harris_ueng Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 So, looks like we finally have a wide available for us 7D users (just got notice from B&H)!! The KM version of the lens isn't out yet. For those of you who are waiting, are you going to wait and see or pull the trigger? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Which lens are you talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_tuthill Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 The Tamron 11-18/4.5-5.6 for Minolta mount is now shipping, as is the rebadged KM version for $80 more (Harris was wrong about that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg_heil1 Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 A lot of $:( <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&sku=363810&is=REG&addedTroughType=search">B&H</a> <p/>Beginning to think wide angle is strictly a rich mans game. What do you all think of the Sigma 15-30f3.5-? Plus the <a href="http://search.ebay.com/peleng">Zenitar Peleng 8mmf3.5 (eBay)</a>. Or maybe a Zeni <a href="http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?satitle=zenitar+fisheye">16mmf2.8(eBay)</a> instead of the Sigma (for a couple hundred $ less...) <p/>Just how useful is autofocus at such wide angles? Of course i want speed, that is the point. Would i be doomed to careful manual focusing all the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_at_vividoptic.com Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Minolta 20mm prime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris_ueng Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Ah, sorry, Michael, as Bill said, I was referring to the Tamron 11-18mm lens. I also see that today, B&H DOES have the KM one in-stock (wasn't there yesterday when I searched). So, back to the original question, for those of you who were looking at this lens, any reason to pay $80 more for the KM other than cosmetics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris_ueng Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Well, with the 1.5x crop factor, the 15mm lens will get you to roughly a 23mm (35mm film equivalent), while the 20mm prime will get you 30mm (not really quite a ultra-wide). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris_ueng Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Well, I see that one difference is the warranty. Tamron gives a 6 year warranty, whereas for the KM model, you pay $80 to get a shorter warranty -- 1 year. Another, is the claimed minimum focus distance. 9.8" for the Tamron, 9.6" for the KM. Also angle of view for the Tamron is (103-75 deg) and (104-76 deg) for the KM. The KM has a claimed length of 3mm longer, and 1mm wider in diameter. The KM version is also lighter by 15 grams. All in all, though there are minor differences, it seems like splitting hairs to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris_ueng Posted September 22, 2005 Author Share Posted September 22, 2005 Greg, those eBay lenses you mentioned above are fisheye lenses, not rectilinear, is that what you're looking for? The Tamron/KM 11-18mm lens is a rectilinear lens, i.e. it trys to reduce barrel distortion as much as possible. Two different beasts here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_tuthill Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 There's a point where barrel distortion is indistinguishable from fisheye, and from samples I've seen, the Minolta 18-70 DT at 18mm crosses that line! Harris, the Tamron weighs 15 grams more due to the painted gold ring, which is very heavy (joke). The minimum focus is just a B&H mistake converting metric to inches: both close focus down to 25 cm. Angle of view is probably just a roundint error. Personally I would not pay ~ $600 for a lens like this. I would just use film if wide angle were required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunatech Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 I, for one, am in for the Tamron 11-18mm. I have been waiting months and I was overjoyed to see the lens finally arriving. I don't know if the KM lens has any attributes that make it better, I can't wait to find out when someone reviews them...I will just have to take a chance. Its only money (ouch!). :( B&H isn't the cheapest on the net I see, but I have to go with a place that ships to Canada and I can trust. I have been waiting for wide for my 7D...it has to be at least a 24mm equivilant, the so called "architectural lens". I bought the Peleng 8mmm on eBay, it is a real work of art (read: lousy construction, fairly soft focus) but I actually have been having a whole lot of fun with it. I wish I could just run down and pick up the Tamron at the camera store, but alas, I live in Canada. Long live wide angle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris_ueng Posted September 22, 2005 Author Share Posted September 22, 2005 HA! Nice one, Bill! I figured it was rounding error since maybe different marketing people wrote up the specs for each co. I'd agree with you on going film if I were still doing film, but I've unloaded all my 35mm equipment a few years ago, and the 7D is my only camera body I won right now (and for the forseeable future). Cheers! :-) Michael, I'm with you on this one with the Tamron. The writeups by people who have bought the 11-18mm for the Nikon and Canon seem to be pretty happy with it all 'round, so I can't imagine we'd lose out with this. $80 more for the KM and 1 yr warranty. No thanks! (Sorry to hear about your Peleng. Glad you're having fun turning its "problems" into "art"!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton_abe Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 There are differences between the Tamron and KM lenses. The KM lenses made by Tamron have the 'D' chip in them for use with the ADI function of the KM cameras. And I also believe that the KM versions have more curvature in the aperture blades to aid 'bokeh'. The Tamron lenses have seven blades and I'm not sure if the KM versions have 7 or 9 blades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg_heil1 Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Michael<br/> <em> I bought the Peleng 8mmm on eBay, it is a real work of art (read: lousy construction, fairly soft focus) but I actually have been having a whole lot of fun with it.</em> <p/>Ah, too bad! i would have hoped for more from a $200 2nd hand prime. At 1.5X crop is it fairly "rectilinear"? i suppose soft focus could be luck of the variable build quality. Hard to believe such a wide angle could have much issue with focus. <br/>Sounds like FF may be becoming cheaper in the near future, perhaps not quite worth worrying about super wides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne_willis2 Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 At 1.5x the peling will be like a 16mm fisheye on fullframe, lots of distorion still, just smaller black corners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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