sigma vs tamron 28-70mm F2.8 EX DG

MissB

any expierence with either??

ziggy53

Best formal reviews:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-28-70mm-f-2.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-24-70mm-f-2.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-28-75mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-Lens-Review.aspx

These are the third party lenses in that range that I recommend that you look at. Note that Sigma has 2 lenses in this group and that the 28-70mm is newer and, I believe, a little less expensive. The 24-70mm is considerably more versatile, especially on a crop 1.5x/1.6x sensor.

Either brand can have considerable sample variation, so I recommend purchasing from a vendor with a good return/exchange policy.

If you use FF, I think that the Sigma models will hold better to the edges than the Tamron zoom. For a crop camera, they are all pretty good if you get a good copy.

rookieshooter

i shot some pics with both lenses. You can see examples here:

Tamron: http://joshnorem.smugmug.com/Other/Tamron-lens-tests/9077136_HhoZ5#P-1-20

sigma: http://joshnorem.smugmug.com/Other/Sigma-24-70/9172581_4UX4c#612071419_nnKox

I found them both decent for non-moving objects but not fast enough for action.

JohnBiggs

I love the Tamron. First of all it is considerably lighter and smaller than Sigma and Canon. It is also much sharper for me than my Sigma was. The sigma was a beast with an 82mm filter ring and its 1.5lbs heft.

Art Scott

I have been a Siggy user for a few decades and I really get torked with all the "IF YOU GET A GOOD COPY" crap tossed around.....in damn near 30yrs of Sigma use I have never had a bad copy (I have heard all kinds of I had more than 1 copy and all sucked, probably was user error:D)....never had to return a lens for any reason and they have never quit on me at any time, I am confident enuff with Sigma lenses I do not have duplicate lenses.....duplicate cam bodies....back up nikon lenses..... YES.....
The 28-70 was the older, and it is discontinued, between it and the 24-70EX....both excellent lenses but the 28 is just normally too long for a crop sensor cam......the 24-70 is better but still too long in a lot instances, for me.......the 17-70 would be my choice now that it is out, just wish it was a constant f2.8.....but alas it is not..........
I depend on my Sigma Lenses for all of my photography and I abuse them....they ride in the floor board of my Trooper with out a bag to protect them, so I have instant access to them.......every 5 or so years I send them off to be cleaned and lubricated, my protection plan...........

Sigma is one the largest lens manufacturers in the world and you do not get that way producing inferior products, their lenses have always rivaled Nikon and Canons lenses very closely.................

NikonsandVstroms

I tried the Sigma in the store and while the AF was faster the Tamron is just amazingly sharp, I even use it in the studio.

I really have been blown away with the results from this lens.

Pupator

I'm on Sony mount, so take that for what it's worth, but I compared several of the Sigmas in this range to the Tamrons. While they were all acceptable I thought the Tamrons were remarkably sharp so I went that route.

paddler4

I assume you mean the Tamron 28-75. I use one on a 50D (crop sensor) and have found it to be a good lens. It is very sharp, and for my purposes, the AF is fine. Some people complain about action shots, but I can't speak to that--I don't use this lens that way, so I just don't know. If you do have a crop sensor, keep in mind that neither of these lenses goes wide. On a Canon crop sensor camera, this is equivalent to 45-120 mm on a film or FF SLR.

ziggy53

Art Scott wrote:

I have been a Siggy user for a few decades and I really get torked with all the "IF YOU GET A GOOD COPY" crap tossed around.....in damn near 30yrs of Sigma use I have never had a bad copy (I have heard all kinds of I had more than 1 copy and all sucked, probably was user error:D)....

That is not my experience. Notice I did not say "opinion" or "belief", I said "experience". I have had instances where more than one copy failed to meet my expectations and I even documented the problem with images:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=24116&page=5

I also have some lovely copies of Sigma lenses:

Sigma 18-50mm, f3.5-5.6 EX DC (Occasionally mis-focuses similar to inexpensive Canon lenses, but the optics are very nice and I will keep this one.)

Sigma 70-210mm, f2.8 APO (No AF or auto-aperture, have to shoot wide open, but the optics really are very similar to Canon 70-200mm, f2.8L.)

Sigma 28mm, f1.8 Aspherical "High-Speed Wide" (No auto-aperture but does AF. Very good center sharpness wide open.)

Sigma 10-20mm, f3.5 EX DC HSM (Very nice optics and excellent AF. Mine has slight decentering error and one side is somewhat softer than the other wide open. Not a problem for me and I do not plan to replace anytime soon.)

Sigma "Bigma", 50-500mm F4-6.3 EX HSM APO (Not the DG version. I was not ever very happy with this on the Canon crop cameras, either APS-H (1D MKII) or APS-C (XT/350D or 40D) but it is working nicely on the 5D MKII. In its category it represents very good value.)

Art Scott wrote:

... they have never quit on me at any time, I am confident enuff with Sigma lenses I do not have duplicate lenses.....duplicate cam bodies....back up nikon lenses..... YES.....

While I'm glad you've had good luck I do not recommend this as a strategy. "Every" electro-mechanical device will ultimately fail. Sigma has a repair department as a testament to that fact. Having no backup is testing the odds but eventually the odds will get you. Always have some sort of backup for critical equipment in critical applications.

Art Scott wrote:

... Sigma is one the largest lens manufacturers in the world and you do not get that way producing inferior products, their lenses have always rivaled Nikon and Canons lenses very closely.................

Sigma does not produce junk. I own their lenses and I love their flashes but, I also know my equipment and I know its faults/weaknesses. I share those experiences as a caution, not a warning. I don't want to scare anyone away from the name "Sigma", rather I want everyone to feel informed, and therefore enabled, from my experiences and depictions.

When "I" say to beware of sample variation I can say it with the confidence of personal testing and personal experience. It is not conjecture, it is factual and I generally demonstrate the issues involved.

Some Canon lenses are also subject to sample variation and, as I come upon that situation, everyone will share in my experience via an entry from me. Tamron is also subject to sample variation and I did include them in the response above. To quote myself:

ziggy53 wrote:

"Either brand can have considerable sample variation, so I recommend purchasing from a vendor with a good return/exchange policy."

My suggestion is as always, "Buy what you need". Whether you purchase Sigma or Tamron does not concern me in the least. I suggest that limiting your purchase to a particular brand just for brand sake is a terrible loss in the possibilities for greatness. (IOW, other brands have good stuff too. )

jmphotocraft

rookieshooter wrote:

I found them both decent for non-moving objects but not fast enough for action.

f/2.8 not fast enough for action? Who knew!

Highschool basketball maybe.

divamum

jmphotocraft wrote:

f/2.8 not fast enough for action? Who knew!

Highschool basketball maybe.

I think the complaint regarding "speed" on the Tam lenses is the AF, not the aperture.

MissB, I don't have the 28-75, but I do have a Tamron 17-50 2.8. It's so sharp it's SCARY, and I've yet to have it let me down on AF accuracy. No, it's not as quiet or as zippy a focus-er as the Canon USM or L lenses, but even taking that into consideration I love, love, LOVE my Tamron.

JohnBiggs

jmphotocraft wrote:

f/2.8 not fast enough for action? Who knew!

Highschool basketball maybe.

I thought he meant focus speed.

JohnBiggs

Art Scott wrote:

I have been a Siggy user for a few decades and I really get torked with all the "IF YOU GET A GOOD COPY" crap tossed around.....in damn near 30yrs of Sigma use I have never had a bad copy (I have heard all kinds of I had more than 1 copy and all sucked, probably was user error:D)...........

The sigmas are built like tanks. I have owned the 70-200 f2.8 EX, 24-70 f2.8 EX, 50-500mm Bigma, and the sigma 2x TC.

They all worked fine but when I compared them to quality lenses from canon and the tamron I knew what I was missing. Perhaps all 3 of my lenses were bad. Yeah, I didn't expect much from the bigma, in respect to its versatility and size I'd say the image quality was spot on. However I felt let down by the other two.

Size/weight is also important for me.