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sigma vs Tammy 70-300 vs Pentax da 50-300

Posted 19/04/2015 - 16:54 Link
Thinking of one of the above as a budget telephoto.

I really want it for some photos of my dogs running at a distance, my Pentax 50-200 lacks a bit of reach and not brill AF speed.

I've read that the 50-300 Pentax has poor AF speed and hunts. Would welcome your views.

Also is there a significant difference in quality between the apo and non apo sigma lens. And what's the macro like on the two third party lenses?

Many thanks
Pjy123
Posted 19/04/2015 - 17:16 Link
Hi yes the 55-300 does hunt a lot,but have a look at all the pics I've taken with it its on my camera 90% of the time.
stu62
Posted 19/04/2015 - 17:27 Link
the macro is not bad on the sigma mine died at the weekend and i have bought another


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here is a macro one that i tuck this year and rember that at the time this was take the lens was about 15 years old
1stEverPentax
Posted 19/04/2015 - 17:43 Link
Very briefly (as i've just spent 10 minutes on a longer post only to lose it when 'Previewing Comment' and I can't face having to type it all in again!)...

Tamron 70-300LD at about £100+...excellent lens overall when you consider the price...love mine...BUT it hunts like mad at the longer end when taking fast moving targets like go karts and planes. I gave up trying to use AF and used manual focusing instead which is a doddle at or close to infinity although I should imagine a lot more trying at tens of meters distance with the subject running towards you carrying a ball!

Macro is not bad too if you don't expect too much...more flowers and still life than insect close-ups. Hope this helps. Oh and i've only used mine on a K-x (12MP) so can't comment on what it is like on a K30/50 or K5.

Karlo
swarf
Posted 19/04/2015 - 18:01 Link
I've had the Tamron (F4-5.6 LD Di Macro) and the Pentax. The Tamron is very good value for money, and the macro capability is pretty good, but as Karlo noted, better for stationary subjects than those on the move. However, the image quality is not as good as the Pentax, and the difference is worth paying the extra for. The only downside with the Pentax is the focus, which is pretty slow and it does hunt. The other 'issue' with it is that it really doesn't like filters on it, so I always have the lens hood on it at all times.

On balance - I'll take the Pentax every time, but if you're on a limited budget, the Tamron will serve you very well.

Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses

My Flikr Page link
johnriley
Posted 19/04/2015 - 18:11 Link
The Pentax is a brilliant lens. I find it very useful for flower portraits; it pulls in the flowers so really nice close ups are possible. It's very useful for wildlife and also very usable with the 1.4x converter.
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Best regards, John
michaelblue
Posted 19/04/2015 - 18:27 Link
I had the Sigma, which was fine up to 250mm, after that it was fairly soft compared to the Pentax I now have.
The Pentax hunts quite a bit (and is noisy) at the long end but not as much as the Sigma used to, so for me the Pentax is much better optically and great for all but 'Birds in flight'
Regards,
Michael
McGregNi
Posted 19/04/2015 - 18:55 Link
I'm delighted with my Tamron AF 70-300 Di LD .... There couldn't be a better value new telezoom on the market. It's right at the top for sharpness across the range and frame. I've been very pleased with autofocus, it's quite snappy really on the K7, although mostly I'm shooting static things.

Build is very good..... It's quite solid but light as well. Engaging macro needs care but its easy once you've ' got it'. It's a 1:2 macro but at 300mm that's close enough for general details.

Purple fringing is the main IQ complaint, mainly around fine higher contrast edges, but its manageable in PP.

I'm no action shooter, but for general photography where the widest aperture is not essential, the Tamron is the one for me.
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
1stEverPentax
Posted 19/04/2015 - 19:16 Link
Just another brief point. The current resale value on the Tamron is so low that it isn't worth selling it from my point of view..i'll happily keep it until something fails on it...however if I was buying now given that the 55-300WR is available at a reasonable price, that is what I would buy new as the lens is at least as good as the Tamron (!) but has WR which is important to me.
johnriley
Posted 19/04/2015 - 20:54 Link
I have used the Tamron and Pentax lenses side by side and the Tamron is very good, but the Pentax is crisper.
Best regards, John
swarf
Posted 19/04/2015 - 22:46 Link
johnriley wrote:
I have used the Tamron and Pentax lenses side by side and the Tamron is very good, but the Pentax is crisper.

I agree

Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses

My Flikr Page link
richandfleur
Posted 19/04/2015 - 23:17 Link
The Tamron is one of those lenses that makes you feel like you got something good for your money.
It's heavy, solid, big, has a useable macro function and has a manual aperture ring - so you can use it with basic teleconverters and not have to use it wide open.
It's also sharp right to the end. I eventually sold mine in favour of a Pentax 55-300 simply because the purple fringing was doing my head in.

An alternative may be the Pentax WR 200mm is a potential option also. Doesn't have the reach but seems to have a bad name because it was a kit lens bundle, but the results seem actually really good, and it's WR also.
Posted 19/04/2015 - 23:41 Link
Thanks for all your posts.

atm, I have a Pentax 50=200 non Wr, and I like the size of the lens, but at the long end I feel its not really cutting it in both sharpness and AF abilities. I'd like an improvement in each and a bit extra reach without spending a lot.

I'm leaning towards the Tammy, having read some of Nigels comments on the lens in the past, and general criticism online of the Pentax 50-300 for hunting.

I was looking to buy S/H, but I think I'll do a lil bit more reading before deciding.

Many thanks again to all who posted, your help is much appreciated.
richandfleur
Posted 20/04/2015 - 01:11 Link
If you go the Tammy way there will be much to like, but you WILL have to remove the purple fringing somehow. See below for an example.

It is especially brutal when you have a dark subject against a bright background, such as a bird on a white sky etc. ~ which is often what people want a big zoom lens for.
It can be removed in post, sometimes very well, but at other times it requires way too much effort for my liking, which is why I eventually parted ways with it.

Often in Lightroom this is a single click to deal with, or a click and a sample to tell Lightroom exactly where the problem you want to fix is.
example youtube link here
Edited by richandfleur: 20/04/2015 - 01:15
McGregNi
Posted 20/04/2015 - 08:16 Link
I should add that of course my points have not been comparative ....I have only used the Tamron zoom, and although I have read the reviews on the others, I haven't used them. This sort of thing can only ever be a very personal choice. There is always one solution that is most ideal for each individual. In my case it was the budget aspects that were the primary concern. I may not have even bought a zoom up to 300mm if the Tamron did not present to me at a great price.

So of course, to me, to find out that in practise it does a very good job, gives me shots that are better than I was expecting, then that leads to my own enthusiastic response. It doesn't mean it is better than the other choices for everyone. Someone who had shot professionally with a £2000 F2.8 zoom for years would probably not sound as enthusiastic as me about it! So, it's about ' what it is and who you are ' ....
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver

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