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tamron bbar 70-150mm 3.5--just received
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:20 pm    Post subject: tamron bbar 70-150mm 3.5--just received Reply with quote
i just received this lens to use with my sigma sd14 and had a chance to take some initial shots. i was surprised at its sharpness wide open--because of the lack of light almost all shots are at 3.5. first a not very good shot of what i think is an attractive lens, especially for less than $50usd! FOR BEST QUALITY VIEWING, PLEASE CLICK ON EACH PICTURE!



first a couple at 150mm




a couple to test the bokeh, which seems pretty smooth



even at 5.6



tried some portraits of my 2 favorite ladies @3.5




and finally some landscapes, last @ f16






overall, for $50, i'm pretty happy so far. as always, comments/critique appreciated!
tony


PostPosted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting stuff! I have the AD2 version of this lens, which is a touch smaller by the looks of things! That is a very good performer.

First off, are you using an AF confirm chip? I've got a few comments which hopefully will help you get the best from this lens. Image 1 looks back focused, which may be related to the chip if you are using one? i.e. it's focused on the leaves. Lovely autumn colours though! The next 3 look to be suffering from camera shake - quite simply the shutter speed is too slow to be hand held. Perhaps it would be best to mount on a tripod or up the ISO a bit.

As for the two ladies, they've come up very nicely indeed Smile And the last three are very atmospheric, well done! Smile


PostPosted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hi shrek
thank you so much for your feedback, it is very welcome!

no i do not use a focus confirmation chip, though i wish they made one for my sigma, but i have never seen one so far. i dont know if you can click on the first photo to get a better resolution image, but if you can i think the mushroom looks a little more in focus, though maybe not as much as it should have been Sad

yes, i agree about the next 3--i do have a continuing problem with camera shake and i hardly ever use a tripod as i try and try to improve my handheld technique. also my old sony a100 had image stabilization and the sigma does not, and that makes a big difference. i actually was thinking of getting a pentax (either a used k20d or new kx) because they have IS...i really just need to keep trying to improve.

thank you for your kind words on the last few images. i really love taking landscapes and i take many of that scene up the river as it is adjacent to our property. because its in the mountains the 'atmospheric' as you say changes a great deal, and this image took advantage of the fog and mist. Very Happy

i really am enjoying the lens, i was very surprised that its pretty sharp wide open--do you experience the same with your model?

thanks again for your ideas and help!
tony


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:48 am    Post subject: Sigma SD14 focus confirmation Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:


no i do not use a focus confirmation chip, though i wish they made one for my sigma, but i have never seen one so far.
tony


Your Sigma SD14 has focus confirmation "built in." HOWEVER, in order to have it work anytime you change the battery, you need to use an AF Sigma lens for one shot. The focus confirm will then work with whatever lens and adapter you wish to use until you again change the battery. If you do not have a Sigma AF lens, one can pick up fairly inexpensively a "kit" zoom to use simply to get the focus confirm to work after each battery change.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
thank you jmiro! you were correct; i tried it out as you suggested and the green confirm light does come on, so that i hope will be very helpful to me and to my images. thanks again.
tony


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
i actually was thinking of getting a pentax (either a used k20d or new kx) because they have IS...i really just need to keep trying to improve.tony


Tony - I bought the Pentax K100d for my first dslr partly because it had the IS facility (and I had PK lenses). The IS really does help - I can successfully hand hold speeds of 1/60th second with a 135 lens, but without it I'd need 1/250 minimum, and ideally shorter still. And I've found that what I was taught about rifle shooting helps - breathe in deeply, then let almost all the breath out gently and then shoot quickly before the pulse rate begins to rise. For me, avoiding camera shake is a continuing fight !

I've also got a K10d and that works just the same.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
yes stephen, i chose my first dslr, a sony a100, for exactly the same reason--and i miss the IS on my sigma, and so do my images! so much for the debate about camera vs lens IS-my vote goes to camera. ive been trying to take a lot of these macro shots handheld at 1/60th, 1/50th and even 1/25th of a second (above 2-5 in this range) and i'm just not good enough in my technique to do that. thanks for sharing, and if i get a k20 i will let you know!
tony


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
yes stephen, i chose my first dslr, a sony a100, for exactly the same reason--and i miss the IS on my sigma, and so do my images! so much for the debate about camera vs lens IS-my vote goes to camera. ive been trying to take a lot of these macro shots handheld at 1/60th, 1/50th and even 1/25th of a second (above 2-5 in this range) and i'm just not good enough in my technique to do that. thanks for sharing, and if i get a k20 i will let you know!
tony


To be honest I've found macro shots are best taken hand held in good light where shutter speed isn't compromised. Far, far better is to use a tripod or at least a monopod. The alternative of course is to whack the ISO up a bit Smile


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
yeah, i need to play around w the iso. having only had the sigma and mf lenses for about a month or so i havent really experimented so much as there is a lot to get used to, like relearning my handheld technique! i had read a bit that the sigma really shines at 100, so have been reticent to shoot at another iso, except for indoor where i havent been tremendously impressed by its low light capability and noise at 400...another reason to add a k20d!


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
yeah, i need to play around w the iso. having only had the sigma and mf lenses for about a month or so i havent really experimented so much as there is a lot to get used to, like relearning my handheld technique! i had read a bit that the sigma really shines at 100, so have been reticent to shoot at another iso, except for indoor where i havent been tremendously impressed by its low light capability and noise at 400...another reason to add a k20d!


Fair enough, my Sonys aren't too hot above ISO 200 either! That's one of the reasons I moved to a Canon EOS as the high ISO performance is a class above. I learnt to accept a while back that I couldn't shoot everything handheld at ISO 100, unless I used a tripod and that tripod has allowed me to take much, much better and sharper shots than I would otherwise have managed Smile


PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
shrek, did you use a tripod for your 'more of autumn' series?


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nope, but the light was pretty good. Most were shot at f1.9 @ 1/250th a second, more than fast enough for hand held photography. The f2.8 shots were at 1/125th which was enough for a 50mm lens. Anything below 1/80th second and I'd probably switch to ISO 200 or use a tripod.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
btw, based on that series, i just bought that yashica 50mm/1.9 from ebay. i really loved the bokeh, though i am curious about the sharpness, but the bokeh was amazing to my eye. i should have it in a week.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great stuff! It's not one I've seen too often, but I've been very impressed with the old Yashicas so far Smile


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
yes your shots w that lens were very inspiring, esp for $24! Very Happy


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tony

Hand held technique will only go so far. Frankly, if you want to do macro, or use a long focal length (say over 200mm) then you will be very well advised to use a tripod.

The sigma is renowned for needing the right conditions, but when it has them the results are literally spectacular. It can achieve nuances of colour and definition almost like film. I have often wished for some spare cash to try one out for a while... Embarassed Embarassed

Keep plugging away, you are well on the way...


patrickh


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
thanks patrick, i really appreciate everyone's advice. at least it makes me feel that the lack of clarity in some of my images seems to be more a matter of physics and not exclusively a matter of my incompetence...

about your interest in the sigma, i really do see a difference in the depth i seem to get out of the sigma as opposed to my old sony a100. when i hit the focus i really love the result, where i rarely 'loved' my sony results. i find the panoramas that i enjoy taking have a very film-like 'paint' quality that i very much enjoy--as in my thread on my porst 35-105mm lens. i also need to find a way to get the uploaded images on this forum to match the quality of the images i see at home so that members can see the same results i see.

as i mentioned to another member, i bought my sigma very slightly used on ebay for about $400, which is overwhelmingly cheaper than when it first came out at $1500, so maybe you might want to revisit incorporating it in your kit. as sigma has planned a release of the sd15 for some months, there might be a really good deal out there for you!

thanks again
tony


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:03 pm    Post subject: More on focus confirmation Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
thanks patrick, i really appreciate everyone's advice. at least it makes me feel that the lack of clarity in some of my images seems to be more a matter of physics and not exclusively a matter of my incompetence...
tony


Many do not seem aware of the following "trick" with AF confirm adapters or for that matter with bodies like Sigma and Pentax that have AF confirm built in. Getting the best focus even with AF confirm gets better results if one tries out if the best focus is coming from infinity to possible focus point or from past possible focus from the non infinity part of the barrel. Try these out by trying to focus on some obvious thing like newspaper print coming from both "ends." One way should give you much better results than the other. However best focus may be in the middle of either of these two points. One needs to very minutely move the barrel while the AF confirm signal is on. Put otherwise, the AF confirm signal tells you you are in the ballpark but the best focus is at some specific point within the ballpark. Try this and sees if it makes a difference. It is easy enough with digital images blown up to some percentage where the difference should be obvious. Once you know where the point is for a lens and a body you can then use that point at whatever distance. But as others have said handholding at slow speeds is something to be avoided if at all possible.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
thanks jmiro. i actually tried out the AF confirm today and found exactly as you suggest about the 'ballpark'. i did not notice from which 'end' was more accurate, but i will be sure to try this out soon. if you like, i started a new thread 'zeiss pancolar 50mm at iso 400' to show the improvement in my images thanks to the advice of forum members like you. i hope you enjoy them and your help and comments are very much appreciated.
tony


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Personally, some of those could have been hand-held by me, they look so familiar Confused I stay away from long lenses as a result, or use a tripod or something. I envy those folks whose Gibraltar-like steadiness ensures diamond sharp photos. Sometimes, the more I try the more I shake Laughing

But it looks like a very nice lens, esp for the money. I'd like to see more shots!


PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
thank you nestor, i am very happy with the lens and even though my shaking spoiled the technical quality of the pictures, i really think the quality of the lens comes through, esp for $50. based on forum advice, i ratcheted up the iso to 400 and took some much better shots posted today as 'zeiss pancolar 50mm at 400 iso'. i really hadnt wanted to increase the iso on my sigma, as i had read it really only shines at 100, but this proved not to be the case,it did well at 400. so i will soon take out the tamron for some hand held shots at 400 and post results! Cool
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