Non OEM lens manufacturers

[Warhorse]

I believe that generally speaking OEM lens are better than separate lens manufacturers.

That said though, is there such a thing as tier levels as to which companies are in, such as best to lower levels of quality?

 

[Braineack]

honestly, anymore everything is top tier.

the latest offerings from tamron and sigma are forcing canon, sony, and nikon to compete and stop resting on laurels.

 

[Original katomi]

Don’t know about tamron but I use sigma on my canon. Only disadvantage I have found is when using canon software to correct distortions they naturally only list canon lenses. Just be careful there is a point where some sigma lenses will not talk to some canon cameras. I have posted a link before but a www search should find the info
Note. Just done a www search a page full of links seems to effect some Nikon’s as well

 

[Soocom1]

My opinion only.
IMO:

The concept of "disruption" has forced the manufacturers of all industries to re-examine their eliteness.

In times past, the real situation was that OEM formulated ideas that were specific to their own system. Most others simply followed suit with their own products trying to emulate what the OEM people were doing just cheaper. The problem with that system was that trying to copy the OEM meant that you had to use thier systems to create a product worthy of purchase. sometimes highly successful, other times, not so much. It hold true today.

A prime example was Vivitar.

But these days new concepts are amass. Lenses are being created that are manual focus to avoid the auto focus aspect of the OEM but the lenses, rather than emulate the OEM are taking their own course, discovering new ground and "disrupting" the established process. Laowa (Venus optics) created a highly unique macro lens. Those lenses are in fact causing the OEM people to emulate them! The end result is that the lenses create new concepts that then force the manufacturers to break new ground of their own right.


The end result is only positive and the concept of tiering the levels is IMO not really applicable anymore.

 

[Designer]

I believe that generally speaking OEM lens are better than separate lens manufacturers.

That said though, is there such a thing as tier levels as to which companies are in, such as best to lower levels of quality?

I think you're right about OEM lenses, but IMO even the top companies will produce winners and losers.

As to "tiers", as far as I know, nobody has tried to grade the lens companies into tiers. If so, probably not all offerings from a given company will give the same level of performance.