F/2.8: Pentax 16-50 vs Tamron 17-50 vs Sigma 17-50

[Gengh]

Hmmm I've more or less decided to go for an upgrade from my Sigma 17-70, just that I am not sure whether the DA* is that big of a jump. With the current exchange rate, the DA* would be just over S$1000, which is slightly less than what is listed on the price list here (which seems a bit outdated for this lens). What are the QC issues exactly?

Ah didn't consider too much about the warranty issues. I will be using the camera overseas as I am studying in the UK, so buying in SG doesn't seem to make much of a difference to buying in the US, but someone may advise otherwise? Prices in the UK are just obscene.

The price of the DA* lenses are not reported to me very often, their high price makes them a less common purchase I guess. If you're home, no harm asking around in the usual stores to see if the prices have changed.

I didn't follow the QC issues too closely, but generally it sounded like there was a relatively high number of people who had some form of decentering issue (leading to one side being sharper than the other, blur corners and edges, double images, etc mix and match). Some were genuine cases, but it sounded like many could also have just been paranoid because they heard about theses cases, and concluded that their DA*16-50 was flawed just 'cos they spotted unsharp corners at 16mm f2.8 shooting brick walls. IMHO, it may be a premium lens, but it's still a fast wide angle zoom, so buyers really should have realistic expectations.... If within a few shots you can see that the pics are not good, quite possibly you've got a lemon. If you have to pixel peep and do tons of test shots just to see if the lens is ok, it's probably within manufacturing limits. Ok, just my 2cents, people who are unhappy with their DA*16-50 don't flame me please....

 

[Recoil3d]

Last check with SLR R 2 weeks ago was $12xx IIRC

 

[SpyCam]

arghh! now either i get a external flash or shoot from far and crop in if i need to use flash compare to kit lens....

 

[Piscator]

Hi can anyone advise the accuracy of auto focus while using burst mode for the 3 lenses?

Thanks.

 

[Reportage]

Hi can anyone advise the accuracy of auto focus while using burst mode for the 3 lenses?

Thanks.

which camera body are you using?

 

[Piscator]

K 5. I just realised I need to dial up to f 8 for sports /actions.

 

[NotCooked]

hi. I have not used the pentax or the sigma one before. But here is what I feel about the tamron version.

Good Points: It is definitely very sharp and a great upgrade from the kit lenses. Bokeh is also nice At about $600, it is a great alternative to the DA* version if you are tight on budget like me

Bad points: Noisy and slow screw-drive focusing, heavy vignetting issues

Heres a sample pic i took at 17mm F2.8 ISO 100

 

[NotCooked]

oh my.. i just realised i replied to a 1 year old question LOL... oh well lol

 

[genecor]

Managed to try the DA* 16-50 recently thanks to CorneliusK and I'm just amazed with it, esp due to the SDM and fast focusing. Can't really comment on the optics as I was just taking random shots and not doing controlled testing with it.

I'm wondering if anyone has comprehensive thoughts or opinions on the Sigma 18-50 versus the Tammy 17-50? I know the Tammy is very recommended and bang for buck, but how does the Sigma compare to the Tamron? The newer Sigma (17-50 HSM) is more of a DA* alternative due to the HSM and all and priced accordingly from what I understand.

 

[Tachyon]

Did a short session using my K-5/Tamron 17-50 combination (my main workhorse is a C).

My personal comments are:
1. Main issue - camera hunts in low light in the studio. This was surprising to me considering that my other C/24-105mm combination did not experience the same problem. The hunting resulted in quite a few missed shots due to slight OOF (not obvious for leisure photography but critical for studio shoots).
2. The pictures are softer than my other setup - both good and bad, depending what mood you are trying to create.
3. The zoom ring has more resistance, which distracts when I am trying to compose.
4. I encountered flares from the strobes when I did not use the lens hood. Very mild but it is there.

Later I realized that I had the filter on - which is unusual as I usually shoot without filters. This could be a cause of the 'softness' so I will try it again at my next shoot without the filter.

Having said that, the Pentax setup costs less than 50% of the other setup, and the difference is only estimated 10-20% less.

I have not tried the 16-50 so I cannot compare.

Just my 2 cents.