Category Archives: Tamron

Comparison: The Battle of 35mm lenses – Nikon Z vs Sigma vs Tamron vs Zeiss vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s

Introduction

Comparison: The Battle of 35:s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter

If you ask all the photographers, which single prime lens they would choose if they could own only one lens in the world, the majority would say the 35mm, and most of the rest would say a fast 35mm. This is because it is one of the most versatile prime lenses. Although it’s a wide-angle lens, it is sometimes referred to as the alternative normal lens because it is so close to the standard focal length that it does not distort the subject much. With such lenses, you can also get a good background separation with a nice bokeh. They are useful in almost all kinds of photography, especially in everyday photography, street photography, environmental portraits, landscapes, weddings, events, and travel. Additionally, it works well for stitched astrophotography.

Its popularity has led to numerous 35mm lenses being produced by various manufacturers from the early days of photography to the modern era. In this article, I will compare six of them, from vintage to old to new. Let’s have a look together!

Sample Images

Comparison: The Battle of 35 35s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter Nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf
Nikon Z6 | Nikon 35/1.4 Ai-s | Nikon FTZ | f/1.4
Comparison: The Battle of 35 35s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter Nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf
Nikon Z6 | Nikon 35/1.4 Ai-s | Nikon FTZ | f/1.4
Comparison: The Battle of 35 35s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter Nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf
Nikon Z6 | Sigma 35/1.4 HSM Art | Viltrox EF-Z | f/1.4
Comparison: The Battle of 35 35s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter Nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf
Nikon Z6 | Tamron 35/1.4 USD | Nikon FTZ | f/1.4
Comparison: The Battle of 35 35s - Nikon Nikkor Z 35 1.8 S vs Sigma 35 mm HSM Art vs Tamron USD vs Carl Zeiss Distagon vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s 35mm Which one best 35mm Viltrox ETZ ef to Z, FTZ adapter Megadap adapter K&F Concept adapter AF adapter Nikon z7 z7ii Z8 Z9 Zf
Nikon Z6 |Carl Zeiss Distagon 35/1.4 HFT | KF QBM-NIK Z | f/2.8

Continue reading Comparison: The Battle of 35mm lenses – Nikon Z vs Sigma vs Tamron vs Zeiss vs Pergear vs Nikon Ai-s

Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2

Introduction

tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 on Sony A7rII

Just like the 28-75mm 2.8 before, Tamron now also updated its 70-180mm 2.8 lens. We already reviewed the previous lens here and we liked it. A lot actually – except for some handling unpleasantries. With the addition of a lens button and a customizable switch I expect great improvements here, but that is not all: Tamron also decided to upgrade the lens with an internal optical image stabilizer. Let’s have a closer look!

Sample Images

tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 100mm 2.8
tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 140mm 2.8
tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 70mm 5.6
tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 150mm 2.8
tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 120mm 2.8
tamron 70-180mm 2.8 di iii vc vxd g2 review sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting resolution 42mp 61mp 33mp a7iv a9 a1 a7c af auto focus
Sony A7III | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 G2 | 180mm 2.8

Continue reading Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2

Review: Tamron SP AF 90mm F2.5

Introduction

Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.5 on Nikon Z6

Tamron made a big impression on the market when they launched their SP 90mm F/2.5 back in 1979. Small, flexible and very sharp. It is originally designed for 35mm cameras (full-frame) but can also be used on APS-C cameras with an equivalent focal length of 135mm. It is a classic dual purpose 90mm macro lens. The lens manages to do a 1:2 magnification, almost macro and many call it for a macro lens although Tamron themselves did not do that and only talked about it as “a medium telephoto portrait lens”.  (They called the previous versions, also with 1:2 magnification, “tele-macro” though.) Anyhow, it has long been the general opinion that it has very good close-up capabilities and it can do 1:1 macro with some help as we will see. It is also very suitable for use as a portrait lens at normal distances. The lens has been updated several times since its first release and changed look and optical formula during over 40 years of its existence. Each new version could have an additional feature, improved optical performance, just a cosmetic update, or a combination of them. We are going to look at the first AF version of this lens from 1990. The lens has been made with native mounts for Nikon F, Pentax K and Minolta/Sony A. I test a Nikon mount lens mostly on a FF mirrorless Nikon Z6 and APS-C DSLR Nikon D7200  (F mount) but I also include images taken with FF DSLR Nikon D600 (also F mount).

Sample Images

Nikon D600 | Tamron AP AF 90mm f/2.5 | 2.5

Nikon D600 | Tamron AP AF 90mm f/2.5 | 7.1 | Focus stacked from 11 images

Nikon D600 | Tamron AP AF 90mm f/2.5 | 3.3

Continue reading Review: Tamron SP AF 90mm F2.5

Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD

Introduction

tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 2.8 review comparsion sharpness resolution contrast 42mp 61mp test sony a7rIII a7rII a7riv distortion sunstars starburst
Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 on Sony A7rII

With the 70-180mm 2.8 Tamron completed its “Reasonable Trinity” in 2020. Before the announcement I expected a 75-150mm 2.8 but we got an even bigger zoom range instead. Will there be more surprises? Let us find out in this review!
Update: a new version of this lens has been released in late 2023, you can find its review here.

Sample Images

Sony A7rIV | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 | 70mm | f/10
Sony A7rIV | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 | 180mm | f/2.8
tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 2.8 review comparsion sharpness resolution contrast 42mp 61mp test sony a7rIII a7rII a7riv distortion sunstars starburst
Sony A7rII | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 | 180mm | f/2.8
tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 2.8 review comparsion sharpness resolution contrast 42mp 61mp test sony a7rIII a7rII a7riv distortion sunstars starburst
Sony A7rII | Tamron 70-180mm 2.8 | 70mm | f/2.8

Continue reading Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD

Review: Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2

After the success of their compact and affordable f/2.8 zooms Tamron has released a pair of f/2.8 primes: A 2.8/24 and 2.8/35. In this review I check, if the 2.8/24 is another big hit.

Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Review

Most images in this review can be found in full resolution here.

Continue reading Review: Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2