Difference in Tamron Full Frame & APS-C Lens

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Other than the obvious between these two lenses for sensor size, what is the difference in perception? I have the Tamron 18-50mm f/2.8 which is the APS-C lens and I have the Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 Full Frame Lens. I have been trying them out but I'm trying to see if there is any difference besides the focal length. I want to know if one would give more clarity than the other or what ever the perception differences are. Just trying to learn my lenses better and how to decided between them in certain situations.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Aaron

I have on my main camera, two lenses I use and one is going on eBay today as it really sucks! I have a 17-50 F2.8 Tamron and a 28-75 F2.8 Tamron and the first is APSC and the 2nd is FF ... The Full frame 28-75 just does NOT perform ...focus is much softer than the 17-50 and the image is just crappy! I'm not sure about the reason (not being an optics expert) but I assume that the FF lens "projects" the image as a larger "picture" to cover a FF sensor ...maybe something gets lost here but I do know that the FF performance is nowhere as good as the APSC lens.

Chris

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Hi Chris,

That is interesting... I have the Tamron FF 24-70mm f/2.8 and that is the one I use the most, probably because it was the most expensive and in the back of my mind I feel that it would give me more. I will try mixing it up a bit to see if I can tell the difference. I have to say though, I prefer the softness because I lean more to the cinematic side as oppose to the documentary style of shooting. My Tamron 18-50mm f/2.8 which is the APS-C lens did not get much use lately. I can recall in a couple of instances at receptions I should have switch for the wider angle.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Aaron

I shot 3 weddings this weekend and the first two I had the Tamron 28-75 for the ceremony and speeches and noticed that the B-Cam footage (Sigma 18-35 F1.8) was way sharper so I had to sharpen in post. On my Sunday wedding I took off the 28-75 and zapped on a Tamron 17-50 and used that for ceremony and speeches and WOW! what a difference!! I'm not sure if the 28-75 maybe has a back focus issue but it sure looks fuzzy compared to the 17-50 and matches the cutaway shots of the Sigma a lot better too.

If the 24-70 works better for you then by all means use it but there seems to be a huge difference between my 28-75 (FF) and my 17-50 (APSC) for some unknown reason?

Chris

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Hi Chris,

So were you using peaking with the 28-75? I'm just curious because I know peaking is no always exact.

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Hi Chris,

Is this the lens you are were referring to? http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-28-75mm...4-70mm+f%2F2.8

[Chris Harding]

Hi Aaron

Nope I'm sure that is an APSC lens ..the FF lens has aperture rings... Yes I use peaking all the time but even in bright sun the 28-75 with a small aperture (lots of DOF) the lens seems soft compared to the 17-50!!

It might just be me but I also find that the colour using the FF lens is a bit washed too compared to the 17-50 ... Maybe it's just my particular lens ????

If you are happy with yours then great!! If I need big zooms I have a Nikon 18-200 but it's only F3.5 but still better than the old Sony stock lens.

For your fashion shoot I would let the models walk past me in the centre of the runway so you halve the runway distance ..it's less DOF that trying to keep in focus the complete length of the runway. If you calculate a triangle so you are almost positioned in the middle and roughly half the distance away from the actual runway your subject to camera distance is almost constant!! Easy to focus!!

Chris

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Good Advice Chris, Thank you!

[Ade Towell]

sounds like you're both talking about different lenses - one is the newer 24-70,the other the older 28-75. Would be interested in other folks experience with the latest 24-70 with vc

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by Aaron Jones Sr.

Other than the obvious between these two lenses for sensor size, what is the difference in perception?

If you are talking about using the same focal length on the two different sensors, the difference is the angle of view. This makes the image from the smaller sensor look similar to an image made with the larger sensor using a longer focal length lens. This is where a given sensor size's crop factor comes from.

If you use crop factor to use lenses with the two sensor sizes that give the same angle of view result with each sensor, then you get into the differences in focal length. The longer focal length lens will need to be stopped down a bit more to give equivalent depth of field, for example.

[Ryan Douthit]

Apologies to the OP, but this is regarding the later confusion in the thread over different Tamron lenses. I currently use the latest Tamron SP 24-70 F/2.8 on my A7S and I prefer it over the Zeiss FE 24-70 F/4, which I also still own (for when I want to travel light). This is the A-Mount version without VC. I liked it so much I bought the newer 70-200 version of it as well (I owned the older 70-200 and though the image was decent for the price, the build was crap.) I previously owned Canon L lenses, but never used them with this particular camera, so I can't really compare. However, there is a line of Tamron glass that is quite good, is weather sealed and built like a tank.

Tamron SP F/2.8 24-70
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/845351-REG/Tamron_SP_24_70mm_f_2_8_DI.html

[Peter Rush]

Thumbs up for the Tamron SP 24-70 F/2.8 - I use it both on my EA50 and A7s - quality glass with a pin sharp image and great stabilisation - on par if not better than my Canon L-series lenses.

Pete

[Francisco Estrada]

I have a Tamron SP 24-70 F/2.8 with IS and don't have any problems with it.

Looks a lot better than the kit.

I am curious now about comparing it to the sigma 18-35 f1.8.

On a side note I also have a canon apsc 17-55 f2/8 which I spent a lot of money for. It looks great but the zoom feels harder in certain ranges which sucks for video...

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 17-55 f2.8 and selling my canon lens. The 70-250 2.8 tamron lens I am also curious. looks good for shooting people far enough away without them noticing. (some people turn their heads when thy notice iam shooting them..)

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

The SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD is looking really sweet to me.

[Chris Harding]

Sheesh! You guys like to shoot from a distance don't you. For me even 75mm is too much zoom. Your DOF becomes so critical at high zooms especially at F2.8 or even faster!

I stay between 18 and 35 during the reception and no more than 50mm at the ceremony!!

At 18mm and 10' away I have a good 14' DOF to play with but move away to 30' and zoom to 150mm and it gets to a scary just over 12" !!!

Each to their own of course... at a ceremony I would rather move myself and shoot wide than zoom to the back/front of the ceremony