11/10/09
Before giving back the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8, I thought I’d do a quick comparison between it and the Sony CZ 16-80mm using the same apertures and focal lengths, (at the widest and 50mm), plus the regular sun shot, color fringing and distortion at wide angle, and of course the sharpness crops.
The Sony CZ 16-80mm surprised me somewhat in that it’s sharper in the corners at 50mm and larger apertures than the Tamron, which I was bragging about just a week or so ago, but stopped down to F/8 it’s about the same. At the widest focal lengths, there isn’t much difference between the lenses at all in the centers and corners.
It’s really a toss-up as to which one is better. The Tamron represents the best value in my opinion. The Sony CZ 16-80mm has a greater range, the Tamron is faster, it all depends on the intended use. It sure is funny(!) that Tamron can make a lens comparable to the Sony CZ 16-80mm for a much lower price.
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| Click for comparison. |