Tamron 45mm f/1.8 VC Review (vs. Sigma 50mm ART)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ม.ค. 2025
- The Tamon 45mm 1.8 VC really interested me due to the combination of stabilization and fast, 1.8 aperture. This lens is a fantastic buy, especially if your main gig is video. If you're primarily a photographer, you might prefer the wider apertures and faster focusing offered by other options. However, the optical performance (sharpness) of the copy I had astounded me - it was sharper wide open than my Sigma 50mm Art. For $600 this lens is hard to beat.
"Noche En Blanco" video (all shot with Tamron 45mm): • Noche En Blanco 2015 -...
Download sharpness test JPEGS: drive.google.c...
My wedding films: www.csmweddingf...
Excellent review Carl ! You gave both still and video shooters a real life of what to expect and what this lens is capable of. Your final verdict is practical and realistic to most shooters both professionals and hobbyists. Many thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the video. There's surprisingly not much info and not many pictures on the net for the Tamron 45mm f1.8 so I appreciated your video. It took me 8 weeks to get a copy of this lens which also speaks to the lack of sales with it. So, one would think it is not as good. However, today I picked up both the Sigma 50mm f1.4 art and the Tamron 45mm f1.8 and have done extensive comparisons. The Tamron is the clear winner. Not because the Sigma isn't an amazing lens (I love the art series), but because the Tamron is also so very good and it offers features uncommon elsewhere. It's almost just as sharp as the Sigma (it's not even obvious with pixel peeping), yet the Tamron is sharper when handheld with slower shutter speeds (amazing VC). The focus is more consistent than the Sigma also (I did the fine tuning so it was very sharp but it wasn't consistently accurate). The bokeh smoothness is a bit nicer with the Sigma (1.4) but the Tamron is still very good. So to pay half as much (in my case an even greater discount with the Tamron), to have a very noticeably lighter lens, to have the shorter minimum focus distance, to have the weather sealing and be able to take a sharp photo handheld with 1/8 or better......these features all more than compensate for the slightly better bokeh with the Sigma. While likely less commonly preferred, note also that if you are composing a photo with the subject at a very close distance, the Tamron's bokeh will be every bit as good (or better) than the Sigma thanks to the shorter subject to camera distance. As for the disadvantages with the Tamron, the focus speed is not fast but it is by no means a burden for what I'd use a 50mm prime for. Chromatic aberration was heavy when wide open with contrasting subjects (and I hate hearing people say it's easy to remove.....it's another step you have to remember), but I have yet to see a 50mm lens wide open and not have this issue. There's less light transmission which is pretty apparent.....but testing in very dark conditions still wowed me.
Nice review on this Carl. Much appreciated as it intrigued me further with the Tamron. I would agree with others though that your testing results didn't really support your recommendation for the Sigma art for still photography. The angry photographer (yeah, yeah, you have to pick and choose what you listen to with him) said the Tamron is an absolute steal of a lens and is ridiculously under-recognized and he's absolutely bang on. I love my Sigma art lenses but this time the Tamron 45mm will win out and the Sigma 50mm art will find its way back to the store.
Carl! Thank you for the fantastic review of this 45mm Tamron lens. I just ordered it and cant wait to get some great shots with it. This review you did is very complete. There isn't much coverage at all of this lens. So thank you for the hard work. Great production value.
Happy to see the review … enough details to make a decision., cheers mate …
Great review carl, i just got this lens, its just amazing!
Thanks Jay! Hope you're enjoying the lens.
Well, I own a Tamron 35mm f/1.8mm SP - This lens is incredibly good. It makes all my cameras way better. I am definetely going for the Tamron - only the aperterues are not as wide as the Sigmas, but everything else is way better in my opinion.
Good review Carl. Ive been considering this lens for a while for a general purpose walk-around lens as an upgrade to my Canon 50mm 1.8. The Sigma is too heavy and overpriced frankly for the optical difference.
I own the 35, 45 and 85 f/1.8 VC lenses and use them with my D600 and D800 and the images are amazing. I recently picked up the 45 f/1.8 VC for my Canon 6D and 5Ds and the 45 is sharper than my Canon 35 f/2 which is saying something because the 35 is very sharp on my 5Ds. the Tamron VC lenses are just amazing, I'll be adding the 90 f/2.8 VC Macro in the near future in EF mount.
Would you recommend getting the 35 and 45 tamron or just one of them?
After 2 years, how about your Tamron 45mm on canon?
I'm using EOS RP, wanting good value 50mm but till now canon doesn't have midrange 50mm, so i think i should get this old boy..
But i'm afraid 45 vc not suitable for modern mirrorless.. or does it have some drawback that you found along these years ?
This is great. I've been looking to replace my Nikkor 50mm f1.8 ai-s mainly because it doesn't focus close enough for my use. The close focus and VC of this Tamron is really selling it for me. I'll let you know how it works with my A7s.
Using the TAP-IN CONSOLE you can say the VC for video. it'll stabilize video just a tad better...
Great review! Love how you showed the focus speeds. I wanted to see a shot of the Sigma fully open though. That's a defining factor in the difference. That said, I held this Tamron in the store and fell in love with it. Knowing the stabilization quality is key, so thank you for showing that. But ya, what do they both look like WIDE OPEN?! The 2nd or 3rd most obvious and most important question in my mind. THANK YOU!
+streamstress I start the comparisons with the Tamron wide open and then show the Sigma wide open at 14:35 :) Conclusion: Both lenses are sharp, but the Tamron is definitely sharper!
Very helpful, thanks! Please do more reviews/comparisons like this.
Carl this was a great review... pure gold. I thank you.
Thanks Gianluca, appreciate the comment!
The accuracy of the autofocus is better than the sigma and this is what counts
The other factor with focus speed (from closest focus to subject) is that at f1.4 the Sigma has considerably more light to work with.
I'm looking to get either the 35, or 45 from Tamron. I would mainly be using it on a 6D, for all kinds of things, from portraits, to family portraits, to just everyday use, to cinematography (promos, maybe weddings, short films, etc.), and for like things I do with the family. I have Canon's 50 f1.8 II, which I feel is a bit too zoomed in for what I do.
Do you think the 35, or 45 would suit my needs better for what I just listed? Thanks!
Great review by the way, thanks! One thing you forgot to mention about the build quality is that it is weather sealed, which is something the Sigma does not have.
James Larsen I had a similar dilemma. To figure this one out I grabbed my kit lens and spent a week shooting at 35mm and a week shooting at 50mm to figure which focal length worked for me? In the end it was neither, I found out that I most like 85 and love that focal length. My personal conclusion was very surprising to myself, however I had never really thought to figure out what my focal style and framing preference really was.
Thanks for the info! I went with the 45 and I love it.
Nice video, thank you. Surprised, however, that you still seem to favour the Sigma at the end, despite finding the Tamron sharper - especially given that the Tamron is weather sealed (an advantage in build quality not mentioned), has IS and close focusing. Would have been good to have more explanation. Better bokeh, or just the extra half stop? Thanks again.
+Pete Butler Great question and I hope the following explanation helps. As I stated, I only favor the Sigma for solely still work. I said go for the Tamron if you do video. For me, the faster aperture and faster focusing is a bigger priority than VC when doing photography work, and the sharpness is honestly negligible for what I do (mainly portraits). I also have the Tamron 24-70mm VC that I can use if I need close focusing, VC, and something weathered sealed (I've never shot in the rain - I live in AZ). Everybody's needs differ and I can't make a blanket recommendation for one over the other without knowing yours - horses for courses.
excellent video. subscribed, and I will recommend you to my friends for review footage.
good luck!
+Swadhin Nanda Appreciate it!
Hi, do you think tath the autofocus speed ofnthe Tamron is good enough for wedding, where bride and groom are not standing still?
You find a lens made of aluminum to feel plastic like?
yeah it's legit made of metal
What makes you suggest sigma over the tamron if it seems to be outperforming the sigma in nearly every image quality test?
so you're saying the tamron is a better lens?
Hello, thank you for the video. When you shot the video of the wedding, did you use manual focus? I bought this lens about a month ago. So far, I love it for photography. But for videos on my 6D Mark ii, it can't seem to autofocus at all and is constantly hunting for focus. I don't do videos very often, so it could be user error, but I haven't had any video autofocus issues with my Canon 24-105.
Thank you for doing the review. Really helpful. You have one more subscriber now.
+Mtlover Appreciate it!
Hello Carl, there is many posts about focusing issues with the Sigma 50 mm 1.4 Art? I tried in a store, with 1.4 i seem to alwas have a front focus. I focused on the eye and had the eyebrow in focus 2 out of 3 times. very inconsistent... Can you please comment on that?
+Riccardo Ulpts If you can try the actual lens you want to purchase, I would always go with the lens that works best on your body. Many lenses (not just Sigma) sometimes need AFMA if your body supports it. I would also collect a larger sample than just 3 shots.
Nice neeed a fast prime fast for a wedding soon and wss choosing btw second hand Tamron for 250 dollar vs sigma for 450 . Going go buy a 85 soon so dont want to spend to much money and this review helped me alot Will def buy the Tamron
Very nice review... I recently purchased the tamron and have a problem with blown highlights all the way around an image in the shape of the glass and also images with a thin black circle all the way around. Highly disappointed as it was a purchase for low light shots in SA and due to the time it took to arrive I had no time to test before leaving so I have to return it, anybody else have this lens and the same problem ?
On the bookshelf shoot; the blue book on the upper right side; I can see the checkered grain on the Tamron; but don't even see it on the Sigma. Overall; it seems the Tamron blows the Sigma away. I was ready to buy a Sigma before...
+Albert Yang I think you'd be happy with both lenses. The Tamron is more versatile an amazing deal though at $600.
Just picked one up for just under $300 to replace my 50mm 1.8 STM. Excited to try it out! Nice review!
KSCuber Hello. This is the change I want to made. I have a 50mm STM. Sinse 1 year has passed. Can you share some of your toughts about the upgrade? Thanks.
@@peter_shadow7559 upgrade
Hi - what camera do you shoot with
The Tamron had not only much better sharpness but much better contrast
When switching on the VC/IS... Theres no problems in the video output like sticky moves..somethings like that..i cannot explain...
Hey Carl! Thanks for review and comparison, one thing i miss in Your video is the focus throw on booth lens, which one is longer? im trying to decide wich one choose for video work and this focus throw is quite deal breaker for me because [ulling focus is sometimes hard with short distance like in sigma 90 degree ? em im right? Thanks for help!
Happy to see the Tamron focus ring goes the same way as the Sigma/Canon. I've had other Tamrons that focused the Nikon way and it's not good for manual focus video (for me).
Great review! I have some questions though.
I shoot Nikon d750 and I'm currently thinking of upgrading my Nikkor 50mm 1.8 G to either this lens or the Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART. I shoot primarily photography and not video, but I haven't got the steadiest hands, unfortunately.
Do you think that the combination of Image stabilization and image quality on the Tamron would be a better fit for me than the Sigma? You said that you would go for the Sigma if you were purely shooting photography. Is this because the Sigma has better IQ?
Keep in mind that the price isn't a factor for me, as the two lenses cost exactly the same here in Denmark.
Troels Kinthof i am in same situation right now. Soo confused btw this is ART
Troels Kinthof what did you end up getting and how was your experience
What did you end up with? Curious of your thoughts. I have now tested both lenses on a D750. I didn't take the time to use the Sigma dock on this occasion....I know it works well and the Sigma art lens is absolutely sharp. F1.4 is nicer to have than F1.8 although I didn't see as much of a difference as I had expected in terms of bokeh. The Tamron is surprisingly sharp as well. You definitely lose light with the Tamron (the T-stop, ugh)......BUT, the Tamron's VC is amazing. I pulled off some 1/3 sec shots in dark conditions handheld and got some crisp shots. Shooting at 1/15 and for the most part 1/10 is reliable. When steadied against a wall, I could handhold for over a second with acceptable sharpness. This is ridiculous! The min focus distance is fantastic and the Tamron is lighter and cheaper but well made. I love Sigma arts but the Tamron gets the nod from me for this focal length. I think Boudoir and soft portrait photogs would do best with the Sigma just to have that f1.4 option if they would use a 50mm lens....but the Tamron is still good for these uses and as good or better for all other uses (street, low light situations). Chromatic aberration and focus speed are both downsides to the Tamron, but neither of these issues are deal-breakers.
why would u still say you recommend the Sigma at the end even though the Tamron is sharper at smaller apertures?
+Jeff Chen Is sharpness the only reason one should buy a lens? And I didn't make a blanket recommendation at the end. Either lens might be a better fit depending on a person's needs.
Why would you still recommend a lens that isn't as sharp as the other is what Im asking
It isn't the only reason, but it is important
Max Aperture is more important to some people. If you shoot a portrait where the subject is only in the middle, and the periphery is all Bokeh anyway, then edge sharpness isn't relevant. Center sharpness on both was line for line, and here the Sigma has a whole stop of light available to it, both in light gathering and in Bokeh size. So for that situation, portrait photographers probably would still go for the Sigma.
@@kenrodriguez9645 Not to nit-pick, but it's not a whole stop better.....it's two thirds of a stop better. Agree that's it's still an advantage, though often stopping down to 1.8-2 is better for portraits. Shooting tight to someone with f1.4 gives you hardly any focal depth to work with so you have to either back up or stop down if you want more facial details sharp.....which negates the bokeh and light gathering advantage of the Sigma. Also, in this specific comparison, Tamron has the edge in terms of light collecting thanks to the VC (for non-moving subjects). So the bokeh is the main difference. Why carry the extra weight and drop more cash in these situations?
In the bookshelf test I noticed the sigma lens has noticeable pink tones in the white writing to my eye. Would you say that assessment is fair? Would it be a reflection on the lens, Canon JPEG profile or both?
+TheOmegaSupereme I would resist making any color rendition conclusions about either individual lens since this test doesn't show which is more color accurate. To do that I should have shot a color card to ensure absolute neutral WB, etc. At most you could say "the Sigma has more pink tones than the Tamron." or "the Tamron has more green tones than the Sigma." However, to my eye the Sigma just appears a touch warmer. I don't really notice any pink tones (it could also be a difference in our monitors). The only difference in the white lettering I see is with chromatic aberration. If you check the JPEGS in the download link, you'll see some magenta color fringing on the Tamron, but not as much with the Sigma.
What camera did you use for the test. I want to put it on the Canon 80D but it needs to be silent for video AF and VC
just a question? how are this lenses edge to edge? when you make a picture? thank you.
Hey mate, are you still using the tamron now? Would you recommend it over the sigma for a c100 shooter?
I would definitely recommend it over the Sigma for a C100 shooter! Stabilization is such a valuable feature to have.
how do you rate tamron 35mm 1.8, especially for video and auto focus, dual CMOS
Good video, but you need to speed it up. You could have covered the material in fifteen minutes.
+Tamalitos de Chipilín Thanks for the feedback!
Geez, I didn't know there was a 15 minute time limit for lens reviews/comparisons. I'm actually glad you took your time.
If you are in a hurry to watch this, you should have started yesterday. Great video.
Great review, thanks a lot!
So the 45mm is as sharp as the Sigma 50mm art in the center and sharper at the corners?
It's slightly slightly sharper in the center, the sharpness favours the tamron more in the corners.
Tamron spanked Sigmas ass. Great lens.
Well, if you really want to do research, the place would be lensrentals, they have a comparison between the two lens with multiple copies averaging out, Tamron 45mm is a hair ahead of Sigma, but the Sigma is 1.4, so I call it even. The test was conducted on their optical bench.
LOL "trusted site like DXO".. yea, you just lost all credibility right there. You can see just from these shots here the Tamron utterly spanks the sigma in sharpness and in contrast..
He said “Trusted DXO” hahahahahahah obviously these sites has a cult following and they are bound to come out ....I like people who just follow what everyone else says and too lazy to do their own research. Just search anything sigma on TH-cam every dude with a camera and a busy channel reviews sigma and DOESNT OWN IT !! hinty hint hint means he got paid to make it divine !! Wow people
@Nith I ended up going with the tamron (with no regrets) because not only is it as sharp or sharper, it's also more artistic in its rendering. The bokeh from it is just gorgeous and allows you to get really attractive shots with a lot of character. Also, the fact that you can focus much closer and use image stabilization while getting a slightly wider angle (personal preference) makes it more versatile in general. I used to always keep my 24-105mm f4 as it can basically do most of everything. I now mostly carry my 45mm as it sits nicely in between this range and can cover so many things.
Also, an important factor to me is color. You can see from this footage that the sigma has (to me) a warmer rendition of colors woth some green tinting as well. That is something that is hard to catch in every day photography and can really impact how the image turns out. A lens should to me be able to deliver neutral yet rich colors. The photographer can then choose how to process his images.
Both very sharp lenses. The Tamron is better value IMO but either lens is capable of beautiful pictures.
Amazing video, real helpful.
Thanks for the video.
1.4 vs 1.8 is not 1/2 of stop but 2/3 of stop
And alaso - same Tamron lenses are far better and quicker on Nikon than on Canon - for Canon you buy Sigma ...
7:14 "I was drinking a little bit."
We've all been there.
So which one has better autofocusing and sharper?
The sigma is slightly faster, but the tamron is much more accurate. For me that's what matters most.
that is only 2.3T stop lens, far from 1.6 and 1.8 T stop from canon 1.4 and sigma art 1.4 , how do u think of that ? it is not that fast as them
To be fair I wouldn't be surprised that Tamron have some kind of apodization filter if number're correct or breath a lot. If it breath a lot and tests on DXOMARK are done in min focusing distance for light transmition it may error results.
I know this comment is old but after I bought the Tamron, I did a side by side comparison between the Tamron and the canon 50mm f1.8 and found that actually the Tamron had very slightly better light transmission at f1.8, especially that the vignetting is relatively low.
45mm and 35mm which of these do you prefer for full frame cameras?
45mm
I had the 45 Tamron. Though It's hit or miss for me regarding sharpness. Maybe I had a bad copy. The CA is very bad too.
You probably need to tune the autofocus especially if you are using a dslr. Otherwise, it should focus consistently (as it does with me). Lens rentals broke down a number of copies and found that there were very little sample variations which indicates a very high degree of manufacturing process. The lens does suffer from some CA but it's hardly bad. My previous 50mm f1.8 from canon was definitely worse. Also, I tested at some point the 85mm f1.8 from canon, that thing was just all over the place! The thing about longitudinal CA is that it often allows for smoother bokeh which this lens has a lot off. So for me it just adds character to the lens as it is mostly non destructive.
Thank you very much.
you could have said that the tamron is metal and the sigma is plastic.. also i would have like to have seen video in full frame as the VC is not going to be as smooth when its a crop sensor .. but otherwise thanks for the video :)
WELL DONE GOOD INFO!
Good rewiev... thnks!!!
Thanks.
love it
Glad I didn't get the Sigma Fart. I love my Tammy 45. It's absolutely amazing.
Using a "dock" for calibrating focus on ANY lens is just plain nuts. EVERY lens you own has to be calibrated to each and every body you own. How the HELL can a "dock" know what the factory calibrated your camera body to???
from the test Photos it looks like tamron is superior. especially corner sharpness, chromatic aberattion and microcontrast is visibly better. sigma one is unacceptably shitty in some od these tests.
Damn, I’ve heard of pixel peeking, but speed peeking?! 😆🤣
You showed us footage of video and why could you not take some decent test shots at the video shootI think your more a video shooter and tend to lean towards canon just my opinion that's how you come across to me????????Tom G
You can get this lens for 399$ now
This lens is better than the Sigma
you look like george bush
@Euclid Eureka *seriously* ???
ibb.co/G27RwRt
you were referring to *w* Right?
you are a sigma fanboy for sure. those f(art) lenses hav no sirr of micro contrast and color rendition. light passing through those numbers of glass elements will deliver flat images without a prescription. Sharpness doesn't really matter for true photographers.
you are such a clueless pretender that its just funny and sad to read your ultra dumb comment
masum khan khan You're quoting the fat and angry photographer that never leaves his basement or shows a photo. You're a pretender.
I've had a dozen 35mm-50mm lenses for EF. There's nothing wrong with Sigma except focusing accuracy. There's nothing wrong with Tamron except focusing speed. Neither has amazing bokeh. Both have reasonable micro contrast because both have reasonable CA. I ended up keeping the Canon 35LII 1.4 and my Zeiss 50mm 1.4 milvus. I even kept a voigtlander 40 F2 over the Tamron and Sigma, and until recently I never kept any Canon L primes. I think the Sigma may have more resolution, but the Tamron is not lacking there and has better drawing.
Your content is good but your video is too long , it would be better if you summarize your content.
KEEP UP
Again, it's not his fault if you're not interested enough or lack the attention span to want to watch the whole thing. It was invaluable to me and felt like maybe 8 mins.
I actually prefer the long format, I want all the details I can get before making an expensive purchase like this.
How the fu*k would you say that the Tamron feels "plasticky" when it's body is aluminium ??? Corrupted hand sensors may be ??? Or hust a pre-paid part of the video ???
hmm this review drags
Was you smoking dope when you did this review? The Tamron 4mm blows away the 50mm Sigma the build quality of the Tamron is far superior Sigma has no water Sealing so please don't get that Sigma wet or it will be the last time you use it... Also the color saturation and overall sharpness in the Tamron just totally killed the sigma but we are all entitled to our own opinions and after all the reviews and using it myself I honestly have to say Tamron is the decisive winner
The Sigma won’t last long like most of the Nikon lenses that still work after thirty plus years. So Tamron would be the best bet. Most Sigma lenses have quality issues. They do work good at first but later they start to fail. I would stay away from Sigma. I do own 8 vintage lenses that are between 12 years old to 30 plus years old. I would be acquiring more lenses in the future. According to one resource, dealers get kickbacks for selling Sigma lenses. Peace, Flood!
I rather buy Canon 35 f/2.0 IS
+Olof L 35mm and 45mm are two focal lengths that are quite different...
Lol. I was trying to get rid of that hair in my screen!!!
Shut your site and retire if you cannot present the fact and tell the truth. Kids could be misled by you!
What the--?! Who asked you, Zarathustra?