35-135mm zoom lens - which is better?

stingOM · Expire: 2012-12-27

I think about this focal range. Which would you think is better overall Tamron (40 or 22A) vs. Kiron version?

Thanks

marty · Joined: 09 Apr 2009 Posts: 767 Location: Italy

I own the Tamron 40A. The overall build quality is good, the barrel is full metal with a large rubber grip on the moving part, two small toothed small grips on the fixed part. Plastic aperture ring. Focus scale both in meters and feet. 58mm filter thread. Optically is good, no visible distortions, sharp at the apertures I use more frequently, 5.6 to 11 that is. Wide open loses a bit at the edges but that's normal. The only real flaw is the creep, there is practically too little friction in the zoom movement. I bought it new in early 90's, as far as I can remember as always been that way more or less. I solved the problem with an ugly workaround: I taped (with black insulating tape) a little shim on the fixed part of the barrel. This provides a bit more friction and does the trick for me. Sports a macro mode up to 1:4 which becomes available by pressing a small button. Doing that rear fixed part of the barrel unlocks and turns moving forward the rear group.
I used it only on film, so I have no idea if some strange behavior might arise on digital sensors.
No knowledge of the Kirons.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I have had the Tamron 22A for decades, and I just brought it out again.

I have completed a portfolio of shots to post an article on it, which I need to do one of these days.

I can't compare it with the others you mention, because I haven't got them, but in itself its quite fine lens, particularly at the long end I think. The biggest drawback probably is size and weight.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

I do like Kiron lenses and though I have no experience with either in this particular range I think I'd be swayed by the performance of other the other Kiron lenses I've owned.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

How about the Tamron 28A? SP 28-135mm f/4-4.5? Seems a good lens.

There are a couple on US eBay -- one in Athens, the other in the UK. The one in Athens comes with the box and case for $115US, whereas the one in the UK is just the lens for £60.

As for the 22a and 40a, the good old Modern Photography resolution and contrast tests show the 40a to be quite a bit better than the 22a.

As for the Kiron, there's one on US eBay right now with a BIN for $25. The guy has it listed that it fits Canon, but the rear cap looks like a Pentax cap, so I'm guessing it's Pentax K. Definitely not Canon FD.

There's a discussion about the lens here on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csaveanu/791568437/

wupdigoj · Joined: 18 Mar 2010 Posts: 85

I own a 40A and I like it a lot. My copy is sharper than the SP 28-80 I also own (but it seems this is a bad copy) and my SP 35-80 is only marginally sharper than the 40A. Only tried in film camera. I can not compare to the Kiron.

Javier

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Um, I had both the older Tamron and the newer one (which is a bit smaller). The newer one is sharper wide open but they're both fine stopped down once Smile

stingOM · Expire: 2012-12-27

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

If I remember, I'll dig out the test charts I shot recently to confirm Smile