50-200 or 70-300?

[pompoman]

Hello guys,

Sorry if the subject is redundant, I searched but couldn't find anything...

I am looking for a zoom in the budget side, and as there are not many options on this Pentax Mount (using K100D BTW), I found these 2.

There was a thread about both Tamron and Sigma versions of 70-300mm, which seems to tell (correct me if I'm wrong) that Sigma is sharper or better optically, but build is better for Tamron.

But I was wondering whether Pentax 50-200mm is obviously better in terms of quality? Because if it's the same on that range, I'll get the others and get the extra range, even if the quality decreases after 200mm....

Thanks!

PS: I don't have any idea about what you can take with 200mm, and I'm afraid not to be able to take shots because of 200mm limit. My local supplier has no Pentax, so cannot try...

 

[longko]

No Pentax? Where are you from?

OK here's my take, it's one of the most common questions (for me). Sigma/Tamron 70-300mm or Pentax DA 50-200mm.

I can afford to loan out my Sigma 70-300mm but not for the DA 50-200mm. The sharpness of DA 50-200mm is much better than Sigma 70-300mm. But Sigma 70-300mm is really value for money, the extra 100mm & 1:2 macro makes it a sweet deal.

Why would I want the DA 50-200mm;
1. Faster AF
2. Lighter weight
3. Better sharpness
4. Value for money cause it's a Pentax lens

Why would I want the Sigma 70-300mm;
1. Longer reach
2. 1:2 Macro (Good working distance & sufficient for casual macros)
3. Truly value for money

You can do more with Sigma 70-300mm, but once you have both, you'll love the DA 50-200mm for its sharpness

 

[pompoman]

I'm living in Malaysia now, but I plan on coming for some shopping soon!

Apparently the 50-200mm is around 360 + GST (is it 7%?),
the Tamron 70-300mm is around 245 (Alan photo I read)! (don't remember why but I had set my mind on the Tamron rather than the Sigma according to what I read)

But I don't mind getting the Pentax, I'm just wondering about the reach of 200mm (300mm equivalent in 1.5 crop ratio)... I was hoping to capture some beaties if I went on wildlife trip... Do you think 200mm of the Pentax is enough? :dunno: Cause My K100D's 6MPix don't allow me to do crops that much to get something filling the frame...

PS: Any idea how much the DA* 60-250mm F/4 is going to cost? (just dreaming probably...)

 

[longko]

You from East Malaysia (Sabah/Sarawak)? For Pentax lenses, I feel JB/KL/Penang cheaper than Singapore, somemore they can give International warranty. (Visit PhotoMalaysia forum for price guide)

If you are into wild bird watching, 300mm is barely enough. Last I checked, no stock for Tamron 70-300mm (Pentax mount) currently in Singapore. Don't know when it'll come. Likely you'll need settle for Sigma 70-300mm.

My speculation based on FA* launched prices back in 199x, the DA* lenses should be less than US$1200;p

Singapore 7% GST starts in July.

 

[pompoman]

Thanks bro. Yep, in Sabah, so hard to get supplies. There is actually one shop that has some stuff (bought my Manfrotto tripod there). But they are too lazy to get me the quotes for Pentax stuff they don't have (been asking for more than a month regularly now...).

So I was planning to come to Singapore anyway... But if you tell me there are some stuff in KL / JB / Penang, might have to check... Any addresses you know there? Especially Johor Baru, might fly there to go Singapore. Is it taking long for orders in Singapore (if any shop does it)?

PS: Concerning birds, I am not too concerned about these... Don't want to spend 15000 SG$ :bigeyes: in a 600mm / >5kg lens (beware of the bazooka!). I have been doing a wildlife cruise and the birds weren't actually that far, and I missed good elephants' shots cause I had only a 3x zoom compact camera. But 200mm might not be enough?

 

[the mac 13]

It is hard for the Tamron lens to be found in singapore. A couple of weeks ago, I was hunting for one but could not find a copy. I got a quote from AP, but they didn't mention no stocks. Luckily, I called them up. Got a reply from MS

$280(inc.gst) by order
pls cosider Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro--$320(inc.gst) free 2 Year warranty,cleaning kit,tripod

In the end, I got the Sigma instead at OP.

Honestly, I worry about Sigma's body paint? feels like it is very prone to flaking.:think:

I'm living in Malaysia now, but I plan on coming for some shopping soon!

Apparently the 50-200mm is around 360 + GST (is it 7%?),
the Tamron 70-300mm is around 245 (Alan photo I read)! (don't remember why but I had set my mind on the Tamron rather than the Sigma according to what I read)

But I don't mind getting the Pentax, I'm just wondering about the reach of 200mm (300mm equivalent in 1.5 crop ratio)... I was hoping to capture some beaties if I went on wildlife trip... Do you think 200mm of the Pentax is enough? :dunno: Cause My K100D's 6MPix don't allow me to do crops that much to get something filling the frame...

PS: Any idea how much the DA* 60-250mm F/4 is going to cost? (just dreaming probably...)

 

[longko]

Bro I pm you 2 shops liao For Sigma & Tamron, the price in Singapore tends to be cheaper. Pentax get from Malaysia better

I love to visit Sabah again. Lovely place to relax. The little islands are fun too. Too bad the shopping there cannot make it. My gf Sabah aunt everytime go KL confirm spend a few Ks there, cos always complain Sabah things expensive and not as nice:bsmilie: (No offence)

 

[fengwei]

I think this has been discussed several times here at the forum, and many times elsewhere. For general use, the DA50-200 is a better choice (start from 50mm is more useful than tele 200 to 300mm end for walkaround imo). And for widelife photography, 300mm isn't enough anyway.

But the 1:2 macro feature on the Sigma/Tamron 70-300 comes in handy sometimes, good enough for big bugs and flowers.

Go and get the da50-200. You won't be disappointed

 

[longko]

pompoman bro, if you decide on the Sigma, make sure you test the sharpness of it at 200-300mm. Best if the shop has a few copies of it. Take the one with the sharpest optical Sigma QC cannot be 100% trusted:bsmilie:

 

[boopoo]

yes go get the orginal 50-200da ed you would regard :thumbsup:

 

[pompoman]

Some edit: It seems according to what I read that the Sigma 70-300 is better than the Tamron, especially for the APO version (though someone said non APO is sharper, but more CA and purple fringing)... But then it is 40% more expensive apparently, so anyone would EXPECT it to be better...

Normally I would define the use I have for these lenses and choose one. But I haven't got any idea what I could and would like to do because of the newbie syndrome... :dunno: Therefore, I think I will ask the availability of these beasties around JB/Singapore and accordingly set my choice. If I choose the Sigma though, I'm a bit worried, cause I cannot properly assess the quality of the lenses and take the better one... Any ideas on this? :embrass:

EDIT: Might also consider later on an early FA prime around 300 (read it was good) if really necessary, in case I take the Pentax 50-200mm... What you think?

 

[longko]

Regards to FA primes, it really depends on the type of photography and budget you have. I drop the idea of limited lenses (they are good) because I don't think I'll take portraits seriously (Main interest still with macros). Causual portraits I'm happy with FA 50mm f1.4 (around $320 even cheaper in Malaysia) & Tamron 90mm Di Macro

You can request to test before you buy. The Malaysia shops I'd pm you are very friendly, so testing is not a problem. For Singapore shops, if you are not happy with one service just look for another. IMHO, TK gives good service.

You be testing for it's sharpness at 200mm-300mm at maybe f8 with flash. Zoom in on your LCD display should give you an idea how sharp it is comparing with your current kit lens. If the sharpness/detail is slightly softer than your kit, then it should be ok. If it's really off, then maybe you should reconsider. (Just my opinion on how you should test.)

 

[pompoman]

Yeap, you are right, because I would also lose the Macro ability if I chose the 50-200 (which is likely to happen...) So an AF prime for that later on could come in handy. Or maybe I'll use the reverse focusing technique :bsmilie: on one of my lenses...!

Seriously, I was more thinking about a 300mm prime, to cope with the lack of range for the Pentax.

I heard that the Sigma is quite noisy though, which I don't find very appealing...

PS: I read that in JB there is also Mee Too photo that gets attractive prices, but found several addresses... Anyone got the real one (or latest), and/or email adress?

 

[longko]

From what I heard Mee Too Photo sells very limited Pentax products, also if you check Shriro Malaysia (Authorised Pentax Distributor in Malaysia), Mee Too is not on their list. If you are keen to contact them, here's the contact

http://www.dpi-club.com/meetoo/index.htm

 

[airconvent]

I'm living in Malaysia now, but I plan on coming for some shopping soon!

Apparently the 50-200mm is around 360 + GST (is it 7%?),
the Tamron 70-300mm is around 245 (Alan photo I read)! (don't remember why but I had set my mind on the Tamron rather than the Sigma according to what I read)

But I don't mind getting the Pentax, I'm just wondering about the reach of 200mm (300mm equivalent in 1.5 crop ratio)... I was hoping to capture some beaties if I went on wildlife trip... Do you think 200mm of the Pentax is enough? :dunno: Cause My K100D's 6MPix don't allow me to do crops that much to get something filling the frame...

PS: Any idea how much the DA* 60-250mm F/4 is going to cost? (just dreaming probably...)

200mm is good for most situations but if you're shooting wild life, maybe something lomger would be better. You can try looking for a mirror lens on ebay. These are typically Sigma cassegrain lenses with fixed 500mm or 600mm focal length and much cheaper than the zoom lenses. Disadvantage is hand shake could be too much even for the AS and no ability to zoom...
cheers

 

[fengwei]

Some edit: It seems according to what I read that the Sigma 70-300 is better than the Tamron, especially for the APO version (though someone said non APO is sharper, but more CA and purple fringing)... But then it is 40% more expensive apparently, so anyone would EXPECT it to be better...

Normally I would define the use I have for these lenses and choose one. But I haven't got any idea what I could and would like to do because of the newbie syndrome... :dunno: Therefore, I think I will ask the availability of these beasties around JB/Singapore and accordingly set my choice. If I choose the Sigma though, I'm a bit worried, cause I cannot properly assess the quality of the lenses and take the better one... Any ideas on this? :embrass:

EDIT: Might also consider later on an early FA prime around 300 (read it was good) if really necessary, in case I take the Pentax 50-200mm... What you think?

Vulpix0r has a nice FA300/4.5 for sale at the forum. You might wanna take a look at it It's one of the best 300mm lenses ever made. ...

 

[pompoman]

Well, thanks, had a 0.00005 seconds look... until I saw the price! I'm not so serious at the moment, we'll see in the future!

Besides, I had a look on what I could find over the web, and in the end, Tamron and Sigma seem to be on the par really... I also saw something very interesting on DPReview, a test of the 50-200 and Tamron 70-300mm at 200mm with various apertures. The 50-200, supposingly good, is really softer than the 70-300 at this specific focal length... I don't about the rest of the range though. And that Purple Fringing for the TAMRON needs to be taken care of by some additional post-processing (but it's feasible to get rid of it).

However, I even saw another 300mm test over few lenses, with f/4 prime (maybe Tokina?), old version of Tamron 70-300, etc. And the DA 50-200mm with Tamron 1.4x TC won hands up (280mm only though) by its obvious sharpness ! Difficult to choose! :sweat: I don't think they'd have stock of the Tamron 70-300mm anyway in Singapore, so I guess I'd have to go for the 50-200...

Maybe I could summarize what I've been reading and we could make a sticky thread about zooms? I'm sure a lot of people have been asking themselves the same questions... :dunno:

 

[dnaxe]

the old tamron 70-300 lenses suck.

It's only the current, very newest version, which might be good.