Ive been shooting with my A7III for about four years now, mostly doing street stuff and some light travel photography, but honestly Im getting really tired of constantly swapping between my prime lenses. I have a 35mm and an 85mm that I love, but last week I was in Chicago for a quick work trip and I missed so many candid shots because I was fumbling to change glass when the light was actually good. It was super frustrating, I basically just ended up using my phone for half the trip which is not ideal since I really wanted to get some decent prints for my office.
Im looking for one lens that can handle pretty much everything so I can stop carrying a heavy bag everywhere I go. My budget is around 1200 bucks, maybe a little more if the glass is really worth it, but I definitely dont want to drop 3k on a GM lens right now. Ive been looking at the Tamron 28-75mm G2 and the Sigma 24-70mm DG DN but I keep reading conflicting stuff about the autofocus performance compared to native Sony glass.
- Need decent weather sealing since I live in a rainy area
- Fast enough for low light stuff
- Sharpness across the frame matters a lot to me since I crop in post pretty often
Is the newer Tamron actually as sharp as people say, or should I just suck it up and find a used Sony 24-70 GM or wait for a deal on the II? I need to make a decision by next month because I have a trip coming up and I seriously cant deal with lugging around two primes again. Does anyone have real world experience with these zooms or am I just overthinking the slight difference in edge sharpness between the Sigma and the native stuff...
Honestly, stop stressing about the native Sony glass. Over the years, I have shot with plenty of third-party options on my A7 bodies and the autofocus gap is barely there for street work. If you crop a ton, you really want the extra range on the wide end, which is why I would skip the Tamron and grab the Sigma.
- Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art
- Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 I have used the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art for years and the sharpness is legit pro-level. It handles rain fine if you are not reckless with it, and it feels way better in the hand than the G1 lenses did. Save your money and put that extra cash toward travel expenses instead of paying the Sony tax for a used GM. You wont regret it.
> Is the newer Tamron actually as sharp as people say, or should I just suck it up and find a used Sony 24-70 GM or wait for a deal on the II? Honestly, I bought the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 thinking it would save me, but unfortunately, the edge sharpness just wasn't as good as expected when I crop in for street prints. I had issues with focus breathing too. If you are cropping heavily, you might find it frustrating. I ended up switching to the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art, which is significantly sharper. It is a bit heavier, but the glass quality is legit. If you want to check technical data before buying, hit up DXOMARK to compare the lens scores. Dont bother with the old GM, it is bulky and outdated compared to the new stuff.
I have been using the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art for a while now and honestly, the sharpness is legit for the price. The weather sealing has held up fine for me during some light drizzles too. Just curious, do you prioritize that extra reach at 75mm or do you find yourself needing the wider 24mm angle more often? That might help you decide between the two lenses.
