Budget Lens Recommendations: Tamron 17-50mm & Sigma 17-70mm

Written by: vernons

One major problem that a lot of people face when making the transition from P&S to dSLR is the expense involved. If you’re used to the high zoom compacts, you’ll realise that you’ll need to spend 10 times the amount (or more) to get that level of zoom with the high quality. And of course, not many can afford that. So, for the serious learner/amateur/hobbyist with a budget, we’ll be putting out some lens choices that give you great value for money.

Today’s post will deal with lenses that cover wide to normal range of focal lengths. Although the kit lenses today are a lot better than what they used to be, they’re still not as good as they need to be. So as a replacement to your kit lens, we recommend the following two lenses that work great as walk-around lenses.

1. Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

2. Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

Pros:
-Very Sharp throughout the focal range
-Fixed aperture of 2.8, making this a fast lens throughout
-Good colour saturation and contrast
-L glass like quality with a reasonable price tag – $400 approx.

Cons:
-No IS, but the fast aperture takes care of that if you have a reasonably stable hand

Samples

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5

Pros:
-Sharp lens
-Range covered allows more flexibility
-Macro function that allows closer focusing (This lens is not a dedicated macro, and does NOT provide 1:1 magnificaton)

Cons:
-Major quality control issues (Focusing complaints mainly). BUY ONLY FROM A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN EXCHANGE IT IF NEEDED. Best option is to go and inspect the lens before making the purchase. The good copies are really good, and really sharp.

Samples

Related posts:

1. Budget Lens Recommendation: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.5-5.6 IS
2. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens
3. Tip for DSLR Beginners: Get a 50mm Lens
4. Sigma Announces 10mm and 4.5mm Fisheye Lenses
5. Review: Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Lens

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