Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis lens replaced my Sony FE 70-200 f/4
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
Pros
- Great Build Quality
- Relative light weight, well-balanced on the camera
- Compact for it's focal length and brightness
- Large, comfortable Zoom Ring
- 1:2 Macro Capability in Manual Focus Mode
- Sharp nearly through the zoom range and across the frame
- Fun to shoot with!
Cons
- No lens stabilization
- No autofocus switch or function button
- Stops at 180mm instead of 200mm
- Manual Ring close to the camera body versus on the end of the lens
Long Review
I had already owned the Sony FE 70-200 f/4 lens which I really liked but noticed that I wasn't using much. I tried using it for indoor photography with a Speedlite (flash), but the ISO levels were much higher than I felt comfortable with due to the f/4 limitation. It was also considerably bulkier than my 24-70 f/2.8; especially, with the tripod mount attached to the lens. Finally, the minimum focal distance was frankly terrible. I could get considerably closer to my subject with my 24-70 vs the 70-200, thus I shot the 24-70 almost all the time. After hearing rave reviews about the Tamron, and the ability to do Macro(ish) photography, I purchased the Tamron and placed the two head to head.
Sharpness
I didn't do much pixel peeping, but it seemed to me in the center of the frame, both the Sony and Tamron were sharp. The Sony fell apart in the corners pretty badly wide open. The Tamron definitely was sharper in the corners wide open (even at a full stop faster), but certainly not as sharp as the center of the frame.
Brightness
Aperture-wise the Tamron is a full stop faster than the Sony (f/2.8 vs f/4), but it actually seemed to pull in 1.25-1.5 stops of light. That is, in some situations where the Sony shot at ISO 800 at f/4, the Tamron seemed to be around ISO 300 at f/2.8 vs the expected ISO 400. I credit this to the due to the fact that light "transmission" of the lens is different than aperture. It just might be that the Sony has more lens elements and coatings that reduce light transmission versus the Tamron. To any effect, it was a nice little bonus.
Minimum Focus Distance
In autofocus mode, the Tamron can definitely get closer to a subject than the Sony, but reproduction ratio is still not as good as my Sony 24-70 f/2.8. Switching the Tamron to manual mode, and adjusting the Zoom ring to 70mm, you can get as close as 1:2 which is getting close to Macro territory. The center sharpness seems quite good at this setting, but it does get quite soft toward the edges of the frame. This is the only time that I missed having the manual focus ring on the end of the lens as I found it hard to hold the camera lens steady with my hand placed so close to the camera body. It's neat you get that bonus feature out of the lens, but those that want quality Macro images should still get a dedicated Macro lens.
Low-Light Performance
The Tamron seemed to get an additional 1-1.5 stops of light over my Sony depending on the focal length, but the Sony has lens Optical Image Stabilization built-in. With the Optical Image Stabilization turned ON, I was able to get (reliably) an additional 1-1.5 stops out of the shutter speed for still subjects. On the other hand, for moving subjects, the Tamron has the advantage as you can have faster shutter speeds with better Iso performance over the Sony.
Indoor Photography with Speedlite
Even with a Speedlite, I find larger apertures to be preferred. The larger the aperture, the brighter the background is which makes for more pleasing, natural looking photos. The Tamron created more pleasing images, at faster shutter speeds (or better ISO performance) than the Sony.
Build Quality
Reviewers lamented at Tamron's plastic housing calling it cheap and "kit lens" like. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, the housing is plastic, not metal, but the zoom and manual focus rings have a nice, smooth feel to them. In addition, while not terribly heavy, there is some heft to the Tamron lens and it feels solid. Finally, there is a nice tactile feel of the (huge) rubber Zoom Ring and Manual Focus ring. I will say that the Sony feels like a tank with its metal housing and internal zoom, but the Tamron is no "kit lens", it feels substantial in the hand and I personally like the black finish to the Sony's white.
To be honest, after testing both lenses, I was conflicted if I really wanted to get rid of my Sony. Tamron seemed to only slightly edge out the Sony in all of my tests. But the deal-breaker was when I used the Tamron out in the field. It takes up less space in my bag and feels so much better in the hand than my Sony ever did. The fast aperture meant that I could pump up my shutter speed to freeze action or eek out better ISO performance. Where as with the Sony, I would shoot a little bit and then switch back to my 24-70, the Tamron I just enjoyed shooting so much that I would keep it on for much of the day. Needless to say, I sold my Sony and kept the Tamron.
