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Hi guys.. Just want to know what 3rd party lenses you've ever got and been happy with it. Mine, Tamron 17-50 f2.8 non-vc, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 uwa, Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro.. All of them are pretty good.. Just want to hear from you guys.. Maybe I haven't got one nice 3rd party lens same as yours.. Cheers!
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro.
Tokina 11-16
I've used the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 on my 50D and I was very pleased with it. I exchanged it for the superior AF and IS of the Canon 17-55 f2.8 when I had the budget for it.
Nowadays I shoot with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 on my 5D and it's awesome! Much better than the Canon 1.4 (at least that's what I think [A]). The Sigma's tend to have AF issues and luckily my Sigma only had a slight front-focussing issue which was easily solvable with some micro-adjustment [:D]
Anyway. Perhaps I'm lucky with 3rd party lenses (perhaps European quality-control is btter?), but a lot of times they just give you more for your money.
The Sigma 180mm macros is awesome. It does exactly what the Canon 180 does for 1/2 the price. I second the recommendation of the Tokina 11-16mm. If you have the $ the Sigma 300-800mm is awesome. I tried someone else's for 3 shots. But it weighs like 12 pounds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oren
Second
<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]The only third party lens I've used ismyTamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di IIand I'm very happy with it. <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]Although my <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 <span style="color: #ff0000; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"]L<span style="color: #000000; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"] USM[/b]makes it seem awful loud, slow and fairly lightweight as far as build quality goes.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]I'm not opposed to using third party lenses, nor can I really afford to be, just wary based on all of the reviews I've read.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]From what I gather the <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"]Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSMis a good one and I think I'll eventually give it a shot,butI've got to get a <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"]Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USMfirst.
(EDIT: I sometimes wonder if professional reviewers aren't overly critical of the third party lenses. You know if you use "<span style="font-family: Arial; color: #ff0000; font-size: x-small;"]L"s all of the time everything elsewould probablyseem like crap. That same lens may be great for a more average guy? I figure you can't go wrong with the "<span style="font-family: Arial; color: #ff0000; font-size: x-small;"]L"s but you may very well go broke.)
My only third party lens was a tamron 28-75 f/2.8 which I liked. I rarely use it since getting the 24-105 f/4.
No sigmonsters out there?
1985-era Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f/3.5 with macro, manual focus, Nikon mount. I still have it. It still rocks. My son uses it on his Nikon D40 -- no AF, obviously, and also no metering, so it's helping him learn about manual focus and exposure using nothing but the histogram. The sharpness and color are amazing, and at f/3.5, the background blur is really, really nice.
My Tamron 17-50 is superb, and on my camera >90% of the time (probably also because I lack a 50-150 or 50-135). Far much better than any kit-lens from canon. However, the Tamron 11-18 show some CA. Should have gone for Tokina, probably.
Lars
Sigma 10-20 4-5.6 EX HSM lens. It's great in tight places and quick as a whip when it comes to acquiring focus. I never leave home without it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Ruyle
I would also expect that, but I guess not [A]
I've got a tokina 12-24 f4 and a Tamron 28-75 f2.8. Like them both. Although I don't get a heck of a lot of use from the tokina as it is a bit too wide for most situations.
I have the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and I really like it. I've heard of focusing issues with them but mine works perfectly and its sharp even at f/1.4. I only wish it could focus closer.
I've used the sigma 300 f/2.8
Focusing isn't as good as the canon but IQ is nice and so is the price
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wes Elkin
I second this completely. It's one of my favourite lenses and easily my favourite for low light party scenarios (more fun and useful than my 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8, though I'd like to see how the 28mm 1.8 stands up). Of course the real solution here is full frame but we all know how that goes :)
The only other third party lens in my kit the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8. It's almost never in my bag though because I prefer my primes for low light and my 10-22 + 24-105 for outdoor use. I have a feeling that if I had a good flash and liked flash photography more I'd use this lens a lot in party scenarios. I used to have the full frame Tamron 2.8 general zoom, the 28-75mm, which I liked as well but found the range wrong for me on a crop and switched. Both lenses are great value.
I really liked my Tamron 70-300, but then I purchased a 100mm Macro. Goodbye, Tamron! ;-)
P.S. If you'd like to buy the Tamron, send me a PM. :-)