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Pros and Cons of these lenses
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Hey guys, i have another question here and i’d like to know your opinions.
At the minute i’m looking at 2 lenses, a Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro and a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM.
I’ve read up on both and they both seem great, though i hear the Tamron is a bit noisy but thats nothing that worries me to much as i do most of my work outside.
My main question is, i’m aiming for a lens for equestrian photography, mostly working around my girlfriends horses, dressage and a little on the motorsport circuit to, cross country bikes, rally and the likes. So im not sure which one to go with.I will, possibly, at some stage, buy both, but their both between 400-600euro new and im trying to decide which to invest in first.
Currently i am only packing a stock 18-55mm and a Tamron 18-200mm.
The downside to the Canon is the higher min F but the upside is IS and USM (USM not a major extra but nice all the same)
The Downside to the Tamron is lower zoom but upside is lower F so i can have brighter pictures in darker situations meaning i up the shutter speed and capture horses etc in motion. Right now im leaning more towards the Tamron. But i’m not sure if its a good lens or not. Reviews at 50/50 and you can never beat first hand experience like you get here.Any advice or help you could throw my way to make my choice a little bit easier would be hugely appreicated.
Regards
DaveAlthough they’re quite different beasts, I’d go for either (slightly leaning towards the Canon), depending on your personal preferences. I’m not going to discuss their respective optical merits as that’d be of academic interest only (Just as peripheral/unimportant to your kick-ss picture taking ability as e.g. your camera’s nominal megapixel count).
Although the Canon is only f4+, being IS gives you actually at least the hand held usability as the Tamron in low light, if not more. So don’t fret the f4 for that reason. It is also a smaller lens and more versatile. The Canons f4 disadvantage is marginal: The reason why Pro’s like having F2.8 zooms is e.g. because the open f-stop it allows for shallower depth of field, so that, esp. at the long end, you can better isolate your subject from distracting fore- and background, giving your pic more punch and dimensionality.
The Tamron focusses down to 0.9m. Canon to 1.4m. If you’re interested in tight shots/portraits, you’ll frequently use every centimetre you can get.
The canon is MUCH lighter: 630g, 58mm filter vs. 1320g, 77mm filter. Makes a differences as to having the lens with you or left at home due to weight when it counts and you don’t need new filters/adapter with the canon.
Also the focussing accuracy of the Tamron is reported to be not that great.
Focal length: Clearly, the canon is more versatile there, but you can always get yourself a Canon IS 100-400mm (or a s/h 400/500mm fixed FL lens) one day.
Alternatively, save your money; what’s wrong with your 18-200? you’re already getting 80-90% of the shots you’re likely to get with the new aquisition (unless you want to sell it).
Thats extremely helpful and exactly the dissection i was looking for.
My main issue with the Tamron 18-200mm isnt a huge one, but kind of important. It lacks a IS or VR facility and i’ve been using it indoors in the arena and even though the pictures come out they are blurred due to low light when i’m zoomed in fully. Tripod helps but is awkward to lug around and use in a small arena such as the one i’m usually in. It was only a basic model i got for every day use, holidays and the likes and it works very well for all that but has short comings for work in the arena and stables.
I figured the Canon would be better even with the higher F because of the IS and also would give me a higher zoom.
I would like to do a little more portrait work also. Im not expecting to build up a huge collection of lenses straight away but work on it slowly (jobless at the moment) thats why i’m trying to find out which is best value for money. I did hear the Tamron focus isnt great which was a big turn off for it, especially when i’d be photographing fast moving horses.
I’m still not 100% sure on this.
I could possibly get the Canon version of the 70-200mm f2.8 in a couple weeks either for about the same price if i’m lucky, but again i’ve read some very bias reviews and one says its awesome and another says its a piece of crap.
thanks for your insight mate, was exactly the breakdown i was hoping for :)
The Canon 70-200 2.8 is an absolutely cracking lens. It’s default in (almost) every pro’s kit because it is sharp wide open, lets lots of light in, and the USM focus is rock solid and reliable, even for fast sports action. If you have the chance to pick this up, just get it done. I use the 70-200 2.8 IS, and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s the only lens I’ve bought that isn’t waiting for an upgrade..
You mention that you have trouble shooting in dimly lit indoor arenas… IS won’t help to stop motion blur, it is only useful for subjects that stay still. A wider aperture will let more light in so that you can get a higher shutter speed. So in that sense the Canon 70-300 IS won’t actually help you get sharper pictures. It’s a great lens, and quite sharp, but it’s not at its best indoors.. You will need f/2.8 minimum indoors…
f/2.8 is the Tamron’s best feature. It will give you the best chance of getting sharp pictures in low light. The previously mentioned background blur from a telephoto f/2.8 lens is also beautiful. I’m not sure how image quality rates on the Tamron—it will be better than a blurry photo—but not as good, in sharpness, colour or contrast, to the eqv Canon 70-200 2.8.
Shooting sports in low light is one of the most demanding tasks for a camera and lens combo, and unfortunately there are no cheap shortcuts to sharp photos. A prime lens, may be a good option on a budget, such as the Canon 100mm f/2, 135mm f/2, or 200mm f/2.8. Though you should be able to pick up a good used 70-200 f/2.8 for the price of one of these lenses. A fast 50mm lens is good to have in your bag as well.
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