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| Nassau, Bahamas - Holland America Ship from our cruise ship deck Tamron 28-200 f2.8 - 5.6 ( 135mm @ f8) - Handles contrasty morning light well in my opinion Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
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| Nassau, Bahamas Tamron 28 - 200 2.8 - 5.6 (200mm @ f 5.6 - "wide open" Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
WHEN I refer to "major" third pary manufactures, for years there were three: Sigma,Tamron, Tokina. There were others, but they really didn't match up in either build or optical quality.
Today, I consider them to manufacture - for the most part - lenses that are the image quality equal of any of the current "big three" Sony, Canon and Nikon
AT ONE time, Sigma, Tokina and Tamron all suffered from similar issues. Build quality was noticeably lower quality. Of greater importance, image quality was inconsistent and often just really not very good. I had a handful of third party lenses over the years; mostly consumer grade lenses, including Tamron and Tokina and even Tokina's "pro" AT-X models. But they didn't stand up well to the brand name (Nikon in my case) "consumer lenses for quality. All except for one. Late in my 35mm days, I had gotten into some birding, and purchased Tokina's pro (AT-X) copy of the venerable 300mm f2.8 AF fixed lens. It seemed to me to be essentially the equivalent of the Nikon copy. Same all metal build. Same heft. Exellent AF response. Very sharp image quality. And less than 1/2 the cost of the Nikkor (understanding that someday, it would also sell or trade for substantially less than the Nikkor). But great lens. Today, it can be had for around $400 on eBay.
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| This Nassau Restaurant (which we later had lunch at) was well over 2 blocks back from the already wide Cruise Port (I bought the T-shirt 😁) Tamron 28 - 200 f5.6 - f5.6 (200mm @ f5.6) from the cruise ship top deck Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
MY ONLY other experience with third party lenses in those days was an eye-opener. I was shooting the Nikon APS-C SLR style cameras at the time ("full-frame" had not come out yet), and finding it difficult to adapt to the 1.4-5x "crop factor. I needed something wider. A pro I knew at the time suggested I look at the Sigma 14mm. I did. I was impressed. Very high build quality. Very good image quality and sharpness. Again, half the price. That one, too, went away when I moved to "full frame" bodies. But the eye-opener for me what just how far the three companies (Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma) had come from their mediocrity. Today, I consider them to manufacture - for the most part - lenses that are the image quality equal of any of the current "big three" Sony, Canon and Nikon. Mechanical build quality varies and is generally somewhat "lower" but certainly not unacceptable. There is a lot of plastic being used today. I think if I were a photo-journalist bouncing around the rough parts of the world, I would be concerned about that. But as a hobbyist, who generally takes good care of his gear, I am not in the least concerned. The polycarbonate resin plastic used in today's lens construvtion is much higher quality and more durable than yesterday's materials, and has the added advantage of being lighter to carry sometimes. It is also widely thought that these manufacturers often source certain components from each other (and that Sony actually owns a percentage of Tamron).
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| Nassau, Bahamas Cruise Port This shot - again made from the cruise ship top deck - illustrates the detail, color, and contrast caught by the Tamron 28 - 200mm f2.8 - 5.6 (60mm @ f5.6) Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
BACK IN 2023, I visited the Great Smoky Mountain National Park with my buddy, Rich from Michigan. At that time I was shooting with a Sony A7rii body and carrying a Sony 24-104 f4 zoom as my primary carry and travel lens. We were on a trail that had been described as medium difficult. It was not. It was near-technical. We were both in our later 60's. We had hiked in to a beautiful waterfal that included some steep downhill portions. We had hiked back out. We were on the "homestretch." But exhausted. Neither my balance, nor stamina were what they once were and I didn't see the stone or root, as we walked downhill on the path. You can guess the rest. Several stitches just above my eyebrow (staples these days). No worries, I heal well and you cannot even see a trace of it today. The 24-105, on the other hand, didn't fare as well. There would be no stitches or staples from the repair shop. Fortunately, the camera wasn't damaged. Also fortunately, I had been paying inland marine insurance on the more expensive items for years. Once home, I looked up the current replacement cost and contacted the insurance company and a check was soon in the mail. 😂
For the $$ I received in settlement for one Sony lens, I was able to purchase two lenses
ABOUT THE TAMRON LENSES
- Di III. The GSMNP experience changed my thinking. Down at the waterfall, I found myself wishing for something wider than 24mm. Back home, I started researching on - line, and learned that there were many folks out there shooting - and extolling the virtues of - third party lenses. While I had always given Sigma a "leg up" as leader of the three, it seems that things have changed. Tamron and Tokina are pretty popular today. I think the three lens makers are on a pretty equal footing, today. As I noted before, I convinced myself that they were as good, optically, as the name brand. For the $$ I received in settlement for one Sony lens, I was able to purchase two lenses: both Tamron: the 28 - 75mm f2.8 (to replace the broken lens and approximate the focal range) and 17 - 28mm f2.8, giving me that slightly more wide angle I was looking for). Both are Tamron Di III RXD VXD lenses. Di III is Tamron's designation for a lens designed to fit a "full frame" mirrorless camera body. "VXD" (voice-coil extreme torque drive) is their newest, fastest AF drive. RXD (rapid eXra-silent stepping drive) is just slightly older and "less advanced." I have two of each and I cannot actually detect a difference. None of my 4 copies have vibration-reduction technology, which Tamron refers to as "Vibration Compensation" (VC). But since my Sony body has in-body stabilization (IBIS), I don't really consider that a factor. In fact, I generally have it switched off on my Sony lenses.
Street Art - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
I am mostly shooting dayllight "street" type images on this kind of travel, so many of these will be made with an f2.8 aperture
Tamron 20 - 40mm f2.8 (40mm @ f.28)
Copyright Andy Richards 2026 - All Rights Reserved
I STILL carry one Sony lens which I consider my "landscape long lens" (The Sony G 100 - 400 f4.5 - 5.6 GM OSS - perhaps a topic for a future review).
The Plaza - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Tamron 20 - 40mm f2.8 (28mm @ f8)
Copyright Andy Richards 2026 - Front Filter: One of the "X" factors that steered me toward Tamron (versus Tokina or Sigma, or one of the many other third-party lenses offered today - that just keep getting better), was something I see as genius from their engineers. While I rarely use filters, I do use them from time to time for certain specific uses. My primary use cases are a polarizer to reduce glare, and a handful of Neutral Density filters for shooting water (and occasionally other moving subjects). I hate fiddling with all the different filters, filter-holders, etc., that are necessitated by each different front element thread size on the lenses I carry. Fumbling in the field. Organizing them for efficient access. And, the added cost of purchasing good quality copies of all those different sizes. I have long worked for efficiency and light weight in the field. "Less is more." 😁 And this is where Tamron's "genius" comes in. I now own 4 different Tamron lenses for my Sony A7cr: The 17-28mm, the 28-75mm, and the newest 20-40mm (all f2.8); and a 28-200mm f2.8 - 5.6 variable. And all 4 of them have the exact same front thread size! That means one set of filters for all 4 of the lenses. I have a small filter pouch and I have just 5 total filters in it (my long lens has a larger front thread and I still have a PZ for it). Tamron has essentially "standardized" most of its lens front elements. At least for its most popular lenses. What a great idea! For my "serious" landscape and scenic photography, I have been very happy with the 17-28 / 28-75 combo, along with my long lens. In this post, I review my thoughts and experience with my current "travel" combination, the 28-200mm variable and the 20 - 40mm f2.8
- Versatility: I have been using the variable 28-200 almost exclusively for non-dedicated travel since 2023. It is a very versatile lens and I do like it. It is still a little large for my preferences, and on a number of ocassions, I have found myself wishing for a wider angle. Looking at a lot of my travel stuff (especially when cruising), I find most of my needs for walking around on shore are satisfied with shorter focal length lenses. So I began searching the Tamron lineup for a compatible, shorter lens. I arrived in the end on the 20-40 f2.8, and in 2026, I have begun to carry that lens as my primary travel lens. I like the constant 2.8 aperture. I really like that has the same front element as all 3 other Tamron lenses. I have found the 20 enough wider than the 28 that I have been happy with it. And with its 60 megapixels, I have found that I can crop pretty deeply if I need a closer field of view in my final result. It has become the primary "carry" lens (though I still keep the 28-200 close by, as I often use it to shoot from the ship on to land based subjects).
Puerto Plata's "Pink Street" entrance holds some challenges for the photographer, including lots of "busy" elements in the immediate foreground and throngs of tourists. The 20 - 40mm lens allowed me to step very close to the entrance (almost underneath it) and still include the parts of the image I wanted to. The people were another thing altogether and I made use of the two new Photoshop Remove tool functions (Distractions and People) to "prune" the foreground.
Tamron 20 - 40mm (20mm @ f8)
Copyright Andy Richards 2026 - All Rights Reserved - Image Quality: I think image quality always has to be the starting point for any lens. In my view (I don't generally engage in so-called "pixel - peeping") the images I have been making during my 2024 - 2026 photography have been every bit the equivalent of any prior lens I have owned in terms of sharpness, color and contrast. Being slightly lighter and smaller than the Sony counterparts (or as close as possible), but comparatively equal, that is a high vote for the Tamron copies. If I were giving stars, they would get the proverbial 5-star rating.
- Build Quality: These might not earn such a high rating (maybe closer 4.5), but close. And that is, in my opinion, not really a "knock" on Tamron. As I noted earlier, Tamron has used a lot of plastic in its manufacture. The particular type of plastic is known as polycarbonate (a carbon fiber resin). Lighter and cheaper to manufacture than high-end metals (like magnesium alloys used in the brand name lenses), there is some suggestion on-line that the high-end metal design and contruction is manufactured to tighter tolerances. Whether polycarbonate wears more or less than metal remains to be seen. Durability is one of the things that separates a high-qualilty manufactured item from cheaper copies. It will ultimately be measured in terms of longevity, but also in terms of how well it stands up to thousands of repetitive movement. It might be argued that build quality is every bit the equivalent of its brand-name bretheren. What I can say is that my copies are tight, smooth, and well-damped in terms of their zoom and focus mechanisms.
Puerto Plata's "Umbrella Street - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
These streets have sprung up all over the world in the past few years (as I just recently blogged about here).
Tamron 20 - 40mm (39mm @ f8)
Copyright Andy Richards 2026 - All Rights Reserved - Weather Sealing: Online references suggest that Sony pro lenses have a more robust internal sealing; some even saying it is designed to "resist downpours." I am not going to test this theory (purposely) on any lens. Tamron's own literature characterizes their build as "moisture-resistant." This has always been a bit of a thought-provoking topic for me. There are time, I know, when rain can enhance photography. Not very often, though, and I have - over the years - mostly avoided it. Other than an underwater housing, I don't think any camera/lens combination is designed to used "in the rain." That is, if it is actively raining. Particularly if it has any kind on intensity. As such, I will do what I can to keep my gear as dry as possible. I have a rain hood for the big lens (and have used it just once over the several years I have owned it). I also wear a completely waterproof raincoat when needed, and there is room under it to keep the camera as dry as possible. So waterproofing is not a huge factor in my own decision. Dust proofing is a little more important. Today, almost all better quality lenses have a fair amount of gasket type "proofing" around any potential openings, including the mount. These - especially the "pro" models do have decent weather proofing. Just not the perhaps more robust design of the main brands.
- Auto Focus: This is almost always going to be an important consideration, especially for those of us who are even slightly vision-impaired. I have owned lenses over the years that focus slowly, noisily, and often engage in frustrating "hunting." I have experience none of that in each of the 4 different lenses I own. The "VXD" designation on Tamron lenses designates the AF motor ("voice coil extreme drive"), and they advertize "blazing speed." "RXD" (supposedly slighly less advanced) stands for "Rapid extra-Silent Stepping Drive." My two "shorter" focal lengths have the VXD and the others have RXD. In use, I cannot tell the difference. They all focus quickly, accurately and quietly. Indeed, I would judge them easily the equivalent of the focusing performance of my former Sony G 28-105, and my current Sony GSM 100 - 400 (though it is fair to note that they are not completely "apples to apples" comparison, as both Sonys have smaller max apertures). The way the front element behaves is also an important consideration. On some "lower end" lenses, the front element rotates during zoom/AF operation. These do not. I am happy with the AF performance of these lenses.
- Zoom Mechanism. One of the things that sets "consumer" and perceived "lower-end" zoom lenses (even some brand name models) apart is how the zoom works. In high-end lenses it is not at all uncommon for the zoom to be basically all internal. The "consumer" zooms essentially all have an outward moving lens barrel that exends and retracts as you zoom. There are some obvious design issues here, as the moving front zoom barrel is exposed to the elements each time you zoom it out. It is less expensive to design and manufacture, and generally lighter weight. It is a tradeoff I have lived with for years, and given the price differential, a compromise I will easily live with. All of my Tamron lenses feature the extending type zoom. The other area of importance is the issue of "zoom creep." At least in past years, third-party lenses (and particularly the now ancient "push-pull" style) were often loose, and the zoom would "creep" out, when being carried around. Annoying. These Tamron lenses are all well damped and do not suffer from "zoom creep" at all.
- Physical Characteristics. Pound for pound, and inch for inch, the Tamron lenses are lighter and smaller. Given the similar performance, I see that as a win.
- Cost To Own: For all but a very small percentage of purchasers, this one of the (if not the) most important considerations. Third party lenses from Tamron, Tokina and Sigma are typically around 50% (sometimes even more) less expensive than "brand name" lenses. The reasons are mostly as set out above. Purchasing one of them is a tradeoff. In my case, it is a tradeoff I am readily willing to accept. As we often read on line: "YMMV." Depending on use, frequency of use, your photographic environment, and your personal attitude toward care and handling of your gear, the tradeoff may not be worth it. It is a judgement call.
One of the "X" factors that steered me toward [the] Tamron [lenses] . . . was something I see as genius from their engineers . . . all 4 of them have the exact same front thread size! That means one set of filters for all 4 of the lenses
