Tamron 28-200mm test by ThePixelConnection: “overall sharpness is a step above the Sony 24-240mm FE”

Preorders:
In USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and FocusCamera.
in EU at Fotokoch. CalumetDE, WexUK. ParkcamerasUK.

The Tamron 28-200mm FE might be the best FE travel zoom on the market. And I am seriously considering to buy it for my hiking tours. ThePixelConnection tested the new lens and concluded:

Having used Tamron’s other zooms and primes for Sony E-Mount, the RXD motor is a great choice by Tamron. The autofocus is quick and accurate, much like the 28-75, and considerably faster than the OSD motor found in the trio of prime lenses. Close focus capabilities are impressive, with a minimum focus distance of just 7.5” on the wide end (about 2” from the front element), and 31.5” at 200mm. The compact and lightweight design made it easy to carry around all day to take a variety of photographs without having to carry a camera bag. While the lens doesn’t have built in stabilization, the majority of Sony bodies have IBIS which should help greatly.

Eye-AF worked great for both people and animals, even in lower light conditions, as did the other AF modes. Like most recent lenses with focus by wire manual focus, the ring can feel a bit loose, but manually focusing isn’t too difficult. 

Chromatic aberration is considerably less present than Sony’s 24-240mm, and overall sharpness is a step above it as well, especially in the corners.

While it may not appeal to all professionals, the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is bound to be a hit with entry-level photographers, travel photographers, and those looking for a lens that covers a large focal range without breaking the bank.

More tests:
Tamron 28-200mm – “Das Schweizer Taschenmesser” (Krolop&Gerst)
Tamron 28-200mm FE test at Mobile01

More videos:

Preorders:
In USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and FocusCamera.
in EU at Fotokoch. CalumetDE, WexUK. ParkcamerasUK.

Tamron 28-200mm FE review by Amateur Photographer

This is Amateur Photographers review and conclusion about the new lens:

Reviewing the new Tamron 28-200mm has got me thinking about how mirrorless technology has changed the landscape of lens design. Ten years ago, the firm’s equivalent DSLR offerings were decidedly compromised, with sluggish autofocus and lots of optical aberrations, but this lens is much better in almost every way. It produces sharper, cleaner images by integrating optical and software compensation, while providing rapid, silent autofocus. The fact that offers a significantly larger aperture than its main rival, while managing to be smaller and lighter, is the icing on the cake.

However, two drawbacks bring pause for thought. First is the 28mm wide setting, which feels restrictive now we’ve got used to using 24mm as standard. I frequently found myself wishing for wider when shooting subjects such as landscapes. You could pair the lens up with a wideangle zoom or prime, but that rather negates the point of an all-in-one zoom.

The second question mark is the lack of optical stabilization, which leaves you dependent on the camera’s in-body system. This is unlikely to be as effective, particularly at telephoto; indeed the camera visibly struggles to stabilise the viewfinder image at 200mm. But for some users this will be an acceptable trade-off for the larger aperture.

In conclusion, the Tamron 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD puts an intriguing spin on the all-in-one superzoom concept. It’s capable of producing very decent images, while offering a different set of strengths to the Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS. There’s not necessarily a clear winner between the two; it just depends on each user’s priorities.

Preorders:
In USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and FocusCamera.
in EU at Fotokoch. CalumetDE, WexUK. ParkcamerasUK.

Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 review by Marc Alhadeff: “excellent performance”

Today the new Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 E-mount lens is starting to ship out on Amazon and BHphoto.

Marc Alhadeff from SonyAlphaBlog tested the lens and concluded:

The Yongnuo 50mm F1.8S DA DSM (120 euros) is a very pleasant surprise : A Chinese lens with AF with very good to excellent performance in photo
In photo it is far better than the Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS (280 euros)
The only drawback is in video with a capricious AF in this mode
Highly recommended for A6000 users if you are on a budget
For high end APS users having a A6500 / A6600 you may want to invest in the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN (430 euros !) that is a bit better (but not 4 times better)

Pros
Very good to excellent sharpness
Very soft background blur
Very good color rendition
Good AF
Lens with electronics contacts so EXIF available and control of the aperture via the body
Cheap (120 euros)
Light and small

Average
Bokeh balls showing heptagon when closed down to F2.8 or more
Chromatic Aberrations wide open when facing the sun
Build quality is OK
Moderate distorsion and vignetting
No Optical stabilisation

Cons
unreliable AF in video with V4 firmware (could be corrected in a future firmware)