Should I get an aftermarket lens?

tecboy · Oct 9, 2013

I have Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II and EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II. I'm thinking about selling these and buy a Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Tamron -18-270mm F/3.5-6.3(Model B008) or Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC (OS)* MACRO HSM 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC (OS)* MACRO HSM | Sigma.

I'm tired of switching lenses and get dust and dirt inside the mirror chamber, focusing screen, and sensor. Should I stick with Canon brand, or should I get Tamron or Sigma?

tirediron · Oct 9, 2013

It depends; it depends on what you shoot and what your budget is. I will say that ANY "Swiss Army" lens is going to cost you an image quality penalty, but if you're willing to live with that, then go for it. I doubt you'll find much difference between the Sigma and the Tamron, but if you can afford it, I would get the Canon equivalent, since generally speaking first-party lenses tend to be a better quality product.

tecboy · Oct 9, 2013

Okay, I'll stick with Canon lenses. Thx. Just wonder why Tamron and Sigma are popular?

KmH · Oct 9, 2013

They generally cost less.

But they cost less because they often use lower quality materials, have broader material and workmanship tolerances, and do fewer quality assurance inspections throughout the manufacturing process.

That all ads up to more variation in performance on a same lens model basis.
In other words, you can buy 2 of the same lens and while one got materials and workmanship all at the high end of the tolerance range, the other can have gotten materials and workmanship all at the low end of the tolerance range and perform noticeably worse than the other lens.

D-B-J · Oct 9, 2013

For me, I buy Nikon products as much as possible, but when necessary, I buy after-market. For example, Nikon's 17-55 2.8 is over a thousand dollars, and I was able to pick up a brand new 17-50 2.8 sigma with OS for considerably less. For me, it covers what I need, is sharp, and saved me some money (us college kids can only afford so much). Also, I'd be careful with those "do-it-all" lenses--they tend to compromise image quality for versatility.

Regards,
Jake

Pex5P · Oct 9, 2013

I'm new to this but I am a happy owner of a sigma 18-250 MAcdo OS HSM. True that the IQ won't be stunning, but it's very versatile. I found it to be a good all rounder for me, that is the lens I take with me for holidays

I use it as a substitute for a bridge camera and it's not bad at that

KmH · Oct 9, 2013

But, the superzoom lenses (10x+ zoom range) are pretty popular.

For many the convenience is worth accepting the image quality compromises.

The Cons listed in the reviews are scary for anyone valuing image quality over convenience.
Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM review: Digital Photography Review
Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO review: Digital Photography Review

Plus, the OP likely doesn't understand that using just one lens won't prevent dust from getting on an image sensor.
DSLR cameras are not hermetically sealed. Even if you don't take a lens off, dust will still get into the camera.

tecboy · Oct 9, 2013

Really, how the dust get inside the camera? In between the gap of lens mounts?

lambertpix · Oct 9, 2013

It varies. Depending on the quality of the camera and lens, some are better than others. As you might imagine, high-end weather sealed systems tend to do better than low-end stuff, but there are lenses that are actually nicknamed "dust pumps" because their zoom mechanism is known to suck dust right into the lens. Canon's 100-400 L has something of a reputation for this, despite being an "L" lens.

tecboy · Oct 9, 2013

So dust can get inside the camera for a long period of times just like any other electronic. My problem is switching lenses constantly at outdoor in the park where dirt and sand everywhere. Dirt keeps flying. It is very hard for me to keep the flying dirt and sand away from my camera. The cleaning is a nightmare. I took my old camera to the technicians, and they screw it up. I don't want to have a same problem with my new camera. I'm not really going to buy Tamron, Sigma, or equivalent. Since I know the facts. I'm asking for helps and opinions to minimize the cleaning.

Derrel · Oct 9, 2013

KmH said:
But, the superzoom lenses (10x+ zoom range) are pretty popular.

For many the convenience is worth accepting the image quality compromises.

I got one of the "better" Tamron 28-270 lenses a few years ago for $100 used from a local camera store that always sold a lot of consignment gear, cheaply.

Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Interchangeable Lens Review

WOW...it had all the lengths I liked. Unfortunately, the pics were not very good. I gave it to a very nice grandmotherly lady, who used it to good effect on her Nikon D80. The image quality was, well, just not up to snuff for 12MP DX shooting, for "me".

My feeling is that these lenses were/are OKAY on 6,8, and 10 MP sensors, or for making small prints, or doing smaller web-sized photos. And, since that is what MANY people actually DO with their shots, well, what the heck!!!

I mean, cripes...I can sing in the shower...but I'm NOT good enough to sing on stage!!!