Lens recommendation for tight budget videographer

Mike Peterson · February 2nd, 2010, 08:04 AM

Actually the Tamron's autofocus is noisier so it SEEMS like it takes longer but in reality it is as fast as Canon's. Canon's is just quieter. Tamron's aoutofocus works great and I don't find the noise a problem at all. That being said, the Canon's quietness makes it seem like a better put together lens.

Michiel van Baasbank · February 2nd, 2010, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manus Sweeney

(Michiel my opinion is for indoor shooting a 3.5 is often fast enough but sometimes not, if the location you want to shoot in 'feels' brightly lit you will probably be fine, when a room 'feels' a bit less bright you'd often need to bump up the iso more than you'd like.. I'm still trying to figure out how far i can push the iso)

Thanks, Manus! I think that I'm going to go for a prime (50mm 1.4 Canon or Sigma) but still have to decide between the Canon 15-85IS or 17-50/55IS from Tamron or Canon. I think to have BOTH (15-85 and 17-50) lenses is not really useful (yet). This is also because I think I have to buy me a Zoom H4N for audio (put in another 350 euro).

Johannes Soetandi · February 9th, 2010, 12:57 AM

Commited myself to a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC. Should arrive in a week. Can't wait to start practicing!

Thanks for the help guys I think I've made a wise decision and left me some spare money to get a steady and recorder :)

Marty Hudzik · February 10th, 2010, 01:24 PM

Not that I think the Tamron is a bad lens or anything like that, but I decided on the used Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS USM model instead, and sent the Tamron back.

I still stand by the things I said about the Tamron, but I found that I liked the focus mechanism on the canon better, the USM autofocus seems faster but for sure it is quieter and the image was overall sharper when zoomed. Also the fulltime manual focus is great.

Overall, the reviews and images I saw on the web of comparing the lenses at different focal lengths and apertures consistently put the Canon ahead. Many professional reviews claim the glass is "L" series quality, which is saying something! Less CA and fringing too.

The one thing I originally loved about the Tamron was the focus ring was smooth and easy to turn with little resistance. The Canon initially turned me off as the focus ring felt a little stiff and jerky. But it seems to have loosened up a bit and i now find that I overshoot focus with the Tamron. THe canon tends to stop more precisely when rack focusing and the Tamron slides right past the mark sometimes. Just a completely different feel, and if all I was going to use just the Tamron....that would be okay. I intend on owning several pieces of Canon glass and just thought for consistency with focal direction and feel....I'd stick with Canon. At a cost premium obviously.

February 2nd, 2010, 08:04 AM	#31
Mike Peterson Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: White Bear Lake, Minnesota Posts: 85	Actually the Tamron's autofocus is noisier so it SEEMS like it takes longer but in reality it is as fast as Canon's. Canon's is just quieter. Tamron's aoutofocus works great and I don't find the noise a problem at all. That being said, the Canon's quietness makes it seem like a better put together lens. __________________ www.insectula.com

February 9th, 2010, 12:57 AM	#33
Johannes Soetandi Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 387	Commited myself to a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC. Should arrive in a week. Can't wait to start practicing! Thanks for the help guys I think I've made a wise decision and left me some spare money to get a steady and recorder :)

February 10th, 2010, 01:24 PM	#34
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Not that I think the Tamron is a bad lens or anything like that, but I decided on the used Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS USM model instead, and sent the Tamron back. I still stand by the things I said about the Tamron, but I found that I liked the focus mechanism on the canon better, the USM autofocus seems faster but for sure it is quieter and the image was overall sharper when zoomed. Also the fulltime manual focus is great. Overall, the reviews and images I saw on the web of comparing the lenses at different focal lengths and apertures consistently put the Canon ahead. Many professional reviews claim the glass is "L" series quality, which is saying something! Less CA and fringing too. The one thing I originally loved about the Tamron was the focus ring was smooth and easy to turn with little resistance. The Canon initially turned me off as the focus ring felt a little stiff and jerky. But it seems to have loosened up a bit and i now find that I overshoot focus with the Tamron. THe canon tends to stop more precisely when rack focusing and the Tamron slides right past the mark sometimes. Just a completely different feel, and if all I was going to use just the Tamron....that would be okay. I intend on owning several pieces of Canon glass and just thought for consistency with focal direction and feel....I'd stick with Canon. At a cost premium obviously.