Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 3)

Status
Not open for further replies.
kopite said:
Which is better or are they pretty much the same?
Click to expand...

Think the IQ of the Sigma 24-70, Tamron 17-50 and Tamron 28-75 f2.8 are very similar.

They are a 'little' soft wide open, but stopped down to f4 and they perform very well for the cash. It's all relative, as even the 50/1.7 is soft a little soft until stopped down.

I would say the decision between the 17-50 or 24|28-70|75 will be based on focal length. I found 24mm on APS-C not wide enough and prefered the 17-50 range, but I can see how 24ish-70ish might work well for portraits etc.

I owned the Tamron 17-50 when I had my a700 and was plased with it. I also owned the CZ1680 for a while, but that might either be out of your price range or you may feel it's not fast enough. I took a number of shots at a relatives wedding (fyi - weddings are not my thing) and found that even f4.5 (wide open on the CZ1680) wasn't giving enough DOF for more than two people. But as I said, weddings are not by thing.

I have a Tamron 28-75 in the For Sale section. I moved to FF just before Xmas and had the 28-75 as a stop gap, but got a good secondhand deal on a CZ2470. Obviously a little plug for a potential sale, but found the following sites useful for reviews when I was choosing between the Sigma and Tamron FF 24ish-70ish lenses:
http://www.photozone.de
http://www.slrgear.com
I must admit I would be a little put off getting the Sigma unless it was new, as I know a number of people have had issues with AF gear stripping. I would guess newer models will have newer internals, but worth mentioning.
Other pluses for the Tamron 28-75 is that it's 67mm filter size, much lighter and slightly longer. Tamron 17-50 is also 67mm filter - hence this was a bias on my decision. Disadvantages are that if you were wondering whether 24mm is wide enough, 28mm is a major disadvantage - 4mm on APS-C on the wide end is much more notaceable IMO than an extra 5mm on the long end IMO.

Anyway, good luck with your decision and hopefully the above helps without it coming across that I'm trying to sell you a lens.

BTW Mods, am I allowed to give a little For Sale plug?
 
Well i have the Tamron 50-200 mm lens so the 17-50 sounds like a good option.

Also what is the build like on these lenses? I found the Tamron 50-200mm lens felt really plasticy.
 
Also what is the build like on these lenses? I found the Tamron 50-200mm lens felt really plasticy.
Click to expand...

The build quality of the Tamron 17-50 is fine, I would guess better than the 50-200 as it’s an ‘SP’ lens (equiv to Sigma’s ‘EX’), so I would not worry about build quality.
There is a thread in 'Talk Equipment' specifically for the 17-50. Personally I preferred the build of the Tamron SP lenses over the Sigma EX, but that's personal choice more than anything else as I know a number of people prefer the Sigma EX finish.

For a ‘kit lens’ replacement I would go for the 17-50 if I’m honest. I found 24mm not to be wide enough on APS-C for a kit lens replacement (I owned a 24-135SP for a long time)….. and this was the reason why I had the T17-50 with the a700 and T28-75 on the a900. But some people find the 24-70 range works very well on APS-C, so it’s personal choice.
 
Its also best to plan a few steps ahead when buying lenses. I knew I wanted the Sigma 10-20mm so didnt need anything this wide in a walk about lens, but did need the 50-70 mm range I was lacking in other lenses. I personally am not comfortable buying new and then selling on in a short space of time, but more comfortable doing this if I can get a secondhand bargain. I now wait until I can afford exactly what I want rather than buying a stop gap and having to wait longer to get what I really want i.e. buying a beercan when I really wanted the 70-200mm f2.8
 
Hi Everyone,

I am new to the world of DSLR cameras and I am looking at buying a second lens for my Sony a200.

I have a thread HERE about this but Stan has pointed me in the direction of this thread for some guidance with my questions.

The two lenses I am looking at are:

Sony Alpha 75-300mm F4.5-5.6 Lens

Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens - Sony/Minolta Fit

Apart from the price what is the difference between the two lenses?

Are they both as good as each other?

I am very new to all of this and on a limited budget so the Tamron one does appeal price wise

Thanks in advance.

Take care, Keith
 
Keith W said:
Hi Everyone,

I am new to the world of DSLR cameras and I am looking at buying a second lens for my Sony a200.

I have a thread HERE about this but Stan has pointed me in the direction of this thread for some guidance with my questions.

The two lenses I am looking at are:

Sony Alpha 75-300mm F4.5-5.6 Lens

Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens - Sony/Minolta Fit

Apart from the price what is the difference between the two lenses?

Are they both as good as each other?

I am very new to all of this and on a limited budget so the Tamron one does appeal price wise

Thanks in advance.

Take care, Keith
Click to expand...

Have you looked at the Sigma 70-300 lens?
 
stan the man said:
mmmmmm.......tough choice mate,full frame would be good for landscape stuff etc..:love:

no option for me though..times are tough at the mo :'( :lol:

i'll have a play with your when you get it...;)
Click to expand...

I'm thinking wedding actually. The extra width on the 24-70 would be handy (If I ever get it back!). Really hangs on the noise, if the A900 isn't considerably better then it probably won't be worth it.
 
fabs said:
I'm thinking wedding actually. The extra width on the 24-70 would be handy (If I ever get it back!). Really hangs on the noise, if the A900 isn't considerably better then it probably won't be worth it.
Click to expand...

yeah,would be good for weddings i'd imagine...so long as it handles the noise as you say.

how long have sigma had your 24-70 for..?
 
fabs said:
I know there are a couple of A900 owners here so I thought I'd ask them what it was like at noise handling compared to the A700.

Cheers
Click to expand...

It's probably a little worse on a per pixel level, but as you have 2x the pixel count so it's better. ACR doesn't handle High ISO a900 files very well, so for best High ISO NR you are better off using anything other than ACR.

Personally I would not buy the a900 as a low light camera. Depends on how big you want to print etc to what ISO is usable (as well as what you consider usable), but I find ISO1600 is more usable than the a700 and also looks much better printed. I don't shoot High ISO often so it was not a deciding factor on getting the a900, it was the big viewfinder and lenses in their 'correct' focal length being a deciding factor - and with the pixel count, you don't miss the 'crop factor'.
 
I am asking for some help and advice please!!
I have a Sony A300 with the 18-70 and 55-200 kit lenses. I am finding it a great camera and slowly but surely learning how to get the best out of it and the lenses.
My main areas of interest are birds, macros (dragonflies, other insects, and flowers), and landscapes. Due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis I do struggle to change lenses in the field, what with hands that don't work as well as they should, holding a stick, and often having 2 dogs attached by their leads to a strap across my shoulder (they are actually very patient and well used to me stopping every few minutes!!).
Anyway my question is which lens should I ask for as it is my birthday soon!!
Because of my struggle with changing lenses I had thought about going for a Tamron 28-300mm which would cover the range I was thinking of for landscapes and birds, and also has a much closer minimum focus than the Sony 55-200mm. I have read varying reviews that suggest it is quite soft at the long end, which isn't ideal for birds. I think the Tamron 18-250mm is supposed to be less soft at the longer end, but doesn't have the reach I would prefer.
My other option was the Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 DG APO Macro which seems to have generally good ratings also, (with the soft at the long end proviso!), but doesn't help my problem with speedy lens changes in the field, although I accept that with a DSLR I will never find the perfect all in one lens solution
I have also read that Sigma lenses do have problems with gear stripping on Sony cameras which is putting me off a little.
I did try the Tamron 70-300mm when buying the camera but found the zoom ring very stiff (almost to the point I couldn't turn it!!) on 2 different examples in 2 different stores, so that went off my list very early on!! I just hope this isn't a problem on all Tamron zooms!
Now to the all important budget...... Well I think I am probably talking £250 maximum here, but of course like everyone at the moment I am looking to spend as little as possible! However if someone comes up with a lens over budget but much better than those I have mentioned, then I will happily wait, and save patiently!
Sorry if this has been a little on the long side, but any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Marcia
 
fabs said:
I'm not in too much of a hurry so will take my time on this. :thumbs:
Click to expand...
remember that the A900 price is going up 18% (iirc as of tomorrow) ...
I'm sure that there will be a few in stock at the old price but not forever.
 
heidfirst said:
remember that the A900 price is going up 18% (iirc as of tomorrow) ...
I'm sure that there will be a few in stock at the old price but not forever.
Click to expand...

Really? I hate being rushed into these decisions. Warehouse Express are out of stock and are expecting them in mid April so no doubt it will be at the new higher price! :bang:
 
wellyboot said:
I am asking for some help and advice please!!
I have a Sony A300 with the 18-70 and 55-200 kit lenses. I am finding it a great camera and slowly but surely learning how to get the best out of it and the lenses.
My main areas of interest are birds, macros (dragonflies, other insects, and flowers), and landscapes. Due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis I do struggle to change lenses in the field, what with hands that don't work as well as they should, holding a stick, and often having 2 dogs attached by their leads to a strap across my shoulder (they are actually very patient and well used to me stopping every few minutes!!).
Anyway my question is which lens should I ask for as it is my birthday soon!!
Because of my struggle with changing lenses I had thought about going for a Tamron 28-300mm which would cover the range I was thinking of for landscapes and birds, and also has a much closer minimum focus than the Sony 55-200mm. I have read varying reviews that suggest it is quite soft at the long end, which isn't ideal for birds. I think the Tamron 18-250mm is supposed to be less soft at the longer end, but doesn't have the reach I would prefer.
My other option was the Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 DG APO Macro which seems to have generally good ratings also, (with the soft at the long end proviso!), but doesn't help my problem with speedy lens changes in the field, although I accept that with a DSLR I will never find the perfect all in one lens solution
I have also read that Sigma lenses do have problems with gear stripping on Sony cameras which is putting me off a little.
I did try the Tamron 70-300mm when buying the camera but found the zoom ring very stiff (almost to the point I couldn't turn it!!) on 2 different examples in 2 different stores, so that went off my list very early on!! I just hope this isn't a problem on all Tamron zooms!
Now to the all important budget...... Well I think I am probably talking £250 maximum here, but of course like everyone at the moment I am looking to spend as little as possible! However if someone comes up with a lens over budget but much better than those I have mentioned, then I will happily wait, and save patiently!
Sorry if this has been a little on the long side, but any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Marcia
Click to expand...

I know I'm being impatient here ;), but I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on my dilemma, or have been in the same situation. I know it may be a question that has been asked before, and I have had some correspondance with owners of some of these lenses on here, but I am open to any suggestions.
I am a relative newbie, having only had my camera for 3 months so quite inexperienced and need all the help I can get :)
Many thanks
Marcia
 
wellyboot said:
I know I'm being impatient here ;), but I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on my dilemma, or have been in the same situation. I know it may be a question that has been asked before, and I have had some correspondance with owners of some of these lenses on here, but I am open to any suggestions.
I am a relative newbie, having only had my camera for 3 months so quite inexperienced and need all the help I can get :)
Many thanks
Marcia
Click to expand...


i did read your question,but thought i'd leave it for someone with experience in that area to answer.to be honest though,i'd hazzard a guess that you won't find a "do it all" lens which offers the image quality you require throughout it's focal range,so it would be a compromise of the two IMO.although i don't suffer from RA,i do tend to place the lens i see me using for a particular shoot,and more often than not...it stays on the camera,UNLESS i see something that warrants a lens change,but thats only very occasionally.

this may or may not help you,but hopefully it will..
 
Thank you for the reply Stan. Much appreciated. Like I say I'm new to this and am really looking for all the help I can get! ;)
I sometimes think that perhaps I shouldn't have been so ambitious as to get a DSLR with the RA, but I just find that I disappear into another world with the camera in my hands so in that sense it helps as a pain control method :)
Having seen so many stunning images on this forum just makes me want to improve more and more.
Anyway enough of my waffling
Thank you again
 
the Sony/Tamron 18-250mm would probably have been the obvious choice but you already discounted that as it's not long enough.
So, like Stan I don't think that your Holy Grail lens exists for a DSLR :'(
 
heidfirst said:
the Sony/Tamron 18-250mm would probably have been the obvious choice but you already discounted that as it's not long enough.
So, like Stan I don't think that your Holy Grail lens exists for a DSLR :'(
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply heidfirst. I would prefer something with 300mm reach, but I suppose it's a question of how soft is soft, and at what focal length does a lens start to become soft if you see what I mean :thinking: !!
If both of the 300mm lenses I am thinking of become soft at 200mm for instance, but the Sony/Tamron 18-250mm stays sharp up to 250mm, then I would be better off with one of those! I hope I am making sense here ;)
I do realise that there won't be the perfect lens, especially within my budget, but I suppose I was hoping someone out there had one of these lenses and could reassure me that one of them would be OK for the sorts of images I am most interested in taking.
I know I am probably asking the impossible and I am sorry for being a nuisance with all my questions. It doesn't help that I have no dedicated camera retailer within 100 miles (apart from Jessops, which don't carry stock of any of the lenses!) where I could go in and 'try before I buy'.
Thank you Stan and heidfirst for your advice. I appreciate the time you've both taken.
Best wishes
 
marcia...it may be a case of comprimise,as in get a lens that means you don't need to change while you're out togging,but at a slight loss in image quality.i personally don't know anyone with a 18-250 lens,but what i have read somewhere is that image quality becomes considerably affected with lens that are more than 4X minimum focal length...so with an 18-250 being over 13 times zoom....
 
Hi Fabs,
Do you have any images I can see where the 18-250mm was used please?
Thank you :)
 
fabs said:
Oh yes you bloomin' well do! :p I've had the Tamron 18-250 for quite a while and it's actually a very capable lens. I even photographed a polo match with it a couple of years ago and I still keep it as a back up.
Click to expand...

well,i've never seen it marc,as you either have your 70-200 or 24-70 glued to your camera :p

anyway...get some shots posted for marcia to look at :rules: :lol:
 
Hey guys and gals. My sister has an Alpha 200 which she brought round to me. I was looking for the exposure meter but couldn't for the life of me work out how to get it to display and she never brought the manual.

Can someone tell me? Thanks!
 
LJR said:
Hey guys and gals. My sister has an Alpha 200 which she brought round to me. I was looking for the exposure meter but couldn't for the life of me work out how to get it to display and she never brought the manual.

Can someone tell me? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not exactly sure what you are looking for... so probably best if you have a link to the manual:

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/3277950151.pdf

And links to all docs are at:
http://support.sony-europe.com/dime/digistill/alpha/alpha.aspx?site=,odw_en_GB&m=DSLR-A200

The meter itself is usually (I don't own an a200) shown in the viewfinder, but will be showing '0' unless you've used exposure comp or are in full manual.
 
Thanks for the link. I'll take a look.
 
Quickest way to see it is put the camera in manual and it will show in the view finder and on the LCD.
Use the thumb wheel to change shutter speed and the zoom - button / thumb wheel to change the aperture.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top