third party lens build quality

mrgas

mrgas

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Following on from my previous thread regarding an upgrade from my 18-55 kit lens

I was wondering what people thought of the build quality of third party lenses ?

I've been looking at the usual suspects , Tamron , Sigma and tokina and wondered if there was set them apart from each other as far build quality goes

thanks in advance
 
I think its quite hard to really judge build quality from external appearance.

Certainly as far as build quality goes, I'd probably say Tokina has the appearance of being best, followed by Sigma, then Tamron.

But in all honesty, I think its hard to make an firm statement about build quality from external appearances, as you are just judging what you can see from the outside.

Certainly if you were looking at a Tokina 16-50, Tamron 17-50 or Sigma 18-50 HSM to replace your kit lens, build quality would be

1) Tokina
2) Sigma
3) Tamron

...but optical performance would be
1) Tamron
2) Sigma
3) Tokina

I guess what I'm saying it don't worry about build quality or external appearance of quality, because often subjective "build quality" has no relation to optical quality.
 
thanks for your reply PD much appreciated

I've got to admit I haven't yet physically looked at any of these lenses all my research so far as been online , so i do need to get out and look at some but the Tamron appears to have the better reviews optically but from what i can see looks a little "tacky" , kind of what you're saying really !

I personally think the Sigma "looks" pretty good though

decisions , decisions !
 
I can only judge the differences between Sigma and nikon... as they're all I've used in the past 30 years.

All Nikkor lenses I've used have been flawless apart from a slight 'squeak' from my 17-35 when it's first operated after being mounted - it's silent thereafter...(and a fairly common fault with this lens - servicing it might help, but I use it all the time and can't bear to be without it).

Sigma are optically good, but the coatings aren't up to much and the build-quality, while appearing sturdy, isn't...
Saw another non-functioning Siggy 16mm last week, no external signs of damage, but the focus-ring wouldn't turn freely between near-focus and mid-focus - seemed OK from mid to infinity, leading us to believe that it had somehow been 'squished' while in transit. It hadn't been dropped or gotten dirty or anything like that...
 
My Friend has a 350D and it came with a Sigma 28-210mm zoom lens. He had never been happy with the quality of the pictures in the 3 years he's had it. I happened to mention that I had some EOS lenses he could try so he popped up and borrowed them including an older Sigma 28-210 lens that I have. He reported back yesterday that the pictures from the much older sigma were of far better quality and was over the moon.

I know he looks after his equipment (it is very rarely used either) so I don't think its anything he's done, but I believe the quality control of the aftermarket lenses may be a lot patchier.

Wasn't there a link to a website showing the returns of the manufacturers lenses posted up on here the other day?

I'm not particularly worried about who makes the lens as long as the quality of the pictures coming through are correct. I have plenty of older Tokinas, Sigmas and Tamrons that all do a sterling job.
 
neil_g said:
do you want a pretty lens or do you want to take some decent photos though :shrug:

my 120-300 f2.8 is battered and worn to buggery but optically its superb.
Click to expand...


exactly ! thats why i'm being drawn towards the Tamron if a decent secondhandhand nikon doesn't surface

thanks for replying
 
I have to say although no hard core user the sigma ex lenses seem pretty good quality - robust (also heavy!!) and pretty sharp, have heard that the QC has been pretty patchy but price wise i think they are good- still wish that i could use L lenses though.
 
Arkady said:
Sigma are optically good, but the coatings aren't up to much and the build-quality, while appearing sturdy, isn't...
Saw another non-functioning Siggy 16mm last week, no external signs of damage, but the focus-ring wouldn't turn freely between near-focus and mid-focus - seemed OK from mid to infinity, leading us to believe that it had somehow been 'squished' while in transit. It hadn't been dropped or gotten dirty or anything like that...
Click to expand...

my 2nd hand 120-300 had a tight spot in the zoom ring, went off to sigma for repair and they reckon the whole zoom assembly was distorted from being dropped. so its entirely possible that something like the 16mm could get squashed i guess..
 
i have used pentax, nikon, sigma, and tamron, sony lenses, some cracking some shocking,
all tamrons have been optically very good, only problem i found was they seem to suffer more with ca(purple fringing).
sigma have been very good optically to, but i have had a few shockers(bigest one a 150-500mm) as for build quality i have not seen much difference in the 2, the 150-500mm lens is very well made, and the only problem i have found with the siggys is the coating on the lens body wears quickly.

my tamron 18-200mm £180, matches my nikon 18-200mm £500, for pic quality, imo.
 
I have pretty much totally switched to Nikon lenses apart from a Sigma 12-24 and only keep that because nothing else goes as wide on FX. Marque lenses may cost more in the first place but hold their value much better. The real clincher for was after service. I sent a Nikkor 105 vr to Nikon to have the focus checked and they returned it within two weeks for no cost. I sent a 12-24 to Sigma to have it checked over (it didn't seem sharp and the aperture appeared to be out as the lens consistently under exposed) and i didn't get the lens back for 10 weeks, had to ring them every week and when it came back it wouldn't focus properly. To be fair to them they did then replace the lens with a better copy but the whole experience was painful and it meant that I didn't get to take the lens on a trip, despite explaining the deadline to Sigma loads of times. Also see this link http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/481-tamron_60_20_nikon?start=2

for Photozone's bad experience with the Tamron service department.
 
Perhaps the best service I ever had was from Tokina - my 12-24 was badly de-centered, they couldn't repair it so it went back to Japan.

In the meantime they lent me a 12-24 so I could keep going. Tokina Japan said they couldn't fix the de-centering so Tokina UK (Kenro) picked up the "loaner" and next day'd me a brand new 12-24.
 
infra_dread said:
I have pretty much totally switched to Nikon lenses apart from a Sigma 12-24 and only keep that because nothing else goes as wide on FX. Marque lenses may cost more in the first place but hold their value much better. The real clincher for was after service. I sent a Nikkor 105 vr to Nikon to have the focus checked and they returned it within two weeks for no cost. I sent a 12-24 to Sigma to have it checked over (it didn't seem sharp and the aperture appeared to be out as the lens consistently under exposed) and i didn't get the lens back for 10 weeks, had to ring them every week and when it came back it wouldn't focus properly. To be fair to them they did then replace the lens with a better copy but the whole experience was painful and it meant that I didn't get to take the lens on a trip, despite explaining the deadline to Sigma loads of times. Also see this link http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/481-tamron_60_20_nikon?start=2

for Photozone's bad experience with the Tamron service department.
Click to expand...

on the flipside sigma service has been nothing but exemplerary (spelling?), theyve shipped parts over from japan at no extra cost to me and theyve replaced parts for free.
 
just got back in from an afternoon out and still cant make a descision !!

thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply
 
Im drawn on this too! Being an Alpha user, Im always drawn to Sony glass, I have read loads of reviews of Sigma Tamron etc and though they get some excellent reviews my mind wont pull away from "Keep it Sony".

Hopefully I will get the chance to feel and touch a bit 3rd party kit at Focus on Image next week as nearly all the major players are there. If the marketing bods do their job right, I should be coming home with a none Sony wide angle lens. :)
 
i must point out that i sent a 150-500mm back to sigma for calibration,i keept getting it back no better, had to send my k20d with it in the end, got it back still no better after 4 times, all at my cost not even 12 months old.
and on the last time it come back like this. and there was alot of dust inside.
sigma said it wouldnt of come from them like that,:thinking:
IMGP1508-1.jpg

that was the final straw and i demanded a new one which i got, and this took 3 months just over.
 
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