Tamaron Lenses

[eezergood]

As a beginner, are these any good? Basically photo hut has a great deal on their 'in house kits' with bag etc... & the second lense with Nikons are from Tamaron.

Are they in the deal because they are no good or because very popular etc.......

[taotoo]

Asuming you're talking about the 55-300, they're in the deal because they're cheap. The lens will be okay optically. Make sure it's the A17 NII model, or you won't get any autofocus. You may have problems with autofocus accuracy - personally I would avoid for this reason alone.

[einstein640]

the Tamron 24-70 /f 2.8VC is a stellar performer and is up there with the Canon and Nikon lenses....

[eezergood]

[eezergood]

Sorry if this break rules! BUt if so then photo hut has some good deals, what are your thoughts guys & gals?

[Robby nz]

Am using a Tamron AF A17 70-300 mostly on manual focus because I'm trying to get pix in trees etc, but it works ok on auto in the open.

Look on nature and birds for some of the results.

[ThaiBob]

I would check that this lens has vibration reduction, I suspect it doesn't. Photo Hut probably had surpluses on this lens and made a package to move them. The excellent Nikon 55-200 with vr is often the kit lens. I am not a fan of 3rd party lenses but there are exceptions of course.

[eezergood]

So if no VR - negotiate for something different?

[phuketrichard]

i love my 18-200 vr nikor lens. but it equals the price of the 5100 body

[MaxwellsDemon]

Tamron (and Sigma and Tokina and Rokinon and etc etc etc) used to be regarded as the cheap 3rd party brands who would make cheaper versions of both consumer lenses (18-200s) and pro-spec lenses (70-200s), and there would always be a tradeoff in quality.

Then a few years ago they clued in that they could make a better killing by jumping into the lens gaps, instead of copying what Nikon and Canon were already making. Tokina did the unrivaled 11-16 2.8 for crop sensors that was not only covering a range that the big brands were not, but was also actually sharp.

Now Bower/Rokinon/Samyang have some top-quality primes out, Tamron is still capitalizing on midrange VC zooms (17-50 and 24-70), Sigma's 35 1.4 is making the front page....

It's quite an exciting time now that these once lower-quality brands are developing incredible lenses that equal or even outperform Nikon and Canon's stuff, while actually still keeping a generally lower price point.

[eezergood]

i love my 18-200 vr nikor lens. but it equals the price of the 5100 body

[eezergood]

Tamron (and Sigma and Tokina and Rokinon and etc etc etc) used to be regarded as the cheap 3rd party brands who would make cheaper versions of both consumer lenses (18-200s) and pro-spec lenses (70-200s), and there would always be a tradeoff in quality.

Then a few years ago they clued in that they could make a better killing by jumping into the lens gaps, instead of copying what Nikon and Canon were already making. Tokina did the unrivaled 11-16 2.8 for crop sensors that was not only covering a range that the big brands were not, but was also actually sharp.

Now Bower/Rokinon/Samyang have some top-quality primes out, Tamron is still capitalizing on midrange VC zooms (17-50 and 24-70), Sigma's 35 1.4 is making the front page....

It's quite an exciting time now that these once lower-quality brands are developing incredible lenses that equal or even outperform Nikon and Canon's stuff, while actually still keeping a generally lower price point.

HAve you used this lens?

[ThaiBob]

The Photo Hut promotion doesn't look so special on a second look. They're trying to unload the old D5100(replaced by the D5200) and it is not clear if you get both lenses the 18-55 and 70-300,along with the card and bag. I know filefoto sells the D5200 and 18-55 for 26,900 thb.

[astral]

I had a Tamron 28-200mm which did me good service for many years,

relieving me of the need to carry a selection of lenses.

[eezergood]

Thanks for the feedback

[MaxwellsDemon]

Tamron (and Sigma and Tokina and Rokinon and etc etc etc) used to be regarded as the cheap 3rd party brands who would make cheaper versions of both consumer lenses (18-200s) and pro-spec lenses (70-200s), and there would always be a tradeoff in quality.

Then a few years ago they clued in that they could make a better killing by jumping into the lens gaps, instead of copying what Nikon and Canon were already making. Tokina did the unrivaled 11-16 2.8 for crop sensors that was not only covering a range that the big brands were not, but was also actually sharp.

Now Bower/Rokinon/Samyang have some top-quality primes out, Tamron is still capitalizing on midrange VC zooms (17-50 and 24-70), Sigma's 35 1.4 is making the front page....

It's quite an exciting time now that these once lower-quality brands are developing incredible lenses that equal or even outperform Nikon and Canon's stuff, while actually still keeping a generally lower price point.

HAve you used this lens?

The 70-300 in the picture? No, not personally, but like with anything there are patterns, and I can tell you what I'd think through them;

A) Both Nikon and Canon make two versions of the trusted 70-300 design; a cheap, sub-$200 lens, and a higher-quality-but-still-consumer-stabilized lens, usually up around 4 big ones.

The cheapo versions they make are optically not so great, don't feature any bells and whistles (VR/IS/VC/etc) but are light and easy to handle.

C) The biggest complaints/downsides are slow focus speeds, and when you have a telephoto like this it can hunt. and I mean SLOW.

D) The build quality of the brand name 70-300 cheap versions is very, very weak. Light plastics all over.

So, because Tamron is offering a budget version of what is already a Nikon/Canon budget lens, I suspect the quality to be quite low. A fair amount of fringing, haze at the long end, and slow, noisy, focusing.

THAT SAID, it will appear to be an impressive investment due to the effective 450mm reach, getting you views that can make a normal picture look stunning. And one of the primary complaints about people with their first DSLR and an 18-55 is that the 55 "just doesn't go far enough". This will help you overcome that barrier.

But apart from taking pictures of still subjects in broad daylight, don't expect this lens to be your favourite.

Disclaimer: again, have never touched this lens but I'm willing to bet that I'm 90% right.

[eezergood]

Tamron (and Sigma and Tokina and Rokinon and etc etc etc) used to be regarded as the cheap 3rd party brands who would make cheaper versions of both consumer lenses (18-200s) and pro-spec lenses (70-200s), and there would always be a tradeoff in quality.

Then a few years ago they clued in that they could make a better killing by jumping into the lens gaps, instead of copying what Nikon and Canon were already making. Tokina did the unrivaled 11-16 2.8 for crop sensors that was not only covering a range that the big brands were not, but was also actually sharp.

Now Bower/Rokinon/Samyang have some top-quality primes out, Tamron is still capitalizing on midrange VC zooms (17-50 and 24-70), Sigma's 35 1.4 is making the front page....

It's quite an exciting time now that these once lower-quality brands are developing incredible lenses that equal or even outperform Nikon and Canon's stuff, while actually still keeping a generally lower price point.

HAve you used this lens?

The 70-300 in the picture? No, not personally, but like with anything there are patterns, and I can tell you what I'd think through them;

A) Both Nikon and Canon make two versions of the trusted 70-300 design; a cheap, sub-$200 lens, and a higher-quality-but-still-consumer-stabilized lens, usually up around 4 big ones.

The cheapo versions they make are optically not so great, don't feature any bells and whistles (VR/IS/VC/etc) but are light and easy to handle.

C) The biggest complaints/downsides are slow focus speeds, and when you have a telephoto like this it can hunt. and I mean SLOW.

D) The build quality of the brand name 70-300 cheap versions is very, very weak. Light plastics all over.

So, because Tamron is offering a budget version of what is already a Nikon/Canon budget lens, I suspect the quality to be quite low. A fair amount of fringing, haze at the long end, and slow, noisy, focusing.

THAT SAID, it will appear to be an impressive investment due to the effective 450mm reach, getting you views that can make a normal picture look stunning. And one of the primary complaints about people with their first DSLR and an 18-55 is that the 55 "just doesn't go far enough". This will help you overcome that barrier.

But apart from taking pictures of still subjects in broad daylight, don't expect this lens to be your favourite.

Disclaimer: again, have never touched this lens but I'm willing to bet that I'm 90% right.

Again thanks for your input.

I have just re-established a friendship with an old school friend, she has found me the cannon 55-200 for UK100 or the 55-300 for UK 199 ish. Her sister in law works for a camera/pc shop in the uk.

Now which of these is the better investment for a novice, I will be able to collect myself as I will be in the UK next month.

[taotoo]

Tamron (and Sigma and Tokina and Rokinon and etc etc etc) used to be regarded as the cheap 3rd party brands who would make cheaper versions of both consumer lenses (18-200s) and pro-spec lenses (70-200s), and there would always be a tradeoff in quality.

Then a few years ago they clued in that they could make a better killing by jumping into the lens gaps, instead of copying what Nikon and Canon were already making. Tokina did the unrivaled 11-16 2.8 for crop sensors that was not only covering a range that the big brands were not, but was also actually sharp.

Now Bower/Rokinon/Samyang have some top-quality primes out, Tamron is still capitalizing on midrange VC zooms (17-50 and 24-70), Sigma's 35 1.4 is making the front page....

It's quite an exciting time now that these once lower-quality brands are developing incredible lenses that equal or even outperform Nikon and Canon's stuff, while actually still keeping a generally lower price point.

HAve you used this lens?

The 70-300 in the picture? No, not personally, but like with anything there are patterns, and I can tell you what I'd think through them;

A) Both Nikon and Canon make two versions of the trusted 70-300 design; a cheap, sub-$200 lens, and a higher-quality-but-still-consumer-stabilized lens, usually up around 4 big ones.

The cheapo versions they make are optically not so great, don't feature any bells and whistles (VR/IS/VC/etc) but are light and easy to handle.

C) The biggest complaints/downsides are slow focus speeds, and when you have a telephoto like this it can hunt. and I mean SLOW.

D) The build quality of the brand name 70-300 cheap versions is very, very weak. Light plastics all over.

So, because Tamron is offering a budget version of what is already a Nikon/Canon budget lens, I suspect the quality to be quite low. A fair amount of fringing, haze at the long end, and slow, noisy, focusing.

THAT SAID, it will appear to be an impressive investment due to the effective 450mm reach, getting you views that can make a normal picture look stunning. And one of the primary complaints about people with their first DSLR and an 18-55 is that the 55 "just doesn't go far enough". This will help you overcome that barrier.

But apart from taking pictures of still subjects in broad daylight, don't expect this lens to be your favourite.

Disclaimer: again, have never touched this lens but I'm willing to bet that I'm 90% right.

Again thanks for your input.

I have just re-established a friendship with an old school friend, she has found me the cannon 55-200 for UK100 or the 55-300 for UK 199 ish. Her sister in law works for a camera/pc shop in the uk.

Now which of these is the better investment for a novice, I will be able to collect myself as I will be in the UK next month.

Neither of those lenses will work on a Nikon body (apologies if you figured that out already).

What are you going to take photos of?

[eezergood]

Again thanks for your input.

I have just re-established a friendship with an old school friend, she has found me the cannon 55-200 for UK100 or the 55-300 for UK 199 ish. Her sister in law works for a camera/pc shop in the uk.

Now which of these is the better investment for a novice, I will be able to collect myself as I will be in the UK next month.

Neither of those lenses will work on a Nikon body (apologies if you figured that out already).

What are you going to take photos of?

I was playing with my canon point & shoot at the time total Freudian slip! I meant Nikon

Pics will be of - new son (august onwards) my food creations (macro after I know what the hell I am doing) and landscapes & general stuuf in and around our beautiful Island

Edited May 15, 2013 by eezergood

[MaxwellsDemon]

If you made a mistake and are talking of the Nikon versions (since Canon doesn't make a 55-300 AFAIK), both the 55-200 and 55-300 from Nikon are better choices over the 70-300 for several reasons: while there is a non-vibration-reduction 55-200, she's probably talking about the VR version for both the 55-200 and the 55-300, which, when dealing with these slow apertures and long focal lengths is in my opinion an absolute must. Both lens designs are quite new, even for the DX market which itself is young, and newer design generally equals better optical quality. They're incredibly popular and well-received pieces of glass, unlike the controversial 70-300s on offer.

[eezergood]

If you made a mistake and are talking of the Nikon versions (since Canon doesn't make a 55-300 AFAIK), both the 55-200 and 55-300 from Nikon are better choices over the 70-300 for several reasons: while there is a non-vibration-reduction 55-200, she's probably talking about the VR version for both the 55-200 and the 55-300, which, when dealing with these slow apertures and long focal lengths is in my opinion an absolute must. Both lens designs are quite new, even for the DX market which itself is young, and newer design generally equals better optical quality. They're incredibly popular and well-received pieces of glass, unlike the controversial 70-300s on offer.

Thanks again for your feedback

I shall mail her again & get full spec lists - but not include my special discount

[BuddhistVirus]

I think Digital2Home has better deals than Photo Hut

[eezergood]

Thanks for the advice - very cheap!

[taotoo]

Thanks for the advice - very cheap!

I bought a Nikon body from Digital2Home - yes they are cheap, and I would recommend them. Be aware though that if prices are very low, then they are probably selling grey-market cameras. This means you probably can't get the camera fixed under warranty in Thailand. However D2H seem to have a system in place for sending the camera back to Japan under warranty. It's your choice...

[taotoo]

I was playing with my canon point & shoot at the time total Freudian slip! I meant Nikon

Pics will be of - new son (august onwards) my food creations (macro after I know what the hell I am doing) and landscapes & general stuuf in and around our beautiful Island

IMO the most important subject here is your new baby. I would get a cheap DSLR and cheap 35mm f/1.8 lens. You might struggle to find a dealer willing to sell them together as a package, in which case you could just get the DSLR/18-55 package, and get the 35 1.8 in addition

You can add a macro lens and tripod later (though the 18-55 is quite good at close-ups). For general stuff an 18-105 will be much more usable than swapping between an 18-55 and 55-200. The 35 1.8 will give you much nicer shots of your baby than the kit lens, and you only get one chance to take them..

[eezergood]

Again thanks guys

[eezergood]

Thanks for the advice - very cheap!

I bought a Nikon body from Digital2Home - yes they are cheap, and I would recommend them. Be aware though that if prices are very low, then they are probably selling grey-market cameras. This means you probably can't get the camera fixed under warranty in Thailand. However D2H seem to have a system in place for sending the camera back to Japan under warranty. It's your choice...

They are indeed grey market imports, but I would need to send it back to Bangkok for repairs anyway & they have an inhouse facility also. The current package saves around THB7/8000 quite significant

[Curt1591]

Personally, I found the Siam Square branch of Digital2Home much friendlier and more willing to deal.

[eezergood]

Thanks for the recommendation

[Curt1591]

Don't know Nikon,but came across this: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=572726052771518&set=a.167304429980351.39565.166788253365302&type=1&relevant_count=1

Then again, you might consider adding a few more baht and step up to this: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=576386795738777&set=a.167304429980351.39565.166788253365302&type=1&relevant_count=1

Edited May 18, 2013 by Curt1591