Stumped! Which do I choose? (Lens)

PhotoXopher

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Sigma 18-50 f/2.8
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8
Tokina 16-50 f/2.8

Sigma and Tamron are both about $399 while the Tokina is about $200 more.

Every time I think I have it figured out I read another review that sways me another direction.

So... which would/did you choose and why?

This will be my first of a 2 or 3 lens kit to satisfy my needs from ~18mm - ~200mm, poor man's Nikon Holy Trinity if you will.

I decided to start with this range because it's closing on winter here and there wont' be much need for big zoom until Spring, at least for me. Most of my shooting this time of year is landscape (winters magic) and in house (kids).

PS
I have a Nikon D90, so lack of an internal focus motor isn't a deal breaker.
 
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I have the Tamron. It is nice!

However, Sigma has a newer version that has HSM for Nikon (no HSM for Canon). So AF speed should be faster. And according to Jerry, he prefer the HSM Sigma because it has a nicer review (optically better).

But I know my Tamron is very sharp. I took a test head shot of my 4 years old in jpeg, and I can see her facial hair on the 100% crop (40D) before any PP.

Do not know too much for Tokina. Tokina lens build quality usually pretty good.
 
Thanks Dao, the Tamron is the one I'm kind of leaning toward right now because the price is right and it's got some nice reviews as well (more positive than negative). A lot of the reading I've done says the Sigma isn't that great wide open, and I like shooting wide open.
 
FYI:
I took this Hackberry butterfly with the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8. So you can see how close you can focus with the Tamron.

F/5.6, 1/160, ISO100 at 50mm




3592499317_2e74b8f618_b.jpg
 
That bokeh is nice and creamy too!

At $399 this may be my best buy... thanks for the photo, definitely helps.
 
I'd go with the Tamron mainly due to that company's typically neutral color rendition from its lenses. Sigma lenses tend to be warmer in color than Nikkors, Tamron's tend toward the more-neutral color rendition of Nikkors.

It's true that both lenses "test out" remarkably well. I don't know how the Sigma could be described as having better test results than the Tamron lens; the Tamron has better performance wide-open at f/2.8, while the Siggy is softer wide-open,and has more vignetting problems too. The Sigma has lower distortion at the wide end, that much is true.

My only contact who has both prefers the Tamron,since it focuses better on his preferred wedding cameras, the Fuji S5 Pro bodies; he keeps the Sigma for his Nikons.
 
Some good info there... yet another vote for the Tamron.

I guess my only reluctance is my recent Tamron experience with the 24-75 f/2.8 I just returned, the auto focus would intermittently stop working.

The Tamron I'd be buying would be the screw drive version so maybe that will remedy that issue altogether.
 
Yeah, I've read of a few reports of problems with the Tamron's newer in-lens motor 28-75's--which is not surprising,since they really rushed to make some D40-D60 capable lenses. Most of the third party lens makers were caught off guard when the D40 and D60 omitted the in-body focusing motor.

On the Canon version Pop Photo tested, the Sigma 18-50mm 2./8 with the focusing motor in the lens was NOT full-time manual focusing override; I wonder if the same is true of the Sigma in Nikon mount? Thom Hogan's web site has a good test report on the Tamron 17-50...he compares it favorably to the Nikkor 17-55 DX.
 
Well, it looks like the screw drive I intended on getting will be harder to find than I thought lol.

Oh well, 6 year warranty bought from a reputable dealer should help just in case right. :D
 
I vote for the Tamron, and I also back up Derrel's statement about Sigma's color reproduction. Its warmer than Canon glass as well.
 
I love my Tamron 17-50 f2.8. Crazy sharp, very pleasing bokeh, and very nice colors/contrast.
 
I bought my Tamron with my 30D 3 years ago and I still love it. It lives on my camera > 75% of the time. Works great on my new 7D too ...

If I had to pick one down-side to the lens it is the lack of ultrasonic focus motor which makes it a bit slower and louder to focus, but that has never really bugged me. I think the new version has some form of Image Stabilization, but I've never used that one.
 
Yeah, there's one with the internal focus motor then there's another new one that also has the stabilization.

The one I'm looking at is the middle one I guess, although I think I'd prefer the one with the screw drive focussing mechanism.
 
I use the Tamron and love it. It is my main lens for family portraits, and walking around.

It's crazy sharp wide open, AF is dead on, never had an issue with it.

Here's a shot, wide open, close up.


 

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