Currently have the Sigma.  Results are so-so. Thinking about selling it and getting the Tamron 50-400 for my A1. Anyone had experience with both?

Kansas Ron wrote:Currently have the Sigma. Results are so-so. Thinking about selling it and getting the Tamron 50-400 for my A1. Anyone had experience with both?Every review that I have seen says that the Sigma 100-400 just doesn’t keep up with other 100-400 or similar focal length lenses. Of course the Sigma is more of a budget lens, so that isn’t surprising. I have not owned the Sigma, but have owned the Sony 100-400 and 1.4X TC, which I have sold. I own the Tamron 150-500, and I recently purchased the Tamron 50-400, which I have been testing on my A1. I am very happy with the results, and will sell the 150-500, as it is too big and heavy for normal use. The 50-400 is a very versatile lens, since it starts at 50 mm. You can buy a third party tripod foot for the 50-400 if the Tamron foot is out of stock or you want to save some money.See this review, and specifically the comparison section:https://sonyalpha.blog/2022/09/01/tamron-50-400-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-vxd-a067/#4_Comparison_with_other_100-400mm_Comparaison_avec_dautres_100-400mm_Fisheye

What do you plan to shoot with it? If landscapes, then my review could be helpful:https://jtra.cz/stuff/review/tamron-50-400/

jtra wrote:What do you plan to shoot with it? If landscapes, then my review could be helpful:https://jtra.cz/stuff/review/tamron-50-400/Very detailed review.  Mostly using for action. Whale-watching, grandsons' soccer, and travel.

Kansas Ron wrote:jtra wrote:What do you plan to shoot with it? If landscapes, then my review could be helpful:https://jtra.cz/stuff/review/tamron-50-400/Very detailed review. Mostly using for action. Whale-watching, grandsons' soccer, and travel.I am watching this thread  with great interest as have the newer Sigma 100-400 for a year  and using it on the SonyA7IV  which is 33MP in raw which is what I use. I use it mostly for wildlife general local and specific travel trips.  Also do some moon/ mountain shots and lot of landscape in the moment when needed.  I am small in stature so know the Sony 100-400GM is too heavy/ large  for me to carry hiking or use for long periods of time.  Very tempted to sell my Sony 70-300 and Sigma 100-400 and get the Tamron 50-4000. Thinking the AF and image quality would still be noticeable on the Sony A7IV with 33MP.  I shoot in raw to rescue low light and detail from the Sigma. Same interest as Kansas Ron the original poster but using less MP

CaliforniaDave wrote:Kansas Ron wrote:Currently have the Sigma. Results are so-so. Thinking about selling it and getting the Tamron 50-400 for my A1. Anyone had experience with both?Every review that I have seen says that the Sigma 100-400 just doesn’t keep up with other 100-400 or similar focal length lenses. Of course the Sigma is more of a budget lens, so that isn’t surprising. I have not owned the Sigma, but have owned the Sony 100-400 and 1.4X TC, which I have sold. I own the Tamron 150-500, and I recently purchased the Tamron 50-400, which I have been testing on my A1. I am very happy with the results, and will sell the 150-500, as it is too big and heavy for normal use. The 50-400 is a very versatile lens, since it starts at 50 mm. You can buy a third party tripod foot for the 50-400 if the Tamron foot is out of stock or you want to save some money.See this review, and specifically the comparison section:https://sonyalpha.blog/2022/09/01/tamron-50-400-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-vxd-a067/#4_Comparison_with_other_100-400mm_Comparaison_avec_dautres_100-400mm_FisheyeMore like Sigmas still use older stepper motors while Tamrons have newer linear motors which I suspect are similar to the ones used in Sonys.

Djehuty wrote:CaliforniaDave wrote:Kansas Ron wrote:Currently have the Sigma. Results are so-so. Thinking about selling it and getting the Tamron 50-400 for my A1. Anyone had experience with both?Every review that I have seen says that the Sigma 100-400 just doesn’t keep up with other 100-400 or similar focal length lenses. Of course the Sigma is more of a budget lens, so that isn’t surprising. I have not owned the Sigma, but have owned the Sony 100-400 and 1.4X TC, which I have sold. I own the Tamron 150-500, and I recently purchased the Tamron 50-400, which I have been testing on my A1. I am very happy with the results, and will sell the 150-500, as it is too big and heavy for normal use. The 50-400 is a very versatile lens, since it starts at 50 mm. You can buy a third party tripod foot for the 50-400 if the Tamron foot is out of stock or you want to save some money.See this review, and specifically the comparison section:https://sonyalpha.blog/2022/09/01/tamron-50-400-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-vxd-a067/#4_Comparison_with_other_100-400mm_Comparaison_avec_dautres_100-400mm_FisheyeMore like Sigmas still use older stepper motors while Tamrons have newer linear motors which I suspect are similar to the ones used in Sonys.This article makes the Tamron 50-400 look quite tempting and had read it awhile back but good memory refresh.  Slight rumour out there that Sony may be upgrading the 2017 released Sony 100-400 GM this year with hopefully new smaller size but better quality version that then could be tempting depending on price and weight.  But also keeping an eye on feed back on the Tamron as more people use it.  Only thing that Sony has going really is the better AF , burst rate, teleconverters,  and image quality at  FS 5.6 which is where more of the longer distance wildlife shots are taken from at 400 mm if I am not mistaken because of light. Certainly not a small advantage depending on how you use the lens.   Sigma is better at FS11 at 400mm but not really enough light for wildlife but maybe ok for landscape.  Still learning the photography genre.

I've got the Sony 200-600. Love that lens, but the Tamron 50-400 would be nice as a replacement for landscape photography, and maybe a little wildlife photography in case something interesting shows up while I'm out shooting the landscapes. The 200-600 is also at f/6.3 on the longer end, and keeping the ISO down in lowlight situations is challenging. But I'm not too worried since I use noise reduction software which makes wonder eliminating the noise. Personally I wouldn't use a 400mm lens for birding. Larger animals, sure, but even at 600mm I often find myself doing massive cropping when I've captured a flying bird.

Hey, how do you think the Sony 100-400 compares to the Tamron 50-400? I have the Sony and I love it! But I have been debating about selling it and getting the tamron, so that I have a smaller lens with more lens. I just don't want to regret switching if the IQ is worse.

Oli 9 wrote:Hey, how do you think the Sony 100-400 compares to the Tamron 50-400? I have the Sony and I love it! But I have been debating about selling it and getting the tamron, so that I have a smaller lens with more lens. I just don't want to regret switching if the IQ is worse.Hi, Oli, and welcome to the DPREVIEW forums. I no longer have the Sony 100-400, so I can't directly compare it to the Tamron 50-400, but I think if there were substantial differences in IQ between the two, I would have noticed by now. That is, the IQ is probably so similar, that you would have to seriously pixel peep to see any differences, and in practical use, the differences would be negligible. The review I posted earlier -https://sonyalpha.blog/2022/09/01/tamron-50-400-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-vxd-a067/#4_Comparison_with_other_100-400mm_Comparaison_avec_dautres_100-400mm_Fisheyecompares the Tamron 50-400 with the Sony 100-400 and the Sigma 100-400, and concludes that the Tamron matches the Sony in IQ.I'd suggest buying (with option to return) or renting the Tamron 50-400 and comparing it to your Sony 100-400 before you sell your Sony 100-400.The advantage of the Sigma 100-400 is that it is the least expensive, and the disadvantages of it are that the IQ is not quite as good as the Sony and Tamron, and it can't use teleconverters (Sony doesn't license any third party E-mount lenses to use teleconverters).The advantages of the Sony 100-400 are that it has good IQ, can take 1.4X and 2X teleconverters, and can shoot 30 fps with AF on the A1, while the disadvantage is the high price.The advantages of the Tamron 50-400 are that it has good IQ, has better macro or close focusing ability than the Sigma or Sony, is slightly smaller than the Sigma and Sony, and covers 50-400 (this is a big plus for my use), not just 100-400, while the disadvantage is that like the Sigma, it can't use teleconverters.I am going on a trip this summer (winter in Southern hemisphere) to Madagascar (generally smaller animals that you can get closer to), and Botswana (generally larger animals that you will probably be further from), and I think the Tamron 50-400 will be the ideal lens for a good portion of the trip, as I'll be able to handle many situations without a lens change. I am not a birder, but if I was, I would get the Sony 200-600 which can use teleconverters. However, it is a massive lens. I will probably also take my Sony PZ 16-35 f/4 and my Tamron 28-200 (much smaller and lighter than the 50-400, might be useful for general photography).I shoot both stills and video, and I am looking forward to using the 50-400 to shoot 8K video with my A1. 8K is downsampled from 8.7K, and you can further crop (for more reach) and or downsample it in post to get sharp 4K.Here are some other lens reviews of the Tamron 50-400:https://www.cameralabs.com/tamron-50-400mm-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-review/https://dustinabbott.net/2022/09/tamron-50-400mm-f4-5-6-3-vc-vxd-review-a067/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Oh445vi5Uhttps://www.dpreview.com/videos/8513655020/dpreview-tv-tamron-50-400mm-f4-5-6-3-di-iii-vc-vxd-reviewI'll see if I have some older Sony 100-400 photos that are similar to recent photos that I have shot with the Tamron 50-400, but I'm not hopeful.

I am really hoping to come across someone who finds the AF and tracking plus sharpness at higher end 400 on the Tamron better compared to the Sigma. https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-50-400mm-f-4-5-6-3-Di-III-VC-VXD-Lens.aspxThe image quality comparison in this article shows Sigma better and of course Sony 100-400 better yet as expected. However Marc in the SonyAlphablog article and chart I has in my opening of this thread tends to show Tamron better than the Sigma. Unfortunately Dustin Abbott does not do a head to head comparison but seems to like the Tamron and especially after the firmware 2 update admits he has not compared the two at same time. I am in Canada the price difference is — Sony 100-400 -$3500 plus 12% tax but includes collarTamron— $1750 plus tax – no collarSigma— ranges 1050-1250 plus tax depending whether on sale plus collar .I actually bought Sigma when it was below 1000 around Christmas last year and got good price on collar too .Camera stores in my area not as generous about trying out cameras then returning and actually stock of Tamron keeps being sold out.

WhistlerNorth wrote:I am really hoping to come across someone who finds the AF and tracking plus sharpness at higher end 400 on the Tamron better compared to the Sigma. https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-50-400mm-f-4-5-6-3-Di-III-VC-VXD-Lens.aspxThe image quality comparison in this article shows Sigma better and of course Sony 100-400 better yet as expected. However Marc in the SonyAlphablog article and chart I has in my opening of this thread tends to show Tamron better than the Sigma. Unfortunately Dustin Abbott does not do a head to head comparison but seems to like the Tamron and especially after the firmware 2 update admits he has not compared the two at same time. I am in Canada the price difference is — Sony 100-400 -$3500 plus 12% tax but includes collarTamron— $1750 plus tax – no collarSigma— ranges 1050-1250 plus tax depending whether on sale plus collar .I actually bought Sigma when it was below 1000 around Christmas last year and got good price on collar too .Camera stores in my area not as generous about trying out cameras then returning and actually stock of Tamron keeps being sold out.Marc in his reviews of the Tamron 50-400 and Sigma 100-400 found that the AF for each was not as good as for the Sony 100-400, when shooting fast erratic moving subjects. I think both the Tamron and Sigma he tested had not yet received firmware updates, and the updates might somewhat improve AF performance.If AF performance is of primary importance to you, especially for fast erratic subjects, then the Sony 100-400, or Sony 200-600, or future Sony 100-400 update would probably be your best choice, but none of them will be inexpensive. And the Sony lenses can support 30 fps bursts with AF on the A1 (and presumably future high performance Sony FF and APS-C bodies), which is important for some, but not for me.Every lens is a set of trade-offs, but since I am not a sports photographer, I'm OK with the trade-offs of the Tamron versus the Sony. However, if a future Sony 100-400 update has significant advantages over the current Sony 100-400, I might be interested.

CaliforniaDave wrote:WhistlerNorth wrote:I am really hoping to come across someone who finds the AF and tracking plus sharpness at higher end 400 on the Tamron better compared to the Sigma. https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-50-400mm-f-4-5-6-3-Di-III-VC-VXD-Lens.aspxThe image quality comparison in this article shows Sigma better and of course Sony 100-400 better yet as expected. However Marc in the SonyAlphablog article and chart I has in my opening of this thread tends to show Tamron better than the Sigma. Unfortunately Dustin Abbott does not do a head to head comparison but seems to like the Tamron and especially after the firmware 2 update admits he has not compared the two at same time. I am in Canada the price difference is — Sony 100-400 -$3500 plus 12% tax but includes collarTamron— $1750 plus tax – no collarSigma— ranges 1050-1250 plus tax depending whether on sale plus collar .I actually bought Sigma when it was below 1000 around Christmas last year and got good price on collar too .Camera stores in my area not as generous about trying out cameras then returning and actually stock of Tamron keeps being sold out.Marc in his reviews of the Tamron 50-400 and Sigma 100-400 found that the AF for each was not as good as for the Sony 100-400, when shooting fast erratic moving subjects. I think both the Tamron and Sigma he tested had not yet received firmware updates, and the updates might somewhat improve AF performance.If AF performance is of primary importance to you, especially for fast erratic subjects, then the Sony 100-400, or Sony 200-600, or future Sony 100-400 update would probably be your best choice, but none of them will be inexpensive. And the Sony lenses can support 30 fps bursts with AF on the A1 (and presumably future high performance Sony FF and APS-C bodies), which is important for some, but not for me.Every lens is a set of trade-offs, but since I am not a sports photographer, I'm OK with the trade-offs of the Tamron versus the Sony. However, if a future Sony 100-400 update has significant advantages over the current Sony 100-400, I might be interested.I am still toying with looking at the Sony100-400 just for faster AF but the size and weight still a concern for me due my smaller stature and strength being older. Below article just for interest..This was from thehttps://phillipreeve.net/blog/GUIDES,LENSES,OPINIONSONY FE LENSES: THE HONEST GUIDE FOR THE A7/A9/A1 SERIESFEBRUARY 22, 2023THE TEAM249 COMMENTSChoose the right lens for your Sony Alpha with the help of our independent knowledge gained by writing many in-depth reviews.Tele Zooms up to 400mmTamron 4.5-6.3/50-400 Di III VC VXDStrengthsWeaknessesRecommendation: a very interesting zoom range that can beuseful if you often have to go from close up to wide scenariosLength: 183mm | Diameter: 99mm | Weight: 1115g | Filter Thread: 67mm | Released: August 2022 | Price (January 2023): $1299 Cameralabs Review|amazon.com|amazon.de|B&H|ebay.com|ebay.de(affiliate links)Sony FE 4.5-5.6/100-400 OSS GMStrengthsWeaknessesRecommendation: a very capable tele zoom that unfortunatelycomes at a high price.Length: 205mm | Diameter: 94mm | Weight: 1395g | Filter Thread: 77mm | Released: April 2017 | Price (January 2023): $2498 Review|B&H|Amazon.com|Amazon.de|ebay.com|Ebay.de(affiliate links)Sigma C 5.0-6.3/100-400StrengthsWeaknessesRecommendation: this lens is optically so good that imagequality shouldn’t be a deciding factor between it and the Sony FE 4.5-5.6/100-400 GM OSS. The build quality is not up to professional standards, still this is the best long telephoto option for everybody on a budget who can get along with the slower maximum aperture.Length: 197mm | Diameter: 86mm | Weight: 1135g | Filter Thread: 67mm | Released: June 2020 | Price (January 2023): $849 Cameralabs Review|amazon.com|amazon.de|B&H|ebay.com(affiliate links)