Tamron 24mm 2.5 versus Tamron SP 24-48mm @ 24mm

[diddy]

Hi,

I'd like to understand if the Tamron SP 24-48mm zoom is any better at 24mm than the Tamron 24mm 2.5 lens? Apertures I am interested in are f5.6 and f8. Has somebody here done a comparison between these two lenses?

Thanks,
Diddy

[hifisapi]

while anything is possible, I would be very surprised if the prime lens didn't have superior resolution and
distortion characteristics.

[Attila]

I had both lens from mines zoom was lot better, it was quiet shocking , prime was poor performer.

[diddy]

Thanks a lot Attila for letting me know! I was wondering really as the prime lens was not in their SP category ... and Tamron's SP zooms are usually very good. So did you sell the Tamron 24-48 zoom in the end? If yes, what was the main reason?

[Attila]

[Aanything]

I have a 24/2.5 and it performs good, especially when stopped down to the apertures you need: I never tried the zoom, though, so I can't compare, and the only other lens in the same range I've been using for a while was the flektogon 4/25, which is much better (sold it because i could make a good profit on that).

I must say that don't use 24's often (i found out that I like 20mm much better on aps-c) but when I do, I'm happy with my tamron.

[ManualFocus-G]

I found the 24-48mm better than the prime too.

[drjs]

I have both. The 24-48 is much better at 24 than 28mm prime. Probably because of the SP optics. With this said, the prime gives you 2.5 instead 3.5 which is 1 stop. The difference still well less pronounced using 28 at 3.5. By 5.6 however, the difference pretty much goes away.

[diddy]

Thanks all for your feedback! If I find it once at a reasonable price, I might get it then. It would make a nice addition to my small SP zoom collection.

[Basilisk]

I don't think I would buy a non-SP AD2 lens. The SP lenses certainly feel much better build quality. The cheaper lenses also tend to have fairly mediocre maximum apertures. When they were new, they were very much aimed at the cash-strapped enthusiast market. Some of the SP lenses still hold up pretty well (like my 500mm mirror lens)

[drjs]

[Paul]

I remember a test in german ColorFoto with the result that others have said:

The 24-48 is a very good zoom - even better than (most) 24mm primes.
In that test it was even better than the Nikkor 2.8/24....

[hoanpham]

[diddy]

[Paul]

ColorFoto is one of the two major photo magazines in Germany.
(the other is fotomagazin)

They made some extensive practical tests in those days (Mr. Walter Schön).
Many photos were taken with different focussing to reduce errors.

They tried to test the complete german market - including many no-name brands. That's why their tests were splitted over many pages and many months. It was quite difficult to find them completely.... but I have many of them (at least as a copy).

Later they changed to their so called "Normtest" which was made for easy comparison but publications weren't that detailed any longer.

From this Test with the 24-48 as a winner I don't have all the pages but only a few including the final result.

From the later 24mm-test where the Sigma shined I have half the pages (including the last with the final result).

[diddy]

[Phenix jc]

[ManualFocus-G]

I can't find the evidence, but I tested loads of 24mm lenses a while back, and whilst the 24-48mm was excellent and beat a lot of other lenses, the Nikkor was clearly better, particularly in the corners.

[diddy]

I would be surprised if it was better than the Nikkor ... but we can't say without seeing a fair comparison.

[Attila]

I remember for Nikon prime way better than any zoom include this Tammy, zoom is usually step behind primes only a few can be same than primes I think Tamron SP series any of them not better than any Nikon primes.

[stingOM]

[Attila]