Looking for a lens for a wedding maybe Tamron 28 - 75

[Seventen]

Hello,

I will be doing a wedding next month, they have a professional for studio images as they wont be having a church wedding. They asked me can I take pictures for the after party going around getting shots of guests for the whole evening.
That seemed fine to me and I thought I would use a Nikkor 35mm on the Nikon d7200 and switch for a 10-24mm if there was to be some group shots and to have as backup, and have the Tamron 90mm on the Nikon d5100 for closer shots with the 70-300 VC USD as backup.

Well a problem has already happened, the Autofocus in the 35mm has gone wrong, it still works but takes like 3 seconds to find focus, happens in both cameras. As this leaves me without a backup lens and a large gap between focal lengths, I will purchase a new lens.

I have been looking for a 24-70 but the used market is really quiet at the moment and there is nothing in this length. But there is a Tamron 28-75 AF 2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF), it has the manual aperture ring on it but if I am right thinking if its set to f/32 the aperture can then be set in camera?

I was wondering if anyone here might have had any experience with this lens? Would it be suitable for weddings? I really don't have much interest in the 17-50mm ones, but if someone has a suggestion for something else maybe some prime I am quite interested in hearing if there is a better choice. I don't have the money for some overly expensive lens so looking towards the used market but to put a price out there around the 600 euro range tops. This Tamron lens for sale is priced at 250 euros and in perfect condition, I have not seen it yet as wanted some advice before I dived into it.

Thank you.

 

[nerwin]

Nikon use to make a 28-70 2.8 and you can find them used for just a little over the top of your budget, but optically it's still a very good lens and its AF-S so it'll work on all your cameras. I don't know, it's a thought anyways.

 

[jaomul]

You seem like you were comfortable to do this until your 35mm failed. Why not repair or replace this lens and go with original plan?

 

[Seventen]

Nikon use to make a 28-70 2.8 and you can find them used for just a little over the top of your budget, but optically it's still a very good lens and its AF-S so it'll work on all your cameras. I don't know, it's a thought anyways.

Tried hunting it out and called local camera store they said you will need to be extremely lucky to get hold of this lens. Importing is an option but I have had a bad experience twice importing telescope equipment so would be avoiding that this time.
But thanks for a suggestion its something else to keep an eye out for.

You seem like you were comfortable to do this until your 35mm failed. Why not repair or replace this lens and go with original plan?

Well that is an option and there is a 35mm 1.8 ED being sold locally for 450 euros which I was tempted for. But I have actually got a list of lenses I want to upgrade to and the 24-70 was on the list but new its over my budget at the moment, and there is none used. If closer to the event there has been nothing to replace the 35mm I would just have to purchase it again as I do really like this lens. I do like the idea of having a zoom lens though but also more than happy with a prime.
Just if this 28-75 optically is a nice lens then it would fit in with my other lenses.

 

[jaomul]

You are using a d7200, the 35 mm f1.8 dx is one of the best around, probably less than 200 dollars new

 

[Seventen]

You are using a d7200, the 35 mm f1.8 dx is one of the best around, probably less than 200 dollars new

There's a few of them ones used at the moment around 120 - 140 euros but none local shouldn't cost much to be sent though, and as familiar with that one as it was my old one its the top of my list if a successor can't be found.
But would really like to find a 24-70 2.8. As people have decided not to sell any lately, still holding out for the hopes someone might have had experience with the Tamron 28-75 as quite similar to what I want to get in the future.

Its not much of a panic yet and the 35mm can be purchased new locally if it starts to get urgent so there is something to fall back on.

But thanks for trying to keep that lens in my set up although I would still use it as a manual lens anyway as has been a great lens to me

 

[pixmedic]

I have the tamron 28-75 f/2.8 non-VC and love it.
yes, you set aperture ring to smallest aperture, lock the ring and you can set aperture in camera.
its a great lens. I use it for weddings and portraits frequently.
28 on DX is not as "wide" as it is on FX, but I used it on many DX cameras before I went full frame.
it all comes down to how much room you have. weddings typically give you plenty of room for 28mm on the wide end, even on a DX camera.

since you have a camera with a built in focus motor, you have a much larger selection of older lenses you can use.
i have a 50mm f/1.4D lens that i use a lot too, and it was $225. I also have an 85mm f/1.8D I got for $300.
I think I paid $225 for my tamron 28-75 f/2.8 used, and it is one of the most frequently used lenses in our bag.

have you considered looking on ebay? is there nothing in your "area"?

 

[Seventen]

I have the tamron 28-75 f/2.8 non-VC and love it.
yes, you set aperture ring to smallest aperture, lock the ring and you can set aperture in camera.
its a great lens. I use it for weddings and portraits frequently.
28 on DX is not as "wide" as it is on FX, but I used it on many DX cameras before I went full frame.
it all comes down to how much room you have. weddings typically give you plenty of room for 28mm on the wide end, even on a DX camera.

since you have a camera with a built in focus motor, you have a much larger selection of older lenses you can use.
i have a 50mm f/1.4D lens that i use a lot too, and it was $225. I also have an 85mm f/1.8D I got for $300.
I think I paid $225 for my tamron 28-75 f/2.8 used, and it is one of the most frequently used lenses in our bag.

have you considered looking on ebay? is there nothing in your "area"?

Ebay I have tried to stay clear from now due to bad experiences with telescope equipment. The postage to here is stupidly high and that is if people send here.

The 28-75 is a good 2 hours drive away, but I can make a day off it anyway and go meet a friend for coffee or even do some geocaching in the area, so if it turns out to be a bad lens its not a wasted day.

I will have to keep an eye out for a 50mm 1.4D then, will be nice to pick up a couple of lenses rather than one expensive one.

I do have the 10 - 24mm if things need to get a little wider anyway, so the 28mm starting point is not too bad.

But thank you for answering about that lens its a great help to hear people enjoying it.

 

[Seventen]

I was going to contact the guy about the 28-75mm as I am now back from our summer cottage, and went in my local camera shop as had some items to pick up from there and noticed they have a used 17-50mm Tamron VC the one with a 72mm filter size. It was priced for 300 euros and seems really nice condition, and wondered if this could also be a good option? Or is the 28-75 much better choice?

Thanks.

 

[nerwin]

That's a good lens as well, got for it.

 

[enerlevel]

I had the tamron 28-75. And used it on a 5D mark III. I was not impressed at all.. sold it after 2 days.. for every pic, I had to take atleast 3 shots only to find one of them sharp enough. I guess everyone has a different way to look at pics.. the person whom I sold the lens to has not complained even once...

I also have the nikon 28-70 f2.8 .. auto focus is very reliable and pics are sharp.

Have you considered the sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS ?

 

[Seventen]

I had the tamron 28-75. And used it on a 5D mark III. I was not impressed at all.. sold it after 2 days.. for every pic, I had to take atleast 3 shots only to find one of them sharp enough. I guess everyone has a different way to look at pics.. the person whom I sold the lens to has not complained even once...

I also have the nikon 28-70 f2.8 .. auto focus is very reliable and pics are sharp.

Have you considered the sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS ?

I tried a few Sigma lenses when I was after the 70-300 VC USD and then the 90mm VC USD and each time when testing with a sigma equivilent I was far from impressed. So since getting these 2 Tamron lenses plus the 10 - 24 I have decided to stick only with Nikon and Tamron lenses in the future, even though I have used the Sigma 50mm Art lens since for an hour and really love what it could do I cant turn my back on Tamron which at least so far has been an amazing company for me.