Lens advice required

[andycallaghan]

Hey guys,

Merry Xmas to you all.

Just after some advice on a couple of lenses.

Firstly, a cheap Tamron lens that I've spotted in the Jessops sale.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/74938/show.html

I just want something as a cheap all-round lens.

Is this any good?

Also, what are Samyang like as a make?
Seen an 8mm fisheye lens going reasonably cheap.

 

[TCR4x4]

The Tamron wont be great, but no-70-300 at that price will be. You will find its very soft at 300mm,and not a whole lot better throughout the rest. You get what you pay for really.

The Samyangs are supposed to be ok, but only ok. They are manual focus only if that makes any difference. You'll get massive distortion (obviously being a fisheye), and probably pretty bad flaring.

 

[andycallaghan]

The Tamron wont be great, but no-70-300 at that price will be. You will find its very soft at 300mm,and not a whole lot better throughout the rest. You get what you pay for really.

The Samyangs are supposed to be ok, but only ok. They are manual focus only if that makes any difference. You'll get massive distortion (obviously being a fisheye), and probably pretty bad flaring.

Cool, cheers for that.

I feel like I should be buying something in the sales, but I have all I need in life (I think! LOL).

I think I'll just save my pennies.

 

[Steelo]

As above really, I bought it, i'm now selling it...sticking with my 55-250 IS for now until I can afford better.

Keep your money

 

[EOS7Pete]

You'll be wise to safe your pennies. Do buy for buyings sake just *** of the sales. In a few months time you'll only wish you saved up and bought something better.

 

[lexie]

for your £100 you could buy a minolta 70-210 f4 'beercan' if you haven't already got one. i got one a few weeks ago and love it so far

 

[grey.squirrel]

Got the 8mm Samyang after a lot of research and very very happy with it. The pixel peepers on here probably wouldn't be overly keen but it is a great lens for what it does. You only need to go on flickr to see the quality it is capable of. The only downside is the MF but I'm slowly getting used to it and can just about get what I want in focus quickly.

 

[philgale]

had one of those on my canon, did the job for a complete newbie but not a great lens.

feels very cheap and plastic, i was glad i got rid TBH

 

[onomatopoeia]

for your £100 you could buy a minolta 70-210 f4 'beercan' if you haven't already got one. i got one a few weeks ago and love it so far

Seconded, an excellent lens for the price they go for second hand.

 

[dougiew]

Hi Andy.

Just cause something's cheap - doesn't mean to say it's cr*p! Don't know about the Sony version, but I've had the Canon version of this Tamron for about 18 months now and it's actually quite an amazing lens for the money. It's pretty good for macro on a tripod too - although I use it mostly for candid portraits in the Edinburgh Festival and it never ceases to amaze me. Most of the shots in the "Edinburgh Fringe" section of my Flickr were taken with this lens if you want to check them out.

Cheers, Dougie