I: Hobby photographer (ie without payment, otherwise with "high" claims.)
My Camera: Sony Alpha 55
What I want? Photos and videos make that look as a poster and on a Full Hd Tv class.
Caveat: Everything looks great. Assuming the subject is right and the man behind the camera knows what he is doing :-)
I am not a pixel counter. Why should they? ...... The bottom line on the wall / in TV / Web as a reduction are critical.
If someone says something is good or bad - then the assessment should be comparable.
This is about the comparison with the kit lens 18-55 by Sony (because almost everyone has on his Alpha 55) and at the end of HSM Sigma 18-250.
All other comparisons are not fit - prime lens macro against against travel zoom? Nonsense ...
Everything here quite "casual" written - rather addressed to beginners and Hobbyknippser.
Professionals know the right sites to learn about the objective ........
Compare kit lens:
the Tamron focuses faster, quieter, more rarely felt wrong.
Especially in videos a big advantage. Tamron point.
The zoom is fantastic - clear, the kit can not keep up here.
The weight: hui, the camera is already massive ;-)
In the dark / bar / lounge / disco / candlelight the same result.
Only one should be lazy nichtbzu thanks to the zoom, one step forward or back to make ...
The images themselves are no better or worse than that of the kit lens,
I see little difference. Whether color, sharpness, contrast.
The manual focus works better with the Tamron.
For "macro" shots disturb that the distance must be 49 cm, otherwise works no focus (minimum focusing distance)
Then the zoom fully extend - there's is already shaky.
The quality of the macros are both equal .. At Tamron bother just shake and the great distance.
With the kit, you can get closer and 55mm blurred so much.
and: Macro with built-in flash when Tamron is not because the long pipe covering the flash ... External Flash Required (eg my f43 Sony ...)
For me, the Tamron, casually, better than the kit - regarded as an allrounder. Anyone who wants to take pictures Macros - A macro buy objectively. Then it really gets going in the miniature world :-)
Tamron compared to Sigma:
the Sigma HSM HSM 18-250 I had it three weeks - compared Landscape, Portrait, Party, Baby in the dim light, video, long exposures bla bla bla - anywhere I can find slight differences - but elect no clear winner.
Anders, not better or worse.
In 30x40 Poster Super everything looks - on 60x40 neck etc. and made recordings as long as no 1 to 1, falls of "difference" no longer, since each photo / motif brings other terms with it.
I decided against the Sigma because the zoom range does not rankommt the Tamron area, the part was too heavy and I do not get 5-year warranty.
Since I do not own testing laboratory and no pixel'm maniac, this is about nitpicking.
Flaring the edges, distortion, vignetting, ETC. Usf. - Clear, they are available.
However, really only when I turn away my eyes from the subject and to seek commencement in 100% view for errors.
As I said, my experience. Without scientific justification. Rein in relation to the practice and the final result.
I can recommend it to anyone as the Tamron panacea. At least every "normalo" like me ;-)