Third Party DX Lenses...Better Than Nikon Brand?

daveward

Senior Member
I have a d90 (with a 50mm 1.4) that I really enjoy that will be traded in for a d7200 when my wife is away at her sister's house sometime in the future. These statements are general ones about third party lenses in particular (for DX). 1. I read elsewhere to be cautious about the compatibility of third party lenses (like whether they provide all the functionality (electronic interfaces) of Nikon brand lenses). 2. There are many references on this forum to seemingly happy users of Tamron, and other lenses...even suggestions some are "better" than the Nikon equivalents. 3. There are references to the "holy trinity" of lenses (also Tamron), but my research did not yield the answer as to what three lenses were being referred to.

Anyone care to comment on 1, 2, or 3?

Thanks, Dave
 

lokatz

Senior Member
Hi Dave,

I have owned and used Tokina, Sigma and Tamron lenses on a D90 in the past and never had any issues. Same with my current bodies (see signature) and a few different third-party lenses, so I am not sure what the issue would be.

All three of these make some good and some not-so-good lenses. In the relatively affordable category, say, below $1000, Nikon's lenses do not necessarily stand out and I've often (though not always) seen tests suggesting that others' lenses perform better, but this is not consistent in favor of any particular make. In other words, I don't see that Tamron consistently beats out the other two.

In the >$1,000 category, Nikon often wins comparative tests, though the margins between the competitors get narrower and there tends to be a price difference that may make third-party lenses attractive even when the corresponding Nikon is a hair better. Sigma and Tamron are both catching up all the time, and some of their recent lenses are excellent. I'll be happy to get more specific if you are eyeing specific lenses or focal lengths.

As far as the 'holy trinity' goes, this is a generic term generally used for a combination of wide-angle, standard and tele zooms, each with a maximum aperture of f/2.8. For Nikon, that's usually the 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200. Here again, Tamron has a good offering but IMHO does not yet beat Nikon on image quality. They offer attractive pricing, though. Assuming you are eyeing a holy trinity, I do not see a reason to buy only one make. Mixing and matching seems perfectly fine. If I were to make that step (these lenses are too heavy for my travels, so I won't), I'd probably go for Nikon (wide) and Tamron (standard + tele), but that's just my take here and others may see this differently.
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
From Nikon:
1. Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses, AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (A and M modes only); IX-NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used
[FONT=Noto Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif]The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports the center focus point with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster)[/FONT]

[FONT=Noto Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif]2. No generalizations, but there are excellent Lenses made by Tamron, Sigma and Tokina. You'll just need to investigate the specific lenses you are interested in.[/FONT]

[FONT=Noto Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif]3. 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm. Nikon even put out special editions of these lnses for their 100th year in business: [/FONT]

https://www.adorama.com/nk28e.html?...3OJaly26sRt1ulF3lRQDbeAwMuRTzlBBoC5YgQAvD_BwE

Regular versions can be had for much less, of course. :)
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

In regards to Item 1, of late, Nikon seems to be more proactive in making 3rd part equipment not compatible (batteries, flash, and lenses). If you get a third party item make sure you can return it for a refund if testing proves it has a problem. If it does work, be very careful about applying camera firmware updates. Once you run it, Nikon does not let you go back if the update creates a compatibility problem (and several recent updates seem to have created these type of problems).

In regards to item 2 and 3, some items are equal or superior to Nikon equivalent, some are not. You have to do your research. I have had great luck with several Tokina lens and recommend them highly. The newer Sigma lens seem much better than the older ones and I love my Sigma 150-600mm lens. Unfortunately, I have had one lens failure and one lens that I learned to hate. Both of them were Tamron (at 28-200mm that failed and a 200-400mm that really sucks for IQ with the newer cameras, worked OK on my D70, sucks completely on my D7200). However, based on what I have read lately, may have to give Tamron another chance.

By the way, you will love the D7200, but you will have some learning curve.
 

TL Robinson

Senior Member
By my signature I have many third party lenses....

Tamron 24-70 and 70-200, Tamron 150-600 (selling tho), Rokinon 85 1.4 MF (all FF, but work on DX bodies quite well) , Sigma 18-35 and 50-100 Art lenses, Tokina 11-16, and Rokinon 8mm Fisheye (all DX lenses)...I've used all of them on a combination of full frame and dx bodies with excellent results...

If I had to go back and decide again I would make the same decisions (except maybe the 150-600 as it's not as sharp as I'd like on the long end).
 

daveward

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.

By the way, you will love the D7200, but you will have some learning curve.

Thanks, some of the compatibility concerns you mention just means more judicious shopping I suppose.

I'm curious what extra learning curves you are thinking about re moving from the 90 to 7200.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Thanks, some of the compatibility concerns you mention just means more judicious shopping I suppose.

I'm curious what extra learning curves you are thinking about re moving from the 90 to 7200.

When I first got the D7200 to replace my D200, the first few days, I sometimes wondered if the D7200 was all it was cracked up to be since many of my early photos were blurry. However after a few days of work and learning some tips and tricks, all is now well. You might want to take a look at this web page to give you some ideas of the differences. Nikon D7200 vs Nikon D90 Detailed Comparison
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
@daveward

When I first got the D7200 to replace my D200, the first few days, I sometimes wondered if the D7200 was all it was cracked up to be...
I think many of us can relate to this, I know I can. I experienced the exact same thinking when I upgraded to a D7100. What I didn't realize was that the D7100, and later my D750, were simply better at mirroring back to me indication of my own error in technique. I don't know if it's the higher pixel density or what, but both cameras forced me to improve my game, and sometimes my glass as well.
 
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