Upgrading lens

[gummy73]

If Budget allow can get both...Tamron is good for event if u do not want to carry too many lenses..But trust me once u use prime u will find zoom lenses is pretty heavy...

 

[CorneliusK]

I have a DA*16-50 and a DA 35 macro - I hardly touched the macro ever since I got the DA*. Its not that the DA* is outright superior, its just that its more versatile.

 

[wed07]

OK those who got the tamron and the prime, which ends up being on the camera more?

Prime of course! It may not be versatile as a zoom, but I have pair of legs to rectify compositions, it's also has non-obscuring form, not to mention being compact.

 

[oyama85]

I suggest if you got the moolah, try both.
From the responses, diff ppl got diff preferences.

For me, I bring 17-50 when I need the versatility, like when there is limited space.
I will bring a prime if weight is an issue, like bringing a cam out for fun w/o having anythin in mind to shoot, just lik a PnS.
Then again you can do the above with a zoom too since the Tammy is still considered light as well.

 

[pinholecam]

OK those who got the tamron and the prime, which ends up being on the camera more?

MHO, get the zoom first. Its more versatile for the money w/o sacrificing much in performance.

As for performance (sharpness only)

100% crops.
Sharpness (center) zoom vs prime. In this case my Tamron 28-75 vs a venerable A50/1.4

A50/1.4 at f2.8

Tamron 28-75/2.8 at 50mm f2.8

It depends on which prime as well, but in this case, the A50 stopped down to f2.8 is sharper. So if absolute sharpness is the measure of performance, a good prime is better. The Tamron is not bad either if you consider that its not stopped down and actually sharp for all purposes. Its also totally good when considering normal viewing sizes and not pixel peeping. Then again, as mentioned before, a prime can go faster and get less DOF, while the zoom won't go wider than f2.8.


My Tamron despite being very good is seldom used. The main reasons are :
1. DOF control
2. Weight dangling round my neck
3. Size when just taking out the camera for simple outings that are not photography related.

 

[scorpioh]

U use Pentax, enjoy and use its primes, avoid its zooms and much more third party zooms! Ok, from a zoom skeptic here. d: I think Canon and Nikon makes the best zooms. Primes, its Leica, Zeiss and Pentax (not so sure about Olyumpus here).

 

[Baracus]

Prime of course! It may not be versatile as a zoom, but I have pair of legs to rectify compositions, it's also has non-obscuring form, not to mention being compact.

But those extreme FOV, POV (e.g 12mm, 300mm) just can't be duplicated through leg power. I should know. I'm a prime user mostly, except for the Sigma 10-20.