Sigma V Tamron For my Sony??? (1 Viewer)

Hi.

Which lens is the best please for my sony A200
Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens OR
Tamron SP AF Di LD IF 200-500mm f/5.0-6.3 Lens

Thanks

Johnny!

Honestly there are fans of both lenses, and both lens makers. I own lenses from both Sigma and Tamron and don't favor either company. I can say that when I was shopping for long zooms to use on my A300, I shopped these two lenses and found the Tamron to be a little better - that's the one I chose. Note though that when I was looking at these, the Sigma wasn't this newer version - it wasn't HSM nor OS. I don't think either is BAD, but the Tamron usually gets quite a few accolades for its sharpness and also very good resistance to purple fringing and CA. The Sigma advantage, being a newer lens, would be if it has the ultrasonic motor - which would make it quieter, and it has in-lens stabilization which would allow you to choose either your sensor-based stabilization or the lens-based, depending on which may work better for you. The downside with the Sigma remains the sharpness and detail at the long end of the lens - at 500mm it does seem to fall down a bit, getting soft and losing detail. The Tamron has traditionally done a bit better, being more usable even wide open and 500mm.

Johnny Fox said:

Hi.

Which lens is the best please for my sony A200
Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens OR
Tamron SP AF Di LD IF 200-500mm f/5.0-6.3 Lens

Thanks

Johnny!

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Whats your budget?I ask because for the price of a new sigma you could probably get a good used canon 400mm 5.6 prime.Which would be sharper than either 2 of the above mentioned lenses.

Steve.B

stevo said:

Whats your budget?I ask because for the price of a new sigma you could probably get a good used canon 400mm 5.6 prime.Which would be sharper than either 2 of the above mentioned lenses.

Steve.B

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Nice lens, but it wouldn't fit on the Sony 8-P

Tamron added recently a few nice lenses to the line-up (the 24-70, and the 70-200) but as far as I know their 200-500 is still unchanged from the one you could buy 7 years back. Therefore a bit outdated when compared to lenses with on-board AF motors if it comes to AF drive speed. Compared with the focusing speed gain offered by Sigma's built in HSM drive this would be a deal breaker for me if buying brand new. Buying 2nd hand the actual price would matter.

Ulli

seaspirit said:

Nice lens, but it wouldn't fit on the Sony 8-P

Tamron added recently a few nice lenses to the line-up (the 24-70, and the 70-200) but as far as I know their 200-500 is still unchanged from the one you could buy 7 years back. Therefore a bit outdated when compared to lenses with on-board AF motors if it comes to AF drive speed. Compared with the focusing speed gain offered by Sigma's built in HSM drive this would be a deal breaker for me if buying brand new. Buying 2nd hand the actual price would matter.

Ulli

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Darn that`ll teach me too read the thread properly lol,on a side note i`ve been using the sigma 150-500mm for around 6yrs now.I`ve found it to be an excellent lens its light hungry & works best at f8.

Cheers.

Steve.B

My a200 crunched the gears in a Sigma 70 to 300 lens, a known problem apparently and I though that other Sigma lenses were also affected with that issue.

speckled wood said:

My a200 crunched the gears in a Sigma 70 to 300 lens, a known problem apparently and I though that other Sigma lenses were also affected with that issue.

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Don't know the 70-300, but all Sigma lenses mentioned here and most more recent ones come with their own AF HSM drive. No mechanical connection (OK the mounting bayonette) between body and lens, ..

This assumes that not having OS in the lens is the only "extra" feature of the sony version when compared their to Nikon and Canon counterparts

UH