Tamron Versus Sigma Versus Tokina

[httpwww.photo.netphoto1664881561]

Good day all,

 

I am still a greenhorn in the world of photography and I would love to get better at it. I have a D70s and I

would like to expand the number of lenses that I have. I love the Nikkors but they are very expensive. I

am sure this question has been posted before, but can someone please shed some light as to which

alternative brand I should go with - Tamron, Sigma or Tokina? I am sure they all have their strengths and

weaknesses, but which one is the most reliable, best optic (sharpness quality and contrast), best price,

best construction and best lifespan.

 

Thank you very much.

Paolo

[juanjo_viagran]

IMO the TOKINA.

 

I have a 10-17mm ATX, 28-80mm ATX and 100-300mm ATX from TOKINA and all three are built like a TANK, FAST auto focus, SHARP and fun to use..

 

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Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm

[juanjo_viagran]

Tokina 28-80mm ATX @ 2.8 with only 4MP of a D2H.

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[claudio_coltro_coltro]

From looking at MTF tests done by independent magazines in general Nikkors are way better than Tamrons/Sigmas/Tokinas equivalents.

 

There is nevertheless one lens, the Tamron 90/2,8 macro, that has a stellar performance better than any short tele or macro from Nikkor.

 

Looking at my own pictures, I have all Nikkor primes plus the Tamron 90/2,8, the Tamrom produces the crispiest images. It is relatively inexpensive, it cannot be missed independently of the camera body maker.

 

Regards

 

Claudio

[robert_hooper1]

Juanjo,

 

Wow, picture #1 reminds me of my first wife after a big client had just paid their bill.

[younes]

I think overall the Tokinas are usually the best of three and are also most consistent. I personally own a sigma 10-20 and absolutely adore it. Tamron make somewhat good lenses, but from what I read they seem to have issues with quality control, so it depends on your luck. The gap is definitely closing between the 3rd parties and big manufacturers. photozone.de have really good reviews.

[simon_hickie1]

Hi Paolo.

 

In reality, it all depends. They differ between brands depending on lens type & focal length. However, generally Tokina are regarded as having the better build, but they seem to suffer more from CA than the others according to some reviews. The Sigma EX lenses can be very good, but, as with all lenses, samples vary.

[michaelschrag]

Paolo,

 

There is no general answer to the question you have posted. The best source of information that I know of is photozone. At photozone one person, using the same methodology, has tested numerous lenses from different brands. Go to this link a look around: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html. Also, KEH.com can be a great place to buy lenses used. They have an excellent reputation. Good luck.

[steve_dawson1]

Amongst others I use a Sigma 70-200EX, a Tamron 90mm macro, and a Tokina ATX 12-24mm wide angle. They are all superb lenses. All three manufacturers have some very good lenses in their ranges. The premium Tokinas are by far the best built, and FWIW, in my experience only Sigma's have had to be repaired.

[mark newcombe www.mcnphoto]

Tamron 90/2,8 macro, tokina 12-24, sigma 120-300 all have standouts. Don't pay much attention to comments like Tokinas are by far the best build, ex sigmas are every bit as good, like I said each has standout versions.

[elliot1]

I had a couple of Tamron lenses and thought they were pretty good - until I started using Nikon lenses.

 

You need to try whatever lens you are interested in to see if it works for you.

[mark_firley]

Check out the reviews at fredmiranda.com. These reviews are interesting in that they show you the average ratings of actual users of the lenses. All manufacturers make some good lenses and all have a few dogs. I have several Sigma lenses and too many Nikon lenses. For film, I have a few Tamron lenses. Each lens I bought I considered the best balance of quality and function versus cost. I might be wrong, but I am generally pleased with my selections.

 

And for the record, the only lenses I have sent off for repair are the Nikon 18-200mm VR and a Nikon 35mm f/2.0D.

[andrew robertson]

Tokina's ATX-Pro lenses have the best build quality, fit, and finish of the three. That

particular series of lenses is as well built as any Canon L or Nikon top grade lens.

[juanjo_viagran]

"Tokina's ATX-Pro lenses have the best build quality, fit, and finish of the three. That particular series of lenses is as well built as any Canon L or Nikon top grade lens."

 

 

AGREE,

they are built like a German Tank.

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[yoni_perlmutter]

I think you mean Russian tank.

[greg miller]

Paolo - As others have already stated here, I don't think you can say that one of these brands is generally better than another. While many will say to stick with only Nikon products, this is simply not economical for everyone, including myself. I think it is fair to say that all 3 of these manufacturers make decent lenses, but depending on the particular lens for which you are looking, one may be better than another in that regard. I don't usually buy a lens on a whim. I spend a lot of time reading reviews and reading the posts in this forum. Here is an example of the "non-Nikon" lenses that I currently own and am VERY pleased with.

 

Tokina 12-24 F4, Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX with 1.4X and 2.0X EX teleconverters, Sigma 100-300 F4 EX and Tamron 28-75 F2.8 XR.

 

And as others have said, most people give rave reviews of the Tamron 90MM macro. I have had other non-Nikon lenses by all 3 of these companies that I used and decided to sell, simply because I didn't like the way the lenses performed. I have now settled on the ones mentioned above and can't say enough good things about my experiences with them.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Greg

[httpwww.photo.netphoto1664881561]

I really appreciate all of your replies and I will use all of your opinions to help guide my

decision when the time comes to make lens purchases. Thank you,

Paolo