Tamron 70-200 vs Sigma 70-200 vs Nikon 70-300VR

viper_biker

viper_biker

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So, I've now owned all 3 over the last 12 months and I'm starting to regret having sold the Nikon one. Although the Tamron produced sharp images, it was way too slow for motorsport, the Sigma is quick but just doesn't seem to have a sharp end result and the Nikon seems to be the best out of the 3. Now I am tempted to sell the Sigma in exchange for a 70-300VR. Ultimately, I'd like a 70-200VR but they are just too pricey for me at the minute. Am I crazy in thinking that the Nikon is the better of the 3 lenses? Wide open at 300 isn't the greatest aperture, but if I needed 300mm I'd be using my 300/4 anyways. Should I go back to the VR???
 
Best one out of that lot IMHO is the Tamron

having used all 3 the Tamron is great

AF is slower than the Sigma, but I am yet to have a problem, even with motorsports

The Tamron and Sigma IMO are well above the 70-300 VR

edit, to add also, I would put the optics of the Tamron in the same league as the Nikon 70-200 VR aswell they are that good, you get speed and build quality for the extra cost of the 70-200 VR
 
whitey said:
.....

edit, to add also, I would put the optics of the Tamron in the same league as the Nikon 70-200 VR aswell they are that good, you get speed and build quality for the extra cost of the 70-200 VR
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You're the second person I've seen to say something like that. I don't doubt either of you two; but that's some amazing bit of image quality if it's anything close to the 70-200VR!
 
I reckon the Tamron 70-200 is as good as the 70-200 VR optically, but the amazingly cruddy AF renders it unfit for purpose for anything that might move.

If Tamron would just make this body driven, it would be a knock-out. Personally I can't live with a lens that takes 3 seconds to go from minimum focus distance to infinity.
 
IIRC Puddleduck said it waswell, it is fantastic IMO for the money and something I would recommend to others providing people can cope with the slightly slow AF

The one thing that happens though when on a circuit for instance is focus is always around the same sort of lenght away so once its focus's there is little movement needed so works perfectly
 
puddleduck said:
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If Tamron would just make this body driven, it would be a knock-out. Personally I can't live with a lens that takes 3 seconds to go from minimum focus distance to infinity.
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Can't there be a hack, somehow, to get the internal motor to drive it; or isn't there the screw to allow for this?

Also, when I was using the ultra-cheep Nikon 70-300G I learned to use it to good effect for F1! I got myself into a very good spot, switched to manual focus and manual settings, focused on to a given point and shoot. Got me some of the best F1 shots I have to date :shrug: .. far better than the 70-200VR, not because the former is a better lens, but the weight (or lack of it) made it a pleasure to use and hold for the period of the whole race.


whitey said:
IIRC Puddleduck said it waswell, it is fantastic IMO for the money and something I would recommend to others providing people can cope with the slightly slow AF

The one thing that happens though when on a circuit for instance is focus is always around the same sort of lenght away so once its focus's there is little movement needed so works perfectly
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Yup, puddleduck is the other person to rate this lens to be equal to the Nikon in terms of IQ.

I've never had the pleasure to use the Tamorn, but your two testimonies make me keen to try one out!
 
whitey said:
If you are up my way soon and its not sold you are welcome to test/try it out
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Thank you very much; I will keep that in mind as I do a bit more UK touring :)
 
Wail said:
Can't there be a hack, somehow, to get the internal motor to drive it; or isn't there the screw to allow for this?
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Not possible to hack it.

Tamron's AF implementation is broken as its not been reverse engineered correctly. Not only is it dog slow, in many instances the lens will simply not even attempt to focus, for example if the subject is very OOF there is no attempt to AF. Put it in a dark room (when you need f/2.8) and the lens will take several seconds to lock, vibrating around the focus point but never settling.

You need to ask yourself why so many of these come up for sale despite the stellar optics.

In very good light its usable, but its about the slowest and most hesitant lens its possible to come across.
 
Siggy has awesome AF speed but as you say, it can have dodgy long end focus.

Why not have a butchers at the NAF 80-200mm AF-D - AF is faster than the Tamron and IQ is amazing. There's also the 80-200mm AF-S but that's liek hens teeth apparently but supposed to be amazing :)
 
puddleduck said:
Not possible to hack it.

Tamron's AF implementation is broken as its not been reverse engineered correctly. Not only is it dog slow, in many instances the lens will simply not even attempt to focus, for example if the subject is very OOF there is no attempt to AF. Put it in a dark room (when you need f/2.8) and the lens will take several seconds to lock, vibrating around the focus point but never settling.

You need to ask yourself why so many of these come up for sale despite the stellar optics.

In very good light its usable, but its about the slowest and most hesitant lens its possible to come across.
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I would disagree with you with the AF comments tbh

They are slower than other lenses in the same range yes but not sluggist, dog slow etc IMO

Only reason mine is going is because of circumstances or I would keep it without hesitation

I now have a nikon 70-210 to play with as its replacement
 
whitey said:
I would disagree with you with the AF comments tbh
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Well... much as a hate to dis-agree with an online bud... I'm afraid when this lens had been reviewed the AF has been hammered.

See:

The only problem is that Tamron in the UK (Intro2020) has a new policy that all review lenses will only be available in Nikon mount. I found their 70-200mm f/2.8 so hesitant in focusing on the D3X that I did manage to obtain a sample in Canon mount, which I tested on the 50D. But this was a special case because I felt the lens simply did not agree well with the Nikon AF system.

Thats polite reviewer speak for what I said earlier ;)

DPReview also slates the Canon version.

Sorry.. but I stand by my comments on the AF being not fit for purpose.. I can't think of any other 70-200 f/2.8 class lens that has slower AF... some of these are 20 years old too....
 
I must be lucky, the lens I got had no problems at all in 3/4 hours of use at Cadwell over the weekend

If i get any free time in before/if it sells I will do some more digging
 
whitey said:
I must be lucky, the lens I got had no problems at all in 3/4 hours of use at Cadwell over the weekend

If i get any free time in before/if it sells I will do some more digging
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Try it in the dark.

Or focus it on something one meter away then focus at infinity. Get a stopwatch, 2 seconds at the minimum.

If you didn't have any problems, its likely the lens wasn't doing much focusing - ie you were always at infinity... which is probably the case for motorsport as pretty much everything is at distance?
 
I was following bikes getting closer to me so focusing from about 10 metres to say 8ish but nothing from one meter to infinity that i remember maybe 8 to say 3 ish with the odd bike in the pits but I cant remember dog slow AF

I will try this out though
 
whitey said:
I was following bikes getting closer to me so focusing from about 10 metres to say 8ish but nothing from one meter to infinity that i remember maybe 8 to say 3 ish with the odd bike in the pits but I cant remember dog slow AF

I will try this out though
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I think a lot of it would depend on what you'd shoot.

I did a cricket match - focusing on the wicket... then tried to refocus on a fielder about 4 meters from the boundary rope. Lens took 3 to 4 seconds to lock... the ball had been thrown back before the lens had finally. Missed lots of shots due to needing to go near / far and far / near quickly. The motor is just too slow, and thats before I talk about the reverse engineering issues (ie stops focusing when object is massively OOF)

Its when you need responsive AF... tracking objects that do not change distance reletively quickly should be OK.

As I said, optically the lens is stellar, and Tamron made such a boo-boo putting in a motor for D40 owners... as the lens is optically Professional quality with a capital P.
 
From what I've read low-light is a killer for the Tamron AF....hunt, hunt, hunt. :|

I've always been tempted by it but been reluctant to bite the bullet. :suspect:
 
sdb123 said:
From what I've read low-light is a killer for the Tamron AF....hunt, hunt, hunt. :|

I've always been tempted by it but been reluctant to bite the bullet. :suspect:
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I've had one and the optics are amazing, and I've been tempted to buy another purely on optics - but I've tried 3 (including one of my own) and they've all had the slow AF problem. I don't think this is a sample variation problem, and I don't think its possible to get a "good one" with speedy AF - in low light or going from close up to infinity or vice versa you will get the problems I mentioned.

Optically,the lens is still worth a try but I think you'll find the AF a showstopper, as its so hesitant in finally locking on, or simply refusing to even attempt to focus if your subject is massive OOF in the viewfinder.

The frustration with this is that it could have easily been avoided if they'd just let the cameras motor drive it.

PS: I see DPReview also mentioned these problems in their review of the 18-270 VC. On the D90, the lens was also occasionally unable to confirm focus with subjects which we'd normally not expect to be a problem, instead dithering for a few seconds before giving up and sometimes giving a clearly misfocused image. so IMHO Tamron has a problem with the Nikon AF protocol.
 
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