Tamron 18-200mm
As you know Tamron released the first lens for the NEX system and Mike Kobal (Click here) tested the 18-200mm lens. Not that such a lens was really neede as we already have the Sony 18-200mm lens 🙁
Anyway, Mike also had that Sony lens but the Tamron is “a little smaller, lighter and has two additional lens elements. The built quality of both lenses is excellent“. Soem more image samples have been posted here on Flickr (Click here).
30mm macro
And the 30mm macro lens for NEX has been reviewed at SLRgear (Click here): “With good results for sharpness, corner shading and distortion, the only hesitation might be higher-than-desired results for chromatic aberration, but even that is treatable with post-processing.“.
SonyAlphaLab (Click here) tested the lens on the NEX-7:”The contrast and color are also decent from what I’ve taken so far. The lens Bokeh is not the prettiest I’ve seen, but it is nice and smooth which is still very pleasing to the eye. Based on these initial test shots only, I would have to highly recommend this lens.”
Click those links to check if the lens is in Stock: [shopcountry 10041].
25 Responses
I’m impressed with the seemingly better focus speed on the Tamron.
I hope the Tammy tester is not in copyright violation for republishing the magazine hotty shots.
I hope SAR isn’t either.
smaller lighter and 2 additional glass air surfaces for more defraction and loss of quality? You are aware more elements is bad. Always bad Never good. Its only done when the result can’t be achieved with less elements.
nope, because I shot this editorial with the A77 😀 (meant as response to Clyde, first comment)
Mr Kobal,
I like your reviews.
Keep up the great work.
I clicked through and donated as well.
thank you very much, Alpha77 🙂
or more correction of optical aberrations. Buy yourself the “Super-Profi-Zoom”, its an 500mm f8 with four lenses, must be good if your theaory is right 😀
The Sony benefits from in camera corrections, so it’s clearly a better choice for me.
The tamron also uses in-camera corrections…..do your homework buddy.
Well in a DPreview thread it was stated from someone that has both, that the Tamron has more distortion, but I didn’t try both myself.
as long as its as sharp has can be with a huge zoom then great. I am hoping the reason the c3 kit and nex 7 Kit are delayed longer is a lens design fix for the kit lens. But thats a pipe dream.
Some of our customers have reported that the Tamron E Mount 18-200 has serious issues when using the lens for sweep panorama, at any of the wider focal lengths, stating that the first frame in the series is sharp but the rest are lightly to heavily blurred. Not a positive panorama experience 🙂
We’re planning on doing a full test tomorrow to see what we come up with. We’ll let you know.
So outside the focus of the Tamron is slower (but smooth, unlike the jerky focus of the Sony), and inside it is faster than the Sony without being jerky? Yeah, my vote goes to Tamron.
Nice work Mike!
thanks Clyde!
Here in Thailand, the Tamron currently sells for an equivalent of 780 USD (Big Camera). The Sony 18-200 is only 30 USD more (Sony Center). Meanwhile the Sony 55-210 is “only” 400 USD (Big Camera). Being that they are all slow, at least for me, price becomes the determining factor and the range up to 55mm is covered by the kit zoom, so it’s 55-210 if I ever pick up one of these.
Another plus for the 55-210mm is it’s 49mm filter size, which is shared with nearly all E-mount lenses so being able to transfer my 49mm Zeiss ND and CPL is a big plus.
I totally agree, The 55-210mm is very sharp, and a much cheaper lens!!
hey do you have any sample pics somewhere of the 55-210 lens? i’ve looked for it everywhere but didn’t find many convincing shots…
Boy, the 30mm has very soft corners. I guess that’s the price you pay for small.
Really cool Test! For me it seems that the AF outside is the same speed as the sony but smoother ans inside the Tamron is much faster!
Is it right that the Tamron lens is corrected inside the cameras jpg like the original sony lens??? Havent read this anywhere. Where can i find information about that?
I don’t see how it can be corrected in camera. It’s not a Sony lens so the camera can’t possibly “know” it.
I also have some samples from new Tamron 18-200mm if anybody is interested;)
http://sonyalphalab.com/2012/01/sony-nex-7-and-tamron-18-200mm-f3-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-lens-sample-photos/
It’s not as sharp as the Sony lenses that I have tested so far. I just got the Sony 18-200mm though, so I’ll do some compare testing this weekend. My guess is the Sony lens will be better!!
I really don’t understand why Tamron makes a lens almost identical in specs and price to sony.
Who’s gonna buy it?
Cerianly not me! I just opened the Sony 18-200mm to do a similar video comparrison as Mikes. Right off the bat the build quality of the Sony is significantly better. The zoom is much smoother and feels like it’s in another class of lenses in my opinion.
The focus on my tests proved to be very similar on both lenses in low light. The Tamron does seem to focus slightly faster from 1 object to the next.
The vc On the Tamron is noticeable better than the Sony. I have to do more precise testing to figure out by how much hat translates in the real world;)
Best,
Jay
I’ve begun to collect some example images I’ve made with this lens. As per my usual habits, I don’t post OOC images. I post images as I’d normally edit them. The point is to show what can be made with this camera+lens combo (and my basic editing skills). Unedited photos are for chumps anyway 🙂
See here if you care to: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjyoNZeM