Tamron AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 SP Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Sony Minolta AF Digital SLR Cameras

2 Comments

1. Dave Mayer says:

   August 20, 2010 at 1:47 pm

   Review by Dave Mayer for Tamron AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 SP Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Sony Minolta AF Digital SLR Cameras
   Rating:
   After reading the reviews, I don’t know if I would have purchased this lens. More than likely I would have gotten the Sony 11-18 f/4.5-5.6 as I believe, or at least I did at the time, that it takes sharper pictures. But, my wife, who loves me dearly, got me this lens for my birthday. I could have returned it, but since I had it, what the heck.

   I’ve read that there is some distortion on straight lines if you shoot very close. I suppose that means like you see in those lens tests where they shoot a brick wall from a couple feet away and show you how those straight lines bend a bit. I don’t shoot like that. I use this lens to take indoor shots and for landscapes and for me, it really delivers. I’ve read reviews that said this lens is very soft when used wide open. Those reviewers used this lens on other camera bodies, Canon and Nikon. Either I got an exceptional copy or my Sony Alpha magically sharpens the pictures, because my shots are fine and plenty sharp.

   I’ve also read that compared with the Canon 10-22 and the Nikon 10-24 that this lens has more noise. I’ve shot at ISO 3200 and I’m not seeing any noise. Also, if you’re reading this review, you’ve got a Sony Alpha body and you can’t use those lenses anyway. This lens is faster than the Sony 11-18, it cost less, has a wider range and I’m keeping mine. I’m a lover of Sony lenses, have a lot of them, but this Tamron lens, in my opinion, matches Sony in both performance and build quality.

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2. The Big Guy says:

   August 20, 2010 at 2:29 pm

   Review by The Big Guy for Tamron AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 SP Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Sony Minolta AF Digital SLR Cameras
   Rating:
   Not a lot to say other than after researching this lens and comparable offerings from Sony and Sigma, I opted for the Tamron. All three were close in features, but the Tamron was lower priced and had a $50 Rebate.

   Right from the minute you open the package, you can see that this is a finely crafted product. The external finish is perfect and the lens has a nice “heft” to it. Obviously, the optics are the important thing, but the fit and finish do promise a quality experience.

   I’ve only had the opportunity to shoot a hundred or so test shots on my Sony Alpha 350, but so far, I like what I see. I shoot RAW and JPEG images simultaneously, using the JPEG’s in my photo library and only keeping the RAW images for those shots that are special. This lens yielded sharp, clear images in both modes and in my opinion, there was remarkably little distortion even at 10 mm. Auto focus was quick and accurate. The only minor issue was that the focal length ring was a little stiff but my guess is this will ease up slightly with use.

   With my built in flash, I got shadow vignetting that was heaviest on the bottom of the image. When I moved to my Sony auxiliary flash, there was practically no shadow effect because the flash tube sits higher on the camera. When I snapped the diffuser over the flash tube, all the shadows were gone and the result was beautiful, high quality images that were evenly lighted.

   I would definitely recommend this lens to a friend. It is a great product and an excellent value.

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