Real life user operation! Real life image results for customer! This is why there are only 3 photog reviewers I bother watching anymore - Abbot, Frost, and Gerald Undone. Just great Dustin!
This lens put my 28-75 and 70-200/4 out of a job. It’s basically a 28-75 f/2.8-4 PLUS another 125mm. It’s my go to for zoos, Disney World, dog park, birthdays. This lens plus a wide, fast prime for night shots/smaller profile... you can’t go wrong!
I've spent so many hours watching your videos that I'm so used to seeing your usual scenery. This is great to see you testing a lens in a new environment - really fantastic shots! I'm very tempted to use one of your affiliate links to get this Tamron. Would love to see more like this whenever you have the chance to travel. You deserve more vacations for all the work you do! Thanks Dustin.
Hi Justin. I bought this lens on behalf of your recommendation, just love it paired with my A7 rll. Infact I also bought the small Samyang 45 1,8. So you are responsible for two of my lenses! Very satisfied about your recommendations, they really are ubiased!
I purchased this lens about 2 months ago and then bought my first Sony camera, just to have what to mount the lens to :) I've used several general zooms before. The 14-140 Panasonic and 14-150 Olympus on mFT, the 18-135 Canon EF-S and the Nikon 28-300 full frame. This one is noticeably better than all of them. It's small for a FF lens with such range and it holds up great even on my 42MP camera. I was planning to buy a Samyang 18/2.8 and 45/1.8 to compensate what it's lacking, but never did. In 2 months and 500+ shots I had 0 lens changes. It's fun :)
When you say it's noticeably better than the m43 lenses, do you just mean in terms of sharpness? I'm looking at investing in either m43 or Sony FF, and the Pana 14-140 and Tamron 28-200 are probably the top contenders for super-zoom.
@@MrJed_s I mean in overall IQ. I compare the final result. The images from my Sony camera with this lens have a ton more resolution and fine detail compared to what I was getting from GX80 and the 14-140. More latitude if deciding to edit the RAW files too. Having said that, I'm the last person to tell you "mFT is dead" or something like that. The Panasonic combo is about 1/3 the price and about half the size. It's hard to argue with that 2 advantages. Both systems have their place and intended purposes. I actually kep my mFT system and have both.
@@momchilyordanov8190 thanks for the reply. The small size/weight is a huge benefit to me, but obviously there have to be some compromises. I'll keep thinking it over!
@@MrJed_s No problem. Do have in mind one thing - overall IQ is one of the main aspects (in my opinion), but is not everything. I believe if a camera and lens combination give me IQ that is good ENOUGH for a given use, I'm happy with it. Just an example: Last time I used extensively the Panasonic combo I mentioned, was on a vacation in Istanbul. I mean, my brother and my nephew in front of Hagia Sofia - now much resolution and fine detail you need for that ;)
I recently bought this for hiking and backpacking trip in Patagonia based on your review. I must say I really love the flexibility of this lens. I sold my Sigma 24-70 f2.8 to get this Tamron as I usually find 70mm too short when I'm on the go hiking and don't really have time to stop and switch lens, especially when hiking with other people. It is surprisingly light and sharp. I also brought the Sony 20 f1.8 which is a great complement when I needed wide shots.
I am just on the last day of a hiking vacation in the Bavarian alps with the 17-28 and the 28-75. Of the 500 shots in total, 320 of them were taken at 28 mm or longer. I found that in many cases, I needed the longer reach way more than being able to go wider than 28 mm. And even in situations where a wide angle of view was needed, I ended up taking multiple shots at 28 or longer and stitching them to a panoramic image to avoid having the background pushed so far back as it would have been at 17 mm. And the results are much to my liking. Even with the 28-75, I often would have liked having more reach available, for example to shoot wild Chamois. I also packed my Sony 200-600 for the first two trips, but somehow that stayed home all the time after a few hikes...taking your backpack off to switch lenses all the time is highly annoying. I am more than ever interested in this new 28-200. Of course it has its compromises, how could it not while being so versatile? But it sure looks like the best compromise so far for my vacation needs. As always, thank you very much for your detailled review, Dustin. It is much appreciated!
@@DustinAbbottTWI Stitching really obviates the necessity of really wide angle lenses for landscapes for me. I recently went on a trip to the South Island of New Zealand with just 35mm and 85mm primes, with stitching I still managed to capture an ultra-wide angle of view, but with the added benefit of hundreds of megapixels. A very light weight kit too.
Thanks for the review. A few weeks ago I sold the 28-75 to replace it with the 28-200 for my A7iii. I got it last week after I had seen your review. I am really happy with it so far and the funny thing is that I bought it mainly for travelling. Next Monday my family and I are heading on to the north of Germany on vacation. In addition to the zoom I am going to take the Samyang 45 as well as the Tamron 24 2.8 along. Thanks for your great reviews which I value a lot. Best wishes Martin 😎
What Thomas said, and more. You have integrity and depth that most other 'reviewers' lack, along with exhaustive detail to help us make purchase decisions wisely. The silly fact that you are a real pro with real skills, a not so given online these days. Sparing us the fluff of 'unboxing' .... priceless. Comparing this with the now aging but still competent, current production 28-300mm would be interesting - how much better is the newer, shorter, faster release? Kudos yet again.
I just got my lens after saving up for it. Have yet to take it out shooting but I will this weekend. Looking forward to how it performs for me. This video was very encouraging that I made a good purchase. Thank you!!
Hi Dustin... I have a request: Can you please review the new Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens (kit lens for the new A7C). Maybe against the Tamron and sony zooms for comparison. PZ kit lens. I was very dissappointed with the PZ lens (many of my Japan trip landscape shots were soft). I hope this newer FF kits lens isn't like the PZ. I know it wont be as good as a Tamron zoom or G lens' but, If it is decently sharp, then it would be a great gimbal lens! That is my primary interest for this lens.... small and light FF zoom for lightweight walk-around gimbal use! Off gimbal, I will have the Tamron 28-200mm on camera.
It's crazy to hear you say this is probably the best travel lens for Sony - I don't take that statement lightly! Seems like a really fun and simple solution for wandering around with a lightweight kit. Thanks for your detailed videos. I'd love to see more "real world" videos of all the best gear you review. Cheers
Hi John, I like making these types of videos, too, but it requires certain ingredients to be in place - a chance to travel, and the type of lens you can use fairly exclusively for that.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks Dustin. I always appreciate that you include lots of sample images anyways. I currently have a set of primes I love and this is looking like the perfect companion lens to round out my kit. Glad you got away on holiday! Cheers
Just today I bought an A7RII with this lens from B&H Photo. I did so primarily because of your [and others] review of the lens. But mainly yours. The combined cost with the specials offered was less than $2000.
Beautiful background in the video. Wonderful lens for landscape and travel as shown in your fantastic photos. The weakness seems to be in the bokeh. Really only the one photo to examine that in this video.
Hi Larry - this isn't really a review, so I was shooting what I would naturally shoot with the lens, not trying to test it. I've already dealt with the bokeh breakdown in the actual review.
@@DustinAbbottTWI But you did comment on it here so I wanted to share my observation that it really wasn't very good especially compared to the beautiful bokeh you so often get with other lenses.
Very impressve optics - tamron is really making some very ightweght lenses with great optics. I dont have this lens as I am waiting for their 75-300 but I do have the 17-28 & the detal on the r4 - even in low light is amazing. thnk tamron is really working with the mirrorless & with each new lens bring something new for the visual range.
I love it for food/unboxing vids; and also random, occasional, long-range bird/animal shots. Will also use it for architecture, landscape and street once travel is doable again.
Thanks for your review and beautiful images. I was looking for a good all in one lens and on the fence about this lens. Your straightforward review has convinced me. You just gained a new follower...cheers from Montreal!
Each and every review is pretty convincing. I had this lens for a couple of weeks and found it letting in some dust and dirt. From one dust spot to several, all appear to be in the front group of glasses. There are actually several tiny pockets of dust on the inside wall and they may fall onto the glasses later, with vibration or quick zooming actions I don't know.
Late to comment, but maybe I have a point that may interest someone. As for 24mm vs 28mm question in a travel lens. 2 years ago I went on a trip across Italy having my general zoom starting at 28mm equivalent and small ultrawide prime in a pocket. I feared that shooting in the streets of small medieval cities I would be angry by not having the option of going to 24mm quickly enough not to make my trip painful. It turned out that it wasn't problem at all - I just framed slightly differently and often even 24mm wouldn't be enough wide to capture whole scene. For those rare ocasions I had 18mm equivalent ultrawide that I used maybe 5% of the time, the rest going to general purpose zoom and some percentage to longer tele lens.
Thanks Dustin for sharing this experience, I am only surprised that dpreview isn't so enthusiasic about it and it isn't in their list of reccomended lenses for sony ff cameras.....good to have different points of view but in this case it surprises me a bit.....
even more surprisingly also the telephoto zoom and the portrait categories are all sony branded, no mention of the tamron 70-180 or the samyang 85 1.4 ....
@@paololarocca7684 It looks like Dpreview has not updated their recommended list with any of the more recent lenses, the Sony 12-24/2.8 is not featured, for example. I also don't understand the pick of the Sigma 35/1.4 for the "Money no object" prime lens, it is a relatively affordable lens, and the newer f/1.2 DN version is far better. I hope no one actually bases their purchasing decisions off that list.
You can do anything that you want, though you shouldn't expect that your deeply cropped photos from a lens that costs a third of the Sony 100-400 to compete in terms of image quality.
Very nice, appreciate the time and effort to make the video. What fstop did you find yourself at on the majority of the landscapes to get the sharpness you desired? Thx.
For me, in the future, the choice will really fall on the tamron or samyang as a brand, for one reason, first price vs image quality, and second because it seems like two brands that are really giving a lot on a very compact design, and for me on a NISI 75mm square filter kit, 67mm is the maximum I can go. Samyang did it, in my kit, there are the 18mm and the 24. Love them. this 28-200 at 67mm fits my bill (filter wise and Quality is quite decent for such a lens), and for portrait primes are better, in my opinion. I will probably replace the 18 and the 24 for the 17-28. This will come after. Excellent review and change of pace, still excellent and caring for us folks lots of photos. glass is king.. Portability is also king!
you really have the best lens review ! going to buy it now ! which lens filter do you recommend for this lens to help improve the optics and protect it at the same time ? thanks!
I'm having a hard time deciding between this and the Sony 24-105. It would be my first (and probably for a while my only) lens for full frame. I'm planning to get an A7 III or if I can get a great deal A7R III.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I would get a used 24-105 so roughly the same price. I had the Sony 18-135 on my a6400 and enjoyed the reach, however sometimes wished it was a bit wider. Really difficult choice.
Dustin, thanks for the great review. My wife and I are heading to Tanzania in March to climb Kilimanjaro followed by a safari (once in a lifetime trip). Given the need to minimize gear (on my body for the entire climb/trip) and minimize / eliminate changing of lenses due to dust, etc....would this be the one lens you would choose for the A7R for that trip yourself? If you could bring just one other lens... what other would you choose? I heard night pollution is minimal and there are great Astro (although I don’t have much experience shooting Astro photography). I may also be able to rent a telephoto for the safari (ie 300). Thanks!
How does the image quality compare to the tiny Sony 28-60? That lens completely exceeded my expectations optically. If this lens is similar then it would be easily good enough for most uses
I would say that the Sony is slightly sharper at equivalent settings, but the Tamron also has a significant aperture advantage there and a much longer reach. It isn’t far off optically
@@DustinAbbottTWI that’s really good to know, thanks Dustin! I’ve been super happy with the 28-60 for what it is. Sounds like the Tamron is next on my list. Much appreciated 🙏
how would the picture quality compare to an apsc, if I’m only printing A4 size max? for example an a6400 with E 18-135mm vs a7iii with the tamron 28-200mm.
Hello Dustin I have Sony a6100 . I want a telephoto lens for travelling . I do more videography than photography . I am confused between Tamron 28 - 200 and Tamron 70 - 300 . Please suggest which telephoto lens should I buy for videography .?
I personally would lean towards the new Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 VC because it has an image stabilizer. Unless you are traveling with a tripod, you are going to want to have stabilization...and your camera doesn't have it in the body.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Okay Thank you so much . But I want more zoom in my videos and also have a tripod .. If you choose any one lens between Tamron 28- 200 and 70 -300 what you will be choose ?
Nice video. I am looking between 28-75 2.8 or 28-200 f2.8 to 5.6. 2.8 fixed is always best for Low light. Would be nice you share your views. Also Would love to know lens you used to film this video with nice bag round blur.
Thank you Dustin for both your review, and then this follow up. I had been sticking with my original four thirds Pana Leica 14-150/3.5-5.6, because it was the best travel lens ever built. This Tamron seems to be the next king, having the same optical performance, with the added benefit of mounting on a Sony camera with all that entails. Now I have to order one. Just a quick question: It seems that this lens, like the other Tamron Trio at release, has some auto focus problems with the current firmware. Did you encounter any? How frequent and serious is the issue?
Great video! I also enjoyed your review video of this lens. It was quite informative! Much like you in this video, I use the 28-200 and 17-28 as my travel kit. I find that for longer hikes it's the perfect combo for landscape and nature photography. Also, I didn't know you were located in Canada! Tremblant and the Laurentians is such a beautiful place! Looking forward to the next video! Keep up the great work!!
I like to use the center "spot" for af in street shooting. With the Tamron 28-200 on Sony A7III I use center or center flex spot. With my Canon 77D with Sigma 18-300 I use center spot. The Canon system is much snappier and instant. I miss possibly 5-10 % with the Sony/Tamron setup and must consciously make sure the focus is on before pushing final shutter. Irritating. I have started taking both with me only because the Sony AIII is noticeably better at DR. Otherwise the Canon 77D setup is better and equally sharp. Not sure the problem but there is it. May go to Canon 90D with Sigma 18-300.
@@DustinAbbottTWI It might be that (according to Imaging Resource) that the Canon 77D autofocuses in less than 0.1 sec in center spot while the Sony A7III is over 0.2. It is noticeable. I often have to wait the split second for the focus to fix before fully pressing the shutter. They have the EOS R timed between the 2. I've been so used to instant focus with Canon's DSLR PDAF that using the mirrorless is noticeable. I may not have settings optimum either though. Will keep checking.
Thanks Dustin, love how thorough you are. I currently primarily do landscape photography and the a7riii + 24-105 is my main kit. I’m thinking about switching over to this lens for the weight benefits and added reach. Do you think I’ll miss the image quality from the Sony? They seem to be pretty darn close! Thanks!
Nice review Dustin. I have this lens with the A7iii. It is a great lens for the purpose it is meant to serve. I am not sure if it is capable enough to take those jaw dropping photos, but it is great for a normal fun travel shoot. I am thinking of augmenting it with a wide angle zoom and two primes. The options are the Zeiss 16-35/ Tamron 17-28, the Samyang 85mm 1.4 and Sigma 35mm 1.4 (last option). What are your views?
Hi Nav - sounds like a nice kit, though I would hold off on buying the 35mm for a while just to see what comes to that space in the next year. It feels like there is still room for a better lens there.
As always, excellent and honest content. Thanks Dustin... this lens has sealed the platform I'm going with... now to decide if I should wait for the A7IV or snag a used A7RIII :).
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks Dustin, sound advice. The touch screen capability and 3-way rear screen were major factors in why I purchased the RP to begin with, but was surprised that I did not miss them as much as I thought I would while renting the A7III... the rear screen pixel count on that model is a different story though and I think I'd be fine with the A7RIII. Thanks again, great content.
Another excellent review Dustin. Thank you! I am new to Sony and I want to pick up the Tamron 17-28 for sure. I am still undecided about a 2nd lens i.e. the Tamron 28-75; or this one, which would be better for future travels, although almost 90 % of my travel pictures are taken at less then 80mm. Hum!
Great review, this is definitely going to be my first lens for Sony FE. Are those samples mostly SOOC JPEG? If so, which settings (white balance, creative style etc) are you using?
@@DustinAbbottTWI Then that really proves this lens has WB neutral and colorful rendering. I've just bought A7 III along with 28-70 kit, and it has green yellowish tint, so I have to use AWB (white) with M1 offset (and maybe 1B for portraits) to get neutral images.
Great review! I have a9ii and this lens, it’s still on the heavy side for traveling IMO. It would be awesome if you happen to get hands on MFT lenses/bodies and review them, they’re amazing for traveling.
Great video! You make some really nice reviews. One question, you've never reviewed anything from Olympus or Panasonic (m43) right? Or maybe I just can't find it.
If you got a good screen to watch Dustin's video you will notice that postilions coming out of his mouth. It's amazing how moderne gears can ses what humain eyes can't.
É cansativo demais ficar ouvido e assistindo o apresentador, queremos ver são imagens produzidas pela lente e não a imagem o tempo todo de um apresentador.
Real life user operation! Real life image results for customer! This is why there are only 3 photog reviewers I bother watching anymore - Abbot, Frost, and Gerald Undone. Just great Dustin!
Thanks, Thomas.
Interesting just reading your comment first... I just found Christopher's YT site today... How have I not heard of him before!
This lens put my 28-75 and 70-200/4 out of a job. It’s basically a 28-75 f/2.8-4 PLUS another 125mm. It’s my go to for zoos, Disney World, dog park, birthdays. This lens plus a wide, fast prime for night shots/smaller profile... you can’t go wrong!
It's really, really useful.
I've spent so many hours watching your videos that I'm so used to seeing your usual scenery. This is great to see you testing a lens in a new environment - really fantastic shots! I'm very tempted to use one of your affiliate links to get this Tamron. Would love to see more like this whenever you have the chance to travel. You deserve more vacations for all the work you do! Thanks Dustin.
Thanks for the feedback. It was a nice change of pace video.
This is my kit too. So good and covers 99 percent of my travel needs.
It's a very nice travel lens.
Hi Justin. I bought this lens on behalf of your recommendation, just love it paired with my A7 rll. Infact I also bought the small Samyang 45 1,8. So you are responsible for two of my lenses! Very satisfied about your recommendations, they really are ubiased!
I love hearing about people enjoying their gear.
Justin has become the only one I trust
I purchased this lens about 2 months ago and then bought my first Sony camera, just to have what to mount the lens to :) I've used several general zooms before. The 14-140 Panasonic and 14-150 Olympus on mFT, the 18-135 Canon EF-S and the Nikon 28-300 full frame. This one is noticeably better than all of them. It's small for a FF lens with such range and it holds up great even on my 42MP camera. I was planning to buy a Samyang 18/2.8 and 45/1.8 to compensate what it's lacking, but never did. In 2 months and 500+ shots I had 0 lens changes. It's fun :)
That's a great testimonial!
When you say it's noticeably better than the m43 lenses, do you just mean in terms of sharpness? I'm looking at investing in either m43 or Sony FF, and the Pana 14-140 and Tamron 28-200 are probably the top contenders for super-zoom.
@@MrJed_s I mean in overall IQ. I compare the final result. The images from my Sony camera with this lens have a ton more resolution and fine detail compared to what I was getting from GX80 and the 14-140. More latitude if deciding to edit the RAW files too. Having said that, I'm the last person to tell you "mFT is dead" or something like that. The Panasonic combo is about 1/3 the price and about half the size. It's hard to argue with that 2 advantages. Both systems have their place and intended purposes. I actually kep my mFT system and have both.
@@momchilyordanov8190 thanks for the reply. The small size/weight is a huge benefit to me, but obviously there have to be some compromises. I'll keep thinking it over!
@@MrJed_s No problem. Do have in mind one thing - overall IQ is one of the main aspects (in my opinion), but is not everything. I believe if a camera and lens combination give me IQ that is good ENOUGH for a given use, I'm happy with it. Just an example: Last time I used extensively the Panasonic combo I mentioned, was on a vacation in Istanbul. I mean, my brother and my nephew in front of Hagia Sofia - now much resolution and fine detail you need for that ;)
I recently bought this for hiking and backpacking trip in Patagonia based on your review. I must say I really love the flexibility of this lens. I sold my Sigma 24-70 f2.8 to get this Tamron as I usually find 70mm too short when I'm on the go hiking and don't really have time to stop and switch lens, especially when hiking with other people. It is surprisingly light and sharp. I also brought the Sony 20 f1.8 which is a great complement when I needed wide shots.
It really is a fantastic travel lens.
I am just on the last day of a hiking vacation in the Bavarian alps with the 17-28 and the 28-75. Of the 500 shots in total, 320 of them were taken at 28 mm or longer. I found that in many cases, I needed the longer reach way more than being able to go wider than 28 mm. And even in situations where a wide angle of view was needed, I ended up taking multiple shots at 28 or longer and stitching them to a panoramic image to avoid having the background pushed so far back as it would have been at 17 mm. And the results are much to my liking.
Even with the 28-75, I often would have liked having more reach available, for example to shoot wild Chamois. I also packed my Sony 200-600 for the first two trips, but somehow that stayed home all the time after a few hikes...taking your backpack off to switch lenses all the time is highly annoying.
I am more than ever interested in this new 28-200. Of course it has its compromises, how could it not while being so versatile? But it sure looks like the best compromise so far for my vacation needs.
As always, thank you very much for your detailled review, Dustin. It is much appreciated!
My pleasure. I too did a few stitched panos for a wider angle of view.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Stitching really obviates the necessity of really wide angle lenses for landscapes for me. I recently went on a trip to the South Island of New Zealand with just 35mm and 85mm primes, with stitching I still managed to capture an ultra-wide angle of view, but with the added benefit of hundreds of megapixels. A very light weight kit too.
Thanks for the review. A few weeks ago I sold the 28-75 to replace it with the 28-200 for my A7iii. I got it last week after I had seen your review. I am really happy with it so far and the funny thing is that I bought it mainly for travelling. Next Monday my family and I are heading on to the north of Germany on vacation. In addition to the zoom I am going to take the Samyang 45 as well as the Tamron 24 2.8 along. Thanks for your great reviews which I value a lot. Best wishes Martin 😎
Enjoy it!
What Thomas said, and more. You have integrity and depth that most other 'reviewers' lack, along with exhaustive detail to help us make purchase decisions wisely. The silly fact that you are a real pro with real skills, a not so given online these days. Sparing us the fluff of 'unboxing' .... priceless. Comparing this with the now aging but still competent, current production 28-300mm would be interesting - how much better is the newer, shorter, faster release?
Kudos yet again.
Thank you for the kind feedback and genuine appreciation.
I just got my lens after saving up for it. Have yet to take it out shooting but I will this weekend. Looking forward to how it performs for me. This video was very encouraging that I made a good purchase. Thank you!!
I'm glad to help out.
Excellent review, this 28-200 plus one or two fast prime will cover all the travel needs. Thank you.
Exactly
Always love your reviews. There is something about the word "linkage" that just sounds professional. Thanks for all the hard work..
Glad you enjoy them.
Hi Dustin... I have a request:
Can you please review the new Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens (kit lens for the new A7C). Maybe against the Tamron and sony zooms for comparison.
PZ kit lens.
I was very dissappointed with the PZ lens (many of my Japan trip landscape shots were soft). I hope this newer FF kits lens isn't like the PZ.
I know it wont be as good as a Tamron zoom or G lens' but, If it is decently sharp, then it would be a great gimbal lens! That is my primary interest for this lens.... small and light FF zoom for lightweight walk-around gimbal use! Off gimbal, I will have the Tamron 28-200mm on camera.
I suspect I’ll cover it as a part of the a7C review when I get to it.
It's crazy to hear you say this is probably the best travel lens for Sony - I don't take that statement lightly! Seems like a really fun and simple solution for wandering around with a lightweight kit. Thanks for your detailed videos. I'd love to see more "real world" videos of all the best gear you review. Cheers
Hi John, I like making these types of videos, too, but it requires certain ingredients to be in place - a chance to travel, and the type of lens you can use fairly exclusively for that.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks Dustin. I always appreciate that you include lots of sample images anyways. I currently have a set of primes I love and this is looking like the perfect companion lens to round out my kit. Glad you got away on holiday! Cheers
Very helpful video. Thanks Dustin.
Glad it was helpful!
Just today I bought an A7RII with this lens from B&H Photo. I did so primarily because of your [and others] review of the lens. But mainly yours. The combined cost with the specials offered was less than $2000.
That's a nice price, for sure.
Beautiful background in the video. Wonderful lens for landscape and travel as shown in your fantastic photos. The weakness seems to be in the bokeh. Really only the one photo to examine that in this video.
Hi Larry - this isn't really a review, so I was shooting what I would naturally shoot with the lens, not trying to test it. I've already dealt with the bokeh breakdown in the actual review.
@@DustinAbbottTWI But you did comment on it here so I wanted to share my observation that it really wasn't very good especially compared to the beautiful bokeh you so often get with other lenses.
Very impressve optics - tamron is really making some very ightweght lenses with great optics. I dont have this lens as I am waiting for their 75-300 but I do have the 17-28 & the detal on the r4 - even in low light is amazing. thnk tamron is really working with the mirrorless & with each new lens bring something new for the visual range.
Tamron's zoom work on Sony thus far has been very impressive.
I love it for food/unboxing vids; and also random, occasional, long-range bird/animal shots.
Will also use it for architecture, landscape and street once travel is doable again.
It's very useful, for sure.
Thanks for your review and beautiful images. I was looking for a good all in one lens and on the fence about this lens. Your straightforward review has convinced me. You just gained a new follower...cheers from Montreal!
Glad it was helpful!
Each and every review is pretty convincing. I had this lens for a couple of weeks and found it letting in some dust and dirt. From one dust spot to several, all appear to be in the front group of glasses. There are actually several tiny pockets of dust on the inside wall and they may fall onto the glasses later, with vibration or quick zooming actions I don't know.
I haven't seen that with my copy yet (I purchased one myself).
I love mine. Bring it to any family event on my old faithful a7r3
Exactly. It gets you most every shot you need in that kind of setting.
Is an A7r3 considered old now? Damn lol
@@motttta by Sony standards it's a dinosaur now 🤣🤣🤣
Late to comment, but maybe I have a point that may interest someone. As for 24mm vs 28mm question in a travel lens. 2 years ago I went on a trip across Italy having my general zoom starting at 28mm equivalent and small ultrawide prime in a pocket. I feared that shooting in the streets of small medieval cities I would be angry by not having the option of going to 24mm quickly enough not to make my trip painful. It turned out that it wasn't problem at all - I just framed slightly differently and often even 24mm wouldn't be enough wide to capture whole scene. For those rare ocasions I had 18mm equivalent ultrawide that I used maybe 5% of the time, the rest going to general purpose zoom and some percentage to longer tele lens.
Fair enough.
Your review of this lens was very informative. Will you be reviewing the new Tamron 70-300 mm Di III RXD for Sony full frame?
One's on the way to me, though I've got to prioritize some other gear first.
Is it fast & accurate Autofocus lens for photo & video?
Yes it is.
Thanks Dustin for sharing this experience, I am only surprised that dpreview isn't so enthusiasic about it and it isn't in their list of reccomended lenses for sony ff cameras.....good to have different points of view but in this case it surprises me a bit.....
I'm surprised too, actually. This is a great addition to the kit.
even more surprisingly also the telephoto zoom and the portrait categories are all sony branded, no mention of the tamron 70-180 or the samyang 85 1.4 ....
@@paololarocca7684 It looks like Dpreview has not updated their recommended list with any of the more recent lenses, the Sony 12-24/2.8 is not featured, for example. I also don't understand the pick of the Sigma 35/1.4 for the "Money no object" prime lens, it is a relatively affordable lens, and the newer f/1.2 DN version is far better.
I hope no one actually bases their purchasing decisions off that list.
@Bayonet maybe but they placed the list in evidence a few days ago, so if what you are saying is the case, there is a problem of site management......
What do you think of the rumoured Sony 24-200 2.8-4.5 FE lens?
I won't really think anything until I test it.
Congrats for the great work! Very informative, entertaining and inspiring channel. BTW, a very interesting lens indeed!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this vid and greetings from germany.
Thanks for watching!
Can I use tamron 28-200 lens instead of sony 100-400 and crop and enlarge the photo? Considering that my camera is sony a7riv and it is 60 megapixels.
You can do anything that you want, though you shouldn't expect that your deeply cropped photos from a lens that costs a third of the Sony 100-400 to compete in terms of image quality.
I want to have this lens.
torn between this one and the 70-180 2.8
It is very, very useful.
Does this lens work on portraits well?
Sure. It doesn't have as shallow a depth of field as some lenses, but it is nice and sharp.
Helpful video. I just purchased this lens for my Sony A7III. Love it! Looking forward to Tamron 200-500 (or 150-500 etc.) to got with.
I'm looking forward to a lens like that, too, though they MUST add VC to something like that focal length.
Canon has come out with an RF 100-500
Though I'm kind of hoping to see some third party RF lenses, so we have more options at lower prices
Very nice, appreciate the time and effort to make the video. What fstop did you find yourself at on the majority of the landscapes to get the sharpness you desired? Thx.
I generally shot at F5.6, with an occasional F8 if I wanted really deep DOF.
Would i be able to take my kids video with it playing cricket/soccer at a distance?
I don't see why not.
For me, in the future, the choice will really fall on the tamron or samyang as a brand, for one reason, first price vs image quality, and second because it seems like two brands that are really giving a lot on a very compact design, and for me on a NISI 75mm square filter kit, 67mm is the maximum I can go. Samyang did it, in my kit, there are the 18mm and the 24. Love them. this 28-200 at 67mm fits my bill (filter wise and Quality is quite decent for such a lens), and for portrait primes are better, in my opinion. I will probably replace the 18 and the 24 for the 17-28. This will come after. Excellent review and change of pace, still excellent and caring for us folks lots of photos. glass is king.. Portability is also king!
Thankfully it seems like lensmakers are remembering that people do care about size in lens design once again.
Bought this lens after your reviews. It’s helpful to know the limitations. I end up using it with the 17-28 more than any other lens.
It really is a very useful lens.
you really have the best lens review ! going to buy it now ! which lens filter do you recommend for this lens to help improve the optics and protect it at the same time ? thanks!
I'm not a big fan of protection filters. It's got a fluorine coating on the front. Use the lens hood for further protection.
I'm having a hard time deciding between this and the Sony 24-105. It would be my first (and probably for a while my only) lens for full frame. I'm planning to get an A7 III or if I can get a great deal A7R III.
That's probably the most difficult decision, though the Sony is significantly more expensive.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I would get a used 24-105 so roughly the same price. I had the Sony 18-135 on my a6400 and enjoyed the reach, however sometimes wished it was a bit wider. Really difficult choice.
I am having the same dilemma. I just want to know which one is sharper? Thank you
Dustin, wich lens and camera you used for filming this video? It looks so good!
A Sony a9 and the Sony 135 GM. That info is always at the end of all my videos
Dustin, thanks for the great review. My wife and I are heading to Tanzania in March to climb Kilimanjaro followed by a safari (once in a lifetime trip). Given the need to minimize gear (on my body for the entire climb/trip) and minimize / eliminate changing of lenses due to dust, etc....would this be the one lens you would choose for the A7R for that trip yourself? If you could bring just one other lens... what other would you choose? I heard night pollution is minimal and there are great Astro (although I don’t have much experience shooting Astro photography). I may also be able to rent a telephoto for the safari (ie 300). Thanks!
This is probably the best one-lens solution on Sony, so yes.
I am not planning to buy this lens and I am not even using Sony but I like your videos and honest thoughts.
Thank you very much.
May i know, what's the lens used on this video. Background is too blur 😅
I used the Sony 135 GM. You can always find that information at the end of my videos.
How does the image quality compare to the tiny Sony 28-60? That lens completely exceeded my expectations optically. If this lens is similar then it would be easily good enough for most uses
I would say that the Sony is slightly sharper at equivalent settings, but the Tamron also has a significant aperture advantage there and a much longer reach. It isn’t far off optically
@@DustinAbbottTWI that’s really good to know, thanks Dustin! I’ve been super happy with the 28-60 for what it is. Sounds like the Tamron is next on my list. Much appreciated 🙏
How does this compare to the Tamron 35-150 f2.8-4?
The 35-150 has a slightly faster aperture advantage at certain focal lengths, but the 28-200 has better autofocus, is more compact, and is very sharp.
how would the picture quality compare to an apsc, if I’m only printing A4 size max? for example an a6400 with E 18-135mm vs a7iii with the tamron 28-200mm.
I definitely prefer the full frame image quality.
Hello Dustin I have Sony a6100 . I want a telephoto lens for travelling . I do more videography than photography . I am confused between Tamron 28 - 200 and Tamron 70 - 300 . Please suggest which telephoto lens should I buy for videography .?
I personally would lean towards the new Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 VC because it has an image stabilizer. Unless you are traveling with a tripod, you are going to want to have stabilization...and your camera doesn't have it in the body.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Okay Thank you so much . But I want more zoom in my videos and also have a tripod .. If you choose any one lens between Tamron 28- 200 and 70 -300 what you will be choose ?
Nice video. I am looking between 28-75 2.8 or 28-200 f2.8 to 5.6. 2.8 fixed is always best for Low light. Would be nice you share your views.
Also Would love to know lens you used to film this video with nice bag round blur.
That was filmed with a Sony a9 and the 135mm F1.8 GM lens - an incredible piece of glass.
Fantastic video! What kind of lens was used to film the this video? Thanks.
A very good one - the sony 135mm f1.8 GM. That info is always included at the end of my video.
Thank you for the reply. The bokeh is absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for all your hard work! 😃
My pleasure!
Thank you Dustin for both your review, and then this follow up. I had been sticking with my original four thirds Pana Leica 14-150/3.5-5.6, because it was the best travel lens ever built. This Tamron seems to be the next king, having the same optical performance, with the added benefit of mounting on a Sony camera with all that entails. Now I have to order one. Just a quick question: It seems that this lens, like the other Tamron Trio at release, has some auto focus problems with the current firmware. Did you encounter any? How frequent and serious is the issue?
I don't think it does have any focus problems, actually. I used this lens extensively in a wide variety of situations and it was excellent.
Your reviews are just amazing keep it up.
Did you notice any Chromatic aberration during post processing in high contrast situations.
I don't, actually. They've done great work with that.
Great video! I also enjoyed your review video of this lens. It was quite informative! Much like you in this video, I use the 28-200 and 17-28 as my travel kit. I find that for longer hikes it's the perfect combo for landscape and nature photography. Also, I didn't know you were located in Canada! Tremblant and the Laurentians is such a beautiful place! Looking forward to the next video! Keep up the great work!!
Thanks for the great feedback.
If we ever can travel again I get this lens.
No kidding!
I like to use the center "spot" for af in street shooting. With the Tamron 28-200 on Sony A7III I use center or center flex spot. With my Canon 77D with Sigma 18-300 I use center spot. The Canon system is much snappier and instant. I miss possibly 5-10 % with the Sony/Tamron setup and must consciously make sure the focus is on before pushing final shutter. Irritating. I have started taking both with me only because the Sony AIII is noticeably better at DR. Otherwise the Canon 77D setup is better and equally sharp. Not sure the problem but there is it. May go to Canon 90D with Sigma 18-300.
Interesting. I've had nothing but quick AF with this lens. I prefer it in AF-C, though.
@@DustinAbbottTWI It might be that (according to Imaging Resource) that the Canon 77D autofocuses in less than 0.1 sec in center spot while the Sony A7III is over 0.2. It is noticeable. I often have to wait the split second for the focus to fix before fully pressing the shutter. They have the EOS R timed between the 2. I've been so used to instant focus with Canon's DSLR PDAF that using the mirrorless is noticeable. I may not have settings optimum either though. Will keep checking.
Thanks Dustin, love how thorough you are. I currently primarily do landscape photography and the a7riii + 24-105 is my main kit. I’m thinking about switching over to this lens for the weight benefits and added reach. Do you think I’ll miss the image quality from the Sony? They seem to be pretty darn close! Thanks!
I don't, actually, because the IQ is so surprisingly strong from the Tamron.
Dustin Abbott thanks so much!
Nice review Dustin. I have this lens with the A7iii. It is a great lens for the purpose it is meant to serve. I am not sure if it is capable enough to take those jaw dropping photos, but it is great for a normal fun travel shoot. I am thinking of augmenting it with a wide angle zoom and two primes. The options are the Zeiss 16-35/ Tamron 17-28, the Samyang 85mm 1.4 and Sigma 35mm 1.4 (last option). What are your views?
I may not buy the 35mm in the near future though
Hi Nav - sounds like a nice kit, though I would hold off on buying the 35mm for a while just to see what comes to that space in the next year. It feels like there is still room for a better lens there.
As always, excellent and honest content. Thanks Dustin... this lens has sealed the platform I'm going with... now to decide if I should wait for the A7IV or snag a used A7RIII :).
If you can get a good price on a used a7rIII, you can enjoy it and then get most of of your money back down the road.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks Dustin, sound advice. The touch screen capability and 3-way rear screen were major factors in why I purchased the RP to begin with, but was surprised that I did not miss them as much as I thought I would while renting the A7III... the rear screen pixel count on that model is a different story though and I think I'd be fine with the A7RIII. Thanks again, great content.
Another excellent review Dustin. Thank you! I am new to Sony and I want to pick up the Tamron 17-28 for sure. I am still undecided about a 2nd lens i.e. the Tamron 28-75; or this one, which would be better for future travels, although almost 90 % of my travel pictures are taken at less then 80mm. Hum!
That's not an easy question, for sure. Both are excellent.
Great review, this is definitely going to be my first lens for Sony FE. Are those samples mostly SOOC JPEG? If so, which settings (white balance, creative style etc) are you using?
They are mostly SOOC RAWs, actually, so those things are less relevant. I was just using standard (white priority) auto WB.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Then that really proves this lens has WB neutral and colorful rendering. I've just bought A7 III along with 28-70 kit, and it has green yellowish tint, so I have to use AWB (white) with M1 offset (and maybe 1B for portraits) to get neutral images.
You're right - the color signature from the lens is quite neutral.
it would be nice to compare it one day against the sony 24-240. It is a really old lens but also really versatile and it has OSS
I've already done that during my review cycle of this lens. The Sony did not coming out looking very good by comparison.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks! I will have a look, great work as usual
Great review! I have a9ii and this lens, it’s still on the heavy side for traveling IMO. It would be awesome if you happen to get hands on MFT lenses/bodies and review them, they’re amazing for traveling.
I'm really not all that interested in the smaller sensors, and I have a review backlog just covering the systems that I do!
good back-swing !
Thank you :)
Nice sunset photos! In your photo gallery image #10 the vertical golf course - was that the wide 17-28 lens or the 28-200?
Everything shown in the gallery is from the 28-200. That would be 28mm.
Great video! You make some really nice reviews.
One question, you've never reviewed anything from Olympus or Panasonic (m43) right? Or maybe I just can't find it.
Hi Jan, I don't cover any of those systems.
@@DustinAbbottTWI OK, thanks for the answer.
Thank you for lots of information. Even in Japan, there is no such information. I'm going to buy this. From Japan.
Glad it was helpful!
real shame about the lack of inLense stability.. would have been a go to lens for travel videography
That's true to some extent, though IBIS works fairly well for video.
@@DustinAbbottTWI oh i was referring to cameras without ibis.. they still exist! ;)
amazing good luck..
In what way?
24-150 or 20-100 would have been a home-run zoom range, regardless of aperture.
Perhaps, but I think the merits of this lens speak for themselves.
Beautiful Scenery. Hopefully U enjoyed ur time . Nice video.
We had a fantastic time, thank you.
If you got a good screen to watch Dustin's video you will notice that postilions coming out of his mouth. It's amazing how moderne gears can ses what humain eyes can't.
É cansativo demais ficar ouvido e assistindo o apresentador, queremos ver são imagens produzidas pela lente e não a imagem o tempo todo de um apresentador.