One Lens to Replace 3?

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

Hi All,

Just wanted to get some opinions on replacing my stock zoom lens kit with a single lens with a large zoom range.

I currently have a 18-55mm (SAL-1855), a 55-200mm (SAL-55200), and a 75-300mm (SAL-75300)

Should I replace these lenses with a single 18-250mm (SAL-18250)

Or should I go for a 16-105mm (SAL-16105) and a 70-300mm (SAL-70300G)?

I want to be able to cover the full zoom range while maintaining maximum sharpness. Barrel distortion and vignetting is not an issue as I shoot in raw and always adjust with a lens profile in Adobe for all my shots.
Currently my 18-55 is my main lens and gets the most use, but I hate having to swap to get the larger zoom, especially in dirty or windy environments. It always seems to happen that I'm out shooting landscapes and suddenly a huge impressive eagle will rock up and leave me fumbling in my bag to get the 300mm lens. Also my 300mm lens (SAL-75300) is pretty rubbish at 300mm hence my desire to move to the G lens. Ideally id like a 400mm lens but cant seem to find a decent one at an affordable price.

Please if anyone has and thoughts or experiences with any of these lenses please help me make this decision.

MLeeK · Oct 22, 2012

NO! When you buy an all in one lens the lens has to work across a very wide range. In order to do that it compromises on several things. One being aperture. They are generally 3.5-6.3. That is cutting down a LOT on that zoom end with natural light. The second major compromise being sharpness. You will need to stop the lens down in order to get the sharpest use out of it and stopping f/6.3 down two stops is putting you into a range that needs flash almost every situation AND it's still not the best for sharpness. If you think the 75-300 is rubbish you'll hate the all in one zoom.
The combination that you have is the best option you've listed for sharpness and performance.

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

But the problem is that my current lenses aren't sharp accross the zoom range either, I usually shoot at f/6.3-9 to get the centre sweet spot. so I am use to it already.

Also my SAL-1855 is f/3.5-5.6, my SAL-55200 is f/4-5.6, and my SAL-75300 is f/4.5-5.6

So for the full range they are already f/3.5-5.6, and that is almost the same as the replacement super zoom lens.
I still have a fast 50mm f/1.8 prime lens and have just ordered a fast 100mm f/2.8 macro of eBay for a song.

Are there maybe non Sony options that would suit better? Sigma, tameron, ect...

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

Also the SAL-75300 is rubbish for 2 main reasons, massive amounts of chromatic aberrations at anything above 200mm, and at 300 mm there is literally no centre sharpness at all, all pics look like they are taken with a 4mp mobile phone through a window.

pixmedic · Oct 22, 2012

Get a 17-50 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8 to cover your ranges. IF you want you can also get a mid tele like a 28-75 or 24-70 f/2.8

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

pixmedic said:
Get a 17-50 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8 to cover your ranges. IF you want you can also get a mid tele like a 28-75 or 24-70 f/2.8

Can you name make and models I don't think Sony makes these?

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

Wow just found the 70200G, I can't afford that!
Well I can afford it, but I will never get to use it because I will be dead... After my wife bludgeons me in my sleep with it.

pixmedic · Oct 22, 2012

I am pretty sure both sigma and tamron make those for Sony dslr's. I have another 15 hours at work before i get home to my computer. Just check tamron and sigma zoom lenses.

MLeeK · Oct 22, 2012

Tamron makes a couple of very affordable lenses in the right range for Sony cameras. I believe the 70-200 is somewhere around $750 new and the 17-50 runs somewhere between $400 to $500 new
http://www.adorama.com/TM1750MAX.html
http://www.adorama.com/TM70200MAX.html

SCraig · Oct 22, 2012

I have no experience with a lens with the kind of zoom ratio a 18-250 has, but keep in mind that more magnification generally means "Slightly Less Sharp". A 55-200 has a 3.63:1 zoom ratio. A 75-300 has a 4:1 zoom ratio. A 18-250 has a 13.89 zoom ratio. A "Do It All" lens is one that is good at everything but most likely excellent at none.

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

Ok what about a SAL-1650 f/2.8 and a SAL-70300G f/4.5-5.6

I loose the 50-70mm range but get excellent quality everywhere else as an ok price.

DiskoJoe · Oct 22, 2012

dmanning11 said:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get some opinions on replacing my stock zoom lens kit with a single lens with a large zoom range.

I currently have a 18-55mm (SAL-1855), a 55-200mm (SAL-55200), and a 75-300mm (SAL-75300)

Should I replace these lenses with a single 18-250mm (SAL-18250)

Or should I go for a 16-105mm (SAL-16105) and a 70-300mm (SAL-70300G)?

These are some pretty weak lenses all around.

Kolia · Oct 22, 2012

dmanning11 said:
Ok what about a SAL-1650 f/2.8 and a SAL-70300G f/4.5-5.6

I loose the 50-70mm range but get excellent quality everywhere else as an ok price.

That might be a better idea.

I have the Sigma 17-50mm, I use it all the time. Far sharper than the kit lens.

You should research your lens selection and maybe rent some of them before committing.

DiskoJoe · Oct 22, 2012

dmanning11 said:
Ok what about a SAL-1650 f/2.8 and a SAL-70300G f/4.5-5.6

I loose the 50-70mm range but get excellent quality everywhere else as an ok price.

You can manage without it. but sigma does make a 50-150 f2.8 and then a 150-500mm.

dmanning11 · Oct 22, 2012

Ok i think i made my choice, after taking my camera into a camera store and trying on a number of lenses I'm going for the following to replace my 3 current lenses:

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical IF SP AF
Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD SP AF

The first was incredibly sharp across the entire frame even at f/2.8, left my SAL-1855 for dead, and the second was cheap yet very impressive at 300mm when set to f/8. And great around the 100-150mm range at f/6.3