[boren]

[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1314524844' post='11097']

You must have had an exceptionally bad Sigma copy there. Although, I do see clear evidence of camera shake in the Sigma crops, so one should first use non-moved images to compare[/quote]



For both the Tamron and the Sigma shots I used a steady tripod and 2" timer (with MLU). The Sigma was consistently less sharp than the Tamron, across all apertures.



Since Photozone tests also show that the Tamron is much sharper than the Sigma, they too must have had a bad copy of the Sigma and a great copy of the Tamron, right? <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

100% crop from the Sigma (pentax mount):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozadr1an/5699655213/sizes/o/in/photostream/

You must be joking. What lens isn't sharp at 85/6.3? The Tamron is razor sharp at this focal-length and aperture, practically rivaling prime lenses, but at 300mm wide-open it's a different story. It's only usable, which is more than I can say for the Sigma.

[Brightcolours]

[quote name='Vieux loup' timestamp='1314528114' post='11100']

I think the point is that the Tamron is a better lens; The market place and the reports show it. Lots of Nikon users on the Nikon forums admit that this particular lens is better than the Niko issue and don't ask me to document it BC <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> , but all who follows must get the same impression. As a matter of fact, you yourself boost the Tamron often. This guy has asked for a good zoom lens for his Pentax. The Tamron 70-300 is one of the good alternatives and in the 70-300 family, for the moment probably the best.

[/quote]

You are confusing different lenses, old wolf. We are NOT talking about the tamron VC that you have (and you must still remember it was me who advised it to you). We are talking about a much cheaper Tamron 70-300 with a totally different optical design.



So, get that straight first.

[Brightcolours]

[quote name='boren' timestamp='1314528620' post='11102']

For both the Tamron and the Sigma shots I used a steady tripod and 2" timer (with MLU). The Sigma was consistently less sharp than the Tamron, across all apertures.



Since Photozone tests also show that the Tamron is much sharper than the Sigma, they too must have had a bad copy of the Sigma and a great copy of the Tamron, right? <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />







You must be joking. What lens isn't sharp at 85/6.3? The Tamron is razor sharp at this focal-length and aperture, practically rivaling prime lenses, but at 300mm wide-open it's a different story. It's only usable, which is more than I can say for the Sigma.

[/quote]

The photozone tests do not show the Tamron to be "much sharper", in fact they show the center at 300mm to be the same sharpness. So yes, like I said, you must have had an exceptionally bad copy of that Sigma. Something is clearly wrong there.



Sorry about the crop above, I mistook it for a 300mm example.



Here 300mm full size samples, to show that your sigma result is somehow severely messed up (be it camera shake (looks like it) miss-focus or a damaged lens).

300mm f5.6 (wide open) with the Sigma APO Macro version:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tabor-roeder/5034522759/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sara-net/5249711665/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliver1978/2442764463/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/romainpampelonne/3306174431/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sara-net/5249711861/sizes/o/



Hopefully I didn't include any non-APO sample in there <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> )

[Steinar1]

[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1314533383' post='11105']

You are confusing different lenses, old wolf. We are NOT talking about the tamron VC that you have (and you must still remember it was me who advised it to you). We are talking about a much cheaper Tamron 70-300 with a totally different optical design.



So, get that straight first.



[/quote]





Pardon me, but where do you see that I talk about my lens. I was talking about the lens used in the crops above like the other intervenants and your tendency to jump to conclusions and then to talk down to your fellow forum users as if you and only you have the holy grale of wisdom and knowledge reflects only on you and not in a very nice way. Also, instead of finishing your input with something nice, like "kind regards or even just regards" or something friendly, you finish with a peremptory "get that straight first"!! <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' /> as if you were talking to a misbehaving adolescent. I frankly feel sorry for you, for you seem to take all the input here terribly personally, whereas everybody else has understood that this is a forum for the "polite" exchange of ideas and opinions about all things "photographic" and not a holy war on "all who disagree with me"!

[Brightcolours]

[quote name='Vieux loup' timestamp='1314545381' post='11108']

Pardon me, but where do you see that I talk about my lens. I was talking about the lens used in the crops above like the other intervenants and your tendency to jump to conclusions and then to talk down to your fellow forum users as if you and only you have the holy grale of wisdom and knowledge reflects only on you and not in a very nice way. Also, instead of finishing your input with something nice, like "kind regards or even just regards" or something friendly, you finish with a peremptory "get that straight first"!! <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' /> as if you were talking to a misbehaving adolescent. I frankly feel sorry for you, for you seem to take all the input here terribly personally, whereas everybody else has understood that this is a forum for the "polite" exchange of ideas and opinions about all things "photographic" and not a holy war on "all who disagree with me"!

[/quote]

I will quote from your post:

"As a matter of fact, you yourself boost the Tamron often. "



Since I only ever recommend the Tamron 70300mm VC USD, and never talk about the Tamron 70-300mm LD, only conclusion I can make is that in fact you were talking about the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 USD VC.



"Lots of Nikon users on the Nikon forums admit that this particular lens is better than the Niko issue and don't ask me to document it BC <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> "

Also, yes, in Nikon forums the Tarmron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di USD VC usually gets seen as being a bit better than the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR. The Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD does not get seen as superior. Again, only conclusion I can come to is that you indeed were NOT referring to the cheap, older LD.



So, not really my fault that I came to the conclusion you were talking about the wrong lens.



Kind regards <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> !

[boren]

Brightcolours, considering that the pictures you linked have nothing with details outside the center of the frame and have been sharpened (as you can see in the EXIF of some of them), they are ok. Good luck if you're using the Sigma and your subject is not in the center.



Here's a reminder of the performance at 300mm as tested by Photozone - Sigma on the left, Tamron on the Right:







Granted, the Sigma was tested using an 8MP Canon while the Tamron was tested using a 10MP Pentax. The more pixels there are the higher the difference between the border and center (for a given lens), yet in this case the Sigma resolving power dropped far lower in the borders than the Tamron. My experience and Photozone's tests show the same - this lens is really quite terrible for subjects that are not centered.



Aside from IQ, Sigma's poor track record when it comes to compatibility with new bodies is another reason to avoid their lenses unless they are very special. The 70-300 APO DG is nothing special. It costs more than the Tamron, and delivers less.

[thxbb12]

I'd get the Pentax DA 55-300. It's an excellent lens for the price and in that range, the best value you can find in Pentax land.

I used to have a Sigma 70-300 APO, but since I bought the 55-300, I've never touched it anymore. The Pentax is really much better. The 55-300 shines by a very strong contrast at all apertures and focal lengths (even at 300mm wide open). It's smaller, lighter and goes down to 55mm which is very useful compared to the 70mm of the Sigma (or Tamron).

The Pentax performance is also quite homogeneous as it is already descent at 300mm wide-open which is not really the case of the Sigma.

All of my wildlife shots in the following gallery were taken with the Pentax DA 55-300: http://capturedbyflo.com/wildlife

[Brightcolours]

[quote name='thxbb12' timestamp='1314564808' post='11122']

I'd get the Pentax DA 55-300. It's an excellent lens for the price and in that range, the best value you can find in Pentax land.

I used to have a Sigma 70-300 APO, but since I bought the 55-300, I've never touched it anymore. The Pentax is really much better. The 55-300 shines by a very strong contrast at all apertures and focal lengths (even at 300mm wide open). It's smaller, lighter and goes down to 55mm which is very useful compared to the 70mm of the Sigma (or Tamron).

The Pentax performance is also quite homogeneous as it is already descent at 300mm wide-open which is not really the case of the Sigma.

All of my wildlife shots in the following gallery were taken with the Pentax DA 55-300: http://capturedbyflo.com/wildlife

[/quote]

Some nice pictures there, thxbb. Going on your experience with the Pentax 55-300mm I would go for that lens too.

[Steinar1]

[quote name='thxbb12' timestamp='1314564808' post='11122']

I'd get the Pentax DA 55-300. It's an excellent lens for the price and in that range, the best value you can find in Pentax land.

I used to have a Sigma 70-300 APO, but since I bought the 55-300, I've never touched it anymore. The Pentax is really much better. The 55-300 shines by a very strong contrast at all apertures and focal lengths (even at 300mm wide open). It's smaller, lighter and goes down to 55mm which is very useful compared to the 70mm of the Sigma (or Tamron).

The Pentax performance is also quite homogeneous as it is already descent at 300mm wide-open which is not really the case of the Sigma.

All of my wildlife shots in the following gallery were taken with the Pentax DA 55-300: [url="http://capturedbyflo.com/wildlife"]http://capturedbyflo.com/wildlife[/url]

[/quote]



Congratulations on some very fine shots Florent! The only small comment I would make is the inclusion of the trucks in the background of the sebra picture, but I guess it was not easy to avoid at the time of shooting. Otherwise, I would love to do those trips and see Africa like that.

[Steinar1]

[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1314552843' post='11110']

I will quote from your post:

"As a matter of fact, you yourself boost the Tamron often. "



Since I only ever recommend the Tamron 70300mm VC USD, and never talk about the Tamron 70-300mm LD, only conclusion I can make is that in fact you were talking about the Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 USD VC.



"Lots of Nikon users on the Nikon forums admit that this particular lens is better than the Niko issue and don't ask me to document it BC <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> "

Also, yes, in Nikon forums the Tarmron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di USD VC usually gets seen as being a bit better than the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR. The Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD does not get seen as superior. Again, only conclusion I can come to is that you indeed were NOT referring to the cheap, older LD.



So, not really my fault that I came to the conclusion you were talking about the wrong lens.



Kind regards <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> !

[/quote]





If you were not quite sure, maybe you could have asked. There is only one test of that lens on Photozone and it is on the Pentax and the crops were taken with that lens. You certainly have a lot of knowledge of things photographic, but this time you jumped to conclusions about what I think and talk about. This frankly is a waist of space, but I wish you would just stick to the facts.