Calling Tamron 10-24mm owners

I am going to buy either the Sigma or Tamron ultra wide lens. I am not considering the Pentax as I simply cannot afford it.

There is a lot written about the Sigma and it seems to have its own fan club. There is much less about the Tamron and I have heard some very positive things (such as the dpreview) and also some very negative.

Are there any Pentax users out there that have or have used this lens and what are your opinions of it.

Comparisons with the Sigma are also welcome.

I want a super-wide but don’t want to break the bank or buy a lemon!

Cheers MZ

The Tamron being much newer than the Sigma, answers one thing the earlier S-wide Tamron was not so good, I have used/owned the Sigma 10-20mm and found it excellent, but that was on a Nikon body, You may be able to get one (Sigma) at a better price as the new HSM is being launched now, but not in Pentax mount just yet.
But if you intend to do use it in wet or dusty conditions then Pentax has the only choice, a DA* lens.

The new issue of AP (out tomorrow) actually carries a Lens Test covering the Nikon and Tamron 10-24mm lenses.

If you are thinking of buying the Tamron then it might well be a very interesting read for you as it does cover the sort of qualities that the Tamron has been designed with.

I have the sigma and it took a little getting used to being so wide and me being new to digital slr photography.However after a few trials Im more than happy with mine.
Ian

Contact Amin on here, he has some Samsung 12-24mm lenses for sale that are exactly the same as the Pentax model.

Nope, don't know anything but I saw this review and if you haven't seen it yet ... here goes: Lenstip 10-24mm

Thanks John,

I have read the AP review of the Tamron Vs Nikon and I must say how refreshing the review was, not just because it supported my leaning towards giving the Tamron a chance, but also because it didn’t entirely get hung up on what the detail was like in the tree in the far left top corner at a 100% crop from a 14MP shot.

This review is much more from a photographic point of view than a scientific one and to me that is more important.

Will the Tamron (Or the Sigma) help me create beautiful images – I believe it will. Will it be perfect – no and will I care? Not too much.

If I have any kind of brand loyalty it will be towards Tamron – not because they are the best but because from my film days too, they have constantly provided me with a series of lenses that have enabled me to capture images that have been pleasing to my eye. I would love a bag full of Pentax ltd’s but in the real world I can’t justify the expense.

I have a few weeks before I have the funds for the new lens and I am not 100% sure of what I will buy but more than likely it will be the Tammy for its flexibility, value for money and photographic (if not scientific) performance. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult to try before you buy and still get the internet pricing but I may be taking a couple of trips to Watford in the next few weeks...

Cheers MZ

Very glad to hear it was useful!

I have a 10-24 and it's kind of interesting.

It's not the sharpest. However, I already commented elsewhere: It's not about sharpness, it's about rendering. Sharpness also returns, I now know, at around f8-f16. My copy or my cam appears to backfocus slightly (the focus point represents the start of the focus area, not its centre), but most of my lenses sit. I know it's there, it's not really an issue, especially at f/16 and 10mm....

This thing renders really nicely, it's obvious there's a lot of information being crammed in (feels like it to me) but the sense of space is manic.

Sample images:



the lane is approximately one car wide and heads down at 15 degrees or so.



Trees... the front one is less than a foot away



my little monster out skating (yes, we did clear it ourselves; the ice is 25cm thick. She's 130cm tall and the "rink" is around 10m long.




Christmas day in Kuopio. Issues with flare despite the hood. It's a 90 degree corner, even if it doesn't look like it.

I'm reasonably happy. It does what it's supposed to, I'm looking forward to seeing it in action on the track and the rig. I might even get into some landscape stuff.

HtH.

Bret

Peter Bargh has reviewed in ePHOTOzine, here Tamron 10-24 review

I tried a few samples at SRS, as usual there were some sample variations, but overall, I preferred it to the Sigma 10-20 (I've had two of those).

However, I did buy a very clean s/h D-Xenon 12-24 from SRS. I would suggest that a D-Xenon is worth the small extra you may have to pay if you can find one.

I posted my comments here: LINK