the newer macro-designated versions (except for the latest generation with OS). I can say that my Sigma 70-200 @ 200mm resolves as well as or better than my FA*200/2.8, and with less PF/CA, except at MFD (though the FA*200/2.8 is not that great at close distances either).
 
For the money I think the Tamron is better value. It is a solid performer and more than capable of providing professional results. It's build quality is a little weak, but it is a very good lens.

The 60-250mm is an excellent lens if you need the build quality and the bokeh is probably the best of the bunch, but it is slower (F/4.0). I think it has the best colors and contrast.

If you know that you will be shooting a f/4.0 of f/5.6 all the time then the Pentax with its extra reach is the way to go.
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Contax 645, Canon 5D, Olympus E-3 (sold), Playing with a K-7
 
I had both and prefered the 60-250 but they are not direct equivalents. When I gor the FA* 80-200, I sold both the Tammy and the 60-250. The FA* is a constant f2.8.
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KNL
 
I have one! It's good, but you'll want to stop down to f/4 for critical (=low iso) stuff. At higher ISO, detail get killed anyway, so using f/2.8 is no problem.

It's also great with the Sigma 2x TC, making for a 140-400 lens that you'll want to use at f/8

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Miles Green
Corfu
 
so between the sigma and pentax which one would you get?
 
I don't have the Pentax.... :(

For events (=at night), the f/2.8 is key.

For wildlife, the Pentax's extra range, weatherproofing and silence would trump the screw-drive 70-200's. And yes I like it's bokeh too!

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Miles Green
Corfu
 
Several models of the Sigma 70-200/2.8:

EX APO IF (same optics as DG but not rechippable for newer cameras)
EX APO IF HSM (C, N, and S only version)
EX DG APO IF (The one to own for Pentax users, rechippable)
EX DG APO HSM (C, N, and S only version)
EX DG APO MACRO HSM (C, N, and S only model)
EX DG APO MACRO HSM II (The one with lower 200mm performance due to Macro)
EX DG OS HSM (Latest model with new optics supposed to fix all issues)

Hope this helps some. I'm not saying the EX DG APO MACRO HSM II is bad just that it is compromised slightly around 200mm by increasing the travel of the focusing lens group to provide macro. I would rate the Tamron slightly better optically than that one. However if I need the HSM for sure it would still be an option. But if the image is most important I would try to latch onto an EX DG APO IF and if not then buy the Tamron. I have not tried the new OS version yet but at 2x the price it is only an option for those with $$$.
Kent Gittings
 
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