Quick Geek Out

Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for Canon EF-S mount and the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for Sony A mount. The Tamron for Canon has a positively audible *zzzt* sound when focusing, from the in-lens motor, while the Sony version doesn’t as it is driven by the screw drive on the body. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 for Canon didn’t have such a loud in-lens motor, and could focus to 20 cm close, getting 1:3 macro! However, I was pretty sure that the subject was about 3cm close. The Tamron did only 27cm close.

Yeo, who tested both, found the Tamron to be slightly sharper, and he didn’t notice the Tamron sound until I pointed it out.

Interestingly, the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for Nikon F-mount has two versions – the old screw-driven one, and one labelled NEW which has a motor inside. The motorized version is reported to be slower, though:
http://shashinki.com/blog/2008/03/04/tamron-sp-17-50mm-f28-a16n-ii-short-review/

I found it to be pretty sharp, though not scorching sharp or contrasty like Carl Zeiss lenses are, especially the Sony Carl Zeiss 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 DT which it gets compared to, a lot. Well, the CZ has better range and sharpness, at the expense of a stop or so in shutter speed.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-80mm F3.5-5.6 for Contax N mount! Funny, I didn’t know Carl Zeiss made darker standard kit lenses. Well they gotta, for Contax…

2:1 macro with the Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 DT lens and my Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm F2.4 reversed in front of it. Two rings were used – a 55-58mm step up ring and a 58-49mm reverse ring.

1.1:1 macro with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM and Canon 50mm F1.8 MkII reversed in front of it. A 58-52mm reverse ring was used.

Canon 500mm F4.5L, casually slung across his back.

This is how Ein and I found out that the Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 can be used on full-frame from about 13mm onwards. This is the same method I used to mount the Tamron 70-200mm F2.8 for Canon mount on my Sony A700!