Canon vs. Tamron...with a twist

[lennon33x]

So I just sold my Canon EF 200mm ƒ/2.8L so that I can upgrade to a fast telephoto zoom. I am not a zoom guy...I love primes. But my needs override my preferences for lenses (I can't shoot weddings with a prime - well technically I can, but I don't want to miss shots because I am too proud to give up primes). But I digress...

Here is where I'm at. My budget is about $600 (ish). I can get either the Canon EF 80-200mm ƒ/2.8L or I can get the Tamron 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 (non-VC). I can't find any recent data on the sharpness, distortion and quality of the 80-200mm (via DXoMark), but I can on the Tamron, and it seems like a pretty close second to the Canon version ƒ/2.8.

I'm going after the 80-200mm because a.) it's L glass, b.) it's a tele zoom lens in my budget and c.) it's fast.
The Tamron is newer, is just as sharp (although sharpness is relative), and gives me a semi-macro function and has an extra 10mm of focal length range (I shoot FF).

Advice? Preferences?

 

[gsgary]

The canon is old but good, but if anything goes wrong canon will not be able to repair it

 

[bratkinson]

As Gsgary noted above, Canon will not repair it. That's the bad news. The good news is that there's a fair number of non-Canon repair places that -may- fix it if needed. Should you or I ever need repair on our 'magic drainpipe' lenses.

I bought mine nearly 4 years ago on ebay from a very high-rating Japan-based seller. The rating was well over 10,000 with almost no negatives. Based on the pictures, and in reality once received, the lens was absolutely pristine. Even the contacts show very little wear...that's one of my most critical things I look for on a used lens. The price was definitely lower than the then-current 70-200 f2.8L (non-IS) was getting for used gear.

In my estimation, the lens is every bit as sharp as the 70-200 f2.8L IS mark I...maybe even better. It's right up there with my 135 f2L in my opinion. OK, it's not super-fast at focusing, less than 1/2 second, I'd say, and mine makes a little 'clunk' sometimes as it focuses. So what. And without IS, slightly faster shutter speeds are needed to stop camera-shake caused blur.

As everyone knows, few lenses are at their sharpest wide open. Fewer still, if any, zoom lenses are at their sharpest at maximum or minimum zoom lengths. The shot below was taken 12/24/14 with my 'magic drainpipe' at 200mm, f2.8, 1/200th, ISO 4000 mounted to my 5Diii. Judge its sharpness for yourself. Note, too, that this was reduced to fit posting requirements. And reflects post processing by Lightroom and Photoshop Elements with Noiseware plugin.

 

[lennon33x]

I had heard good things about both. The nice thing I bought it from KEH and I can return it and purchase the 70-200 from Tamron if it's not as great as I would like.


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