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| p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II vs Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 | |
Hi all!
I'm having a little debate with myself between these two lenses, right now. I currently own the Tamron 28-75 G2 and just picked up the Sony 24-70 GM II, last week. Both lenses are fantastic, but I have to say I was expecting a bit more of a difference between the two lenses, and quickly discovered, optically that they are not that different at all. So I'm actually starting to wonder if I may return the Sony lens. I plan on doing some side-by-side testing this weekend, but so far in my initial test, I don't see a very distinct difference between the GM and the G2 from an optical perspective (except for maybe some advanced in sharpness on the corners with the Sony).
Of course, the pros that attracted many of us are the features that the GM provides. Here are the features that attracted me to buying it:
• Aperture Ring
• Support for 30fps on my A1
• 24mm focal length
But after really thinking about it, I'm starting to wonder if these three big features are that much of a game-changer for me. First off I'm more of a prime shooter than a zoom shooter, so when I bought into the Tamron system I liked their compact design, similar enough to my primes, and also their price so that I could justify having a set of zooms, without breaking the bank.
The aperture ring is an absolute plus, and I'm using it on all my GM primes, so there's no argument that it's a great feature to have but is it worth the extra money alone, I'd say no for me at least. Plus I can actually program the focus ring on the Tamron to toggle over as a declicked aperture ring, if I was using AF exclusively, which is a nice option on the Tamron.
As far as support for 30fps on my A1. This is one of those things, where it was more about having the capability "just in case" than my actual use case. The reality is I generally stay in the 15fps or under, shooting portraits, events and some photojournalism. I rarely do sports and typically you don't shoot birds in flight or even wildlife with a 24-70mm f2.8 Zoom. So the extra fps capability is something I don't utilize that often, if at all.
The last feature is the one to debate around, for a bit. I am a big fan of the 24mm focal length and own a 24mm f1.4 GM prime, I use very often. In moments where I have used the Tamron, I have sometimes wanted that extra wide, but in most of those situations, I've been in a position to switch lenses to perhaps the 24mm f1.4 GM prime or crack out my second body if necessary, and actually, after prolonged use of the 28-75 zoom, it became less and less of an issue. I mostly use the 28-75 zoom for either travel or documentary/photojournalism application and 28-75 is a good range for that. I also do like the compact nature of the Tamron. The lens barrel is smaller than the GM II and I do like the usage of the 67mm filter size that the Tamron supports, since it matches many of my Sony GM primes, like the 20mm f1.8 G, 24mm f1.4 GM , 35mm f1.4 GM and 85mm f1.8. I'm also pretty surprised how much better the G2 resolved on high-resolution sensors compared to its previous G1. I think had the G2 not yet been released, I would be having less of a debate with myself. But the G2 resolves quite well and sharp with the A1 50mp sensor
The 24-70mm GM II is an amazing lens for its size, weight, and capabilities, no doubt. But I'm leaning toward the thinking that unless I have a specific professional reason to have this lens, there are far better options for half the cost that will get you 90-95% there.
I'm still reserving my final decision as I get a little more mileage on this new lens, but these are my initial thoughts.
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