[QUOTE=NVRENUF]i try and stay away from any lens that has the Fstop range changing. at the end of the day your quality is going to be sticking with Canon or nikon made Lens.

You want to get fixed apature lens[/QUOTE]

How does this ultimately affect quality though?

I was under the impression that Tamron (maybe not Sigma) is better then Canon/Nikon made equivalents.

I imagine if you have a lens which changes Fstops are you are zooming, you will need to adjust the aperture on the camera to the suitable setting manually....I could see this may get annoying.

Reason I am thinking of a single wide range lens is for travelling (which I do both for work & rec). More lenses = more weight/baggage and then the hassle of changing lenses for different shots.

[QUOTE=fmx_rider]How does this ultimately affect quality though?

I was under the impression that Tamron (maybe not Sigma) is better then Canon/Nikon made equivalents.

I imagine if you have a lens which changes Fstops are you are zooming, you will need to adjust the aperture on the camera to the suitable setting manually....I could see this may get annoying.

Reason I am thinking of a single wide range lens is for travelling (which I do both for work & rec). More lenses = more weight/baggage and then the hassle of changing lenses for different shots.[/QUOTE]


with a fixed Apature lens images are sharper, Faster focusing, genine made lens are better quality i find. I have sigma and canon lens and find my canon lens are much better image.

The best images i get are from my 70-200 f2.8 is lens even more so than my 24-70

Do you stop it down to f/4 at all Tim for better shots?

[QUOTE=NVRENUF].

The best images i get are from my 70-200 f2.8 is lens even more so than my 24-70[/QUOTE]

i have both and can't tell the difference :) 2 of the best lenses i reckon

here is a lot of reviews:

[url]http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/overview[/url]

open up tabs on competing lenses and check out their sharpness and CA levels etc. Then factor in the price and your off :P

I've been reading reviews all day for the last week or so... got about 6 pages of notes and at the moment I want the:

Sigma 10-20mm wide ($800) or tamron 10-24 its a choice between better ca or better distortion....

Sigma 24-70 f2.8 ($785)
and Tamron 70-200 f2.8 (1180)

All these are better, in every review I can find, than Pentax or nikon equivalent. Canon lenses seem to do better in quality tests and these only equal them. All are far cheaper, some half some more than half price.

Its not cut and dry however, I've seen duds from every maker of lenses and it might even be on a review by review basis if they had a bad lens. For example the 70-200f2.8 sigma is very good, but the 70-200f2.8 sigma with HSM 2 motor is shite :P

but until i buy it ill keep researching.

Yeah of course, I dont always shoot at 2.8 thats not what im saying but regardless of what f stop your shooting at when you focus and its looking for light its using the 2.8 to let the light in and it only sees f4 when i press the shutter down

So until you take the photo it is letting the light in at 2.8 to help focus etc, But as soon as the shutter goes F4,

[QUOTE=pete gopal]i have both and can't tell the difference :) 2 of the best lenses i reckon[/QUOTE]


Defiently Love those lens. the main two I use all the time

[QUOTE=fmx_rider]
I was under the impression that Tamron (maybe not Sigma) is better then Canon/Nikon made equivalents.[/QUOTE]
ROFL not really. Cheaper though.

[QUOTE=fmx_rider]
Reason I am thinking of a single wide range lens is for travelling (which I do both for work & rec). More lenses = more weight/baggage and then the hassle of changing lenses for different shots.[/QUOTE]
Its a bit of a case of jack of all trades, master of none. You wont really be changing from your wide angle zoom much unless you go to like a zoo or something where you might need a longer zoom. 95% if the time you will be shooting in that 10-35mm range (on crop body). If your going to europe you will want the widest lens available for the laneways and interiors.

problem with a lens with that much focal zoom is that lenses have sweet spots of sharpness, they arnt the same sharpness over the whole focal length so when you have a lens that goes from 18-200mm the sweet spots are gonna be smaller so generally you wont get the best I.Q. and thats why Primes are sharp as a tack :D

[QUOTE=slappy]ROFL not really. Cheaper though.

[QUOTE]

That was only for equivalent 18-200/18-250 lenses, not all lenses in general...which most reviews I have read support.